Bhutan Family Adventure

DAY 1

Arrive Paro. Transfer to Thimpu Hotel.

Arrive at Paro Airport. You’ll be met upon arrival and transferred by private vehicle to the capital, Thimpu. Journey time is approx. 1.5–2 hours. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to enjoy a short sightseeing tour of Thimpu.

Accommodation: Galingkha Hotel or similar, Thimpu
Meals: Dinner

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DAY 2

Thimpu & Cheri Gompa

After a short drive by private vehicle to the village of Begana, it’s now time for a bit of a leg stretcher, particularly as you’ve now run out of road! Crossing a footbridge, a steep ascent up a hill of around 45 minutes to 1 hour brings you to the 17th-century Cheri Gompa. You can have plenty of time here to explore and maybe even encounter the rather tame deer that live in the nearby forest. Heading back downhill, there are options to make a detour and walk by a couple of villages set amongst a rural, farmed landscape before returning to Thimpu by private vehicle. There should still be time to enjoy some sightseeing in Thimpu. A visit to the Government Handicrafts Centre is highly recommended if you’re in the mood for souvenir shopping.

Accommodation: Galingkha Hotel or similar, Thimpu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3

Morning tour of Thimpu & Hike to Bala Keba

In the morning, your guide will take you to visit the Tashichho Dzong. Depending on how long you’re here, there may be time to pay a quick visit to the Heritage Museum. After lunch, you’ll be driven by private vehicle to Chumina for the start of this afternoon's walk of around 3 hours to Bala Keba (3245m). It’s predominantly uphill, but delightful as you walk up through atmospheric pine woods. As you gain height, more and more rhododendrons begin to appear. In a clearing amongst the forest is the camp location.

Accommodation: Camp, Bala Keba
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FULLY SUPPORTED CAMPING IN BHUTAN

DAY 4

Trek to Dopshing Pang

It’s a very straightforward walk up to the Sinchu La (3405m), which is marked by a chorten. Virtually all the way through the forest. It has a couple of steeper sections, and if it’s muddy, the path can be a little slippy at times too. Most people reach the pass in 30-45 minutes of climbing, and there are extensive views of the eastern Himalayas from here to enjoy. There’s then around 900m of descent spread out over 4 hours, though, so it’s a nice and steady walk down to camp (2450m). Walking time: approx. 5–6 hrs.

Accommodation: Camp, Dopshing, Pa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5

Mini Trek to Chorten Ningpo

A rather leisurely day as you head down to the river, and a noticeable change in vegetation too at these fairly low elevations. A few hours later, after following a nice and easy contouring trail, you arrive at the small village of Gabji and can camp by the Dzong of Chorten Ningpo (1860m). It’s all rather sub-tropical, with orchards of fruit and a bucolic, cultivated landscape dotted with farmsteads. As there’s no reason to hurry today, along the way, it's a good idea to explore the tiny settlement of Halo. Walking time is approximately 4 hours or less.

Accommodation: Camp, Chorten Ningpo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6

End of Mini Trek at Punakha

Again, there’s no need to rush today, so after taking a very leisurely breakfast, the final part of the trek is a steady downhill via Kabesa. A mere hour or so of walking brings you to a jeep road. Here, a private vehicle will take you the short distance to Punakha. In the afternoon, you can see what is perhaps the most impressive Dzong in all of Bhutan and enjoy a relaxed afternoon and evening.

Accommodation: Meri Phuensum Resort or similar, Punakha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7

Rafting in the Punakha Valley

It’s a relatively short walk of around 90 minutes through fragrant pine forests, passing through tiny villages and across paddy fields, to the rafting “put-in” point at Samdhenka. Before taking to the waters of the Pho Chhu, you’ll be kitted out with the safety gear you’ll need (lifejackets, wetsuits, helmets, and paddles!). The rafting guide will also give you a full safety briefing. It’s then onto the river to enjoy rafting down a section of the Pho Chhu for a couple of hours. Usually the river is considered Grade 2/3 rafting, which means fun with a little excitement but not the terrifying Grade 5 rapids. You’ll actually raft past Punakha Dzong, and from the river, it’s a rather unique perspective. Just beyond the Dzong, the river merges with another, and after a bit more fairly gentle paddling, you’ll reach the “take-out” point.  In the afternoon, you have the option of a walk up to the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, or you can spend the afternoon relaxing if you prefer. The walking is innocent enough to begin with as you cross the Mo Chu River by way of a suspension bridge and stroll through paddy fields. But, as you’ve probably now realised, many religious monuments are located in the hills, and this one is no exception. So, you then have to climb up to the chorten. It should take less than an hour to reach it, though, even if it is a steep ascent. After exploring the chorten, you can walk back down the way you came up and return to your vehicle to be driven to your hotel.

Accommodation: Meri Phuensum Resort or similar, Punakha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8

Return overland to Paro

Returning to Paro via the Dochu La, you can take a break at the pass and walk along the ridge to enjoy Himalayan views. Stopping off at Thimpu or the Dochu La for lunch, you should be back in Paro by late afternoon and be able to do some local exploration at your leisure.

Accommodation: Hotel Tenzinling or similar, Paro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 9

Taktsang Monastery Trek

The Machhu Picchu of Bhutan is Takstang Monastery, and today you’ll visit it. It’s actually a stiff 2-hour walk up through woodland and a rather steep climb of around 350 m. Thankfully, there’s a teahouse at one of the classic Taktsang Monastery view points where you can rest and refresh before a further 30 minutes of climbing brings you to Takstang (3110m) itself. On the final climb, you pass what is probably the most famous view point, which looks directly across to the monastery. It’s usually possible to enter the monastery, but if there’s something going on at the monastery (religious or VIP visit), then it may not be possible. Heading steeply down, a descent of around 100m leads into a gorge before climbing back up to the main monastery gate, from which it’s down to the valley floor and your ride “home”. Walking time is around 4-5 hours, with around 750m of ascent and descent.

Accommodation: Hotel Tenzinling or similar, Paro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 10

Depart Paro

A private vehicle transfer to Paro Airport for your departing flight

Meals: Breakfast

Of course, there's no reason to depart today; your Bhutan holiday can be readily tailored.