There are a number of things to think about when planning your trip.
- International flights into Bhutan are limited to keep visitor numbers low for sustainable tourism. International flights around key festivals are often full well in advance, and domestic flights can fill in advance too.
- Consider flying domestically within Bhutan to give you less driving time and more time to explore each region.
- What you want to see; if you are visiting for a specific festival or to see the spring colours, or Black-Necked Cranes.
- What time you have available to explore; how long do you have to spend in Bhutan, and what you want to see and experience.
- Pace; whether you want to experience as much as possible, or spend more time in some key locations to really explore and experience.
- The type of vacation you want; do you want to be deeply immersed in the Buddhist stories and temples, or do you want a broader, more expansive experience of Bhutan. Are you interested in adventure activities like rafting, and trekking, or are you looking for a slower immersion.
- The kind of schedule you like. Do you want to know you will have a good lunch at 12 / 12:30 every day, a coffee stop, dinner planned? Or are you more interested in going with the flow and enjoying your experience unfold as you travel?
- Your interests. If you are interested in photography, you can spend more time in bird watching spots, or visit the lhakhangs around sunrise / sunset to get the right light, or after dark to see them lit up. If you want to take some time to fish, permits can be organised (it’s catch and release). If you want to horse ride, that is a possibility too. Want to learn about the different culinary tradition in each region and to cook momos (Himalayan dumplings)? And, more importantly, then eat them? All possible.
- The kind of accommodation you want to stay in. Tourist accommodations are relatively high quality by global standards, and 3* accommodations are clean, comfortable, inexpensive and plentiful. 4* and 5* are less available and much, much more expensive. Homestays are a great choice, but good homestays are small and so tend to be booked up well in advance.
We hope we have given you enough information to have a better idea of what you want to see and do. We would love to help you design an itinerary that utterly suits you, or to help you execute on an itinerary you have planned; supporting you with recommendations and any local bookings required.
