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Taktsang — Tiger’s Nest

Countries in the atlas · South Asia

Bhutan

A Himalayan kingdom that guards itself against mass tourism: cliffside monasteries, dzongs and cranes.

Russian passport: visa requiredprices 1.5 times lower than in Russia

Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Taktsang — Tiger’s Nest
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Paro, Bhutan · World’s best

Taktsang — Tiger’s Nest

Access 3/5 · needs planningJFMAMJJASOND

Legend has it that Padmasambhava flew here on the back of a tigress. Paro Taktsang Monastery stands on a ledge of the cliff, reached by a trail through pine forest; the climb takes 2–3 hours.

Halfway up, at the teahouse, the classic view of the monastery opens up. Inside, you go without shoes and without a camera.

Getting there
Fly to Paro, Bhutan’s main international airport, with flights from Delhi, Kathmandu and Bangkok; from town to the trailhead is 20 minutes.
Fees and tickets
Entry is 1,000 ngultrum, and a guide is mandatory; plus the SDF of $100 for every night in Bhutan.
Why it’s hard
The visa is issued only online and in advance, a guide is mandatory the whole time, and the Sustainable Development Fee is $100 for every night. There are two international airports and few flights.
Sources (2)
Punakha Dzong
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Punakha, Bhutan

Punakha Dzong

Access 3/5 · needs planningJFMAMJJASOND

The 17th-century Punakha Dzong stands where the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers meet. In spring, flowering jacarandas surround the courtyard, and a covered wooden bridge leads to the fortress.

The Punakha valley is lower and warmer than Thimphu: rice fields, a suspension bridge and the Chimi Lhakhang temple on a hill.

Getting there
From Thimphu, about 3 hours by car over the Dochula Pass with its 108 stupas.
Fees and tickets
Punakha Dzong 500 ngultrum, Chimi Lhakhang 500; a guide is mandatory.
Why it’s hard
Like all of Bhutan — only with a visa, a guide and the daily fee.
Sources (2)
Phobjikha Valley
Photo: Richard Mortel · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Wangdue Phodrang, Bhutan

Phobjikha Valley

Access 3/5 · needs planningJFMAMJJASOND

A wide valley at about 3,000 metres with Gangtey Monastery on a hill. From late October to February, rare black-necked cranes fly in to spend the winter, and they are welcomed with a festival.

The trail across the valley is one of the most peaceful walks in Bhutan: marshes, pines and villages.

Getting there
From Thimphu, about 5 hours by car over the Pele La pass.
Fees and tickets
Gangtey Monastery 100 ngultrum, the black-necked crane centre 200; a guide is mandatory.
Why it’s hard
Only with a guide and the daily fee; the mountain road is long, and winter is cold.
Sources (2)

Before you go

Bhutan: entry, safety, money, flights, laws and budget — with sources.

Entry

Russian citizens need a visa, applied for online before the trip, on your own or through a tour operator or hotel: $40 plus the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of $100 per adult for every night. Processing takes up to 5 working days.

Since 2022 a tour operator has not been required, but a guide is mandatory for the whole stay. The international airports are Paro and Gelephu.

Rules for any passport

Checked 2 November 2026. These are the rules for a Russian citizen with an international passport on a tourist trip. For other passports and purposes, see the official website — the button above.

Sources (3)

Safety

No Russian Foreign Ministry advice to refrain from travel (as of 02.11.2026).

Sources (2)

Money and cards

The Mir card does not work. Bring dollars in cash; the ngultrum is equal in value to the Indian rupee.

Sources (2)

Flights

There are no direct flights from Russia. Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly to Paro from Delhi, Bangkok, Dubai, Kathmandu and other cities.

Sources (2)

Laws and bans

  • You cannot go without a guide: without one you are not let into monasteries and dzongs. Mountaineering is banned; trekking is allowed.
  • As a rule, tourists may not bring in drones.
  • At religious sites, clothing must cover you from shoulders to knees; the king is not criticised.
  • Drugs: from 3 years to life; harming protected species means prison.
Sources (2)

Budget

prices 1.5 times lower than in Russia · price level 0.24 (US = 1), 2025

Everyday prices are low, but the $100-a-night SDF makes Bhutan one of the most expensive destinations in the atlas. Children aged 6–12 pay $50, under 6 — free.

The price level is the ratio of purchasing power parity for household consumption to the market exchange rate (World Bank). These are national averages: resorts and capitals cost more, the countryside less. Flights are not included.

Sources (4)