In partnership with Breathe Bhutan and Tourism Bhutan
So you’re thinking of taking your kids to Bhutan.
I don’t blame you – I’ve been intrigued by this country for many years and have been incredibly curious to see it for myself. My biggest concerns were the travel distance, as only a handful of airlines fly to Bhutan, and whether this is a good trip to take small children on.
Was it worth all the hassle?
Absolutely.
How to get to Bhutan with Kids
The best time to fly to Bhutan is when you already find yourself in Asia. Coming to this country from North America or Europe is quite the trek, and would require at least 36+ hours of flying. So really the best time to visit is when you’re already doing a trip around Asia.
There are only a handful of countries that fly to Bhutan, namely India, Nepal, Thailand and Singapore, and the prices vary wildly between those countries. We found the cheapest way to get here was by doing two overnights in Nepal; one on the way there and one on the way back. That way we also got to see a little bit of Kathmandu on our way there.
The best part about flying from Nepal is being able to see Mt Everest from the plane window! Make sure to book seats on the left side of the plane when you’re coming in, or on the right side when going out. Typically Druk Air will arrange it so that passengers get to see Mt Everest on at least one direction. It was quite comical seeing our flight have the entire left side of the plane full while the entire right side of the plane was empty as everyone wanted to get a glimpse!
Bhutan with Kids Itinerary
Our entire itinerary was meticulously handcrafted by Breathe Bhutan, a fantastic tour company based in Bhutan. They made sure all activities would be interesting for kids, kept in mind driving distances, safety and even had carseats ready for us when we arrived. The entire trip felt effortless and I would recommend them to anyone considering a trip to Bhutan with kids.
Our trip was about 8 days and felt like the perfect amount to explore around this beautiful country. We went in early December and had fantastic weather, saw basically no other tourists and had most Dzongs and attractions to ourselves.
Day 1: Arrival in Bhutan, drive to Thimphu
We were greeted by our guides from Breathe Bhutan right at the airport. They came with gifts, traditional Bhutanese wine and a pristine van waiting for us. The drive from Paro to Thimphu was about one hour.
In Thimphu we stayed at Gikuna Village, a cute boutique guesthouse run by a very sweet couple. They prepared a delicious traditional Bhutanese dinner and had two rooms ready for us in the guesthouse. There’s a cute cafe, where the owners also serve breakfast for the guests.
If you’re looking for a hotel to stay at instead, check out Lemon Tree Resort.
Thimphu is the largest city in Bhutan, with a population of about 100,000. It is also the current capital city. All buildings in Thimphu are required to adhere to the tradition Bhutanese architectural style to preserve the culture.
Our guide took us to a Blessings ceremony at Wangditse, which is a short hike away in the mountains near Thimphu. The mountain air felt extremely fresh here, especially after visiting Kathmandu. Bhutan is the world’s first and only carbon-negative country, which means it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits. There was a constitutional mandate created in 2008 which requires that at least 60% of the land remain under forest cover forever. It was really great to see all of these conservation principles in action, and the people of Bhutan truly embodying what it means to live happily with a collective goal.
The hike had excellent views of the city below, as well as prayer flags throughout. Thimphu is at about 7000′ (2300m) and the hike is uphill, so if you’re not used to altitude this might a be a bit challenging. Our kids did great though!
At the monastery we had the pleasure of attending a blessing ceremony lead by a monk. The girls got to light their own candles and listen to the prayers. They were so fascinated by ceremony and sat quietly through the whole experience (thankfully!).
Day 2: Thimphu Arts and Crafts School
The next morning we had breakfast at the Gikuna guesthouse cafe and headed out to our first stop of the day; Choki Arts and Crafts School. This school was founded in 1999 by Dasho Choki who wanted to provide underprivileged children the necessary education to pursue an art and craft career in Bhutan.
Today this school provides free tuition, board and meals to over 150 students, in particular those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It was incredible to see how much support the people of Bhutan provide for those in need, in general. With such a small population, it really felt like everyone was your neighbor and it was in everyone’s best interest to lift each other up.
The students at Choki Art School study to become Bhutan’s great artists and painters. The same painters that paint the incredible designs on all houses and temples across Bhutan! Arts and Crafts are a core part of the Bhutanese culture and it is extremely important to pass these skills down to the next generation to preserve the culture.
At the end of the tour around the school, we also got to try our hand at Bhutanese mindfulness art.
Once we were done with Choki, we headed to see the one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world – Buddha Dordenma. This is one of Bhutan’s most iconic landmarks, and located on top of a hill overlooking Thimphu Valley. While on the outside it is a single Buddha statue, on the inside there are about 125000 smaller bronze Buddha statues. The statue is a symbol of peace, happiness and blessings upon the entire world.
