Making arrangements for a trip to Bhutan is a little different from traveling to other countries. In order to get a visa your trip must be prepaid, including the Druk Air tickets, through a Bhutanese-licensed travel agency. The exact timing of your trip will depend on the availability of flights. Druk Air, the airline that flies into Bhutan, has only two Airbus A-319s that fly from Delhi and Kathmandu on Mondays and Thursdays and Bangkok and Calcutta on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Visitors may travel singly or in groups of any size. The approximate fee is $200/day. Exceptions to this tariff are listed later in this section. Because of limited air flights, the farther in advance you make your plans the better. During festivals, lodging can also be scarce.

All foreign nationals visiting Bhutan must travel through all-inclusive package tours for which a fixed price is set by the Royal Government.

We suggest the following steps for the most efficient arrangements.

1. Read through the trip suggestions on our web site. Email us with a preferred trip or an outline of what you would like to see and do, perhaps combining more than one idea. Also, let us know a time frame in which you would like to travel, your level of fitness, if trekking, and which city you will be flying from (Bangkok, Calcutta, Delhi or Kathmandu). It is also possible to enter Bhutan by land from India in the southwest. See Traveling by Land.
2. We will respond with a suggested itinerary, the dates flights are available, and the cost of the trip.
   When you select a final trip itinerary and travel dates, email us the completed visa forms and send payment in full, including the cost of the Druk Air tickets. See Trip Payment. It may take up to four weeks to process the visa applications so be sure to allow plenty of time. Visa clearances will not be issued by the government until payment has been received. The visa clearance number issued by the government is then forwarded to Druk Air. Passengers are not allowed to board without this clearance. A valid passport is required in order to get a visa.
3. We obtain the visas and the Druk Air reservations. We then reconfirm the arrangements within the country for your guide, lodging, meals and transportation. Trip details and itinerary will be sent to you by email. Your Druk Air tickets will be at the airport check-in.

Be sure to allow for some time flexibility between your flight to Bangkok, Calcutta, Delhi, or Kathmandu. Flights in and out of Paro airport in Bhutan are daylight restricted, weather dependent, and are often delayed. If you are late arriving in Bhutan, we will accommodate your schedule accordingly. When leaving, it is useful to have an unrestricted ticket on your other airline to make rescheduling easier, if necessary. To be prepared for interrupted travel you may want to carry essential personal items in your carry-on luggage.

There is a luggage limit in Druk Air of 20 kg (44 lbs) for economy and 30 kg (60 lbs) for business class. It is possible to pay for excess baggage, but there is a chance that it may be left for another flight. The cabin luggage compartments are small, so it is a good idea to limit your carry-on baggage.

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