Luxury Bhutan tour · 7 days, 6 nights

Six-Night Himalayan Explorer: COMO Uma Paro and Punakha

Seven unhurried days between the Paro and Punakha valleys, with nights at COMO Uma Paro and COMO Uma Punakha, a private guide, and time to hike, rest and look properly.

7 days

6 nights in two COMO lodges

3,120 m

Highest point, Tiger’s Nest

Valleys: Paro and Punakha

Private

Guide, car and driver

Trip overview

A slow week in two of Bhutan's best lodges

This is the trip for travellers who want to see the essentials of western Bhutan without living out of a suitcase. You stay three nights at COMO Uma Paro and two at COMO Uma Punakha, then finish in Paro, so there are only two check-ins all week. Each day has one main outing and room for the spa, a long lunch or an early night.

The route covers the places most first-time visitors come for: Paro’s Rinpung Dzong and Kyichu Lhakhang, Thimphu on the way through, the 108 chortens at Dochula, Punakha Dzong where two rivers meet, and the hike to Tiger’s Nest near the end, when you are used to the altitude. Your guide and driver stay with you from the airport to your last morning.

Highlights

What makes this trip special

COMO Shambhala spa

Both lodges have COMO Shambhala treatments, and a hot stone bath is easy to add in Paro.

Punakha Dzong

The 1637 fortress at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, still home to the monk body in winter.

Dochula pass

108 chortens at about 3,100 metres, with the high Himalaya on the skyline on a clear morning.

Tiger's Nest

The half-day hike to Paro Taktsang, clinging to a cliff about 900 metres above the valley.

Chimi Lhakhang

A walk through rice fields to the 15th-century temple of the Divine Madman, Drukpa Kunley.

Farmhouse dinner

An evening meal in a Paro farmhouse, with ema datshi, red rice and a hot stone bath if you like.

Itinerary at a glance

Seven days, two valleys

Drives are kept short, and the hardest day comes last. We can move any day to suit your flights.

Day 1: Arrive in Paro

Land in Paro, check in to COMO Uma Paro and visit Kyichu Lhakhang.

Day 2: Thimphu and Dochula

Drive through Thimphu and over Dochula pass to COMO Uma Punakha.

Day 3: Punakha valley

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal, Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang.

Day 4: Back to Paro

Return over Dochula, stop at Simtokha Dzong, afternoon at the spa.

Day 5: Paro valley

Rinpung Dzong, the National Museum, Nyamai Zam and a farmhouse dinner.

Day 6: Tiger's Nest

The hike to Paro Taktsang, with lunch at the halfway café.

Day 7: Fly out

Morning transfer to Paro airport for your onward flight.

Day 1

Arrive in Paro and settle in at COMO Uma Paro

The flight into Paro is part of the trip. On a clear day you see the snow peaks from the left side of the plane before the aircraft banks between forested ridges and lands on the valley floor. Your guide meets you outside arrivals, and the drive to COMO Uma Paro takes about ten minutes.

After lunch, the afternoon is gentle on purpose. Paro sits at about 2,200 metres, and the best way to adjust is to walk slowly and drink plenty of water. We visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, said to date from the 7th century, where local people come to spin the prayer wheels in the late afternoon. Then back to the lodge for an early dinner.

Day 2

Through Thimphu and over Dochula to Punakha

After breakfast you drive an hour to Thimphu, the capital. We stop at the National Memorial Chorten, where older people walk circuits all day, and at Buddha Dordenma, the giant bronze Buddha above the city, for the view back down the valley. If it is a weekend, the farmers’ market is worth half an hour.

The road then climbs to Dochula, about 3,100 metres, where 108 chortens stand on the pass. On a clear day, usually between October and February, you can see a line of Himalayan peaks along the northern skyline. From there the road drops through forest to the warm Punakha valley, about 1,200 metres lower, and to COMO Uma Punakha above the Mo Chhu.

Day 3

A full day in the Punakha valley

Mornings in Punakha are soft and warm compared with Paro. We start with a walk up through rice terraces to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a temple built by the Queen Mother and consecrated in 1999, with a wide view over the valley. The walk takes about an hour up and 40 minutes down.

In the afternoon you visit Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet. It is many people’s favourite building in Bhutan, especially in spring when the jacaranda trees flower. Late in the day, a 20-minute walk through fields leads to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman, where couples come for blessings. If you would like, we can add a gentle river float on the Mo Chhu.

Day 4

Back over the pass to Paro, with an afternoon to rest

Breakfast with the river below you, then the drive back over Dochula. If the morning is clear the mountain views are often better on the way back. We stop at Simtokha Dzong at the edge of Thimphu, built in 1629 and one of the oldest dzongs in the country, now a school for Buddhist and Dzongkha studies.

You are back at COMO Uma Paro by mid-afternoon. We leave the rest of the day free on purpose: book a treatment at the COMO Shambhala spa, walk the trails behind the lodge, or simply sit on the terrace and watch the light change across the valley. A rest day here makes the Tiger’s Nest hike much easier later in the week.

Day 5

Paro's dzong, museum and a farmhouse dinner

A full day in the Paro valley. We start at Ta Dzong, the round watchtower above town that holds the National Museum, then walk down to Rinpung Dzong, the ‘fortress on a heap of jewels’, built in the 1640s. Inside, the courtyards are still used by monks and district officials. You leave across Nyamai Zam, the covered wooden bridge over the Paro Chhu.

After lunch in town we drive up the valley to Drukgyel Dzong, the old fortress that once guarded the trade route to Tibet. On a clear afternoon Mount Jomolhari, about 7,300 metres, appears at the end of the valley. In the evening you eat with a farming family in a traditional house, with red rice, ema datshi and, if you like, a hot stone bath beforehand.

