Discover Bhutan with COMO Hotels

Bhutan continues to attract travellers who appreciate slow and meaningful travel encounters. Visitor numbers are carefully managed through the Sustainable Development Fee, ensuring the country remains unspoilt and its culture well-protected. The result is a destination that remains unspoilt and remarkably genuine.

Spring (March to May) is one of the most rewarding times to visit Bhutan. The air is fresh, skies are clear and the hillsides fill with blooming rhododendrons. It is also festival season, with Paro Tshechu and the Rhododendron Festival offering a vivid insight into Bhutanese culture through dance, music and centuries-old tradition.

Autumn (September to November) brings equally appealing conditions, with warm days, bright light and excellent visibility across the Himalayas. This is the classic trekking season, when valleys are at their most vibrant and monasteries feel especially atmospheric.

Winter (December to February) is colder, but beautifully quiet. Days are crisp and often crystal clear, with snow-dusted peaks and a softer pace that many of our clients enjoy. It is an excellent time for photography, reflection and slow travel, with both COMO properties offering warm hospitality and thoughtful wellness after days spent outdoors.

COMO Uma Paro is often the first stop on a Bhutan itinerary. Set on a forested hillside overlooking the Paro Valley, the lodge combines Bhutanese craftsmanship with COMO’s understated design and wellness philosophy. It is an ideal base for acclimatisation. Guided walks lead to monasteries, temples and hidden viewpoints, while mountain-biking routes weave through pine forest. Cultural experiences can include artisan workshops, archery sessions, traditional prayer-flag printing or photography excursions around Paro Dzong. In April 2026, guests can join Leica ambassador and travel photographer, Christina Tan, on a special 6-day photography journey, capturing Bhutan through the lens. 

For panoramic views, Lightfoot can arrange a drive up to Chele La Pass, with views of Bhutan's second highest-peak, Mt. Jhomolhari (7,314m) before embarking on the classic hike to Tiger’s Nest once guests are fully acclimatised. After days outdoors, COMO Shambhala offers restorative therapies such as yoga, massage, Ayurvedic treatments and Bhutanese hot-stone baths, followed by dinner at Bukhari with a menu rooted in seasonal valley produce.

No two journeys in Bhutan should feel the same. That is the beauty of the destination and the reason we encourage a tailormade approach. Bhutan is best explored at an unhurried pace.

A ten-night journey offers an ideal balance of acclimatisation, culture and wellness. Travellers typically begin with three nights in Paro, easing into the altitude with gentle hikes, monastery visits and restorative sessions at COMO Shambhala. The journey continues to Punakha for five nights, where days unfold along rivers and rice fields, with visits to Punakha Dzong, leisurely cycling, more challenging hikes, hot-stone baths and moments of stillness by the Mo Chhu. The finale takes place back in Paro for two final nights, timed for the ascent to Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan’s most iconic pilgrimage. Approaching the monastery after a week of acclimatisation transforms the experience into a rewarding, spiritual end to the journey.

For solo travellers, COMO’s expert guides and dedicated drivers offer both security and flexibility. Couples and families will appreciate the space, the calm and the ability to move at an easy pace between properties, with plenty (or fewer if you wish) excursions included along the way.

Bhutan sits firmly on Lightfoot’s list of destinations that change the way you travel. It is authentic, spiritual and deeply connected to the natural world. 

Lightfoot’s fondness for Bhutan is rooted in what the country offers our guests in real, tangible terms. It comes from years of sending clients and spending time there ourselves, seeing the effect the country has on people. Whether you are travelling solo, with a partner or as a small group, our guests return from Bhutan not only with photographs of dramatic valleys and monasteries, but with a deeper appreciation of time, place and perspective. It is why we take such pride in planning journeys that allow our clients to experience the country in a thoughtful and memorable way.