Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, and nothing after that date has been decided. The government has not announced a return to USD 200, an extension, or any other figure. In mid-September 2026 the tourism ministry was preparing its recommendation for the Cabinet. If you want certainty, plan a trip that ends by 31 August 2027.
Last checked against the Department of Tourism on 3 October 2026. We will update this page when the Cabinet decision is published.
How much is Bhutan's SDF right now, and until when?
These are the rates in force today, as published by Bhutan's Department of Tourism (DoT):
| Who | SDF per person, per night |
|---|---|
| Adults, all nationalities except India | USD 100 |
| Children from age 6 until they turn 12 | USD 50 |
| Children under 6 | Nil |
| Indian nationals | Nu 1,200, or the equivalent in Indian rupees |
| Indian children from age 6 until they turn 12 | Nu 600 |
The USD 100 is itself a concession. The statutory SDF is USD 200, and the DoT press release of 25 August 2023 granted a 50% discount on it from 1 September 2023, to "remain effective for four years till 31 August 2027". The same release halved the children's rate and kept the 24-hour SDF waiver for border towns.
The sentence that matters for 2027 comes next. The government "may discontinue the above incentives" after 31 August 2027. May, not will.
Will the SDF go back to USD 200 on 1 September 2027?
Nobody can tell you that yet, and anyone who states it as fact is guessing. The claim that the fee "goes up to USD 200 in 2027" is repeated across travel forums and older guides. It describes what happens if the discount simply lapses, which is one possible outcome, not a decision.
There are three realistic outcomes, and the government has announced none of them:
- The discount lapses and the statutory USD 200 applies from 1 September 2027.
- The USD 100 rate, or something close to it, is extended.
- A new structure replaces it, for example different rates for different districts.
You may also read that USD 100 stands "until further notice". That isn't on the DoT site either, and news reporting from the same week contradicts it. Until DoT publishes a notice, treat any post-August figure as unconfirmed, including the scenario below.
What has the Bhutan government actually said in 2026?
Three things are on the record.
The review is finished and the decision is pending. Business Bhutan reported on 12 September 2026 that the ministry "has completed a comprehensive review" and that its recommendation "is being prepared for submission to the Lhengye Zhungtshog", the Cabinet. No outcome had been published by 3 October 2026.
The Indian rate is settled for longer. The same report says the Cabinet has kept the Indian nationals' rate of INR 1,200 a night until 21 September 2028.
The industry wants notice. BBS reported that Bhutanese operators can only finalise packages "up to summer of 2027", and that the industry is asking for two years' notice of any change. That's why operators are cautious about quoting autumn 2027 today.
A separate proposal in Bhutan's Business Regulatory Review Report 2026 suggests lower fees for less-visited districts outside Thimphu, Paro and Punakha. It's a recommendation, not policy, and it wouldn't change a standard Paro, Thimphu and Punakha trip.
Does the rate depend on your travel date or your booking date?
DoT gives an end date, not a rule for trips that straddle it. The notice says the discount runs "till 31 August 2027". It doesn't say how a trip that starts on 28 August and ends on 2 September is charged, and it doesn't say that booking or paying early locks the rate for travel after that date.
So we work from the cautious reading. A trip whose last night falls on or before 31 August 2027 is at USD 100. Anything later is unconfirmed, and we'll put the rate for your exact dates in writing before you pay.
One precedent is worth knowing. When the fee was cut in 2023, DoT let travellers who already held visas cancel and reapply to get the lower rate. Their SDF carried over, but the USD 40 visa fee was forfeited and paid again. That tells you rates have changed under existing bookings before. It doesn't tell you what will happen next time.
How much would a 5D4N trip from Bangkok cost at USD 100 vs USD 200?
Here is a five-day, four-night trip for one adult, the most common first visit from Bangkok. The USD 200 column is a scenario, not a forecast. It shows what happens if the discount lapses and nothing else changes.
| Per adult, 4 nights | At USD 100 (confirmed to 31 Aug 2027) | At USD 200 (scenario only) |
|---|---|---|
| SDF, 4 nights | USD 400 | USD 800 |
| Visa, one-off | USD 40 | USD 40 |
| Government fees | USD 440, about THB 14,300 | USD 840, about THB 27,300 |
| Bangkok–Paro return, economy, from | THB 31,869 | THB 31,869 |
| Fixed cost before land arrangements | about THB 46,200 | about THB 59,200 |
Baht figures use an illustrative THB 32.5 to the US dollar, the same rate as our baht breakdown of a Bhutan trip. It isn't a rate we offer, because you pay the SDF and visa in dollars. The air fare is our current published all-inclusive economy fare, and 2027 fares are confirmed when you book.
