Our 7 days Bhutan Trip Itinerary with kids

Recently we did a 7 days 6 nights trip to Bhutan with our kids. In this post I will cover the details of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary. And also help you customise this trip by providing more places to cover. And also suggesting a more relaxed trip itinerary which I feel will be much more suitable for you when traveling with kids. I will also suggest you how to reduce the itinerary to a more compact version in case you want to spend less number of days in Bhutan.

Before we get started, here’s a complete guide to Bhutan that I have compiled. This guide contains all the information you will need to plan a trip to Bhutan. Including means of transport to reach Bhutan, where to stay in Bhutan, what to eat in Bhutan, what currency works in Bhutan, what permits and visas are needed to travel to Bhutan and all the other information that will be useful to you. Most importantly, I have included here the changes in Bhutan Tourism Policies post covid when the Bhutan borders have reopened for tourism. Having said that, let’s now dive into our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary.

Summary of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary

Bangalore -> Bagdogra Airport -> Jaigaon -> Phuentsholing -> Thimphu -> Punakha -> Paro -> Jaigaon -> Bagdogra -> Bangalore

We flew into the Bagdogra Airport and then took a taxi from there to the border town Jaigaon. We stayed overnight in Jaigaon. And then traveled from there to rest of Bhutan. And finally, on the completion of the trip we returned back to Bangalore the same way. Here’s a crisp summary of day by day itinerary of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary :

 

 

Let’s dive into the details of our 7 days Bhutan Trip Itinerary now.

Day 1: Arrival in Bagdogra and road trip to Jaigaon

On the first day of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary, we took an early morning flight from Bangalore to Bagdogra. We wanted to reach Bagdogra as early as possible. So that we could comfortably cover the rest of the distance from Bagdogra to Jaigaon which is the town bordering Bhutan. We had an overnight stay at Hotel Sheetal Residency in Jaigaon. We reached Bagdogra Airport by 12:35pm. And our cabs were already waiting to pick us up here. From here, we started a road trip to Jaigaon. And finally arrived at our hotel in Jaigaon by 5:30pm. The road trip from Bagdogra to Jaigaon is one of the scenic road trips which passes through beautiful tea gardens, a small stretch of mountain road and several reserve forests where safari is also offered.

Our hotel in Jaigaon was conveniently located on the main road, just 200 meters from the Bhutan border. Our check-in was swift. Post which we met the agent who had done the whole trip booking for us. He helped us fill in the insurance documents for tourist insurance required to visit Bhutan. And also helped us with currency exchange. Although Indian currency is widely accepted in Bhutan, we exchanged a little amount just to be on the safe side. The agent also shared with us our cab details for the onwards trip, which was a Bhutan cab. And introduced us with our guide for the entire trip.

In short, we spent the rest of the evening preparing for the onwards journey. And then had our dinner at the in house restaurant at Hotel Sheetal Residency. Post this, we retired to bed as we were all super exhausted from the long trip. And we had another long trip awaiting the next day.

Flight duration from Bangalore to Bagdogra : 2.5 hrs for direct flight

Road trip from Bagdogra to Jaigaon : ~ 5 hrs

Where to stay in Jaigaon : Hotel Sheetal Residency near Bhutan Border

Day 2 : Jaigaon to Thimphu road trip via Phuentsholing

As you cross the border from Jaigaon, the town on Bhutan side is Phuentsholing. Today, post breakfast, we got all our luggage loaded in our vehicle around 9:00am. And then we headed to the Bhutan Tourist Permit office which is located just 200 meters from the hotel we stayed in. This Bhutan Tourist Permit office is constructed in the style of a tunnel. As you enter it from India, complete all your formalities and obtain your tourist permit for Bhutan. And then as you exit from this building, you find yourself on the Bhutan land. I have written this separate post covering all the details on how to obtain the Bhutan Permit for Indian Tourists.

By 10:30 am we got our Bhutan Tourist Permit. And when we got out of the Permit Building, our Bhutan Vehicle was already waiting for us on the other side after having crossed the border gates. But, before starting our journey, I also wanted to buy a tourist simcard. So, it took another half an hour to get one. I could easily get it from a nearby authorised shop by providing my passport and permit copy. And finally around 11:00am began our journey to Thimphu – the capital city of Bhutan.

