Don’t expect to travel freely

Bhutan is not a budget destination or a place to drift like a backpacker. It only began to open up to outsiders in the 1970s, and it still protects its heritage and ecology by restricting tourism. Before you can get a visa, you must arrange your travel through government-approved agencies and pay in full. You must also be accompanied by a Bhutanese tour guide throughout the trip. This means you can't go backpacking or trekking alone, as you can in neighboring Nepal.

If you travel with a registered tour operator, such as Follow Alice, you will know who your tour guide will be ahead of time. However, if you want to travel independently in Bhutan, the government will assign you a tour guide. Your tour guide will be with you for the majority of the trip. The advantage of this is that you will never get lost or need to use Google Maps to find directions.