A solo trip to Bhutan means you are traveling to Bhutan alone. You will be spending your best time in Bhutan with your travel agent in Bhutan. When you travel to Bhutan it does not mean that you will be alone in Bhutan. In Bhutan, the solo traveler is a guided tour with a complete tour package. Solo travel to Bhutan does not mean you are solo in Bhutan.
In Bhutan, you must need a guide and transport with the driver. While you are trekking in Bhutan you will be with a trekking guide, cooks, helper, and horse caretaker. You will meet so many friends while on tour in Bhutan and trekking in Bhutan.
Advantages of a solo trip to Bhutan
Solo travel in Bhutan will have benefits for travelers traveling to Bhutan. Below you can find out are reasons for solo travelers. Solo travel to Bhutan is awesome and gets total benefits to the client.
1. Freedom to travel in Bhutan
Once you are in Bhutan you have the freedom to travel on a guided tour. The reason behind this is the tourism industry is regulated by the government of Bhutan under the Tourism Council of Bhutan.
Bhutan is a Buddhist country and the land is covered with 72% of the forest. Moreover, it is the first country in the world with a carbon-negative country. To preserve the culture and traditions there is still a need to be looked upon and not degrading the culture. Most of the countries go through mass tourism.
All guides in Bhutan are trained and are friendly. They will provide you with complete service when you travel to Bhutan. You don’t have to stick to the itinerary of the travel agent or tour operator in Bhutan. You can make changes as per your choice of what you really want to do in a day.
2. You will build up your confidence level.
A solo trip to Bhutan will build up your confidence when you are a shy person. In Bhutan, you will find a lot of friends who are really helpful and friendly. Most Bhutanese know how to speak English. Bhutan is a place of happiness and you will enjoy every moment.
3. Comfortable while staying in Bhutan
Solo Travel in Bhutan is comfortable with the services provided by your tour operator in Bhutan. Transport your travel is comfortable. Most travel agencies in Bhutan use excellent transport throughout your tour. Guides in Bhutan are friendly and trained.
Food in Bhutan is good enough in all places. Once you go beyond the central part of Bhutan food is average. While trekking in Bhutan is unique compared to other countries. You will get the best service and comfortable treatment while trekking in Bhutan.
4. More Friends and Happiness
Solo travelers traveling to Bhutan will catch hold of many friends. Even a small restaurant owner will ask you “How is the food”?. The guide will be a good friend of yours. There are stories guide get in love with solo travelers. You will find people get more towards happiness rather than sadness. In Bhutan, we measure the happiness of people rather than the GDP of the country. You will fall in love with people because of their happiness.
5. Stressed out
Solo travel to Bhutan will be stressed because of the uniqueness of the country. Bhutan is a unique country with beautiful traditions and culture. Bhutan lies in the Eastern Himalayan ranges with a pristine environment.
6. Improve your Language skills
A solo trip to Bhutan will improve your Dzongkha language. You will get ample time to learn more about Bhutan and its language. Language is important in your life when you are on tour. Bhutanese are free to teach anywhere inside Bhutan. People care for tourists coming to Bhutan. Even the guide will be with you to learn the language skills.
7. It is more cost-efficient
Another advantage of the solo trip to Bhutan is cost-efficient. It will be easier to pay for the tour operator of Bhutan without consultation. you have single accommodation with the best service to your end. You get time to go around as per wish and get what you really want.
8. Hassle-free
It will be hassle-free while you travel to Bhutan as a solo trip. You don’t have to wait in the car and wait for your friend and join the tour. Everything you carry out the trip as a solo traveler you will be in happiness and less tense.
Bhutan Travel Guide for a solo trip to Bhutan
For the Solo trip to Bhutan, it is important to contact the tour operator of Bhutan.
Follow the steps to get a tourist visa
- E-mail and get a quote for the Bhutan tour package from the Bhutan Tour Agency.
- Ask for a quote for Bhutan flights. Find out which sectors you want to travel to. It is easier to travel to Bhutan from Bangkok. For Indians, you can travel to Bhutan by Druk Air flight or Bhutan Airlines.
- Finalization of the tour with your local tour agency in Bhutan with packages. The Bhutan tourist tariff is fixed by the Department of Tourism(DOT). Regional tourists from India need not pay a royalty of US$100 per person per night to the Government. But have to pay SDF Rs.1200 per person per day.
- Your tour operator will ask you to pay in advance. It is mandatory for the issue of visas. After reflecting payment in Government revenue, the visa is issued to you.
