Booking Terms and Conditions
Bhutan Dragon Riders is the trading name used to promote and market our motorcycle tours and adventures in the Kingdom of Bhutan.
All tours are operated in Bhutan by Himalayan Moto Tours, a fully licensed Bhutanese motorcycle rental and tour company under the direction of Kesang Dorji. Himalayan Moto Tours is responsible for the operation and delivery of your tour in Bhutan, including motorcycles, guides, mechanics, support vehicles, accommodation, permits, visas and other ground arrangements.
Your booking and contract are with Himalayan Moto Tours, and all tour payments are made directly to Himalayan Moto Tours in Bhutan in US Dollars (USD).
Himalayan Moto Tours
Director, Bhutan Operations: Kesang Dorji
Tenyang Enterprise Building
Jangsa Jachukha, Dopshar-ri
Paro 12001
Kingdom of Bhutan
Business Licence No. 50001691
BOOKING & PAYMENT
A deposit of US$1,000 per person is required to reserve your place and confirm your booking.
The balance of the tour price is payable 45 days before departure. If you book within 45 days of departure, the full tour price is payable at the time of booking.
All payments are made directly to Himalayan Moto Tours in Bhutan in US Dollars (USD) by bank transfer. Full banking details will be provided with your booking confirmation.
Any bank transfer, intermediary bank or currency conversion charges are the responsibility of the sender.
Your booking becomes confirmed once we have received your deposit and issued written confirmation.
Failure to pay the balance by the due date may be treated as a cancellation by you, in which case the cancellation conditions below will apply.
Where required under Bhutanese tourism regulations, tour payments and applicable government charges must be received before visa approval and final travel documentation can be issued.
BHUTAN GOVERNMENT FEES
The tour price includes the Bhutan government fees specifically stated in your itinerary or booking confirmation, including the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) and visa fee where applicable.
Government taxes, levies and fees are determined by the Royal Government of Bhutan and are outside our control.
If a new or increased government tax, levy, SDF or other mandatory charge is introduced after you have booked, we reserve the right to pass on only the additional cost resulting from that change.
CONFIRMED DEPARTURES
Once we have confirmed your tour, it will not be cancelled because of low participant numbers.
A confirmed departure will operate regardless of the final group size, and no small-group surcharge will subsequently be added to your confirmed tour price.
A confirmed tour will only be cancelled where circumstances beyond our reasonable control make it impossible or unsafe to operate. These circumstances are explained under Force Majeure below.
CANCELLATIONS BY YOU
If you cancel your booking, the following cancellation charges will apply:
More than 45 days before departure – Deposit retained
45 days or less before departure – 100% of the tour price
Certain costs incurred on your behalf, including airline tickets, permits, government fees, accommodation deposits and other advance reservations, may be non-refundable once committed.
Where a refund is due, any unrecoverable costs already paid on your behalf will be deducted, provided those costs have not already been covered by the applicable cancellation charge.
We strongly recommend arranging comprehensive travel insurance from the time you book to protect you against cancellation for an insured reason.
CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING
If you need to change your booking, please contact us as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Changes are subject to availability and may involve additional costs.
Where possible, we may allow a booking to be transferred to another departure, although any non-refundable costs already incurred may need to be paid separately.
CHANGES TO THE ITINERARY
Motorcycle journeys in Bhutan travel through remote mountain regions where weather, road conditions, landslides, government regulations and other circumstances can occasionally require changes to the planned itinerary.
We reserve the right to modify routes, accommodation, motorcycles, support arrangements or schedules where reasonably necessary for safety, operational or regulatory reasons.
Where changes are required, we will always endeavour to provide the closest practical alternative and maintain the overall character and quality of the journey.
Reasonable itinerary changes resulting from weather, road conditions, safety considerations, government requirements or circumstances beyond our control do not normally entitle participants to a refund.
FLIGHTS
International flights to and from your chosen gateway city are not included in the tour price unless specifically stated.
We can arrange your flights to and from Bhutan via Kathmandu, Delhi or Bangkok, according to your preferred travel arrangements. The cost of these flights is additional to the tour price.
We can normally hold a Bhutan flight reservation for a limited period while you finalise your international travel arrangements. Once we have received your tour deposit, we will confirm the current airfare with you before issuing your ticket.
Once issued, airline tickets are subject to the airline’s own amendment, cancellation and refund conditions.
Flights to and from Bhutan have limited capacity and can become fully booked well in advance. We therefore recommend reserving your Bhutan flights as early as possible.
We cannot be held responsible for delays, cancellations or schedule changes imposed by airlines.
If your flight into Bhutan is delayed or disrupted, we will do everything reasonably possible to rearrange your arrival arrangements and help you join the group as soon as possible.
If your departure from Bhutan is delayed or cancelled, we will assist with alternative arrangements wherever reasonably possible. However, we cannot accept responsibility for consequential expenses arising from airline disruption, including missed onward flights, additional accommodation, meals or other expenses.
We strongly recommend allowing adequate connection time and ensuring that your travel insurance covers flight disruption, delays and missed connections.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory for all participants and should be arranged as soon as your booking is confirmed.
