Introduction:
Bhutan, a mountainous region in South Asia is located in the eastern Himalayas between China and India. The region is known for its natural beauty including beautiful valleys, calm weather and quiet surroundings. Every year tourists from various parts of the world visit Bhutan. The region offers various activities to the tourists including visiting their monasteries and witnessing their rich culture and traditions. The Bhutan government limits the number of tourists to preserve their environment. If you are planning a trip to Bhutan then you can consult with AV Holiday World, which is one of the renowned travel agencies in Bhutan.
This region has beautiful landscapes, and rich cultural heritage, and is known for its sustainable tourism. This makes it a must-visit place for adventure, culture, and nature lovers. Here a tourist can do various adventurous activities like trekking, exploring wildlife, trying unique cuisine and others. You can explore the region effectively by booking a tour package. A tour package comprises some of the necessities during the trip including accommodation and transportation facilities. Now in this blog let us discuss various things about a tour package.
1. Why Book a Bhutan Tour Package?
Booking a tour package will be beneficial because it provides convenience by arranging all the essential necessities like transportation, and accommodation including meals and saves your time and money. Also by booking a tour package you will get the necessary guidance during the trip, explore at ease, local expertise and other benefits.
Some benefits of a Tour Package:
You will get some of the various benefits including expert guides, transportation, permits, and customized itineraries. Now let’s discuss each of them in points.
- Expert guides: When you book a tour package you will get detailed knowledge about the destination, activities to do, culture and famous sightseeing places. This is beneficial for a first-time traveller since he/she does not know the destination. With expert guidance, you can explore the region hassle-free.
- Transportation: Transportation is one of the essential things during a trip which helps you to access the famous sightseeing areas of Bhutan with ease. By booking a tour package a travel agent will arrange your transportation which helps you to explore the region effectively.
- Permits: A tour operator can help you to obtain the entry permit. He will handle all your necessary paperwork which is required to obtain a permit. You can also consult with a tour operator about the visa and other essential documents required in Bhutan.
- Customized itinerary: A customized itinerary is especially designed according to individual’s specific needs and preferences during the trip. This way you want to explore Bhutan depending on your interest and flexibility.
Bhutan's unique tourism rules:
The minimum daily package fee for visitors may vary depending upon the type of tour package and persons. For example, if you take a sightseeing tour with a full package including lodging, guide, transportation, meals and SDF then the approximate cost is Rs 1,200 per person per night for adults. Children under 5 years old are exempted from SDF and children between 6-12 years need to pay Rs 600 per night. If you are travelling to places like Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar for less than 24 hours then you don’t need to pay the SDF.
2. Types of Bhutan Tour Packages Available:
There are various types of tour packages available for Bhutan depending upon your interests and preferences. Some tour packages available are as follows;
- Cultural Tour Packages: A cultural tour package is best for the tourist who wants to explore the region’s rich cultural heritage. By taking this package you can visit the famous cultural sites of Bhutan including monasteries, temples and attend festivals. This helps you to understand the religious beliefs and practices of Bhutanese people.
- Adventure Tour Packages: This package is best for tourists who want to seek adventure during their trip. By taking this tour package you can do various adventurous activities in Bhutan like Trekking, hiking, and exploring Bhutan’s national parks.
- Wellness & Retreat Packages: This package is best for the tourist who wants to relax during the journey. Bhutan is a favourable place with its calm and beautiful surroundings attracting tourists who want to take a break from their daily life routines. By taking this tour package you can do Yoga, meditation, and explore Bhutan’s hot springs making your journey peaceful.
- Family Packages: If you are willing to travel with your family members during a trip then you can take this package. You will get various facilities like accommodation, and transportation depending upon the size of your family. Also, this package is best if you are travelling with your kids, and want kid-friendly activities and sightseeing.
- Luxury Packages: This package is best if you want to spend your vacation in luxury and with all kinds of facilities with personalized services. By taking this tour package you can stay in a 5-star hotel and explore Bhutan, for unique and exclusive experiences.
3. Steps to Book a Bhutan Tour Package:
If you want to book a Bhutan tour package you can follow some necessary steps.
Step 1: Research and Select a Reputable Travel Agency
This is the first step you need to do is research and select a reputable travel agency. A licensed tour operator has several years of experience in planning tours including activities to do and places to visit. Research helps you to check the history of successful trips, reviews and tour inclusions of a travel agency. This way you can ensure a great travel experience from the trip.
Step 2: Choose the Right Package
After research now you have to choose the right tour package for you. To choose the right tour package you need to consider several factors;
- Factors to consider: In order to choose the right tour package you need to consider duration, destination, budget, and group size. This helps you to select a package that fits according to your travel needs.
- Customize packages based on personal interests: In order to get the right tour package you can customize the tour package based on your interest. You can choose a package which includes trekking, cultural immersion and other activities you are willing to do during the trip.