- Travel to Bhutan with the latest travel updates from your local tour agency or the Department of Tourism(DOT) website.
You can bike or cycle to Bhutan from the road accessing the Indian state of West Bengal. Solo bike trip to Bhutan is interesting and secure because of to guided tour to Bhutan. Tour operators of Bhutan organize solo bike trips to Bhutan with customized tours and you will be provided with a complete tour package to Bhutan. Is it safe to travel to Bhutan alone?
Bhutan is one of the safest places in the world to travel. The country, in general, has a very low crime rate and a crime against tourists is something unheard of. If you are a solo female traveler to Bhutan there can’t be any safer place. So, grab your backpack and get on with that Bhutanese holiday you’ve been dreaming of for a long! And yeah, don’t bring heels bring good shoes and boots
FAQ’s Solo trip to Bhutan
Is Bhutan safe for solo female travelers?
The short and crisp answer is Yes, A lot of Indian female travelers also go for a solo trip to Bhutan. The crime rate is non-existent in the country. Backpacking in Bhutan is really that safe for everyone.
How to get a Bhutan Visa on Arrival?
Indian Passport holders or those who have voter cards from the Election Commission of Bhutan do not require a Bhutan visa, however, they require an e-permit to enter the country:
India
Getting a Bhutan visa for an Indian national is quite simple. While Backpacking in Bhutan remember the tip that a Passport or a voter ID card is a must for citizens of India to get an entry permit for Bhutan. Note that any other type of ID including an Adhaar card is not accepted. The officers at the immigration center are very strict and won’t listen to any of your pleas. Most likely (99.99%) you will be returned if you don’t carry the proper ID. The good news is that even if you don’t have the proper ID you can still visit and stay in the town of Phuntsholing
The permits to visit Bhutan are free and are issued at a few of the crossings, Phuntsholing being the most popular among those. Phuntsholing is located next to the town of Jaigaon which lies on the Indian side. The two cities are separated by a wall and a gate that allows the flow of traffic between the two.
Try to reach the permit office as early in the morning as possible as it gets crowded later during the day.
If you are a solo traveler from India visit Bhutan on a weekday. At Phuntsholing border crossing authorities don’t issue permits to solo travelers on Saturday and Sunday. Remember Bhutan doesn’t encourage backpacking, and you should avoid looking like one at all costs.
How to reach Bhutan?
The international airport in Bhutan is located in the small town of Paro which is about a distance of a couple of hours from the capital city of Thimpu. Unfortunately, your flying options are very limited as the only two operators allowed to fly are Druk Air (dominant player) and Bhutan Airways (relatively new).
People backpacking to Bhutan from India will rejoice in the fact that the closest airport to Bhutan on Indian soil is Bagdogra Airport. The little town of Bagdogra is located very close to the bigger city of Siliguri. Siliguri is also a gateway to the picturesque town of Darjeeling and the beautiful Himalayan capital Gangtok. Check my travel blog post on Darjeeling and Gangtok for more details.
Phuntsholing remains the most popular entry point or border crossing for Indian travelers. This is where you will be coming when you arrive by flight at the Bagdogra airport. Bagdogra is well connected to Delhi with several flights daily, as well as to Kolkata. Tourists arriving from Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai can take any economy flight such as Spice jet which connects to Bagdogra via Kolkata.
Whether you are a solo female traveler to Bhutan or a male traveler, at Bagdogra airport you can easily find someone to share a prepaid taxi to Jaigaon. Simply stand near the prepaid booth which is located on the inside, on the left of the Bagdogra airport exit. Wait for a few minutes and talk to people, you should be able to find someone going in the same direction. Note, that it is perfectly okay to travel by road as the road condition is perfectly fine and has not deteriorated as mentioned in several blog posts (perhaps those posts are old).
Alternatively, if you are on a budget trip to Bhutan, you can take an auto to the New Jalpaiguri and catch a bus or a train from there.
However, the cheapest option, if you are on a backpacking trip to Bhutan, would be to take an auto (max 40 rupees) to “Bihar mod” which is located very close to the airport, and hop on to one of the buses coming from Nepal. Yes! You heard it right, buses coming from Nepal. The bus will take you to Siliguri.
I traveled from Bangalore to Bhutan, the flight to Bagdogra was through Kolkata. There was a massive delay in my connecting flight but it turned out to be all right in the end.
Buses are the major public transportation to get around in Bhutan. The bus network is very good and the services are provided by private operators. The coaster buses provide an economical and comfortable means of transportation.
