Bhutanese Etiquette: Twelve Rules Every Visitor Should Know

Pema Wangchuk · 22 Mar 2026 · 6 min read

You will be welcomed, and you will be watchedBhutanese culture is built on respect — and it is expressed through small, visible courtesies rather than rules posted on walls. Travellers who learn four or five of them find that doors open, conversations get warmer, and photographs come out better. Here is the short list.At dzongs and monasteriesWalk clockwise around any chorten, stupa or prayer wheel. Always. It is the single most visible convention in the country.Remove hats, sunglasses and shoes before entering a temple or a home.Do not point your feet at a shrine, altar or lama. Sit with feet pointing away.Ask before photographing inside a monastery, especially during ceremonies.Do not touch the prayer wheels, the scriptures or the offerings.On the road and in the villagesYield to anyone on foot, and to any vehicle carrying a dzong or official flag.Accept a chema — the traditional scarf of goodwill — with both hands, and do not put it on the ground.Ask before photographing people, particularly in farm villages. A smile and a gesture is usually enough.Do not photograph the security checkpoints, and give them a wide berth.Tip guides and drivers at the end of the trip, not during it…