Step 3: Understand Bhutan’s Travel Regulations
- Bhutan’s tourism rules
This is one of the most important things you need to consider while visiting Bhutan or any other foreign country. You need to check the Bhutan travel regulations for Indians, minimum daily package, visa and other essential documents required during a trip. If you are an Indian traveller then you need to have a valid Indian passport, voter ID card, an entry permit, and passport-size photographs.
- Importance of booking through an authorized agency:
An authorized agency will assist you with all the required documents to travel to Bhutan. Also, a reputed travel agency guides you and ensures your safety during the journey.
Step 4: Confirm Travel Dates and Duration:
Best times to visit Bhutan:
However, the best time to visit Bhutan depends upon which season you want to experience and what kind of activity you are willing to do.
- Spring: Starting from March to mid-May, this is one of the best seasons to visit Bhutan. At this time you can witness pleasant weather with clear skies, and blooming flowers. You can do various activities like trekking, sightseeing and many more.
- Summer: From June to September the region experiences the summer season. This time you can witness cultural festivals, explore wildlife and can do other various activities.
- Winter: From December to March, this time you can explore cultural sites, and festivals and enjoy the trekking activity.
- Autumn: From September to November, at this time you can enjoy trekking, attend a traditional cultural activity, and do other activities.
Adjust itinerary based on personal preferences:
You can adjust your itinerary based on your personal preferences. You can check for the best time to visit Bhutan depending on what you want to see in Bhutan. For example, if you want to explore the festive season in Bhutan then you can visit in the winter season. Various festivals are celebrated this time including Punakha Drubchen, Domkhar Tshechu, Gomphu Kora Festival and many more.
Step 5: Payment and Finalizing the Booking
Overview of payment methods and policies
After checking all this now you can finalize your booking by making payment. You can choose the payment methods and make sure to check all the policies before making a payment to avoid unnecessary expenses.
You can also ensure whether you have to deposit the full amount and confirmation of emails with your tour operator. This way you can ensure the clarity of the booking process and protect yourself from misunderstandings.
4. What’s included in a Bhutan Tour Package?
Various things are included in a tour package including Accommodation, Meals, Transportation, Permits, Guides, and many more. Now let’s discuss them one by one;
- Accommodation: When selecting a tour package you can select the accommodation facilities. In a tour package, you can find various Hotels, resorts, and homestays and choose one depending on your budget and the size of the group.
- Meals: In a tour package with accommodation meals are included too. The types of meals provided are breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
- Transportation: Another essential thing that is included in a tour package is the transportation facility. There are Airport transfers and you can travel within Bhutan to access the famous sightseeing places with ease.
- Permits: In a tour package permits are included if you are willing for an international tour. There are various permits you can get in tour packages like Tourist permits, trekking permits (if applicable), and cultural site entry fees.
- Guides: in a tour package guides are provided to you who help you during the journey in various ways. There are English-speaking guides and experts for cultural and trekking tours who help to make your journey go smoothly.
5. Customizing Your Bhutan Tour Package:
You can make your Bhutan trip unique in various ways by customizing elements. Here are some of the ways;
- Personalized itineraries: Customizing a tour package helps you to choose the activities you want to do and places you are willing to visit. This gives you off-the-beaten-path experiences and extra days in specific locations.
- Special experiences: Customizing your tour package helps you to avail private dinners, cultural workshops, and meditation sessions making your trip special.
6. Tips for Booking Your Bhutan Tour Package
There are some tips you can follow when you are booking a tour package;
- Plan: If you are planning your trip, especially during peak season then you can book a tour package early. By booking in advance you can ensure a quick confirmation and you may get some extra deals.
- Check the Itinerary: Before your trip make sure to check your itinerary. Ensure that the package aligns with your interests and travel style or not.
- Understand the Cost Structure: The next thing you can do is to understand the cost structure of the package. Check what is included in the price and what might be extra to avoid extra cost.
- Read Reviews: Research customer feedback for the agency’s reliability and service quality. This provides you with insight and you can ensure what you will get from a package.
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Bhutan Tour
Some common mistakes you need to avoid while booking a tour package are as follows:
- Rushing the booking process: While booking a tour package make sure you won’t choose a package in a hurry. Take your time to understand the package and select the best according to your preferences.
- Overlooking visa and permit requirements: You should not ignore the visa and permit requirements during the Bhutan trip. Ensure your package includes all necessary paperwork so that you won’t have to face trouble later on.
- Not considering the weather: The last thing is that you should not ignore the weather conditions and pack the essentials required. Be mindful of weather conditions for certain activities like trekking or any activities you can do during the particular season or not.
Conclusion:
Here we discussed how to book a Bhutan tour package. Booking a package helps you in cost saving, and convenience, and ensures your safety during the trip. You can follow some tips while booking a package including planning, understanding the cost structure and reading the reviews. This way you can ensure a hassle-free and memorable trip to Bhutan.
Comments (0)