Pilgrimage Itinerary
DHARMA JOURNEY NEPAL AND INDIA PILGRIMAGE ITINERARY
Day 1
(Oct. 25, 2018)

Everyone meets in Kathmandu. Our local staff will pick you up at the airport and transfer (20-30 minutes) you to the Hyatt Regency near Boudhanath Stupa. First, you will go through immigration (obtain visa) and then go upstairs to claim your luggage. Take a cart for this and finally go through customs and proceed to exit the airport. As you go outside look for a sign with your name on it.

Meet in the hotel lobby for dinner at 6 PM with the entire group, including Ven. Robina Courtin and our local guide Amber Tamang. . The hotel is less than a ten-minute walk from Boudhanath Stupa, one of the most holy of Buddhist shrines. Overnight at Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. (Dinner)

Day 2
(Oct. 26, 2018)

Kathmandu. Our first day is free to relax or to explore the city. Nepal's capital is a delight to the senses, the imagination and the heart. For centuries Kathmandu was forbidden to outsiders. Since it opened to the world in the early 1950's, it has been one of the most eagerly sought travel destinations. Durbar Square is at the heart of this historic city. There are options to have lunch on your own in the city or at the hotel. An optional half day sight-seeing of Kathmandu will be offered. Cost per person, assuming a minimum group size of six, is $25USD payable directly to Amber. This cost includes vehicle, driver and guide but not entrance fees or lunch. Overnight at Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. (Breakfast)

Day 3 - 4
(Oct. 27-28, 2018)

Meditation retreat at Kopan Monastery with Ven. Robina. Meet in the hotel lobby at 8 AM for the short drive to Kopan. Established in 1970 as a place of retreat for Westerners and eventually a monastery for the monks of Solu Khumbu (where Lama Zopa Rinpoche is from), Kopan is beautifully situated on a hill above the Kathmandu Valley. One of the best Gelug monasteries in Nepal, it is home to 400 monks and, at Kachoe Ghakyil down the road, 400 nuns. People come from all over the world to attend retreats and courses at Kopan, especially the famous November course. The accommodation is comfortable and the food good. There has even been a cookbook published with favorite recipes from Kopan. Note that single rooms are not available and also that men and women room separately.

A typical day on retreat starts early with meditation, followed by breakfast. Then there will be teachings and discussion until lunch, with a tea break. After lunch there will be a two-hour break, during which you can take a short easy walk, rest, or study quietly in the excellent library or on your own. During the afternoon there are more teachings and discussion; and after dinner a final session of teachings and meditation. Often a group in retreat will opt to maintain silence for all or part of the time (for example before breakfast and after dinner) as this adds to the contemplative quality of the experience. Overnight Kopan Monastery. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5
(Oct. 29, 2018)

In the morning visit Boudhanath stupa and temples, monasteries and the village. Boudhanath is the religious center for Tibetans living in Nepal and is especially beloved by them. In the afternoon visit Swayambhunath stupa. According to legend, Kathmandu Valley was filled with a great lake, at the center of which a lotus flower grew. With the slash of the sword of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri, the lake was drained and the lotus settled on top of the hill and transformed into the stupa. There is evidence that the great Indian Buddhist Emperor Ashoka visited the site 2,000 years ago. Overnight Kopan Monastery. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6
(Oct. 30, 2018)

Lumbini. Meet in the lobby at 7:00 AM (after tea) for transfer to the airport for our 30-minute flight to Bhairahawa airport on Buddha Air. An hour's drive to Lumbini to Buddha Maya Garden Hotel. After lunch, visit the birthplace of the Buddha, a 15-minute walk from the hotel. Here there is an Ashokan Pillar with an inscription of King Ashoka from 250 BC, a sacred pond, ruins of the ancient monasteries, stupas and the temple of Mayadevi, the Buddha's mother. (Tea, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7
(Oct 31, 2018)

Lumbini to Sravasti. After breakfast, we will drive to Sanauli, the Nepal/India border, an hour away. We stop for passport control and to change money into Indian rupees. An all-day drive to Sravasti, light lunch en route. Overnight at Hotel Lotus Nikko, Sravasti. (Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8
(Nov. 1, 2018)

After breakfast we visit Jetavana Grove, in Sravasti, capital of the ancient Kosala kingdom, where Buddha and his disciples retreated every rainy season for twenty-five years and where he gave many of his teachings. According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, it is easy to meditate here, so blessed is it. Relax in the afternoon, or visit the cave of the former bandit, Angulimala. After meeting Lord Buddha, he calmed down and embraced Buddhism. Overnight Hotel Lotus Nikko, Sravasti. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9
(Nov. 2, 2018)

