Bhutan with kids

The main problem with travelling in Bhutan with kids is the expense associated with it; children below the age of five are free, but children aged between five and 12 still pay 50% of the daily entry fee ($100-$125 per day). If you compare that to a family walking holiday in neighbouring Nepal then it’s pretty pricey, but if you compare it to a family safari holiday in Africa, for example, it looks more reasonable.

If you’re prepared for heat, hiking and the odd food standoff then Bhutan with kids is an endless adventure. If your kids are afraid of the unknown however, you might want to put Bhutan in reserve for when they’re a little older.

The Bhutanese encourage the stretching of little legs by making their National Parks extremely accessible. Jigme Dorgi National Park is packed with bright flowers, trees, birds and animals – in fact it’s the only park in Bhutan where the national animal (takin), flower (blue poppy), bird (raven) and tree (cypress) exist together, so you and your little people can while away a day in search of the elusive snow leopard.

Ralph Foulds from our supplier, Uncover the World, shares his advice on fun activities for kids in Bhutan: “There are quite a lot of activities that you can do in Bhutan with children aged 6 and upwards and the types of families that travel to Bhutan are generally types that love to explore and get stuck in. Besides archery, which is probably a bit tricky for smaller hands, the other local sport is darts, but it’s played with bigger darts with no sharp ends exposed, which are then thrown at boards and other targets. This can be played all over the country in towns and villages and can be arranged for families through guides. You can light lamps in most of the temples during the evening - certainly at Bumthang – which can be organised through your guide and you can go and have a splash around in the Po Chu River at Punakha, which is great fun for kids.”