Licensed Bhutanese tour operator · Thimphu
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Twenty-one questions, grouped, without marketing. If yours is not here, write and ask; we would rather tell you a trip is wrong for you than sell it to you.
5 questions in this section.
For October, or any trip built around Paro or Thimphu Tshechu, six to nine months. For the rest of the year, two to three months is comfortable. We have put trips together in under three weeks, but the visa needs five to seven working days and the good rooms will already be gone.
Accommodation on twin share, all meals, a licensed English-speaking guide, a private vehicle and driver, every entrance fee, all internal permits and your visa application. It excludes international flights, travel insurance, drinks, laundry and tips. The Sustainable Development Fee and the US$40 visa application fee are government fees and appear as their own lines. We do not publish prices because every journey is quoted for your dates, your party size, your accommodation preference and the itinerary you actually want.
A deposit confirms the trip and the balance is due before arrival, by bank transfer to our Bhutanese account. Exact terms and dates are on the written quote we send before you commit to anything. We never ask for money to answer a question.
Yes. A single supplement applies and depends on the hotel grade and the season; we quote it as its own line in your quotation rather than as a percentage.
Not required, and genuinely appreciated. It is entirely at your discretion, given at the end of the trip and usually from the party rather than per person. Your guide will never raise it; ask us if you would like a sense of what is customary.
6 questions in this section.
On a cultural itinerary, almost certainly not — you sleep between 1,200 and 2,600 metres and only cross passes briefly. On a trek, it is a real consideration: you sleep above 3,800 metres for several nights. Your guide monitors everyone daily, we build in acclimatisation days, and descent is the first response to any symptoms.
No. Bottled or filtered water only, and we keep the vehicle stocked. Many hotels now provide filtered water refills, which we encourage — Bhutan has a plastic problem it does not deserve.
Bhutanese food is very spicy. Chilli is treated as a vegetable rather than a seasoning, and ema datshi is a bowl of chillies. Hotel buffets are toned down for visitors and normally have mild options. Tell your guide and they will steer you.
Buy a tourist SIM at Paro airport — it is inexpensive and 4G covers the western valleys well. Hotel Wi-Fi exists almost everywhere and is slow almost everywhere. Above 3,000 metres and on trek, expect nothing.
The ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee, and Indian rupees are accepted in most places. Cards work in larger hotels and shops in Thimphu and Paro and nowhere else. Bring some cash for handicrafts, tips and the market.
Yes, unusually so. Violent crime against visitors is close to non-existent and solo women travellers report feeling comfortable. The real risks here are altitude, mountain roads and the sun at 3,000 metres.
6 questions in this section.
Layers: mornings are cold and afternoons are warm through most of the year. Broken-in walking shoes, a warm mid-layer, a rain shell, sun cream and a hat, a head torch, and something with sleeves and long trousers for dzongs. For treks we send a full kit list with your confirmation.
For cultural itineraries, no — you need to be able to walk on uneven ground and manage stairs. For Taktsang you should be comfortable walking uphill for two hours. For camping treks, yes, genuinely: consecutive seven-hour days at 4,000 metres.
Vegetarian is easy — much of the country eats that way. Vegan, gluten-free and allergy requirements are all manageable with notice; tell us when you enquire so we can brief the hotels rather than surprise them.
Very. Bhutanese are extremely warm with children, distances can be kept short, and children under 6 are exempt from the Sustainable Development Fee. We will rework the walking and the temple time around the ages of your group — just tell us.
Yes, and many people do. You get the same private guide and vehicle, which makes it excellent value in every respect except the single supplement. We will be straightforward with you about what the total comes to.
Often, yes — the Wellness Retreat in particular. Bhutan is not a step-free country and many temples involve stairs, but distances are short and vehicles reach most places. Tell us what you need and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
4 questions in this section.
Yes. Evergreen Sojourn is a Bhutanese-owned tour operator based in Thimphu and licensed to operate tours in Bhutan. Bhutan’s tourism sector is regulated by the Department of Tourism, Royal Government of Bhutan. Your guide, your driver and the person answering your email are all here.
No. Every itinerary on this site is run privately for your party alone. We do not merge bookings to fill a vehicle.
That is most of what we do. The ten published itineraries are starting points — tell us the days you have and what you care about and we will draw something else.
Usually within 24 hours, from a person in Thimphu. Bhutan is UTC+6, so if you write from Europe or the Americas the reply normally lands overnight.
Whether the SDF is worth it. Whether October is too crowded. Whether you are fit enough for Jomolhari. We will give you a straight answer, including when the answer costs us the booking.
