Our policies, in plain English.

Customer service policy

We will answer any enquiry within one working day, in English or Dzongkha. Every quote we send states the total price including the Sustainable Development Fee, GST and every other charge — there is nothing added later.

Before you travel you will have the name and mobile number of the guide who will meet you, and a number that reaches a person in Bhutan for the whole time you are here. If something goes wrong at nine at night in Bumthang, you are calling someone forty minutes away.

We will tell you when something is not possible. If a pass is closed, a festival date has moved, or a hotel cannot take you, you will hear it from us before you hear it from anyone else.

Payment

• A 25% deposit confirms your dates and lets us apply for your visa.
• The balance is due 30 days before arrival.
• For bookings made inside 30 days, the full amount is due on confirmation.

We do not hold your passport, your documents or your money beyond what is owed.

If you cancel

Tell us as early as you can and we will always try to move your dates rather than cancel them. Moving a booking costs nothing if you tell us more than 30 days out.

• More than 60 days before arrival — full refund less USD 150 per person and the USD 40 visa fee, which the government does not return.
• 60 to 30 days — 75% refunded.
• 29 to 10 days — 50% refunded.
• 9 to 2 days — 25% refunded.
• Within 48 hours, or no-show — no refund.

The Sustainable Development Fee is refunded in full by the government for any night you do not stay, at every stage above, and we pass that straight back to you.

If we cancel

You receive a 100% refund, including the deposit. That is the law and we agree with it.

If we know in advance that we cannot deliver part of what we agreed, we will tell you without delay, say what we propose instead, and let you decide whether to accept it, take a fair reduction, or cancel without a fee.

Flights, weather and things nobody controls

Paro closes in poor visibility and domestic flights are cancelled more often than people expect. Where a delay or cancellation is outside anyone's control:

• You may move your dates at no additional charge, subject to availability.
• Where the event happens four or more days before your trip, you may take a full refund of the agreed tour cost instead.

We cannot refund your international airfare and we are not able to compensate for onward flights you miss. This is the single strongest argument for travel insurance and for not booking a tight connection out of Paro.

If something goes wrong

Tell your guide first — most things can be fixed the same day. If that does not resolve it, write to us directly and we will reply within one working day with what we intend to do.

If you are still not satisfied, you may take the matter to the Department of Tourism, which mediates disputes between visitors and licensed operators. We will give you the contact details and we will not obstruct you.

Our licence

We are licensed by the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment. Our licence number is printed at the foot of every page on this site and you can verify it yourself at services.bhutan.travel before you send us any money.

We recommend you check it. There are roughly three thousand registered operators in Bhutan and only a couple of hundred actively certified, and a licence number you can verify is the cheapest protection you have.

Your information

We collect what we need to book your trip and apply for your visa: your name, passport details, contact details and anything you tell us about dietary needs or health. We share it only with the Department of Immigration, the hotels you are staying in, and the airline if we are booking your flights. We do not sell it and we do not send marketing you did not ask for.