Monk for a Month Nepal

After arrival at the airport, our representative welcomes you and transfers you to your hotel in the heart of the city. Explore vibrant Thamel’s restaurants, cafés, and shops, or rest after your long journey.

Visit Swayambhunath atop its hill—a hallmark of faith and harmony where Buddhists and Hindus gather. Climb 365 stone steps to Nepal’s oldest stupa for panoramic views over Kathmandu; troops of monkeys share the sacred site.

Explore Kathmandu Durbar Square, once a royal palace and now home to the living goddess Kumari. Among three valley durbar squares, this UNESCO site holds ancient temples, palaces, and a nine-storey pagoda palace with superb valley views and 14th-century woodcraft.

Arrive at the monastery at 9:45 for an introductory class with a Khempo from 10:00–12:00. After lunch, visit Boudhanath—the world’s largest stupa at 36 m—with prayer wheels and 108 Buddha images. Walk the kora around the mandala before returning to your hotel. Buddhism teaching continues 1.5 hours daily for four days.

Morning teaching at the monastery, then Pashupatinath—among the world’s most revered Hindu temples on the Bagmati River, listed as UNESCO heritage. Gilt roofs, carved silver doors, and open cremation ghats offer a profound view of life’s cycle.

Morning monastery class from 10:00–12:00, lunch break, then free time from 2:00 pm to explore Kathmandu at your own pace before returning to the hotel.

Complete the morning teaching block, then visit a local social organization from 2:00 pm—an experiential window into Nepali community life beyond the monasteries and stupas.

From today you stay three nights at the monastery. Learning meditation and Buddhist study is learning about your own mind—the key to joy and suffering. Whether religious or not, understanding the mind brings peace and perspective.

After lunch and checkout, visit the National Botanical Garden at Godawari (1,515 m) below Phulchowki. Over 500 plant species thrive across 82 hectares; spring and autumn bring rhododendron arboreum—the national flower—and colourful blooms.

Leave the Kathmandu Valley on the winding road along the Trishuli River to Chitwan National Park—932 sq km of Terai forest, a UNESCO site since 1984, home to rhinos, tigers, leopards, gaur, sloth bears, deer, crocodiles, and over 530 bird species.

Village walk, sunset views, Tharu stick dance, canoe ride, elephant breeding centre, optional elephant-back safari, and bird watching among Chitwan’s rich wildlife and Tharu culture.

Finish remaining Chitwan activities, then drive to Lumbini—birthplace of Lord Buddha and a UNESCO pilgrimage site where Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born in 623 BC. Ashoka’s commemorative pillar from 249 BC marks the nativity site.

Explore Lumbini’s temples, Mayadevi Temple, Holy Pond, and Kapilvastu remains—one of four great Buddhist pilgrimage sites alongside Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath, where the Buddha lived until age 29.

Scenic drive to Pokhara, Nepal’s third-largest city and tourism capital—famous for Himalayan views, Phewa Lake, boating, trekking gateways, paragliding, and zip lining beneath the Annapurna range.

Visit Phewa Lake, Devi’s Fall, Mahendra and Bat caves, a Tibetan refugee camp, and local museums—or add adventure options such as paragliding, zip flyer, skydiving, or mountain biking.

Pre-dawn drive or hike to Sarangkot above Phewa Lake for sunrise reflecting on Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, and Ganesh Himal—with a 360° view back over the lake. Return to Pokhara for cafés, lakeside dining, or spa time.

After breakfast, drive back to Kathmandu. Rest, explore Thamel, or enjoy restaurants and bars before the final valley days.

Visit Pharping’s Dakshinkali Temple, Asura Cave where Guru Padmasambhava was enlightened, Gorakhanath, Sheshnarayan, and monasteries. Shop for spices, tea, or pashmina in local markets, then a Nepalese dinner with cultural program.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home with memories of temples, monasteries, jungle, Lumbini, lakes, and Himalayan sunrises.