Day 6

Hike to Tiger's Nest

Today is the hike most people remember. Paro Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, sits on a cliff about 900 metres above the valley floor, at around 3,120 metres. We start early, before the day warms up. The climb to the café viewpoint takes about 1.5 hours, and a further hour brings you to the monastery itself, across a gorge and down and up a long stairway past a waterfall.

Most guests take 4 to 6 hours for the round trip. Horses can carry you up to the café if you prefer, though everyone walks down. Inside the monastery, cameras and phones are left at the entrance. Back at the lodge, a massage or a long bath is well earned, followed by a farewell dinner.

Day 7

Farewell to Bhutan

After breakfast your guide and driver take you to Paro airport, ten minutes away, timed to your flight. Morning flights out of Paro are the most reliable, so we usually book an early departure and leave a buffer at your hub city.

If you would like more time, this trip extends easily: two nights in the Phobjikha valley for the black-necked cranes in winter, or Bumthang for its temples and festivals. Ask us and we will add the days and send a revised price.

Where you stay

Two COMO lodges, two check-ins

These are the lodges we usually book for this route. If you prefer Amankora, Six Senses or a boutique hotel, we will price that version too.

Nights	Place	Where you stay	Why we chose it
1	Paro	COMO Uma Paro	Hillside lodge above Paro town with a COMO Shambhala spa
2 to 3	Punakha	COMO Uma Punakha	A small lodge above the Mo Chhu with valley views
4 to 6	Paro	COMO Uma Paro	Rest before and after the Tiger's Nest hike

If a lodge is full on your dates we suggest the closest equivalent, such as Six Senses, Amankora or Zhiwa Ling Heritage.

What the price covers

Included and not included

Included

Bhutan visa (USD 40) and the Sustainable Development Fee for every night
Hotels as listed, or similar if one is full, in the room type you choose
All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
A licensed English-speaking guide for the whole trip
Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
Entry fees to dzongs, temples, museums and the Tiger's Nest
Bottled water in the car

Not included

International flights into and out of Paro (we can book them for you)
Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend
Spa treatments, drinks from the bar and room service
Tips for your guide and driver
Anything not listed under included

Price on request

Tell us your budget and we will send our best price

We don’t publish one price, because a couple in October in a lodge suite pays very differently from a family of four in March. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the budget you have in mind. We will shape the lodges and pace around it and reply within 24 hours with our best price.

How we price

What decides the cost of this trip

Government fees

The SDF is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, plus a USD 40 visa. These are fixed by the Government of Bhutan and paid through us.

Hotels you choose

COMO Uma rooms, suites and villas are priced very differently. We can also mix a COMO stay with a 4-star hotel to fit your budget.

Season and dates

Spring and autumn are peak season. Winter and summer dates are often easier to price well.

Group size

Guide and car costs are shared, so the price per person drops for two, three or four travellers.

We send a written, itemised quote before you pay anything. No booking fees.

Good to know

Planning notes for this trip

Best time to go

March to May brings rhododendrons, jacaranda in Punakha and warm days. October and November have the clearest skies and the best mountain views from Dochula. December to February is cold but bright and quiet, and Punakha is pleasant all winter. June to August is the monsoon, green and peaceful but wet. See our month-by-month guide.

Altitude and fitness

Paro is at about 2,200 metres and Punakha at about 1,200, so most people sleep well. The Tiger’s Nest is the only hard day: steep, about 4 to 6 hours return, and it reaches around 3,120 metres. If you can walk uphill for an hour with breaks, you can do it. Read our Tiger’s Nest hike guide.

Visa, SDF and guide rules

Every visitor except Indian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is issued online before you fly. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, with half rates for children aged 6 to 11. A Department of Tourism notice from April 2026 confirms that visitors travel with a licensed guide. We file the visa and pay the SDF for you. Read more in our Bhutan visa guide and SDF guide.

Flying into Paro

Only Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro, mainly from Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Kolkata and Singapore. Pilots land by sight between the ridges, so morning flights are the most reliable. We suggest a night in your hub city on the way in. Our flights to Bhutan page lists every route.

What to pack

Layers, a warm jacket for mornings and evenings, good walking shoes for the hike, and clothing that covers shoulders and knees for dzongs and temples. Our packing list has the full details.

Six-Night Himalayan Explorer: questions

How much does this luxury Bhutan tour cost?

It depends on your dates, room type and group size. Send us your budget and travel dates and we will reply within 24 hours with our best price, including the SDF, visa, lodges, meals, guide and car.

Can we stay at Amankora or Six Senses instead of COMO Uma?

Yes. The route works with Amankora, Six Senses or a mix. We will price each option so you can compare.

Is the Tiger's Nest hike difficult?

It is steep but not technical. Most people take 4 to 6 hours return. Horses can take you to the halfway café.

How many nights are in each place?

One night in Paro, two in Punakha, then three more in Paro, so there are only two check-ins all week.

Is this trip suitable for older travellers?

Yes. Drives are kept short, and every day except the hike can be done at an easy pace. The hike is optional.

Can we add more days?

Yes. Phobjikha, Bumthang and the Haa valley are the most popular extensions.

When should we book?

For March to May and October to November, book three to six months ahead. COMO lodges are small and fill early.

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Price on request

Ask for your best price

Tell us your dates, who is travelling and your budget. We will reply within 24 hours with our best price for this trip and any changes you would like.

Free trip planning enquiry

Let's plan your Bhutan journey

Tell us a little about your trip. Our team in Thimphu will reply with ideas, a day-by-day plan and a full price.

We’ll reply within 24 hours. No booking fees, and no obligation to book.