Bhutan: Summer for Families

Bhutan

Immerse in local art and community experiences

The focus of this trip is on multigenerational travel for families with an emphasis on creating learning opportunities for children through cultural interaction.

This itinerary includes a mix of sightseeing and immersive cultural experiences and interactions, such as visiting ancient fortresses, hiking to monasteries, attending festivals, visiting local youth projects, learning about sustainability, trying local cuisine, and engaging in traditional textile dyeing.

The itinerary also includes visits to multiple valleys in Bhutan, providing a diverse range of landscapes and opportunities to immerse in local communities.

Suggested length: 10 days/9 nights
Starts from: $10,500 per person sharing

"Elevate Destinations provided an experience of a lifetime. From the initial planning to coordinating local tours and on the ground transfers, my trip was a breeze. Their expertise in recommending the must see locations was invaluable. I would definitely arrange a trip through Elevate Destinations again."

Sherri Pittman
Thailand

Bhutan: A dancer wearing a colorful traditional costume and mask performs outdoors, with a Bhutanese building and blue sky in the background. The attire features bright patterns and flowing fabric.

Highlights

Enjoy dinner with a Bhutanese family, and learn to make a local dish.
Plant tree saplings in the capital city.
Play softball with kids from the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association.
Visit a local monastery to meet young monks.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Paro

After your arrival at Paro International Airport, your guide and driver will meet you and bring you to a local temple, where you will receive a blessing for your journey ahead.

Then, you will explore the local market in Paro, and select a gift for the local family you will have dinner with tonight.

Overnight Zhiwaling Heritage, Paro

Day 2

Haa Valley

Drive to Haa Valley (2 hours), and explore this remote valley. Visit Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo temples, and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

If you visit in July you will get to experience the Haa Summer Festival, or if you come another time, you will get to enjoy a nature walk in this majestic landscape.

In the evening, you will be brought to a special luxury camping site that has been created just for you. During the evening, you may be treated to:

Learning about local flora/fauna species with forest ranger (contributes to training guide rangers)
Personalized astrology readings under the stars with a reincarnated monk
Sacred dances and folkloric songs by performers from the largest festivals
Bonfire and Bhutanese whiskey tasting
Traditional Bhutanese games (archery and darts)

Bhutan: A small village with scattered houses nestled in a lush green valley surrounded by dense forested hills and mountains under daylight.

Bhutan: Two monks in red robes walk across a sunlit courtyard beside an ornately decorated building with colorful wooden columns and intricate patterns, likely in a Buddhist monastery.

Bhutan: Fresh vegetables at a market, including broccoli, leafy greens, cauliflower, mushrooms, green and red tomatoes, and apples, displayed in baskets and plastic bags on a wooden table.

Day 3

Thimphu

Today you will drive to Thimphu (3.5hrs) and visit the National Memorial Chorten, which is one of the capital city’s best places for observing its local daily life.

Later, you will learn about traditional paper making at Jungshi Paper Factory. And after lunch, you will visit the Buddha Dordenma statue and enjoy the panoramic view of Thimphu city.

Overnight Zhiwaling Ascent, Thimphu

Bhutan: A large white stupa with golden ornaments stands under a blue sky, surrounded by visitors and mountains in the background. The walkway leads directly to the temple entrance.

Bhutan: Colorful prayer flags stretch across a hillside with a large seated Buddha statue in the distance, surrounded by green mountains under a partly cloudy sky in Bhutan.

Bhutan: Hands weaving colorful threads on a traditional wooden loom, creating a vibrant textile with pink, green, and blue patterns. The background shows a concrete surface and a yellow wall.

Day 4

Hike the Takin Trail and visit Royal Textile Academy

Today, you will hike to the Takin Trail and plant sapling trees, before enjoying a picnic lunch.

You will then visit the Royal Textile Academy and learn about Bhutanese weaving traditions

Later, you will get to learn how to make Losar Khapsey (a local treat) with a Bhutanese family (with a chance to sample them, of course!)

Overnight Zhiwaling Ascent, Thimphu

Day 5

Play Softball with the Locals

Today you will be treated to a softball game with the kids from the Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association at the national stadium, where your visit supports their training and equipment funds.

The rest of the day will be an opportunity to relax or explore on your own.

Overnight Zhiwaling Ascent, Thimphu

Day 6

Punakha

Today, you will drive to Punakha (2.5 hrs) and on the way get to visit Dochula Pass and enjoy the panoramic view of the Himalayas.

In Punakha you will visit Chimi Lhakhang (the Temple of Fertility) and learn about the legacy of the Divine Madman.

Later, you will get to learn about traditional and natural textile dyeing at a workshop in Punakha.

Overnight Dhensa Boutique Hotel & Spa Punakha

Bhutan: Colorful traditional Bhutanese prayer wheels set in ornately painted wooden arches, with intricate floral and geometric patterns above and around the wheels.

Bhutan: Terraced rice fields stretch across rolling green hills with a small village in the distance, surrounded by lush forests and mountains under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Bhutan: A stone Buddha statue sits peacefully under a large, leafy tree, with green foliage surrounding the serene figure in an outdoor garden setting.

Day 7

Hike and raft in Punakha

In the morning, enjoy a hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten in Punakha, before engaging in some gentle (and guided) rafting on the Mo Chhu river.

You will have a riverside picnic for lunch before visiting the Punakha Dzong and experiencing the beauty of this ancient fortress.

In the evening, you will enjoy a cooking lesson and dinner at Nobgang Tserim Heritage Village.

Overnight Dhensa Boutique Hotel & Spa Punakha

Bhutan: Three women sit together peeling vegetables, smiling and talking, in front of a decorated building with carved wooden trim and colorful fabric. Two metal bowls are on the table in front of them.

Bhutan: A winding river flows through a lush green valley with terraced fields and scattered houses, surrounded by forested mountains under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Bhutan: A colorful gazebo with ornate designs shelters a standing statue, surrounded by trees and hills under a partly cloudy sky. Decorative pillars flank the entrance, and traditional architecture is visible in the background.

Day 8

Drive to Paro and practice archery

Today you will drive to Paro (3- 4 hrs) before visiting Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.

You will later receive an archery lesson with a national champion at your hotel, and the adults among you will be treated to a traditional herbal consultation and spa service.

Overnight Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Paro

Day 9

Hike to the iconic Tiger’s Nest

In the morning, you will enjoy a hike to the iconic Tiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang) monastery, which is a place of great spiritual significance for the Bhutanese. Lunch will be served as a picnic during the hike.

After, you will get to visit a local youth project, before returning to the hotel for a much-deserved hot stone bath or massage (with games and craft activities available for the kids.)

Overnight Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Paro