FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why should I choose Medieval Bhutan Tours?
a) Medieval Bhutan Tours are concerned mostly with good customer care and personalized services.
b) Most of our tours are education-oriented as it also cover spiritual and cultural aspects of Bhutan.
c) Our guests are usually placed in a good comfortable hotels and guest houses which are approved by the tourism council of Bhutan.
d) Medieval Bhutan Tours has good quality equipment for trekking activities, with experienced Bhutan Travel guides
e) Offers special discount rate, if you book the tour directly with us not compromising the quality of service.
f) Offers assistance to customize your trip based on your interest and area of specialization
g) Arrange your Air tickets.
How can I process my VISA for Bhutan?
Send us your Passport details along with its copy and a visa fees, which normally will be included in the Package cost. We shall then apply your visa online and send you the official letter from the visa office, which you need to carry along with you when you come to Bhutan. The actual visa will be stamped on your passport upon your arrival at the airport or on the border town if you are coming by land via India.
Can I travel as a free individual in Bhutan?
Tourists are not permitted to travel freely without a guide in Bhutan.
Tours to most parts of Bhutan can be arranged for an individual tourist and small groups of less than three persons in accordance with the travelers' interests and desires. Such tours are subject to a surcharge, over and above the minimum daily rates applicable, as follows:
Single individual - US$ 40.00 per night.
Group of two - US $30.00 per person per night.
Are there any discounts?
Yes, the following discounts on daily rates are allowed:
a) DIPLOMATS from foreign embassies/missions accredited to Bhutan will be given 25% discount on the daily rates.
b) There will be no charge for CHILDREN up to the age of 5 years, while those between the ages of 6 and 12 years, accompanied by elders/guardians, will be given 50% discount on daily rates.
c) Full time STUDENTS below the age of 25 years, holding valid identity cards from academic institutions, will also be given a 25 % discount on daily rates.
How and where do I start to make a trip to Bhutan?
Firstly, you need to decide about how long you wish to spend in Bhutan and plan a date. You can then contact local tour operator like Medieval Bhutan Tours about the proposal. They will then guide you through the process. You can make an enquiry online and book the tours based on your interest. You can even contact the tour operator/travel agent outside for Bhutan tours but that involves a third party agent who will quote high rates and also will not have direct link to organize the tours. In the end, they will route through the local tour operator. Therefore its usually best to book directly with the Local tour operator directly.
Why is the cost for tours in Bhutan expensive and fixed?
The fixed tourist tariff is set by the government and is applicable to all tour operators in Bhutan.It is not just a fee for entry to Bhutan. The cost of tours includes all the arrangements, like Accommodation, Foods, Visa processing and fees, all ground transportations, guide service, govt. taxes etc. If the tour involves trekking, then all expenses on trekking equipments, camping gears, transportation on horse/mule etc are included in the tour cost. The no of days in Bhutan will determine the cost of the tours.
Why the Royal Government of Bhutan adopts strong pricing policy by keeping the tariff relatively higher?
The Royal Government has always been aware that an unrestricted flow of tourists can have negative impacts on Bhutan’s pristine environment and its rich and unique culture.
Therefore, the Royal Government of Bhutan adheres strongly to a policy of low volume and high value tourism, based on the principle of sustainability, meaning that tourism must be environmentally and ecologically friendly, socially and culturally acceptable and economically viable.
Also the volume of tourists visiting Bhutan is regulated to a manageable level because of the constraints of the tourism infrastructure.
What is not included in the Package?
Airfares, airport taxes, visa fees, excess baggage, insurance, emergency evacuation, medical and all other personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, beverages, etc.
Can I travel on my own without booking through local tour operator and agents ? This way I can manage on a little budget or save some money.
Till now, the Govt. has not regulated the system of Budget travelling or Backpackers. The main reason behind the restriction is to monitor and protect the rich cultural heritage, preserve natural environment and mange tourism in a sustainable manner. Therefore all tours must be booked through local tour operator.
What is the health related issues & precaution for travelling to Bhutan. Are there any good hospitals if you are sick when travelling in Bhutan?
Before travelling, we strongly advise to get comprehensive health and travel insurance from your home country. As such, no vaccination is required for an entry into Bhutan, but we usually recommend for a complete health check up before travelling. It is advised to bring along some antibiotics, Pain killers, medicines for fever, headache etc. Some tourist can have stomach disorder when they are not accustomed to local food, so mild gastric medicine like Antacid is often required. Most of the places in Bhutan falls in high altitude areas on an average of 2000 mts. Therefore, Malaria disease are not so common, except in Southern places in India border, like Phuentsholing and Samdrupjongkhar. So visitors need not worry about Malaria desease unless their trip includes Southern areas as well.
Most of the places in Bhutan has a regional hospital that attends to all types of common diseases. If the patients are more serious, they are referred to Thimphu Hospital which is the largest referral hospital in the country.
