You'll spend the first portion of the pilgrimage at the foot of Swayambunath Stupa - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - for the Buddhist Newars, in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to our next stop - Boudhanath – a massive, three-dimensional mandala (one of the largest Buddhist shrines in Asia) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by more than fifty active monasteries and a village that is home to over 40,000 Tibetans! Hundreds of Tibetan and Nepali devotees circumambulate the stupa while reciting mantra and spinning prayer wheels every morning and evening - it’s a magical experience.

Here, you will enjoy morning yoga classes from a shala that overlooks the stupa. Engulfed in the morning rituals of incense, butter lamps, mantra, prostrations, pujas, and walking meditation, you’ll practice yoga and receive dharma teachings as monastic life carries on around you. This incredibly sacred environment will become our home.  You’ll spend the first several days of the program taking in the best that Kathmandu has to offer with its extraordinary temples and shrines dedicated to Hindu, Buddhist and local deities.

Day 1: When you touch ground in Nepal, our drivers will be there to greet you and provide transport to the Hotel Vajra near the base of Swayambunath Stupa. Once there you can unwind from your journey, rest, enjoy the garden and a meal, and soak up the atmosphere. Throughout the afternoon your hosts/teachers will be available for check-in meetings to chat with you about your practice. In the late afternoon, the full group will come together for orientation followed by a welcome dinner before turning in for the night.

Day 2: Our mornings will start with an early mindful group walk down to the stupa and into a monastery to observe the Buddhist monks doing puja (ritual ceremony). From there we’ll proceed together to the yoga shala for meditation and asana practice. Buddhism and yoga share common roots and each day our team will support your personal journey through the integration of these shared principles, helping you develop your sadhana (practice).

After breakfast at the hotel and a bit of free time, we’ll have a healthy lunch at the Garden Kitchen Café (where you can safely eat a green garden salad!). Following lunch James will lead us on a back road tour of the village ending at Kya Nying Shedrup Ling Monastery (commonly referred to as the “White Gompa”). This is a special place for us as it’s where we’ll go throughout our time in Boudha to receive teachings from the monks and scholars that reside, study and practice there. On this first night we’ll receive a teaching entitled "Introduction to Buddhism" from the head of the Western program at the shedra.

Day 3: After practice we’ll head back to the hotel for breakfast and head out on the day’s adventure. It’s a trip to another famous stupa – Swayambhunath. We’ll climb 365 steps to reach this powerful pilgrimage site. The epic climb is an auspicious way to cap off the beginning of your journey! Also known as the ‘Monkey Temple’ due to the abundance of Rhesus Macaques that live here, Swayambhu offers a fantastic view of the Kathmandu Valley. Here, we’ll learn how stupa architecture reflects Buddhist thought, meet the ‘5 Dhyani Buddhas’, and join local pilgrims as they circumambulate the holy site. 

After a stop at the nearby Vajrayogini Temple we’ll head to lunch at the beloved “Garden of Dreams” before returning to Boudha and the White Gompa. Here we'll receive our first teaching with Khenpo Tokpa Tulku — an incredibly gifted monk with the ability to offer his enlightening and accessible teachings in English. You’ll have the special opportunity to greet him and offer the traditional 'katag' or ceremonial scarf, which he will bless and return to you by draping it around your neck. Afterwards you’ll have an opportunity to explore on your own and take dinner where you’d like.

Day 4: Put on your hiking shoes! After our early morning practice and breakfast, you'll venture outside the city to Nagi Gompa, a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery tucked away high on a hilltop in Shivapuri National Park. See first-hand how the nuns live, experience a genuine place of retreat, and enjoy sweeping views of the valley. From here, you'll head out on foot down the steep hillside past local villages and through pine forests to Pullahari, one of the most stunning Tibetan monasteries in the Kathmandu Valley (a 2.5 hour hike). Visit with the young monks, observe their evening puja and witness an incredible Kathmandu sunset.

Day 5: An easy day… you’ll have free time (following morning practice - with a later start) to wander through a few of the monasteries in the area and check out the countless shops selling Buddha statues and other ritual items as well as textiles and other local handicrafts. You can also simply relax wherever you’d like and take in the sights and sounds of life in Boudha. And then we’ll regroup in the late afternoon to make our way to the White Gompa for our second teaching from Tokpa Tulku. 

Day 6: Late practice followed by free time! Later in the afternoon we’ll take a little hike to the Shiva Temple - Pashupatinath - the Varanasi of Nepal - and one of the world's most sacred Hindu sites. Pashupati is the site of a bustling Shiva Temple and a raucus and firey evening puja, where local families give a final send off to their departed. After puja, you’re on your own for this, our last night in Boudha, before heading out and up into the Himalayan foothills!

Just when you're ready to take up the monastic life, you'll head to the valley's edge, to the hills of Kavre. The peacefulness of this stretch of the valley is hard to imagine until you're there. At Namo Buddha Resort, you'll enjoy 3 days of Himalayan views and lush, green terraced fields. It is the ideal place for practice, and the surrounding hills and villages provide beautiful scenery for day hikes.

Day 7: No asana practice this morning - it’s a rest day! After breakfast you'll head to Namo Buddha, long held as a "power place" for spiritual practice and retreat. You'll arrive at the Namo Buddha Resort in the late morning in time to check out the lush grounds of this “Hobbit-like" retreat before lunch. After lunch you’ll have time to settle into your cottage and soak up the scenery. In the early evening we’ll gather in the yoga shala for a dharma talk and meditation before a delicious dinner served in the cozy dining hall under the wood rafters and accompanied by a roaring fire!

Day 8: At the lodge, enjoy early morning yoga followed by a bountiful breakfast overlooking the snow peaks of the Himalayas. After lunch we’ll hike to nearby Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery, perched on a steep ridge overlooking the valley. Here, the view is so spectacular you just might think you've already reached nirvana.

The beautiful and sprawling Thrangu Monastery was built on the hillside where, in a previous life, the Buddha is said to have offered his own body to a starving tigress in order that she could feed her cubs. The site celebrates this fearless act of compassion and is a principal pilgrimage place for Tibetan Buddhists. We’ll return to the lodge for dinner and reflection by the outdoor firepit.

Day 9: After an early morning practice and breakfast at the resort, you'll take a 3-hour hike through local villages and rice terraces to see and experience life among the Himalayan hill communities. Back at the lodge, enjoy free time before a late afternoon yoga workshop followed by another delicious and healthy meal in this special place.

Day 10: After morning practice you'll head back to where you started -- Boudhanath. For many, it's the last full day in Nepal, so after checking back in, you'll have the opportunity to spend time as you’d like here within the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. This evening we’ll celebrate our experience and the bonds of friendship with a special dinner made just for us by a wonderful Tibetan chef in the comfort of her stylish gallery and private dining space.

Day 11: After our final morning practice, we'll have breakfast and some final goodbyes. It's time to head back home. Your airport transfer will be waiting just outside of the hotel.

*Note, this is an example outline of our time in Nepal — specifics are subject to shift based on various factors - including guest teacher priorities/preferences.