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Travel to Bhutan from Australia & New Zealand - Yak Holidays

A comprehensive information on flights/travel to Bhutan from Australia/New Zealand, Bhutan visa for Australian/New Zealand citizens, tours, festivals in Bhutan and more.

The Australian and New Zealander passport holders wishing to travel to Bhutan have to pay a sustainable development fee (SDF) @ US 100 per person per night stay in Bhutan.  Besides the SDF, the visitors have to pay the entry fees for monuments and festival visits.

Our package trip costs applies uniformly for tours, trekking in Bhutan, festival visits  and other activities and are inclusive of sustainable development fee (SDF). 

  • Solo traveler: US $ 340 per night.
  • 2 persons in a group: US $ 280 per person per night stay in Bhutan.
  • 3 persons or more in a group: US $ 270 per person per night stay in Bhutan.

For more details, visit our Bhutan tour, trekking or festival pages.

How to book Bhutan tour from Australia & New Zealand?

Memorial Chorten is the highlight of travel to Bhutan from Australia - New Zealand

The memorial chorten in Thimphu.

It is simple to book Bhutan tour from Australia / New Zealand. You have to book the trip with one of the registered local Bhutanese tour operator like us. The local Bhutan travel agency will make all your travel arrangements like:

  • Processing Bhutan visa and permits.
  • Booking the hotels as per your choice.
  • Flights ticketing with Druk Air or Bhutan Airline.
  • Transport (Car / bus) depending on the group size.
  • Local Bhutanese tour / trekking Guide.
  • Sightseeing.
  • Yaks / ponies for trek, cook, helpers, guide, trekking equipment etc. for trek.

All our trips are custom and private tours which means that you will not join other group.

How to book Bhutan tour from Australia - New Zealand?

A Bhutanese monk.

How to get Bhutan visa for Australian & New Zealand citizens?

Bhutan visa for Australian / New Zealand citizens are processed by a local Bhutan travel agency / tour operator like us. You have to confirm your Bhutan trip, make full payment payment and send a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport(s) to your tour operator. The local tour operator will submit and process the visa application on your behalf with the Department of Immigration, Thimphu. It normally takes a day or two to obtain the e-visa from the Department of Immigration, Thimphu which will be e-mailed to you. You are now all set to travel to Bhutan. The actual visa will be stamped in your passport upon arrival at the Paro airport.

Please note that no Bhutanese embassies or missions abroad can issue Bhutan visa for tourists.

The duration of Bhutan visa depends on the length of the trip book. Bhutan visa fee for Australian / New Zealand citizens is US $ 40 per person per trip.

A sample copy of passport to process Bhutan visa for Australian - New Zealand citizens/nationals.

A sample copy of passport photo page.

Flights to Bhutan from Australia & New Zealand.

There are no direct flights to Bhutan from Australia / New Zealand. Bhutan Airlines and Drukair are the only two Bhutanese airlines that operate flights in Bhutan. The only international airport in Bhutan is located in Paro valley, 54 kilometers from Thimphu. The visitors from Australia / New Zealand have to fly into Bhutan from Bangkok, Kolkata, Dhaka or Katmandu. Both the airlines operate flights from these cities on daily basis.

Your local Bhutanese tour operator or international agent will help you book and purchase the tickets.

Paro International Airport code is PBH.

The round trip fares for various sectors (Port of entry and exit) are given below. Please contact us for the child fare:

  • Bangkok – Paro – Bangkok – US $ 951 (Economy) & US $ 1290 (Business).
  • Kathmandu – Paro – Kathmandu – US $ 464 (Economy) & US $ 710 (Business).
  • Kolkata – Paro – Kolkata – US $ 465 (Economy) & US $ 706 (Business).
  • Dhaka – Paro – Dhaka – US $ 468 (Economy) & US $ 766 (Business).

Aerial distance & flight duration:

  • Kolkata – Paro (Bhutan):

Kolkata to Paro aerial distance: 536 Km, Flight duration: 1 hour 13 minutes.

  • Bangkok – Paro (Bhutan):

Bangkok to Paro aerial distance: 1920 Km, Flight duration: 2 hours 45 minutes.

  • Kathmandu – Paro:

Kathmandu to Paro aerial distance is 405 Km. Flight duration is 58 minutes.

Note for Passengers traveling to Bhutan from Australia/ New Zealand via Bangkok.

Drukair & Bhutan Airlines fly to & from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Please make arrangements accordingly.