Can I find cheaper rates for travel to Bhutan?
Yes, but any other rates, other than the tariffs set by the government, are illegal and you would be taking a serious risk. Bhutan Tourism Authority strictly checks any kind of undercutting, and will impose severe sanctions on anyone found guilty, such as revocation of business license, disruption of tours, and even deportation of visitors who use these agents. In any case, cheaper rates would inevitably lead to poorer customer service, as tour operators or touts would herd as many guests as possible in large groups, put them up in sub-standard hotels to cut expenses, and hire unqualified guides to haul their visitors around.
After I make a tour booking based on the itinerary provided, can I change the program if I don't like during the tours?
We can give you the flexibility in changing the programs, provided, it should not affect the schedule and the accommodation that is booked well in advance. You can have the option of making changes with the activities within the region specified in the itinerary.
What is the procedure to send or pay the tour package cost?
All the tour package cost must be sent well in advance by Money wire transfer to the address provided by the tour operator. Wire transfer can be done from any bank around the globe. Please note that it is not possible to make payment by credit card as the payment has to be routed through the Tourism Council of Bhutan and is not paid direct to the operator.
Tour payments must be made at least one month before the start of a tour. It is advisable to send the Package cost early to make smooth flow or your trip arrangement.
How secure is the money wire transfer? What security and assurance do I have for the amount that is sent ?
Be assured of confidence and security for payments by wire transfer in Bhutan. After your payments is received, it's transferred to the account of Tourism Council of Bhutan(TCB). The TCB will continue to hold the money you have sent for your tour until your trip has taken place. It will not be released to Medieval Bhutan Tours until you have left the country. This provides you with the security of knowing that your money is safe until your holiday takes place. If for any reason the trip gets cancelled, then, TCB will not withhold the package cost but it will return it to you (subject to any cancellation charges which apply if you have cancelled the trip). So in the unlikely event that we do not run your trip for you, you would be reimbursed.
How do I cancel my trip?
Tour programs booked and subsequently canceled shall be subject to cancellation
charges as follows:
a) 30 days or more prior to start of the tour - No charge
b) 30-21 days prior to start of tour - 10% of the rate
c) 14-21 days prior to start of tour - 15% of the rate
d) 7-4 days prior to start of tour - 30% of the rate
e) Less than 7 days prior to start of tour, or
cancellation without notice - 50% of the rate
f) After arrival in Bhutan - 100%
Cancellation should be notified in writing directly to the tour company.
What happens in the case of delayed arrival/departure?
There shall be no charge for the number of days of delay in the departure of
visitors due to bad weather conditions, Druk Air problems or road blocks. However, you will be charged any actual expenses for accommodation, food, transportation and any other services required.
Which are the destination that connects to Bhutan by flights? Is is possible to travel overland to Bhutan? If so, How?
No other international flights activates in Bhutan but only Bhutan National Airline, Druk Air. It operates to the following destination:
Thailand: (Bangkok), India : (Delhi, Kolkota, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Bodhgaya), Nepal: (Kathmandu), Burma: (Myanmar).
By land, it's possible to enter from the neighbouring town/cities of India under west Bengal and Assam state. The 2 main gateway to Bhutan is Phuentsholing, that borders with West Bengal and Samdrupjongkhar that borders with Assam. The nearest possible route would be through towns/cities such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri (West Bengal) and Guwahati (Assam).
What kind of vehicles are used for tours?
For individual travelers and a group of less than four persons, we use Japanese Toyota 4WD land cruisers. For groups of 5-9 persons, we have Toyota Hiace buses. For larger groups of 10-22 persons, we use Deluxe Toyota Coaster buses.
What is the type of accommodation/ hotels that you use? Is it a budget type or the star rated categories?
We offer the guest with accommodation in a hotel/resorts that is approved by the Tourism council of Bhutan. Therefore all the hotel/resorts is under 3 -4 star rated category. However, the quality of the facilities is little compromised as you move further towards eastern Bhutan due to limited basic infrastructure.
We normally put our visitors in the best hotels available in each valley. These may not be comparable with multi-star hotels in developed countries, but will be clean and comfortable, with proper bathroom facilities and a good range of food.
What is the procedure to get Visa for Bhutan?
In order to obtain a tourist visa, you have to confirm you tour booking with the local Tour operators like Medieval Bhutan Tours. After your date of travel and duration is fixed according the itinerary, you are required to send the package fund with respect to the programs and also the passport copy along with scanned passport photographs. No outside embassy /consulate nor travel agent outside the country can process the Bhutan visa. It should be routed through the local tour operator licensed under Tourism Council of Bhutan.
Visa can be processed within 3 - 4 working days, provided the package fund is paid in full. Your local tour operator will process the visa and send you the official visa paper by fax or an email. The actual visa will be stamped on your passport when you enter Bhutan, either at Paro or at Phuentsholing. The Govt. will issue a visa paper about 1 month prior to your date of travel.
