NEPAL: Sacred Valleys & Mountain Dreams

Your journey begins as you touch down at Tribhuvan Airport, where the thin mountain air immediately whispers of transformation ahead. We welcome you warmly as you settle into Nepal's slower, more sacred rhythm. A gentle Thamel orientation allows you to feel the pulse of this traveler’s quarter, where people from across the world converge before their Himalayan adventures. Tonight, rest deeply, knowing that tomorrow your real journey into the mysteries of Nepal begins.

Simply arriving into the sacred valley. No pressure, just presence.

Meals: Welcome dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu

Dawn leads us into Kathmandu Durbar Square, where medieval palaces tell stories of kings who ruled in the shadow of sacred peaks. Here, every carved window and ancient courtyard becomes a doorway into Nepal's rich spiritual heritage. The nearby Asan market offers cultural immersion among cardamom, turmeric, and countless healing herbs that create a symphony for the senses.

Our afternoon flows between photography practice, free time for massages, and peaceful restoration in the Garden of Dreams—an oasis of tranquility where European elegance meets Himalayan serenity.

As evening light transforms the valley, we ascend to Swayambhunath, the sacred "Monkey Temple," where Buddha's all-seeing eyes watch over the valley with infinite compassion, offering our first glimpse of true awakening.

Opening our hearts to ancient wisdom and sacred beginnings

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu

Today we journey to Patan, the "City of Beauty," where Durbar Square showcases some of the finest Newari architecture and metalwork on earth. Through metalwork ateliers, the Golden Temple, and Krishna Mandir, we witness devotion expressed through artistic mastery. Traditional craft workshops connect us to artisans whose techniques have been passed down through generations, each creation becoming a prayer in metal and stone.

Our Nepali lunch in Patan awakens taste buds to authentic Himalayan flavors.

As evening approaches, we journey to Pashupatinath Temple, where the sacred Bagmati River carries prayers toward the Ganges. During the evening aarti ceremony, we witness transformation itself—how devotion turns ordinary fire into sacred light.

Devotion expressed through artistic mastery and sacred ritual

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu

Our leisurely departure from Kathmandu's bustling energy leads us toward the mountains that have called to pilgrims for millennia. The 1.5-hour drive to Dhulikhel becomes a moving meditation as urban landscapes transform into terraced hillsides and distant peaks emerge like sleeping guardians.

Arriving in Dhulikhel—this ancient Newari town perched at 1,550 meters—we enter a world where time moves differently. For over 500 years, this hilltop sanctuary served as a vital trading route with Tibet, and its sacred energy still whispers of merchants, pilgrims, and seekers who found refuge in its mountain embrace.

From our mountain accommodation, we discover panoramic vistas that stretch across the Himalayan range, including glimpses of Langtang, Gaurishankar, and Ganesh Himal peaks.

Our sunset meditation offers us the first intimate encounter with Himalayan majesty—a daily miracle where peaks catch fire in evening light, reminding us why Nepal is called the land where earth touches sky.

Moving from city speed to mountain spaciousness

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mountain hotel, Dhulikhel

Before dawn, those called by the mountains can witness one of the world's most spectacular sunrises, as Himalayan peaks ignite in colors that exist nowhere else on earth.

We have free time in the morning, as an invitation for inner work—you can perhaps join a yoga session, indulge in a massage, or sit for meditation practice allowing the vastness outside to mirror the spaciousness within.

Afternoon brings us into Dhulikhel's village heart, where we explore terraced landscapes shaped by centuries of prayer-filled farming and walk through ancient Newari streets where traditional life continues unchanged. Optional pottery workshops with local artisans offer hands-on connection to age-old crafts, or you may choose gentle hikes, healing massage treatments, or simply resting in nature's embrace.

Evening brings dinner under star-bright skies, perfect for integration and quiet sharing.

Full day to decompress, restore, and soften our hearts for deeper journeying

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mountain Hotel, Dhulikhel

Pre-dawn brings another opportunity for Himalayan sunrise blessing from Dhulikhel—a daily miracle that never loses its power to transform ordinary awareness into something luminous and vast.

