Book your Bhutan tour with a local team
Choose the kind of journey, tell us your dates, and a Bhutanese travel expert in Thimphu plans the rest. Free, and nothing to pay until you confirm.
Request received!
Our travel experts will reply within 24 hours with a tailored itinerary and quote — keep an eye on your inbox (and spam folder, just in case).
Meanwhile, keep planning with our Bhutan travel guide.
From inquiry to confirmed trip
Sending the form above starts a conversation, not a contract. Here is the sequence from that point, so you know what arrives when.
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1
Within 24 hours: an itinerary and an exact quote
A Bhutanese travel expert replies by email with a day-by-day plan and a per-person price with the visa and the Sustainable Development Fee already inside. The quote is a starting point — route, hotels, pace and dates all stay open.
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2
Revise as often as you like
Most trips go through two or three rounds by email or WhatsApp before they are settled. There is no deposit at this stage and no time limit on deciding.
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3
Confirm and pay
When the plan is right, we send payment instructions. You pay by bank transfer. There is no separate deposit: the trip is confirmed on full payment, which is due at least 30 days before your tour starts.
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4
We file your visa and send the e-visa
Once payment is in, we apply for your Bhutan visa on your behalf. A correctly filed application takes up to five working days, and the approval comes to you by email to show at check-in. Your guide and driver meet you at Paro airport or the land border on arrival day.
Still deciding how far ahead to book, or whether to go through an operator at all? Our guide on how to book a tour to Bhutan covers lead times, the visa rules and the alternatives.
What a Byways quote includes
Every quote is one per-person figure that covers the whole trip on the ground: 3-star hotels, all meals, a licensed guide, a driver and private vehicle, entry fees, airport transfers, the Sustainable Development Fee (US$100 per adult per night) and the visa fee (US$40, one-time). Nothing is added later for permits or paperwork.
As a worked example, two people on an 8-day, 7-night cultural tour currently pay US$1,790 per person. Inside that figure, US$700 is the SDF and US$40 the visa; the remaining land cost, hotels through to driver, works out at about US$150 per person per night. The same trip is US$2,240 for one traveller and US$1,720 per person for three or more. Longer and shorter trips scale the same way, and the trip cost guide shows every length side by side.
Not included, so you can budget for them separately: international airfare to Paro, travel insurance, drinks and personal spending, and tips for your guide and driver.
Payment and cancellation terms
Payment is by bank transfer, with instructions sent when you confirm. Full payment is due at least 30 days before the tour start date; the booking is guaranteed once it has arrived. If plans change, refunds follow the schedule below, with any bank processing fees deducted.
| Cancellation notice before arrival | Refund |
|---|---|
| More than 30 days | Full refund, minus processing fees |
| 15 to 30 days | 50% refund, minus processing fees |
| 7 to 14 days | 25% refund, minus processing fees |
| Less than 7 days, or no-show | No refund |
Cancellations are made in writing by email. Because the SDF and hotel payments are committed ahead of your arrival, we recommend travel insurance that covers trip cancellation as well as medical care and evacuation; for treks it must cover activity at altitude. The full wording is on our terms and conditions page.
What we need from you, and when
- To send an inquiry: your rough dates, how many are travelling and the kind of trip. Nothing else, and no payment.
- To confirm: the agreed itinerary, your payment, and a scan of each traveller's passport photo page plus a passport-size photo for the visa application.
- Before you fly: your international flight details so the guide and driver are at the airport when you land, and your travel insurance details for treks.
Booking questions, answered
- Is any payment required to send an inquiry?
- No. The inquiry is free and doesn't commit you to anything. You pay only after we've agreed on an itinerary and you confirm the trip.
- Is there a deposit?
- No separate deposit. A trip is confirmed on full payment, which is due at least 30 days before the tour starts. Until then you can revise or walk away without cost.
- How do I pay from abroad?
- By international bank transfer. We send the instructions when you confirm, and the booking is guaranteed once the payment has arrived.
- What is the cancellation policy?
- More than 30 days before arrival, a full refund minus processing fees; 15 to 30 days, 50%; 7 to 14 days, 25%; under 7 days or a no-show, no refund. Cancellations are made in writing by email.
- When is my Bhutan visa issued?
- After payment. We file the application for you from a scan of your passport and a passport-size photo; a correctly filed application takes up to five working days, and the approval is emailed to you.
- Can I change the itinerary after I send a request?
- Yes. Every Byways trip is tailored, so dates, route, hotels and pace are all adjustable before you confirm, and small changes are usually possible afterwards too.