Bhutan is the only country where Vajrayana Buddhism is the state religion, and the only Himalayan kingdom never to have been colonised. Neither fact is decorative. They are why the dzongs are still working administrative centres rather than museums, why national dress is worn to the office, and why a visitor who arrives knowing a little about how the place works gets so much more out of it.
This section covers what to wear and where it matters, the language and the greetings worth learning, the festival calendar, and where to go once the planning is done.
Two things that shape the itinerary
Dzongs are working buildings. The district administration and the monk body share them, so visiting hours are shorter than a museum's and close over lunch. It is why the schedule sometimes looks oddly specific.
Festival dates move. Tshechus follow the Bhutanese lunar calendar and shift each year, so a festival trip is built around the festival rather than the other way round — and rooms in that valley go early.
None of the etiquette is difficult, and Bhutanese people are famously forgiving of visitors who get it wrong. Getting it right is a courtesy that is noticed. The pages below have the specifics.