Terms & Conditions

The following Terms & Conditions govern your access to https://www.bhutan-acorn.com and use of the services provided by Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel, a tour operator based in Thimphu and licensed by the Royal Government of Bhutan.


1. USE OF CONTENT

All information, materials, services, products and other content available on or offered through this website are the property of Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel. Some of the materials on this website are provided by our licensors. By using this website you agree that you do not acquire any ownership rights by downloading or viewing the content of this website. This website is intended for audiences over the legal age of majority who can legally form binding agreements under the applicable laws. You may not otherwise use this website.


2. INCLUSION

Please refer to the Inclusions & Exclusions section in the invoice which takes precedence. Generally, all tour packages offered by Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel include the following:


  • Visa Fee & Processing
  • Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
  • A private single room or Twin-sharing accommodation in a 3-star hotel inspected and certified by the Department of Tourism, Royal Government of Bhutan
  • All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with the standard menu at hotels. Some meals comprise of home-cooked local cuisines can be served at local homestays or farmhouses. 
  • Experienced English-speaking tour guide licensed by the Department of Tourism.
  • Round-trip airport transfers
  • Transport with a dedicated driver within Bhutan for the entire duration of your stay
  • Porter and pony charges for trekking tours
  • Bottled mineral water in the car
  • Traditional archery and dart throwing
  • A set of national costumes, Gho for men and Kira for women. The costumes should be returned to the guide at the end of the tour. You MUST let us know in advance, if you would like to try wearing the dress.
  • All government taxes for the services listed above


3. EXCLUSION

Please refer to the Inclusions & Exclusions section in the invoice, which takes precedence. Generally, all the tour packages offered by Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel DO NOT INCLUDE the following:


  • Airfares. Both domestic and international. (We can arrange domestic as well as international air tickets to and from Bhutan at no additional fee. You just have to take care of the connecting flights).
  • Admission fees to the parks, Museums, national monuments & sacred sites.
  • Travel Insurance (optional)
  • Emergency evacuation cost
  • Alcoholic beverages, Laundry services, telephone call charges
  • Cultural shows that require advance arrangement
  • Tips to your guides and driver
  • Any other expenditure of personal nature


4. PRIVACY

We value and respect your privacy as it is important to us. We may collect information from you to provide our services to you and to enable you to use some features of this website. We guarantee that we will never share the personal information provided by you with any third parties. Please read our Privacy Policy available on our website.


5. PAYMENT

To confirm your reservation, it is mandatory to pay the full cost of the tour prior to your arrival in Bhutan. As per the government’s regulation, your visa will be processed and approved only upon receiving the full payment for the tour. We provide two payment options to our customers:


All payments made through this website are financially protected by Trust My Travel (TMT). In all instances of successful booking through this website, you will receive an email from TMT with details of your purchase and financial protection. You will receive a full refund (and repatriation where applicable) in the event of Bhutan Acorn Tours and Travel's insolvency. In case you cancel the trip, the usual cancellation policy will apply. If you have already paid through this website and want to know more about the protection, CLICK HERE.


You can also book by email and make the payment by bank transfer OR by credit card/debit card using a secure payment link facilitated by the Bank of Bhutan.

6. TAXES

Pricing for all the tour packages or services provided by Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel is inclusive of all taxes.


7. CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS

In the event you decide to cancel your reservation, a written cancellation notice must be submitted to info@bhutanacorn.com or by postal mail. The record date will be the next business day after receipt of the cancellation notice at our office. Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel will confirm in writing the receipt of your cancellation notice. If the day of receipt of the cancellation notice is a public holiday, the next working day shall be considered as a record date.


Below is the cancellation & refund policy:


  • Tour once booked can be postponed to any future date, rescheduled or change the tour without any fees. Your booking with us will never expire.
  • To cancel the trip, you must let us know at least 30 days before the start of the tour to receive a full refund.
  • Cancellation fee of 0% is charged if cancelled 30 days or more before the start of the tour.
  • Cancellation fee of 15% is charged if cancelled 29 days or less before the start of the tour.
  • Cancellation fee of 50% is charged if cancelled 14 days or less before the start of the tour.
  • Cancellation fee of 100% is charged if cancelled 7 days or less before the start of the tour.
  • Visa fee is non-refundable if the visa is already issued or the visa application is already submitted.
  • The SDF will be fully refunded if you cancel before your arrival in Bhutan. If you cut short the trip after arriving in Bhutan, you will receive a refund for the SDF only for the unused nights.
  • If you are prevented from entering the country due to travel restrictions imposed by the Royal Government of Bhutan, 100% of the tour cost will be refunded including the visa fee or the trip can be postponed to any future date.
  • In the case of multi-day trekking adventure, no refund is permitted if the trek could not be completed due to inclement weather conditions or illness. However, accommodation and meals will be provided.
  • 4 and 5-star hotels have their own cancellation policies. Typically, they charge 50% if cancellation is made 60 days before the arrival date, 75% if cancelled 45 days prior, and 100% if cancelled within 30 days of the arrival date.
  • For cancelled flights, the airline will refund directly to you.
  • All refunds will be less wire transfer fees. If the payment is made with a credit card, the refund will be credited back to your card..


In the event you want to postpone your confirmed trip, there shall be no charge. However, hotels and airline companies may have their own policies for changing travel dates. Please check Drukair at www.drukair.com.bt and Bhutan Airlines at www.bhutanairlines.bt for information.


8. AIR TICKETS

The two international airlines that operate in and out of Bhutan have their own cancellation and refund policy.  We suggest you check the airlines' policies at the following links.


Drukair (https://drukair.com.bt/terms-and-conditions/conditions-of-carriage/), enquiry@drukair.com.bt

Bhutan Airlines (https://www.bhutanairlines.bt/assets/bhutan-airlines-images/assets/uploads/Conditions%20of%20Carriage.pdf), info@bhutanairines.bt


9. OUR WEBSITE IS SECURED

All the information you provide us is confidential and safe with us. Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel uses industry-standard 256-bit SSL encryption powered by Godaddy Inc. For processing payments for all bookings made on this website, we use Trust My Travel (TMT), a London-based payment processor.