Trip Includes
- Five nights three star ( by local standard) hotel accommodation, based on double occupancy.
- Meals: Full board (3 meals a day).
- All transfers and sightseeing as indicated on the itinerary.
- An English-speaking local guide.
- Bhutan visa fee and government royalty.
- Sightseeing admission fees.
- Service of in-tour airfare booking.
Trip Does Not Include
- Drinks, tips and other personal expenses such as phone, laundry, etc.
- Extra expenses or loss due to nature and unforeseen events which are beyond our control
- Travel Insurance.
- International airfares and airport taxes.
- Hotels in the gateway cities before and after the trip.
Note on Itinerary
We do our best to adhere to the itinerary but it should be taken as a generic guideline in terms of what you expect to do or see during the tour and may differ in the practical ground from exact sequence or order of the sights to the overnight places depending on the local conditions. As we continuously work to improve the tour, the final tour itinerary may be different which will be sent to you about 2 months before the trip date.
Trip Activity Level.
This trip is motor vehicle-based sightseeing with some short hikes and village visits; it is suitable for all travelers in general good health. Hiking to Takstang Monastery in Paro can be strenuous for some, but you can rent a pony and ride up to Taktsang Cafeteria at two-thirds of the trail. Onward, the path is narrow and return trip down is also too steep for the ponies.
The longest drive in this trip will be four hours, from Punakha to Paro and other days, we have shorter trips. We will undoubtedly have occasional stops for photography and refreshments. Roads in the Himalaya are narrow, and some portions may be rough and damaged. The trip doesn't need you to be athletic; nonetheless you are expected to participate in sightseeing and hiking and so it's advisable that you keep yourself fit. If you are not leading an active life, please, start some exercises like jogging, swimming, cycling or practice some aerobics in the months before the trip. It’s your responsibility to determine that your fitness for this trip. If you have any health conditions, please consult your physician before you sign up for this trip.
Accommodations and facilities
The hotels are comfortable three-star properties by local standard. They are small properties, locally owned and managed and are adequate. The buildings and decorations are traditional styles. You will have a private bathroom with running hot and cold water. There may be the disparity in the rooms and travelers of the same group may get different types, and if that happens, it's not intentional, and we request for your understanding. Toiletry supplies include shampoo or soaps, but we do not guarantee body wash and conditioners. They usually have a hairdryer, iron and ironing board in the room but if they are missing, do not hesitate to contact the house-keeping or the front desk.
Meals
Your trip features three meals a day (total 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 breakfasts).Most meals are arranged in tourist class restaurants or at your hotels. Meals are usually set menu, served in buffet style. Most in-house restaurants don't serve a la carte, unless you have a special dietary requirement.There are not whole lot of choices but meals are hearty and plentiful.Meals include rice, bread, curried vegetables, noodles or spaghetti and chicken or pork dishes. As Bhutan is a Buddhist country, they don't slaughter animals in Bhutan and the meats are imported and so you may find meat chewy or tough. Beware: Local style meat dishes are cooked with bones and traditional dishes always features hot pepper, and the most popular dish, ema datshi, is made with large, green hot chilies in a cheese sauce.
Tour Guides
Our Tour Guides are local people with college degrees, government certifications, and experience with knowledge of the destinations and their history, culture and religion. Our guides are, just as importantly, easy-going, detailed oriented, patient, and committed to a high level of customer service. They will uncover the wonders of the destinations that you would never find on your own, and make sure your tour is without a hitch. Your guide will also deal with the bureaucracy and passport or permit control, carry all necessary documents and vouchers, and stay alert to road and weather conditions. Note: Guides will change in each country, due to local licensing requirements
Vehicle
We use clean, reliable, comfortable vehicles for all transfers and tours, often the Toyota Hiace microbus (capacity 8-9 persons) and Toyota Coaster Bus (capacity up to 20 persons); depending on group size, we might also use Japanese-made sedans, SUVs or minivans. We provide separate drivers and guides. Our drivers might speak little or no English, but they know the roads and are in a pinch, mechanically skillful.
Altitude sickness and Health Concerns
The chances of altitude sickness on this trip are very slim. There are two occasions when you are at significantly high altitude; Dhochula Pass (10,171 ft.) and Taktshang Monastery (10,240 ft.), but attain these heights gradually and you should acclimate before that. All the towns where we overnight are at the elevation of 8,000 ft and below that.
There are no mandatory vaccinations required for traveling to Bhutan. However, you may consider vaccination against rabies and Hep A. We recommend that travelers with cardiac-pulmonary issues or any other medical conditions consult their physician before departure.
You’ll be glad if you start some physical exercises in the weeks before leaving; jogging, swimming, cycling, hiking, and aerobics are all helpful. Fitness makes for a better trip and helps you accommodate the altitudes.
International and Internal Flights
The trip starts and completes in Paro, Bhutan. Flights to Paro arrive from Bangkok, Kathmandu (Nepal) or Kolkata and New Delhi (India). Currently, there are two Bhutanese airlines-Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines serving these destinations, and they are the partners to none of the major international carriers. Therefore, you can not book a through fare from Europe and the Americas to Bhutan. You need to book two separate tickets-first, from the US to the gateway city (e.g., Bangkok or Kathmandu) and then separately with Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines to Paro, Bhutan. You can book the internal air on the airline website, or we can help you with.
Visa and Permits
Remaining validity of your passport must be a minimum of 6 months beyond your return date. Make sure; you are not running out of blank visa pages. Bhutan visa needs one blank visa page (Not the endorsement page) and some empty spaces for entry and departure seals.
We will obtain your Bhutan visa in advance and will email you a copy of this about a few weeks before your arrival in Bhutan. You need to present the document when you check in flight for Paro. You will get the actual visa seal on your passport at Paro airport on arrival. Visa fee is part of the trip and photos are no longer required.
If your travel starts from India, you should obtain an Indian visa beforehand as India does not grant visa on arrival.
Booking and payment schedule
When you are sure you are traveling, please don't delay in booking so that we can confirm you in preferred hotels and flights. We request an initial deposit of US$300, along with a completed booking form and a passport scan. The second payment will be for the internal airfare if you ask us to book it for you.
The final payment is due 90 days before the trip date. The balance payment on credit card attracts an additional 3.5% fee.
Cancellation and refund
If you need to withdraw from the trip, we request a cancellation request in writing, by email or fax. The cancellation fee structure is as follows.
- Ninety days before departure: Administrative fee US$ 150 per person.
- 60-89 day's before departure: US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- 45 days to 59 days before departure: US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Thirty days to 44 days before departure: US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Less than 30 days:100%.
- Visa fee is non-refundable.
Cancellation and refund of air tickets will be as per airline policy, and $25 will be levied by us to process the refund. For details, please view booking and cancellation terms and conditions