Visiting Karbandi Monastery on the way

An hour or so in our trip, we stopped to visit the Karbandi Monastery in Phuentsholing. It is a small but beautiful Monastery, located amongst breathtakingly beautiful scenery. Overlooking the whole valley of Phuentsholing and Jaigaon. And surrounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges, with the widespread bed of the Tista river in the backdrop. I will soon write in details about this monastery. Visiting here reminded me of my visit to a beautiful temple in Palampur years back, which had similar backdrops.

After visiting the monastery, we continued through the winding Himalayan mountains. With hairpin beds and adventurous curves. The road is quiet good and two lanes. Which is quiet impressive for such a Himalayan range. Our driver was excellent. The way we drove, the winding roads had minimal impact on us. In fact, all tourist drivers in Bhutan are trained and certified. And then only allowed to drive.

Stop for lunch on the way

On the way, around 1:30pm we stopped for lunch at a homely restaurant. The weather had turned cloudy and very misty. And the visibility had reduced drastically. For lunch, we ordered some dimsums, some rice, omelette, dal and curry. And while we had our lunch, it rained outside. Luckily, by the time we started from here, the weather had cleared up. This is one of the highest points while on the way to Thimphu and it gets cloudy here almost everyday. The views of the mountains and valleys that you get from here are simply jaw dropping. There are several restaurants here by the edge of the mountain which will provide you an excellent view along with a wholesome meal. So, do stop in this area for food or a little tea break.

Pit stop near Thimphu river

The Wang Chhu or Thimphu Chhu or Raidāk is a massive river that originates in the upper Himalayas and then passes through the land of Bhutan. Right after crossing the gate of Thimphu district, we made a quick stop at a view point which provided excellent views of this river.

Arrival in Thimphu

Finally, we arrived in Thimphu by 6:00pm. The town of Thimphu is very beautiful. It is not very densely populated. And there is a synchronisation in the buildings here which make them look all the more prettier. We arrived at our hotel, Bhutan Boutique Residency. Checked -in. And had dinner. We were very tired by now. So, we called it a day and went to sleep.

Day 3 : Thimphu Sightseeing

On the third day of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary began our actual sightseeing. Today, we explored the town of Thimphu. And visited several places to visit in Thimphu. These included :-

• Memorial Chorten – A memorial built to honour the third king of Bhutan.
• Buddha Point – The highest and biggest Buddha statue of Bhutan
• Changangkha Lhakhang – The oldest temple of Bhutan
• Zorin Chusum – The word “Zorin Chusum” means thirteen crafts. It is an institute where students are trained in various crafts & art of Bhutan
• Folk Heritage Museum – A museum which shows the traditional Bhutanese lifestyle like traditional houses, mills, dresses of people etc. The experience here is very similar to Janpadloka in Karnataka.
• Trashi Chhoe Dzong or Thimphu Dzong – the Fort of Thimphu, the largest fort of Bhutan and the summer residence of the Royal Family
• Takin Preserve – Takin is the national animal of Bhutan. It somewhat resembles a combination of cow, goat, and pig. Takin Preserve is a natural habitat provided to these animals. And tourists can view them here
• National Library of Bhutan – The largest library of Bhutan that houses thousands of books on the culture and history of Bhutan
• Textile Museum – Where you can witness the evaluation of textile industry of Bhutan

It was a long day of sightseeing in Thimphu. And by the time we came back, it was evening already. We had our dinner and then called it a day.

Day 4 : Thimphu to Punakha road trip

On the fourth day of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary, we started from Thimphu to Punakha. On the way, we passed through clouds at Dochula Pass – the second highest pass of Bhutan. And stopped on the way for a glimpse of Druk Wangyal Chorten – a temple at the confluence of Thimphu and Paro river. The journey from Thimphu to Punakha is a destination in itself. For, it passes through some of the most beautiful mountain roads dotted with views of beautiful waterfalls and mesmerising valleys.

We stopped for lunch at a cute cluster of restaurants and souvenir shops. And the views of the valley from the restaurant were jaw dropping.

Post lunch, we proceeded to see the Punakha Dzong (the Punakha Fort) which is the second largest fort of Bhutan and also the winter capital of the Bhutan government. Since, Punakha is warmer than Thimphu and Paro. After visiting the Dzong, we also took a walk on the Punakha suspension bridge.

After visiting here, we proceeded to our hotel in Punakha, Zingkham Resort. The resort is located far from the main town, on the top of a hill. And as such it provides an excellent view of the mountains and the valleys of Punakha. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening in the resort. First soaking in the views from the balcony of our room. And then enjoying a dinner buffet spread at the in house restaurant here. With that the 4th day of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary came to an end.