After Buddha Dordenma, it was time to leave Thimphu for the next place – Punakha. My favorite region in all of Bhutan.
The journey to Punakha takes you through Dochula pass, a high mountain pass sitting at 10,000′ above sea level. The views of the Himalayan mountain range from there are absolutely breathtaking, especially at sunset! As you reach the pass, you’ll notice the Druk Wangyal Chortens, a striking cluster of 108 memorial stupas along the hillside. They are a symbol of positive karma and offer protection to travelers.
We drove the long way down the pass and up to Punakha. Ending our journey at Ama Om’s Guesthouse felt like stepping into a living postcard of rural Bhutan. Surrounded by ancient rice terraces that ripple down the mountainside, this adorable farmstay was exactly what I was hoping for when Breathe Bhutan put this on our itinerary. We were welcomed with a delicious Bhutanese dinner and shown to our rooms.
I think the kids’ favorite part was all the farm animals, especially the kitty that lived in the guesthouse! We were surprised to find him in our bed the next morning as the kids were fighting about who gets to sleep with the cat 🙂
Day 3: Farm Stay in Punakha at Ama Om’s
I loved that we had a mix of accommodations on this trip ranging from very rustic guesthouses to Monastery stays, to 5 star resorts. It was interesting to see the variety and the different accommodation options in Bhutan as I heard that accommodation can be quite basic. Regardless of how basic or fancy the accommodations were, every single host we had was so incredibly warm and welcoming.
Ama Om’s farm stay is run by a local Bhutanese family and they welcome guests to stay with them regularly. Their 5-acre farm has been in their family for about 200 years! There’s lots of fruit trees, rice terraces, a traditional outdoor hot stone bath and farm animals. Part of the experience includes farm activities like milking a cow, churning butter, and making traditional Bhutanese cheese!
The food at the farm was delicious, everything was made from local ingredients around the farm. We got treated to dinner and breakfast here and also a whole bunch of fresh tropical fruit straight from the trees! I was surprised to see fruit still growing in December in the mountains, but there was plenty!
We all woke up in the morning to a delicious breakfast served outside on the patio; a traditional Bhutanese spread of potatoes, cheese, veggies, eggs and salad. Once we were done with breakfast we got to work! The hosts showed us how to milk their cow, then use that milk for churning butter and then finally how to make cheese.
We had a bit of a toddler moment here.. Our youngest was watching everyone work and contribute and putting things in random pots and sifting through seeds and decided to take it upon herself to contribute in her own way. She took a handful of Pangste seeds and threw them into the cheese pot! The pot of pure white cheese now had a layer of black seeds in it. Thankfully our wonderful hosts remained calm, laughed it off and did some excellent damage control 🙂
The last part of the work was creating oil from Pangtse seeds. The seeds were already harvested so we just had to cook them and press them using a long wooden beam and woven basket.
Once we were done with the farm activites we bid farewell to our lovely hosts and headed on to our next stop – Punakha Dzong, the most beautiful Dzong we saw in all of Bhutan. We got dressed in our finest Bhutanese attire (thanks to Breathe Bhutan) and went to explore this beautiful fortress.
Punakha Dzong is truly a masterpiece. It was built in 1637 without the use of a single nail. This Dzong was the administrative center and home of the Government of Bhutan before the goverment declared Thimphu the new capital in 1955. There are two annual festivals held at the dzong, namely the Punakha Dromche and the Punakha Tshechu.
Punakha Dzong 
Punakha Dzong
We wrapped up the day by driving to our fanciest stay of the trip – &Beyond Punakha River Lodge.
This was a dream lodge, and I can’t believe we got to stay here as part of our collaboration with Bhutan Tourism and Breathe Bhutan. The views, the hospitality, the food. Everything was out of this world. And the best part is they source all the food from surrounding farms in the Punakha Valley.
A moment for the beautiful architecture of &Beyond Punakha River Lodge. The photo above is the main building where breakfast and lunch are served, along with a large bar area.
And the above image was our room! We had two tented rooms between the five of us. Each of them was super spacious with a massive beautiful bathroom. There’s also a large outdoor heated pool, but it wasn’t warm enough to swim this time of year!
We had been looking forward to trying archery in Bhutan, and had the opportunity to try our hand at this traditional Bhutanese game here. And Beyond Punakha River Lodge set up the archery for us, complete with treats for the kids so that we can enjoy the beautiful mountains while playing games.
I just really want to highlight again how good the food was. I’m almost drooling as I’m writing this right now, but here are just some of the plates we had for lunch. All meals in Bhutan are family style – you get a bunch of dishes and you serve yourself as much or as little as you want.
