Click to see Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart Home Country

Day 2: Arrive Kathmandu

You will be met at the airport in Kathmandu before taking a 30 minute drive to your hotel. There will then be time to relax and familiarise yourself with the area as well as meet the other members of your group.

Day 3: Explore Kathmandu

Sightseeing including The Monkey Temple and Pashupatinath, two interesting cultural and architectural sights, made famous by the Marvel movie, Dr Strange. The Boudhanath stupa is very near your hotel and it is available to complete an early morning meditation with the monks if you wish.

Day 4: Depart by plane to Pokhara

An early start to the day, flying to Pokhara, in the South West of Nepal. Once at your lodge in Pokhara there will be time to relax and settle into your rooms before taking a walk into town to get your bearings. Pokhara has a lovely relaxed atmosphere, is clean and situated beside a very pretty lake plus it is likely to be sunny and warm. Later in the day there will be a welcome ceremony to mark the start of the yoga retreat before going out for dinner.

Day 5: In Pokhara

The outline schedule for most days will be: 7am Yoga - 9am Breakfast – an optional group activity – 5pm Yoga – then 7.30pm dinner Today’s optional activity is to take a short walk to the lake and enjoy lunch together at a local café.

Day 6:

7am Yoga - 9am Breakfast – an optional group activity – 5pm Yoga – then 7.30pm dinner Today’s optional activity is to visit the Nepal Gurkha Museum (cost £3 approx. plus transport). Whether you are interested in the Gurkha soldiers or not this visit is offered as a place of interest that links Nepal and the UK. It is a big part of the history of both countries and is very close by.

Day 7:

7am Yoga - 9am Breakfast – an optional group activity – 5pm Yoga – then 7.30pm dinner The optional activity of the day is to walk for about 20 minutes to the lake then take rowing boats to the Japanese Stupa. This is a beautiful place to visit and there will be the opportunity to meditate here as well. Cost £6 approx. Depending on the return time, there may be time for another Yoga class before going out for a meal together.

Day 8:

7am Yoga - 9am Breakfast – an optional group activity – 5pm Yoga – then 7.30pm dinner Today’s optional activity is to drive out of Pokhara and walk for 2 or 3 hours in order to see some wonderful views of the Himalayas (cost of transport only). Pokhara is surrounded by snow topped mountains and today will be a chance to appreciate some of the stunning mountains of this region.

Day 9:

7am Yoga - 9am Breakfast – an optional group activity – 5pm Yoga – then 7.30pm dinner. Today’s optional activity is a guided visit to a local monastery and to meditate with the resident monks (cost of optional donation and transport). This is the last day in Pokhara so on returning to the lodge there will be a closing ceremony for the group.

Day 10: Depart for Kathmandu (by plane)

Depending on the flight time, there may be time for a 7am Yoga class before breakfast and catching the flight to Kathmandu. Once back at your hotel in Kathmandu the rest of the day will be free time. You may want to sightsee, shop, pack or simply enjoy a local café. There will be a farewell dinner as a group in the evening at a local restaurant.

Day 11: Depart for Home Country

International flights from Nepal vary as to the departure time and airport transfers will be arranged as needed. If you are not leaving until the evening it may be possible to take an Everest mountain flight early in the morning (cost $220 approx.). It is a wonderful experience to see the magnitude of the Himalayas in this way and of course to see Everest is very special and a memory that will always stay with you.

Please note: Where an individual does not want to join the optional activities there are numerous places close by where it is available to enjoy a coffee, visit the local shops, walk beside the lake, visit a local spa for a massage or simply read in the garden at the guest house. NB – Single Supplement - If you require a single room there is a single supplement charge of £120/person/trip. Otherwise rooms are shared.

Optional Cultural Tour – Lumbini and Bantipur & Chitwan National Park

Outline Itinerary – following the Yoga Retreat

Day 10: Pokhara to Lumbini

Today you will travel from Pokhara in a private vehicle to Lumbini. It is an interesting drive, scenic and a lovely way to see this part of Nepal. There will be a stop along the way and time to take in the views of farm land, hills and valleys and the local villages. Free evening to relax. (Hotel accommodation).

Day 11 and 12: Lumbini

Time to explore Lumbini. This is a World Heritage Site and the birth place of Buddha. There are a considerable number of temples as well as museums and monuments to see here. This is a Buddhist pilgrimage site that many people from around the world travel to, for the spiritual experience of being in this holy place. Here visitors study Buddhism, meditation and visit Buddha's birthplace within the sacred Mayadevi Gardens.

There are beautiful monasteries built by different Buddhist countries like China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Germany where you can observe the different architecture and prayer areas. If you wish you can practice yoga and meditation at the Panditarama Vipassana Center and interact with the monks who live in the vicinity of the monasteries and devote their time to balancing the environment with religious worship.

The Lumbini Garden covers an area of 2.56 sq km or 1 x 3 sq miles and encompasses three zones each covering one square mile connected with walkways and a canal. (Hotel accommodation)

Day 13: Lumbini to Chitwan

After breakfast you will travel by private car to Chitwan – it takes about 5 hours. Chitwan National Park is also a World Heritage Site and recognised by UNESCO for its bio-diversity and the rare species of animals living here. Included today is a Jungle & Village walk with a nature guide. (Hotel accommodation with lunch and dinner included).

Day 14: Chitwan

After breakfast is a canoe ride to see the crocodiles and aquatic birds. After lunch a short rest before visiting the national park for a safari. The evening includes a Tharu Culture dance program. (Hotel accommodation with lunch and dinner included).

Day 15 and Day 16: Chitwan to Bantipur

After breakfast you will drive to Bantipur which is a lovely Newari cultural village; the houses built in the Newari culture date back to the 18th century. Here are local traders and farmers and the lack of motor vehicles preserves its traditional culture. Suggestions while you are here include a silk worm farm, a short walk to enjoy the views of Manaslu and Ganesh Himal, the temples and the local cafes. (Hotel accommodation).

Day 17: Bantipur to Kathmandu

After breakfast you will drive to Kathmandu which takes about 5 hours. (Hotel accommodation).

Day 18: Kathmandu

Today is a day of sight-seeing in Kathmandu – it is worth getting up early and visiting the monastery in Boudhanath while the monks are there for their early morning prayers. After breakfast a visit to Pashupatinath is fascinating and it well worth spending time there. (Hotel accommodation).

Day 19: Kathmandu

Today we recommend a half day tour of Bhaktapur and this can be altered if there are other ideas you wish to explore. (Hotel accommodation).

Day 20: Depart Kathmandu

Depending on your international flight timings there may be time to stroll into Boudhanath before heading off to the airport about 30 minutes from the hotel.