Uma Paro and Punakha with Yoga

These 7 night Bhutan retreats take place over the valleys of Punakha and Paro, an opportunity to explore yoga asana, pranayama and silent meditation. You will optimise your mind and body, while also experiencing Bhutan’s beauty and culture. This luxury Bhutan retreat is open to beginners as well as advanced yoga practitioners. With five nights at COMO Uma Paro and two nights at COMO Uma Punakha, the trip combines the best of both valleys. Blending yoga with guided walks through the Paro and Punakha Valley, including a pilgrimage to the national landmark, Tiger’s Nest Monastery, and Punakha’s magnificent dzongs.

To get the most from this experience you should be reasonably fit and enjoy the great outdoors. You may also wish to book extra wellness treatments at COMO Uma Paro’s COMO Shambhala Retreat to complement this richly holistic itinerary.

 DAY 1: Arrival, check-in, property show-round, local sightseeing and introductory private yoga practice. You will be welcomed at the airport for the 10-minute transfer to COMO Uma Paro. After settling in, you will meet COMO Uma Paro’s Yoga teacher, then it’s time for our first foray into the Kingdom with sightseeing in Paro town and a visit to a local temple. Your first private yoga practice will be scheduled for late afternoon. Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

DAY 2: Morning Yoga practice, Paro to Punakha Valley via Tamchog Lhakhang, Thimphu and Dochu La. The early morning will begin with a yoga practice. After breakfast, drive to COMO Uma Punakha. Time-permitting, there will be a visit to Tamchog Lhakhang, a temple built by Thangtong Gyalpo. Stop off in the capital Thimphu, Bhutan’s centre of government, religion and commerce. Take in some of the major attractions, including the Buddha Dordenma statue, the National Memorial Chorten and a view of Trashi Chhoe Dzong. After leaving Thimphu, the drive to Punakha winds snake-like up the 3,000m-high mountain pass of Dochu La, offering views of 108 ‘chortens’ (Buddhist shrines), forests of cluttering prayer flags and, on a clear day, sweeping views of the Himalayan range. Duration of drive: 3 to 4 hours (126km) | Overnight: COMO Uma Punakha

DAY 3: Chimmi Lhakhang, Punakha Dzong and Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. This is a full day of exploration through the lush Punakha Valley, which at 1,200m is low enough for bananas and oranges to grow. The morning starts with a short walk across farmhouses and rice paddies to reach Chimmi Lhakhang, a 15th-century fertility temple dedicated to Drukpa Kuenley, a Tibetan Buddhist saint, perhaps better known as the ‘Divine Madman’. Heading further down the valley, the 300-year-old Punakha Dzong comes into view. Built in the 17th century by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (who founded the Kingdom of Bhutan), the fortress once housed the country’s government. It is now the winter home of Je Khenpo, the head abbot of Bhutan, along with a retinue of 1,000 monks. After lunch, the tour takes you on a walk through homesteads and farmland to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a shrine recently built by the royal family. After lunch there is the option to try white water rafting (7yrs+ additional cost applies). Alternatively, enjoy a COMO Shambhala wellness therapy.| Duration: 6 to 7 hours | Difficulty: Easy to moderate | Overnight: COMO Uma Punakha

DAY 4: Punakha Valley to Paro, Chuzom and Tamchog Lhakhang. Retrace your steps back over the Dochu La Pass for another chance to view the Himalayan mountain range. Returning to the Chuzom (the confluence of the rivers Wang Chhu and Paro Chhu), you can glimpse three nearby shrines, built to ward off evil spirits – each with a different style of architecture: Nepali, Tibetan and Bhutanese. The final part of the drive to COMO Uma Paro is through apple orchards and rice paddies. You can see out the day here trying something from our activities menu such as archery, Bhutan’s national sport. Duration of drive: 3 to 4 hours (126km) Difficulty: Easy | Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

DAY 5: Morning and afternoon Yoga practice with Walk to Zurig Dzong, Rinpung Dzong, Ta Dzong, Paro town, Kyichu Lhakhang and Drukgyel Dzong. The morning will begin with a Hatha Vinyasa yoga practice. We wind through pine forests high above COMO Uma Paro to the pretty grounds of the fortress-like monastery of Zurig Dzong. We then cross to Ta Dzong, housing Bhutan’s National Museum with magnificent views over Paro, and on down to Rinpung Dzong (Fortress on a Heap of Jewels). The trail then leads across Paro Chhu (river) via a traditional covered bridge (Nyamai Zam) and then past the main archery ground, Ugyen Pelri Palace and into Paro town. We then pay our respects at Kyichu Lhakhang,  one of the oldest temples in Bhutan with its magical orange tree that bears fruit all year round. Time permitting; we drive further up the valley to Drukgyel Dzong, built in 1648 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Returning to COMO Uma Paro, we enjoy a private Hatha Vinyasa yoga session that includes elements of pranayama and mediation before settling into a deep Shivasana. Duration: 5 to 7 hours (depending on time spent in National Museum and Paro) | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

DAY 6: Two yoga practices and a wild walk from Chele La pass to Kila Nunnery (with optional bike descent). We begin our yoga practice for the day with half an hour of pranayama and meditation before moving into a gentle Vinyasa flow. After Shivasana, we enjoy a COMO Shambhala juice before heading to breakfast. By late morning we’ll be reaching Chele La which at 3,988m is the highest road pass in Bhutan, snaking upwards through blue pine and rhododendron forests for 35 kilometres. On a clear day the view sweeps away to the snow-dome of Bhutan’s second highest peak, Mt Jhomolhari (7314m), and to Kila Goemba, an ancient nunnery nestled in a craggy patch on the mountainside below. This sacred place has a timeless quality, which is ample reward after the effort of the hike. Having made our offerings and perhaps been blessed, it is time to descend further. An hour later and we are back at the road where we can saddle up on a mountain bike and freewheel down to Paro Valley. In case Chele La Pass is not accessible during the winter months, your guide will propose an alternative for this day’s excursion. We will enjoy a private Hatha Vinyasa yoga session back at COMO Uma Paro that includes elements of pranayama and meditation. Day Out Duration: 6 to 8 hours | Difficulty: Moderate | Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

DAY 7: Taktsang Monastery (2,900m) followed by afternoon private restorative yoga practice. One of the most amazing and important pieces of architecture in Bhutan, Taktsang Goemba, or Tiger’s Nest, defies logic, gravity and reason. Legend has it that this cliffside was where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) landed on the back of a flying tigress, bringing Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet. We make an early start for the two hour climb to the monastery viewpoint. Descending steeply, we then climb up to the monastery, passing a waterfall and entering through the main gates which are decorated with murals. After spending some time in the monastery we break for lunch before meditation in one of the ancient temples near Guru Rinpoche’s caves. After meditation, we begin a descent of about 45 minutes to reach our vehicle and drive back to COMO Uma Paro. Time to freshen up before enjoying a late afternoon mindful yoga practice. There’s also time to relax and enjoy the facilities including the steam rooms, swimming pool or a Bhutanese Hot Stone Bath. Day Out Duration: 6 to 8 hours | Difficulty: Moderate to Hard | Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

If your time in Bhutan is shorter, take a look at these 6 night retreats with yoga in Paro or, if you’d prefer a longer stay then please contact us for a bespoke itinerary.