Day 4: Punakha
Today we explored more of Punakha Valley, starting with a hike to Khamsum Chorten. It’s about a 40 minute hike one way uphill to reach the Chorten but certainly worth it! You’ll pass by farmland, rice fields and the beautiful valley of Punakha. The start of the trail also has a beautiful suspension bridge with lots of prayer flags on it. Make sure to take your prayer flag photos here, as the main Punakha suspension bridge no longer has the prayer flags! Those had to be removed due to the weight of the flags affecting the structural safety of the bridge.
Khamsum Chorten 
Khamsum Chorten suspension bridge 
Punakha Valley
After seeing the river from above, we headed to feel the speed and bumps of the river from a boat. There are some gentler and some rougher sections of the river, so you can choose your level of fun. With smaller kids, we had a very gentle one-way float down the river towards Punakha Dzong, where we had an outdoor lunch waiting for us.
Once we were done lunch, we headed out on a long drive to Gangtey!
Day 5: Gangtey
Gangtey was special – our time in Gangtey was centered around the monastery, where we were lucky enough to stay as guests. The stay was simple but incredibly impactful, sharing the same space and same meals as monks. They served us traditional Bhutanese food in the communal areas, which gave the whole experience a very personal, unscripted feel.
We were shown around by one of the Monks and taken to a cleansing ritual where we sat together as a family while the Monk blessed us by flicking drops of water from a silver vessel to wash away negative karma, impurities, and evil spirits.
Gangtey is also known for its large concentration of Black Necked Cranes. These birds migrate from the Tibetan Plateau every winter, and we lucked out by arriving just as the migration was starting. The Phobjikha Valley is one of the few places in the world where you can see them so close and so clearly!
After a delicious lunch at a restaurant in Gangtey, we drove back to Punkha where we stayed the night at Mendrelgang Heritage Home.
Day 6: Dochula Festival
This morning we got up early to get ready for our first ever Bhutanese festival! When visiting Bhutan, it’s highly recommended to align your visit with one of the many festivals to truly appreciate the culture. The Bhutanese festivals are tied to the Tibetan Lunar calendar. The most vibrant ones happen during the spring (March – May) and fall (September – November). It’s worth checking the official calendar well in advance, as the dates shift from year to year. These celebrations are when Bhutan’s culture and ‘Gross National Happiness’ is most evident, expressed through swirling colors, music, and the gathering of families from the most remote corners of the valleys.
The festival lasts for several hours throughout the day, and you can come and go as you please. We stayed for about 1-2 hours and watched the dancers perform against the snow-capped backdrop of the Himalayas.
The highlight of the visit though was getting to meet the Queen of Bhutan! The Queen was making her rounds speaking to the guests of the festival and stopped to say hi to our girls. She asked where we were from, told us her kids went to university in the USA and then gave our girls a hug! It was such a special moment.
Day 7: Tiger’s Nest
This was the day we’d all been waiting for, the jewel of Bhutan – Tiger’s Nest.
We stayed the night at Amba Paro, a beautiful luxury hotel with views of Tiger’s Nest from below. The food here was outstanding, and the hotel was pristine. It had only just opened a couple of months before we arrived and I think we were one of the first guests staying here.
We had a very early start to our day the next morning – 5:30am. We got a packed breakfast and lunch to go on the hike. The trail itself isn’t very difficult – it’s a steady uphill climb through a forest and usually takes about four to five hours round trip. There’s a cute teahouse about halfway up with initial good views of the monastery but you definitely need to keep going to reach the view at the top.
I really wanted to add our own prayer flags on this hike and our guides from Breathe Bhutan helped us do it correctly just above the monastery! The kids got to partake in the small flag hanging ceremony, which was super sweet after the long hike up!
The kids did a great job hiking the entire trail – even our 2 yo hiked on her own the entire way up!
After the hike we headed to a small farmhouse at the base of the mountains, where we got to do our own Bhutanese cooking class where we learned how to make veggie Momos.
Before ending our already packed day, we headed to try our hand at Sand Mandala. Sand Mandala is an intricate Bhuddist art form where colored sand is carefully placed to create an illustration of the spiritual universe. It’s a lesson in focus, precision and patience, usually practiced by monks for weeks at a time only to then be swept away once finished. This symbolizes the fleeting nature of life – nothing in life lasts forever, and we shouldn’t hang onto things too tightly.
Getting to try it ourselves was a grounding way to end the day and our trip! We each got to do a small design, and our 2yo especially really got into it.
Day 8: Paro
We stayed one more night in Amba Paro before flying out and bidding farewell to this beautiful country.