Bhutan is noticeable for being mountainous, there is virtually no stretch of Bhutanese land or road that is flat. They also have regularly occurring small white stone/brick on the sides of some of their roads - these white painted slabs often feature a yellow rectangle containing numbers and letters. Bhutan also has distinctive red license plates that are easily spotted on vehicles. Within Asia, Bhutan is the only country that uses full red licence plates. If you see tall mountains, mainly covered in trees, then there is a good chance you are in Bhutan. Sometimes there are more elongated road side markers made from stone slabs in Bhutan. White and yellow stone markers indicate how far away the nearest village, town or city is in Bhutan. The other side of the stone sign also has information about how far away the nearest village is for those travelling in the opposite direction. Bhutanese road signs are often held aloft by black and white striped poles. Bhutanese houses and apartments can be quite elaborate looking, they often feature flat roofs that extend beyond the walls, white walls, arch windows and detailed wooden elements. Some Bhutanese houses are less elaborateand appear quite basic, like the house in the first image of this ‘Bhutan’ section.


Bhutan commonly uses stone blocks as safety barriers on winding rural roads. These blocks are very common and often one of the best ways to recognize rural Bhutan rounds.

Guardrails are rare in Bhutan.

The traditional Bhutanese architecture is very distinct: most of the houses have tin roofs and wooden painted frames, which give them a unique look.

Dzongkha is an official language in Bhutan and has unique-looking letters.


In the south of Bhutan there are some flat areas where you cannot see any mountains.

Prayer flags near the road are typically seen in Bhutan.

Thin metal poles are occasionally found in Bhutan, they are often painted black at the bottom.

Bhutanese road markers have a yellow top and a white bottom.

If you are on rural roads and would like to find out where you are, road markers are the best clue to narrow down the exact location.

On national highways, the road number is found on the top of the marker.

Vehicles:

Taxis in Bhutan have yellow licence plates and yellow roofs.

Signposts in Bhutan frequently have black-and-white stripes.