In the morning we will return to Jetavana for prayers and meditation. All-day drive from Balarampur to Kushinagar, stopping for a light lunch en route. Kushinagar is the place where Buddha passed away. His last words were said to be, "Decay is inherent in all component things. Be diligent in your practice." Overnight Hotel Lotus Nikko, Kushinagar. (Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10
(Nov. 3, 2018)

In Kushinagar. After breakfast we visit Mahaparinirvana Temple where there is the statue of Buddha passing away in meditation. In the afternoon we visit the unadorned but very holy Rambhar Stupa, where Buddha was cremated. "Do not be sad," he told his disciples. "Let the Dharma I have taught you be your teacher after my passing." Overnight Hotel Lotus Nikko, Kushinagar. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 11
(Nov. 4, 2018)

All-day drive from Kushinagar to Rajgir, in the state of Bihar. Light lunch en route. Relax in the afternoon. Overnight Hotel Rajgir Residency. (Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner.)

Day 12
(Nov. 5, 2018)

Enjoy an early morning visit to Vulture Peak, where Buddha gave many teachings, including The Heart Sutra. We will take a leisurely walk up to the top for meditation and teachings. After lunch at the hotel, we will visit the ruins of Nalanda Monastery. From the 5th to the 12th centuries, Nalanda was a major Buddhist university with 10,000 monks and students in residence. In the afternoon we drive to Bodhgaya and overnight at FPMT's Root Institute. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13
(Nov. 6, 2018)

From Root Institute, a meditation center set in tranquil gardens, we will visit Mahabodi Stupa, the site of Buddha's enlightenment, for teachings and meditation. In the afternoon, visit several FPMT centers to learn about charitable activities such as the Maitreya School and Tara's Children Project. This evening, we can enjoy another visit to Mahabodhi Stupa. Overnight at Root Institute. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 14
(Nov. 7, 2018)

Today we'll travel to Varanasi. Light lunch en route. In the early evening, we can pay a visit to the banks of the famous River Ganges, one of the holiest Hindu sites, for the evening worship. Overnight Taj Nadesar Palace, Varanasi. (Breakfast, Light Lunch)

Day 15
(Nov. 8, 2018)

Deer Park, Sarnath. A few miles north of Varanasi is Deer Park, where Lord Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma for the first time, teaching on the four noble truths and the eightfold path to the five ascetics who were his first disciples. Enjoy a visit to the excellent archaeological museum with many Buddhist images dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries. After lunch, your afternoon and evening are free to enjoy as you wish. Overnight Taj Nadesar Palace, Varanasi. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 16
(Nov. 9, 2018)

We'll fly from Varanasi to Kathmandu, via Delhi. We may return to Sarnath in the morning. Transfer from the airport in Kathmandu to the Hyatt Regency. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 17
(Nov. 10, 2018)

Free day in Kathmandu. Dinner together in the evening. Overnight at Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 18
(Nov. 11, 2018)

After breakfast, our final group activity is morning puja at Boudhanath stupa. Later, transfer to the airport to depart Kathmandu or continue exploring the region. (Breakfast)

Notes: This is meant only as a guide to what our days will be like.
1. PreTrip Arrival: Fly to our meeting point in Kathmandu, Nepal. Travelers from the Americas ‘lose’ one day crossing the international date line. You must arrive in Kathmandu no later than Thursday, October 25, 2018. If you arrive early, we can arrange transfers and additional accommodations on request (additional cost).
2. Changes may be made as we go along and will be announced as well as posted when possible in the hotel reception areas. These changes will be based on local conditions, health and hotel availability.
3. Times mentioned are all approximate and rounded off.
4. Sturdy vehicles with air-conditioning will be provided.
5. Airport transfers included on October 23 and November 12. We can arrange optional transfers and services at a modest cost should you arrive early or depart late from the program.
6. Included meals for each day have been shown as bold at the end of each daily description.
7. Contact information is current and subject to change.
8. The format for the phone numbers is country code, city code, then the local number in parentheses. Nepal’s country code is 977 and India’s country code is 91. For mobile phones in Nepal you don’t need to put the city code 1 after the country code as you do for other local numbers. You will find more information about international calling in our trip notes, provided after registration
 
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