Bhutan Telecom's tourist SIM and eSIM
Bhutan Telecom's page lists tourist packages exclusively for visitors, and says the SIM can be bought at any BT counter or distributor, or booked at bookyoursim.bt.bt. A copy of the passport is the document required. At the time of checking, the Tourist eSIM and Tourist SIM at Nu 1,100 gave unlimited data and Nu 50 of talk time with 7 days of package validity, the Nu 1,900 versions gave the same for 14 days, and in each case the SIM itself stays valid for one month.
Smaller physical-SIM packages were Tourist SIM 500 at Nu 500 with 3 GB and Nu 200 of SMS or talk time valid one month, Tourist SIM 300 at Nu 300 with 2 GB and Nu 100 for 14 days, Tourist SIM 200 at Nu 200 with 1 GB and Nu 100 for 7 days, and Tourist SIM 100 at Nu 100 of talk time with data charged pay-per-use. Pay-per-use data was Nu 0.0003 per KB. BT adds a handset requirement for 4G: the phone must support the 1800 MHz band, so check your model before buying.
TashiCell's tourist packages compared
TashiCell lists four tourist SIM packages exclusively for travellers. Package 1 at Nu 300 gave 2,048 MB and Nu 100 of talk time for 14 days, Package 2 at Nu 500 gave 3,072 MB and Nu 200 for one month, Unlimited Package 1 at Nu 1,100 gave unlimited data and Nu 50 for 7 days and Unlimited Package 2 at Nu 1,900 gave the same for 14 days. The SIM remains active for one month from activation, so you can recharge once a package expires, and TashiCell notes a 5 per cent tax deducted from talk time or data volume.
For extra data, TashiCell's page lists ordinary plans from a daily Nu 19 plan with 248 MB through a monthly Nu 99 plan with 1,267 MB up to a 90-day Nu 2,999 plan, with additional usage charged at Nu 0.0004 per KB. The two operators' headline prices match, so choose on where you will travel and which network your guide or hotel recommends.
Where to buy, and what the tourism council says
The Tourism Council of Bhutan's FAQ says SIM cards can be purchased from the visitor information centre at Paro International Airport on arrival, or from branch offices of Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell, or from authorised agents in towns. It says most hotels have Wi-Fi but recommends obtaining a guest SIM for a more reliable connection, and warns that mobile data can be expensive. It also notes that the goBoB wallet app from the Bank of Bhutan can be used with a local SIM and is widely accepted.
Because your tour operator arranges the trip and a guide is mandatory for visiting monuments and dzongs, the operator can usually tell you which network works along your route. Ask before you buy a larger package.
5G in the towns, and TashiCell's eSIM
TashiCell says its 5G is available in the Thromdes and Dzongkhag headquarters of all dzongkhags except Lhuentse and Gasa, on the N78 band, and that existing mobile users can experience it by subscribing to any data plan above Nu 99 provided the handset supports N78 and the SIM is subscribed to TashiCell 5G. This is the operator's own coverage statement. For a visitor on a tourist SIM it points to the district towns at best, so treat 5G as an urban bonus.
TashiCell's eSIM page says a subscriber can hold up to 10 eSIM profiles on a handset and lists supported devices including iPhone XS and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, and Google Pixel 5 to 7 Pro. The tourist price lists we read do not state whether the tourist SIM can be taken as an eSIM, while Bhutan Telecom lists Tourist eSIM plans explicitly.
Visa, fee, guides and drones
The UK Foreign Office says a visa must be obtained before travel, with the application made through a tour operator, hotel or the Department of Immigration at a fee of 40 US dollars, and that all adult visitors pay a Sustainable Development Fee of 100 US dollars a night, with reduced rates for children. The Tourism Council says visitors of all nationalities except Indians need a visa and that, with exceptions, it must be approved before travel.
The Tourism Council also says tourists are generally not permitted to bring drones, and that a permit obtained in advance is required to operate one, with applications from official guests reviewed case by case. Leave the drone at home. The same FAQ says a guide is required at all times for guests who drive their own cars into Bhutan.
Roads, landslides and emergency numbers
The UK Foreign Office says road accidents are one of the biggest causes of injury and death in Bhutan, that monsoon rains can cause landslides that cut off some roads for days and that emergency vehicles, equipment and medical facilities are limited in remote high-altitude areas. It says mountaineering is banned though there are trekking options. A phone signal on a trek is therefore a bonus, not a safety plan.
The Tourism Council lists 110 for fire, 112 for an ambulance and 113 for police, and gives the Department of Tourism on +975 17661974 for matters affecting your trip. BT's packages include talk time. Download offline maps and agree check-in times with your guide before a long drive.
Networks our Bhutan plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Bhutan, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- B-Mobile5G
- TashiCell4G