Read : Things to see and do in Punakha Valley

Day 5 : Punakha to Paro transfer

On the fifth day of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary, we took a road trip from Punakha to Paro. The journey from Punakha to Paro takes around 3 – 3.5 hours. But we also had plans to stop on the way at viewpoints. Post breakfast today, we checked out from our hotel in Punakha around 10:00am. And then started the journey to Paro. On the way we passed through the beautiful river Wang Chhu and Paro Chhu. On the way, as we approached Paro, we stopped at the Simtokha Dzong which is the oldest fort of the nation.

Opposite the dzong, there are shops that offer traditional Bhutanese costume on rent so you can take pictures in them. Some also offer packages of lunch and dress rental! We rented our costumes from a shop as suggested by our guide. And then proceeded to have lunch at the House Cafe nearby.

Post lunch, we spent sometime at the bank of the river here. Before proceeding to the Paro town. Today was the last day of the Paro festival. And as such there was a lot of buzz in the town. We proceeded to our hotel, Zhideychen Resort, around 5:00pm. After checking in into the hotel, some people from our group decided to go to the town and explore the fare and the market there. They returned by 10:00pm.

Day 6 : Trekking to Tiger’s Nest

Today Abhishek proceeded on a trekking to Tiger’s Nest. Perhaps the most popular activity among tourists who visit Paro. Alas, I had to miss this one. Because the kids were pretty exhausted by now. And hence I decided to stay back in the town with them and give them some rest. It took Abhishek some 2 hours to trek upto the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. And then another hour to visit the monastery. And he was back in another 1.5 hours. So, by noon he had finished the trek. He found the trail to be moderate. If your kids are used to walking, it is possible to take them on this trekking to Tiger’s Nest. But if you need to carry them, it will be very difficult to climb.

Post Tiger’s Nest, he went for a stone bath plus lunch package. The stone bath is a bath into a warm water stream, wherein the water comes after crossing certain stones, which makes it warm. It is a good option to relax after the tiring trek.

Day 7 : Paro to Bagdogra

Finally came the last day of our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary. Today was another long travel day. We started as early as 7:00am from our hotel in Paro. The hotel packed our breakfast for us, which was really nice of them. We had our breakfast on the way. And since a lot of people in our group were getting motion sickness, we decided to take small breaks every now and then. Luckily the weather was clear. And we reached Phuentsholing by 11:00am.

Here, we completed the exit formalities at the Bhutan Permit office and entered into Jaigaon, India. While our vehicle crossed the gate and waited for us on the other side. From here, there was another vehicle waiting to take us further to Bagdogra. As the Bhutan vehicle was to return from here. So, we shifted from the Bhutan Vehicle to India Vehicle. And started for Bagdogra. Actually, we had an overnight stay at Siliguri today, the town adjoining Bagdogra Airport. By the time we reached our hotel in Siliguri, it was almost 7:00pm. We slept off post having some light dinner. Since, the next morning our flight from Bagdogra was at 9:30am which means we had to start early once again.

Thus finally our 7 days Bhutan trip came to an end.

Suggestions and Tips regarding our 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary

• I felt the 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary was pretty tight to do with kids. On the same day, we had transfers from one place to another as well as sightseeing. As a result, almost everyday we reached our hotel by evening. And we used to get super exhausted by the end of the day, especially the kids. If I knew about it, I would have asked the agent to rather provide me with a 10 days Bhutan trip itinerary. Wherein I would add one extra day at Thimphu, Punakha and Paro each. This way, we would just transition from one city to another on a day. And explore that area the next day. This is what we had followed on our 9 days Kashmir trip or even on our 15 days Europe trip. And it was very relaxing.
• However, if you are short of time and can’t do a 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary, agents will probably provide you with a 6 days Bhutan trip itinerary wherein, you will spend a couple of nights at Thimphu and Paro each but none at Punakha. To be honest, of all the 3 places, we enjoyed Punakha the most. So, I will strongly suggest staying here.
• There are several other beautiful places that you can include in your Bhutan trip itinerary if you have more time at hand. Some of these include :
  • Haa Valley – you can do a day trip to this valley from Punakha or Thimphu.
  • Bumthang Valley – another beautiful valley that you can visit from Punakha.
  • There are several trekking trails that start from Paro, from easy to difficult. And some span through several days.
  • You will get time to visit some of the Dzongs and Chortens that I had to do with just viewing from outside.

 

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