Licensed local guides
A Bhutan tour guide, with room to travel your way.
Book your own hotels, choose the places you want to see and travel at a pace that suits you. We arrange a licensed local guide and any other help you need.
Get a guide-only quoteFree itemised quote. No payment to start planning.
How you spend the day matters.
You might want to hear the story behind a temple, stop for photographs or enjoy a quiet walk. Tell your guide what you prefer. They can offer suggestions and help with the practical details without filling every moment.
Choose what we arrange
A local guide
You handle your bookings. We arrange your licensed guide around the route and dates you agree with us.
Request a guide-only quoteA guide, vehicle and driver
Keep your own hotel choices and let us coordinate guiding and transport, including the transfers in your quote.
Request a guide and driverHelp with more of the trip
Ask us to help with hotels, meals or paperwork too. Your itemised quote makes each arrangement clear.
Plan my tripWhat does a Bhutan guide cost?
Guide-only prices are quoted for your trip. Send your dates, group size and intended route, including the days you need a guide. If you have already booked hotels, share your overnight stops so we can plan the guiding around them.
What your quote covers
- Guide only: the guiding charge and any agreed guide expenses. A vehicle and driver are not included unless you request them.
- Guide and driver: guiding plus a dedicated vehicle and driver, with the route and transfers set out in your quote.
- Other arrangements: hotels, meals and entry fees are listed separately, with a record of what we arrange and what you book or pay for yourself.
Visa and Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) requirements still apply. These government fees are separate from the guiding charge. Tell us whether you will handle them yourself or want our help. You review the scope and total before booking.
Understand the rest of your trip costsA workable plan, with time left open
Start with the places and experiences you care about. We can help fit them around your overnight stops, and your guide can adjust the day with you as you go. A change of valley may affect a hotel booking or add driving time; a slower afternoon often needs much less rearranging.
If you want help choosing a route, browse our private Bhutan tours for ideas. For the practicalities of arranging services yourself, read our independent travel and booking guide.
Questions about travelling with a guide
Can I hire a Bhutan tour guide without booking a package?
Yes. Ask us to arrange your licensed guide and tell us what you have already booked. Hotels, transport, meals, entry fees, visa and SDF arrangements can be handled separately. Your quote records what we arrange and what you take care of yourself.
Can I book my own hotels?
Yes. Choose accommodation approved by Bhutan's Department of Tourism and share your overnight stops with us. We can help check driving times before you book, so the route fits the time you have.
How much does a Bhutan guide cost?
Guide-only prices are quoted for your dates, group size, route and the days you need a guide. Your quote lists the guiding charge and any agreed guide expenses. If you also want a vehicle and driver, ask for those to be included. Hotels, meals, entry fees and government fees are separate from the guiding charge, with your quote recording who arranges each item.
Do I have to follow a fixed itinerary?
You can build a route around your interests and agree the pace with your guide. Leave room for a longer lunch, a walk or time to rest. Changes still need to work with driving distances, hotel bookings, opening times, weather and any access or safety requirements. We explain any extra costs before you agree to a change.
Will my guide be with me all the time?
Bhutan requires visitors to travel with a licensed guide. That does not mean every moment needs to be scheduled or narrated. Tell your guide when you prefer a quieter pace or less conversation. We plan personal time within the guide and site-access requirements, while keeping help available.
Can you help if I do not know where to start?
Yes. Share your dates, interests and any places you want to see. We can suggest a route, check what fits and arrange the services you choose. You can also use one of our private tours as a starting point.
For current entry, accommodation and guiding requirements, check the Department of Tourism FAQ.
Tell us how you like to travel
Share your ideas and anything you have already booked. We will put together a quote for the services you choose.
Get a guide-only quote