Roaming Together: Bhutan for Families

The last minutes of the flight are unforgettable: the aircraft banks between forested ridges, farmhouses appear close enough to count the prayer flags, and the wheels touch down in a valley barely wider than the runway. Outside the small arrivals hall your Roam Bhutan guide is waiting with a white khadar scarf, the traditional welcome, and your vehicle and driver for the days ahead.

The drive to Thimphu takes about an hour, with a stop at Chuzom to count the three chortens where the rivers meet. In the evening, walk to the National Memorial Chorten, where children can help the grandmothers turn the huge prayer wheels — the more turns, the more prayers go up.

Drive: Paro to Thimphu, about 1 hour
Overnight: Thimphu

Morning at the Motithang preserve to meet the takin, Bhutan's national animal, which looks like a cross between a goat and a moose. Children love the legend of how the saint Drukpa Kunley made the first one. Then visit a traditional paper workshop, where daphne bark is soaked, beaten and pressed into sheets — and children can make their own.

After lunch, visit a living museum of Bhutanese village life: grind grain, try on traditional dress, taste butter tea and perhaps try khuru, a Bhutanese darts game. End at Buddha Dordenma for the view over the city.

Short drives and walks
Overnight: Thimphu

Climb to the Dochula pass and let the children run between the 108 chortens (clockwise!). On a clear day the snow peaks line the horizon. Then wind down through the forest into the warm Punakha valley.

After lunch, cross the long Punakha suspension bridge — it sways just enough to be exciting — and walk through the rice fields to a farmhouse for tea and a look inside a traditional Bhutanese home.

Drive: Thimphu to Punakha, about 3 hours with stops
Overnight: Punakha

In the right season, float down a gentle stretch of the Mo Chhu with experienced river guides, drifting past rice terraces and ending beneath the walls of Punakha Dzong. If the river is too high or the children too young, we swap it for a riverside picnic and a walk.

In the afternoon, cross the wooden bridge into Punakha Dzong and spot the dragons, snow lions and mythical birds painted on its walls — our guides turn it into a treasure hunt.

Rafting about 1½–2 hours (seasonal)
Overnight: Punakha

Leave Punakha after breakfast and climb back over the Dochula — the view from this side is often completely different, and a second cup of tea at the pass never hurts. Continue past Thimphu and down to the confluence at Chuzom, then turn up the Paro valley.

In Paro, visit the National Museum in the round watchtower — the masks are always a hit — and walk down through Rinpung Dzong to the covered bridge. Early dinner and early bed before the big walk.

Drive: Punakha to Paro, about 4–4½ hours
Overnight: Paro

Today is the walk to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest. Legend says Guru Rinpoche flew to this cliff on the back of a tigress in the 8th century to meditate in a cave; the monastery was built around it in the 1690s. The trail climbs about 900 m through blue pine and hanging prayer flags. Families take it slowly, with plenty of snack stops, stopping at the halfway cafeteria for tea and the first clear view across the gorge.

Younger children can turn round happily at the cafeteria, which has a perfect view of the monastery; older ones can carry on to the top with a parent and the guide while the rest of the family relaxes. In the afternoon, visit Kyichu Lhakhang and its orange trees.

Hike: 2–6 hours depending on how far you go
Overnight: Paro

Have a slow breakfast with the valley outside the window, and a last cup of suja, the salty butter tea you have either grown to love or learned to politely refuse. Your guide and driver take you to Paro airport, help with check-in and say goodbye — often with a promise to see you again for the next valley on your list.

Children aged 6–12 pay a reduced Sustainable Development Fee, and under-6s pay none — Bhutan welcomes families.

Drive: hotel to Paro airport, 10–30 minutes