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Bhutan, 'the land of thunder dragons' is perhaps the most diverse and mysterious of all the Himalayan kingdom’s, where for centuries a traditional Buddhist culture has thrived in isolation from the rest of the world. Bhutan is a land of contrasts too, lush forested valleys, fortified monasteries and sacred virgin mountains. The warm smiles of people here make each moment a special one to remember.

We have something exciting to share with you all. Bhutan is opening for foreign travellers in a phased manner adhering to the guidelines laid by Bhutanese Government.

The Bhutanese Government has formulated the draft of travel protocol/guidelines for tourists travelling to Bhutan which still needs to be finalized and approved by Bhutanese Government. Once the Bhutanese Government approves and finalizes it, then only it will come into effect. Also the Druk Air will then resumes flights accordingly. The tour operators must clearly communicate the provisions of these guidelines to the tourists so that they care well informed and aware of their tour expectation in the country. This guideline briefly explains the pre-arrival, on-arrival, during the stay, departure and post-departure requirements. Please find below the proposed protocol/guidelines to travel to Bhutan.

(A)   PRE- ARRIVAL The travellers need to submit following documents to Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) as pre-entry requirements for Visa application.

i.  Copy of travel insurance (Tourists should avail fully covered travel and health insurance certificate and must cover the COVID – 19 treatment and quarantine expenses)

ii. Certificate of COVID – 19 vaccinations or RT-PCR negative certificate at least 72 hours before the departure from the country of residence.

(B) ON – ARRIVAL

1. Certificate of COVID – 19 vaccinations should be produced at the airport prior to boarding and upon arrival.

2. A COVID – 19 Negative Test Certificate (RT-PCR) must be produced at the airport issued 72 hours before departure from country of residence prior to boarding and upon arrival.

3. Tourists must follow the airport screening procedures and tourists with signs and symptoms related to COVID – 19 shall be subjected to follow Ministry of Health screening protocol.

4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for the travel. Therefore, the tourist may either carry his/her own PPE or Tour Operator must arrange. The PPE should consist of Mask, Hand Gloves and Hand Sanitizers.

(C) DURING THE STAY Due to the corona virus pandemic, the movement of tourists shall be strictly limited to the travel itineraries approved in the visa and identified places. It is advised to avoid crowds and tourists must wear face masks and follow health protocols while on tour. All the tourist attractions and service providers shall be certified as “Clean and Safe”.

 (D) DEPARTURE To ensure the tourists are safe and free of Coronavirus, a tourist shall take PCR test or rapid test at least 48 hours ahead of the departure as required by the country of destination of as determined by the Health TAC team.

(E) POST – DEPARTURE For the welfare of everyone, tour operator in Bhutan is requested to inform the status of the tourists to the Tourism Council of Bhutan.

If the above information catches your attention, connect with Trinetra Tours for planning your best tour to Bhutan and get ready to pack your bags for an adventure of a lifetime.