Backpacking in Bhutan is quite comfortable as the air, as well as ground connectivity is good. The towns in Bhutan are well connected with each other by domestic flights. Note, that the flights are not very frequent, so plan your Bhutan itinerary carefully.
Travel to Bhutan by Road
The three land border crossings are located along the Indian border: Phuntsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar.
The Indian town bordering Phuntsholing is Jaigaon and you can just walk over from Jaigaon to Phuntsholing. From Phuntsholing you can take a coaster bus to Thimpu or you can hop onto a shared taxi. If you are on a budget trip to Bhutan, shared taxis are readily available from the Phuntsholing taxi stand which is a bit of a walk (15-20 minutes) uphill from the permit office. Note that buses go on scheduled time, and strictly adhere to it as well.
Indians can bring their cars though they need to obtain a car permit to enter.
Getting to Bhutan by Rail
If you are traveling solo to Bhutan, you should know that the country doesn’t have a train line, not surprisingly, because of its mountainous terrain. The nearest railway station to Phuntsholing is the Hasimara station in India. Hasimara is about 17 km from Jaigaon and you can easily travel between the two in a shared auto. Note that Hasimara is a relatively small station and not many trains cross through it.
Thimpu
When traveling by train to Bhutan probably your best option is New Jalpaiguri Station which is quite a busy station. From New Jalpaiguri, you can either take a local train to Hasimara or travel by shared taxi/ bus to reach Jaigaon. Once at Jaigaon, you can just walk over the border to Phuntsholing.
Top Places to Visit in Bhutan
Paro, Thimpu, and Punakha are the three most visited towns in Bhutan for solo travelers. Additionally, you can visit Jakar (Bumthang) which lies in interior Bhutan. Bhutan needs an inner permit. You can only apply for it in Thimpu – remember on Sunday the office is closed, so plan you’re itinerary accordingly.
Tiger’s Nest, Paro
Bhutan
Tiger’s Nest is one of the best places to visit in Bhutan and a must in Bhutan’s backpacking itinerary. Taktsang Monastery also known as Tiger’s Nest is the world-renowned Buddhist religious site located near the town of Paro. Tiger’s Nest is associated with the legend or rather belief for the local people, according to which the highly revered Guru Rinpoche came to the site riding on the back of a tigress somewhere in the eighth century.
Interestingly, you can visit a small cave where a soft toy of a tiger is placed. I do not the reason or significance of it and I request you to post in the comment if you know anything on the subject. What makes the temple jaw-dropping is its location – Tiger’s Nest, constructed in the 17th century, is perched on top of a cliff 1100 meters high.
Bhutanese Foods/ Restaurants
It came as a shock to me that hardcore Buddhist Bhutanese are big on beef. Does anyone remember Siddartha saving the dove? That being said, you will love Bhutanese food, one of the great perks of traveling solo in Bhutan.
Try Ambience Cafe Thimpu, they serve a very good breakfast with a cappuccino. And they have good wifi as well.
Some of the famous Bhutanese dishes are:
Ema-datsi. Ema means chili and datsi is a kind of cottage cheese, so ema-datsi is similar to jalapeños with cream cheese.
Kewa-datsi. A potato, cheese, and chili dish.
Shamu-datsi. A mushroom, cheese, and chili dish. Kewa-datsi and shamu-datsi tend to be less hot than ema-datsi; all three dishes are generally served with rice.
Cheese momo. A small steamed bun that traditionally contained cheese, cabbage, and sometimes onion. However, these days other vegetables, including green papaya, may be substituted for cabbage.
Red Panda Weissbeer – Wheat beer
Places to stay in Bhutan for solo travelers
There are a few queries and answers to be noted before you travel to Bhutan as a solo traveler
Before you travel to Bhutan solo travelers need to study Bhutan’s tourism policies and guidelines. Solo travelers getting more and picking up the tourism market in Bhutan. Please go through a few queries and answers below.
How to travel to Bhutan?
Solo trip to Bhutan and organizing is very important to know about Bhutan. Bhutan is a landlocked country China in the north and India in the south. Bhutan is in the Eastern Himalayan range. Other international foreign flights operate in and out of Bhutan.
Two ways of how to travel to Bhutan
1. By Land :
By land means by road, you can travel to Bhutan. The nearest town Phutsholing is a border town in India. It is easier if you are traveling to Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong. Sometimes when Bhutan flight tickets are unavailable we advise our clients to take
Bhutan has two carriers that operate in different sectors. Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines. Solo travelers traveling to Bhutan can fly in and out from India(New Delhi, Kolkata, and sometimes from Mumbai and Bodh Gaya).