Your policy must provide appropriate cover for:
- Medical treatment and hospitalisation
- Emergency evacuation and repatriation
- Trip cancellation and interruption
- Flight delays and missed connections
- Motorcycle riding activities
- Riding a motorcycle of the engine capacity provided on your tour
Participants are responsible for ensuring that their insurance is appropriate for the activities included in the itinerary.
Proof of insurance may be requested before departure.
PASSPORT & VISA REQUIREMENTS
Participants must hold a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Bhutan.
We will arrange your Bhutan visa as part of the booking process where this is included in your tour.
You are responsible for providing accurate passport information and any documentation required for your visa and travel arrangements within the requested timescale.
Participants remain responsible for ensuring that they meet the passport, immigration and entry requirements applicable to their nationality.
MOTORCYCLE LICENCE & RIDING REQUIREMENTS
Participants must hold a valid motorcycle licence appropriate for the motorcycle provided on the tour.
Riders are responsible for ensuring that they hold any additional licence, permit or documentation required by Bhutanese regulations at the time of travel.
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is recommended and may be required depending upon nationality or current regulations.
Our tours involve mountain roads, variable surfaces, changing weather conditions and extended riding days. Riders should have sufficient experience and confidence to participate safely.
MOTORCYCLES & DAMAGE
Motorcycles are provided in good mechanical condition and maintained throughout the journey.
Each rider must pay a refundable US$300 motorcycle damage deposit at the beginning of the tour. This will be returned at the end of the journey following inspection of the motorcycle, subject to any charge for damage for which the rider is responsible.
Normal fair wear and tear is excluded.
Participants may be responsible for the reasonable cost of damage resulting from negligence, misuse, reckless riding, deliberate damage or failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the tour leader, guide or mechanic.
The US$300 damage deposit does not necessarily represent the maximum amount for which a participant may be responsible in cases of serious damage caused by negligence, reckless riding or misuse.
RIDER SAFETY & CONDUCT
The safety of the individual rider, the group and our staff is our priority.
All participants must follow reasonable safety instructions given by the tour leader, guides and motorcycle team.
We reserve the right to prevent a participant from riding if, in the reasonable opinion of the tour leader, their riding presents a danger to themselves or others, including through unsafe riding, alcohol or drug use, illness, injury or repeated failure to follow safety instructions.
Where practical, the participant may be permitted to continue the journey in the support vehicle.
In serious circumstances, a participant may be required to leave the tour. No refund will normally be payable where this results from the participant’s own unsafe or unacceptable behaviour.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Our journeys can involve long riding days, significant changes in altitude and travel through remote areas.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that they are medically and physically fit to undertake the journey.
Before departure, participants should inform us of any medical condition or other circumstance that could materially affect their ability to participate safely or require particular assistance during the tour.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is provided in carefully selected hotels and lodges throughout the journey, as described in the itinerary.
Occasionally it may be necessary to substitute accommodation due to availability, operational circumstances or events beyond our control. Where this happens, we will endeavour to provide accommodation of a similar standard wherever possible.
Single occupancy may be available subject to availability and payment of the applicable supplement.
PROBLEMS DURING YOUR TOUR
If you experience a problem during your journey, please inform the tour leader as soon as possible so that we have the opportunity to resolve the issue while you are in Bhutan.
If a matter cannot be resolved during the journey, please contact Himalayan Moto Tours as soon as reasonably possible following the tour.
FORCE MAJEURE
Very occasionally, circumstances beyond our reasonable control may prevent us from operating a tour as planned or make it unsafe or impossible to continue.
These circumstances may include severe weather, flooding, landslides, earthquakes, natural disasters, epidemics or other serious public-health events, government action or restrictions, border closures, civil disturbance, political events, road closures, major transport disruption, airline cancellations or other extraordinary circumstances that we could not reasonably have avoided.
In such circumstances, we will do everything reasonably possible to operate the tour, provide an alternative itinerary, postpone the journey or make other suitable arrangements.
We will not cancel a confirmed tour simply because participant numbers are lower than expected.
If force majeure makes the tour impossible or unsafe to operate, we will endeavour to recover and return any monies that have not already been paid or committed to airlines, hotels, government authorities, motorcycle arrangements or other suppliers.
We cannot guarantee reimbursement of costs that are non-refundable or irrecoverable from third-party suppliers.
Any additional costs arising during a tour as a result of circumstances beyond our control may be the responsibility of the participant, and participants should seek reimbursement through their travel insurance where applicable.
RESPONSIBILITY
Himalayan Moto Tours operates your tour in Bhutan and works with hotels, airlines and other independent service providers in delivering individual elements of your journey.
We take reasonable care in selecting and arranging these services and in operating your motorcycle tour.
We are not responsible for losses or additional expenses resulting solely from events outside our reasonable control, subject always to any rights or protections that cannot lawfully be excluded.
Nothing in these Booking Conditions is intended to exclude or restrict liability where it would be unlawful to do so.
GOVERNING LAW
Your booking and contract are with Himalayan Moto Tours, a licensed tour operator in the Kingdom of Bhutan.
These Booking Conditions and your contract with Himalayan Moto Tours are governed by the laws of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Any dispute arising from the booking or operation of your tour will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Bhutan.
By paying your US$1,000 deposit, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted these Booking Conditions.