Check baggage allowance on Drukair & Bhutan Airline:
  • 30 Kg in economy class & 40 Kg in business class.
  • Children paying 10 % of the applicable fares are not entitled for any baggage allowance.
Cabin baggage / hand carry:
  • 7 Kg in business class & 5 Kg in economy class.
Excess baggage charge:

The charge per kg of excess baggage is equivalent to 1.5 % of one way adult fare.

The festival season in spring and autumn are busy months. Hence, you are advised to book your flight / Bhutan tours from Australia / New Zealand early.

The highlight of flights to Bhutan from Australia & New Zealand is the view of Himalayas from Drukair flight

A view from Drukair.

Bhutan Flights – Enjoy the Himalayan Panorama:

Your flights to and from Bhutan are panoramic and are your ultimate mountain flights. The visitors always scramble for the best seats in your flight. It is a feast to your eyes as you see the up-close view of the Himalayan ranges including Mt. Everest. Yes, you heard it right. The seats on Drukair and Bhutan Airlines are allocated on the “First come, first serve basis” at the check-in-counter of the port of entry into Bhutan. If you travel to Bhutan from Australia / New Zealand via Bangkok, Kolkata or Dhaka, request the ground staff at the check-in-counter to allocate the seat on the right. Those flying from Kathmandu may request to assign the seats on the left, possibly by the window.
If you are flying to Bhutan from Kathmandu, you will see a beautiful mountain panorama.
You will see five mountain peaks all above 8000 m, Mt. Everest (8848 m), Mt. Makalu (8463 m), Mt. Cho Oyu (8188 m), Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586 m), Mt. Lhotse (8516 m) and finally Jomolhari (7326 m). But if you travel to Bhutan from Bangkok or Kolkata, then you will see the panoramic Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Jomolhari only. The chances to see these scenic high points on the surface of the earth will be better if you travel in early spring or winter or in autumn. The morning flights are even better as there will be less or no clouds to obstruct the mountain ranges.
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There are no direct flights to Bhutan from Australia - New Zealand.
Bhutan tour from Australia
Bhutan Travel Links

Best time to visit Bhutan:

March – May & September – November are the best time to visit Bhutan from Australia / New Zealand. The Spring season in Bhutan means blue mountains, crisp air, festivals and flowers blooming everywhere. Most of the festivals take place in central Bhutan in Autumn months. October and November months also the best months for trekking in Bhutan. However, many visitors also travel to Bhutan from Australia / New Zealand during the low season months.

COVID 19 update on travel to Bhutan:

The Royal Government of Bhutan has completely re-opened tourism from 23rd September 2022. No RT-PCR test / quarantine for COVID-19  is required at the port of entry, Paro International Airport or other entry points. The visitors need not under-go RT-PCR test at the time of exiting Bhutan. However, the health officials at Paro airport and other the point of entry into Bhutan may subject the visitors to random tests to monitor and control the spread of new variant of COVID-19 in Bhutan. 
Bhutan visa for Australian - New Zealand citizens/nationals is required for visit to Tiger's Nest monastery in Bhutan

The iconic Tiger’s nest monastery.

No, the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Australia does not issue Bhutan visa for Australian citizens. The tourist visa for Bhutan for Australian / New Zealander citizens / nationals should be obtained from the Department of Immigration, Thimphu after booking a pre-paid holiday package with one of the registered tour operators in Bhutan.

Yes, you can book flights to Bhutan from New Zealand / Australia online from the websites of Drukair www.drukair.com.bt or Bhutan Airlines. www.bhutanairlines.bt  

For short Bhutan tours, we recommend 6 nights / 7 days & 7 nights / 8 days Bhutan tour.  For longer Bhutan tour, we recommend 10 nights / 11 days Bhutan tour package.

No, It is not possible to get Bhutan visa for Australian / New Zealander citizens / nationals upon arrival in Bhutan.
All visitors wishing to visit Bhutan should get Bhutan visa in advance prior to travel to Bhutan.

No, there is no flight to Bhutan from Australia (Canberra or any other cities). You have to fly to Bangkok, Kolkata or Kathmandu and make flight connection to Paro Bhutan by Drukair or Bhutan Airlines.

No, there are no direct flights to Bhutan from New Zealand or any of its cities. The visitors to Bhutan from New Zealand have to fly either to Bangkok, Kolkata or Kathmandu and then make flight connection to Paro Bhutan.

The best time to travel to Bhutan from Australia / New Zealand is from March – May and mid September to mid December.

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