Druk Air
Druk Air, the kingdom's national carrier is the only airline that flies in and out of Bhutan. You can fly Druk Air from New Delhi, Dhaka, Bangkok, or Kathmandu. Druk Air also makes special flights to Bodhgaya in India during the winter.
We recommend travelers to build in an extra day or two in their itineraries due to the 
unpredictable Himalayan weather, delays or cancelations do occur on Druk Air. Please note that the flights tend to book very early during the festival seasons (March, April, September, October, and November), therefore, we suggest booking your travel at least four months in advance if you plan to travel to Bhutan during any of these months.
Your Druk Air tickets will all be taken care of by Sakten once you book with us. Please contact us for flight schedules, fares, etc. or check out Druk Air’s website at www.drukair.com.bt.
Visas
You’ll need a visa to enter Bhutan. Travelers cannot travel to Bhutan without traveling through a licensed Bhutan
ese owned tour company.
Visas must be approved prior to arriving in the kingdom. Visas are granted for two weeks for USD $20/- but if you wish to stay longer, we can extend your visa with no difficulty. Please know that visa applications can take up to 60 days, therefore, we recommend finalizing your travel plans and sending us your visa application preferably about 90 days in advance just to be safe.
Please note that once you decide to travel through Sakten, we will e-mail you the visa application. We will apply for your visa once you fill out the form and e-mail it back to us.
Per government regulation, visitors must pay a minimum of USD $200 per day. Note that this includes your accommodation, meals, tour guide, and travel arrangements within the country. Your Druk Air tickets and visa fee will have to be paid for separately. Please contact Sakten for a price quote for you and your group.
Other Important Information
The currency used in Bhutan is Ngultrum (at par with the Indian Rupee). Note that the Indian Rupee can be used everywhere in Bhutan.
Foreign currency can be exchanged on arrival at the airport or in banks. We recommen
d changing your currency in Thimphu, Paro, or Phuenstholing as it may be more difficult to do so in the smaller towns.
Credit cards are accepted at most of the hotels and stores in Bhutan. However, please check with the hotel or store before paying with your credit card as they sometimes charge an interest for credit cards. Cash is more convenient especially in the smaller towns.
Bhutan has one time zone for the entire country. The time is +6 hours ahead of GMT. Bhutan is 30 minutes ahead of India, one hour behind Thailand, and 15 minutes ahead of Nepal.
Email access is available in Bhutan. Almost every town has at least one local internet café. Some of the hotels in the capital, Thimphu also have wi-fi connection although; it might not always be reliable.
Even though the country’s internet service might not be very fast and reliable, the phone service in Bhutan is pretty good. IDD service is available widely in the country. You can bring a GSM 900 mobile phone and get a local SIM card during your stay in the country. It costs only Nu.400 to register for a local SIM and phone number.
You will get by very comfortably if you speak English in Bhutan as the medium of instruction in the schools there is English. The national language of Bhutan, Dzongkha is widely spoken along with Sharchogpa (eastern dialect) and Lhotsamkha (Nepali).
Please contact us for any other information or questions at info@sakten.com