For a family the gap widens. Two adults and a child aged 8 pay USD 1,000 of SDF over four nights today. In the scenario, if the child rate stays at half the adult rate, that becomes USD 1,600.
The same arithmetic applies to a package. Bhutan Essential, our five-day Paro, Thimphu and Punakha trip, is THB 67,000 per person for two sharing on 2026 travel, with flights and SDF included; the SDF line inside it is THB 14,000. In the USD 200 scenario that line doubles, and the trip would be in the region of THB 81,000. We quote 2027 departures in writing. That figure is there to show the size of the gap, not as a price.
Which 2027 travel windows are definitely at USD 100?
Every trip that ends by 31 August 2027. That covers spring, the busiest season of the first half, and several major festivals. The dates below are the DoT's tentative 2027 dates.
| 2027 window | What's on (tentative dates) | SDF |
|---|---|---|
| January–February | Punakha Dromchoe 13–15 Feb, Punakha Tshechu 16–18 Feb | USD 100 |
| March | Paro Tshechu 18–22 Mar | USD 100 |
| April | Ura Yakchoe 18–22 Apr, Rhododendron Festival at Lamperi 22–23 Apr | USD 100 |
| May–August | Kurjey Tshechu 14 Jun, and the quieter monsoon months | USD 100 |
| September onwards | Thimphu Tshechu 10–12 Oct, Black-Necked Crane Festival 11 Nov | Not confirmed |
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and can move, so check them close to booking. The full list, with the Bangkok departure that fits each one, is in the Bhutan festival calendar for 2027. If spring suits you, Paro Tshechu 2027 sits entirely inside the confirmed rate.
What about children, Indian nationals and border-town day trips?
Children. From their 6th birthday until they turn 12, children pay USD 50 a night, and children under 6 pay nothing. Check the age your child will be on the travel dates, not today. The children's rate is part of the same 2023 package, so it is confirmed only to 31 August 2027 as well.
Indian nationals. If you live in Bangkok on an Indian passport, you pay Nu 1,200 a night, or the rupee equivalent, rather than the dollar rate, and Indian children from 6 until they turn 12 pay Nu 600. The Cabinet has kept the Indian rate until 21 September 2028, so the August 2027 question doesn't arise for you. Indian nationals enter on a permit rather than the visa Thai passport holders need.
Border towns. Visitors staying up to 24 hours in Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar, without travelling beyond the designated zone, pay no SDF. DoT describes the current waiver as running for a year from 2 June 2026, until August 2027. It doesn't apply to anyone flying into Paro, and it can't be combined with the USD 100 discount.
What happens to your SDF if you cancel or shorten the trip?
DoT's answer is clear. The SDF is refunded for cancelled or shortened trips, and for any nights you don't spend in the country, less bank charges. Refunds are requested through the visa portal and processed after you leave Bhutan. The USD 40 visa fee is not refundable.
That matters for 2027 planning, because locking in a spring trip isn't an all-or-nothing bet on the government fee. Your flight ticket has its own fare rules, which we give you in writing before you pay.
Should Thai travellers book their 2027 Bhutan trip now?
If you can travel before September, yes. Book a trip that ends by 31 August 2027 and you know your government fees today. Early March to mid-April is what DoT calls Bhutan's generally dry spring, and Paro Tshechu falls in it, so you aren't trading a good season for a fixed price.
If your dates are in October or November 2027, you can still hold the flights. Bangkok–Paro seats are the scarce item in autumn, and the fee should be confirmed well before you fly. We'll show the SDF as "subject to confirmation" and update your quote when DoT publishes the new rate.
Three practical points:
- On the 2026 schedule, Bhutan Airlines B3 701 left Bangkok at 06:30 and reached Paro at 09:55 via Kolkata, so the first day isn't lost to travel. Check the 2027 timetable before you fix dates.
- Book & Hold keeps your seats free for 48 hours while we confirm the fare and availability in writing.
- Once confirmed, you pay by bank transfer, or by card through a Stripe link our team sends. How card payments work explains the separate card service fee.
For how the SDF works day to day, which nights count and what it pays for, see our guide to Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee.