We softly say goodbye to Dhulikhel and start our scenic drive to Bhaktapur - a sort of road trip pilgrimage through landscapes where the terraced fields tell stories of human harmony with mountain rhythms.

In Bhaktapur we learn the ancient art of lokta paper creation—how bark from high-altitude shrubs becomes sacred pages for journals and masks that will carry Nepal's energy into our creative practice.

Evening unveils Bhaktapur's medieval magic through Durbar Square wandering, where cobblestone paths and intricate architecture create perfect settings for mindful photography.

Mountain blessings flowing into sacred craftsmanship

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Bhaktapur Hotel

Our morning begins with teachings about the profound lineages we're about to encounter in Boudhanath—Rita offers an introduction to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, whose wisdom traditions have guided countless seekers toward awakening. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was one of Rita's teachers, and she'll be happy to share that experience with you.

Final Bhaktapur exploration through pottery squares and traditional crafts offers last glimpses of medieval artistry. We say goodbye as we prepare ourselves to continue our journey towards “Little Tibet”.

A short drive brings us to Boudhanath, the heart of Nepal's Tibetan community, where we settle into our monastery Guest House within walking distance of one of the world's largest Buddhist stupas. Our exploration of Shechen monastery grounds offers a soft immersion into the sacred rhythms that have sustained generations of practitioners. Evening's first sacred kora walk around the great stupa marks our entry into this sacred space.

Entering the sacred mandala of "Little Tibet"

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Monastery Guest House, Boudhanath

Dawn finds us witnessing Shechen's morning prayers and ceremonies, as chanting voices create rivers of blessings that flow across the awakening valley. Today offers a beautiful immersion in monastery life—meditation sessions that connect us directly with centuries of accumulated wisdom, potential teachings with monks whose practice illuminates the nature of the human mind, and point us towards compassion.

Walking meditation through monastery gardens is an invitation to look deeply within, while community meals in monastery tradition teach us how eating itself can be a spiritual practice.

We will have time for questions & answers regarding Buddhism and following a spiritual life.

In the evening we once again join pilgrims at the Boudhanath stupa. As we circle the precious monument in deepening twilight, prayer wheels spinning and mantras flowing in the air, we reflect and integrate our day's experience.

Surrendering to monastic rhythm, expanding inner spaciousness

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch in monastery tradition
Accommodation: Monastery Guest House, Boudhanath

We go on a morning pilgrimage to Kopan Monastery, and connect with Lama Zopa's lineage. We walk the sacred grounds where countless practitioners have achieved insights into the nature of reality itself. This monastery, perched above the valley like a beacon of wisdom, offers teachings that bridge ancient understanding with contemporary spiritual needs.

Our final Boudhanath moments are a farewell to the Tibetan community and a time for reflection on our experience here. We then return to Thamel where we started our trip. We transition gently from monastery life, with free time for journaling, massage, mindful photography, or stillness, helping body and spirit process the profound experiences we've shared.

Monastery inspiration and a gentle afternoon of integration

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu

Our last full day offers freedom for photography wonderings, returning to favorite temples with new eyes, or simply sitting in grateful contemplation of the transformation already stirring within. Mindy guides final sessions where we refine the visual stories we've been creating throughout our journey.

Afternoon invites treasure gathering and mindful shopping—perhaps finding singing bowls which deep tones will call us back to Nepal's spaciousness, prayer flags to carry mountain blessings into daily life, Buddha statues to bless our homes, or handwoven textiles that carry the energy of their makers' intentions.

We meet for our farewell dinner, a celebration of the pilgrims we've become and the wisdom we'll carry forward.

Gathering treasures to carry the blessings home

Meals: Breakfast + Farewell dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu

Our final morning in the valley offers space for last reflections—perhaps journaling in a quiet café while sipping masala chai, or simply sitting in grateful silence as Kathmandu awakens around you. These final moments feel both like an ending and a beginning, as you understand that the real pilgrimage—integrating Nepal's sacred wisdom into daily life—has only just begun.

Carrying the sacredness of Nepal in our hearts

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: —