Come spend 14 days experiencing the hospitality of ethnic Sherpas and Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries in the Mt Everest region of Nepal and in the capital city, Kathmandu (KTM).
This tour centers around the Sherpa/Buddhist Mani Rimdu festival and takes advantage of the usually excellent / clear fall weather. Our group will stay at the new “Kyirmu" Sherpa Lodge at 8,000 ft (similar altitude to Santa Fe, NM). You may hike or be transported to the Chiwong Monastery ~12,000 ft to attend this annual festival celebrating the founding of Buddhism in Nepal, made all the more magical by a full moon. The Chiwong Monastery’s Mani Rimdu festival was featured in a ~1 hour captivating “Destroyer of Illusion: The Secret World of a Tibetan Lama” documentary film narrated by Richard Gere. Please click here to view a block post about similar past tours.
Although there will also be time allotted to seeing many world heritage sights and experience Nepali’s exciting contemporary arts and culture in and around Kathmandu, the majority of our time will be in the Solukhumbu region near Mt Everest. Included will be a helicopter experience viewing Mt Everest.
The total in-Nepal expedition portion cost of this Nepal experience (lodging, transportation, meals, Sherpa guides & porters, entrance fees, experiences at Buddhist monasteries, etc) is $4,900. Participants arrange their own international transportation to Kathmandu, with opportunities for Nepal trip extensions (advice provided upon request) and/or stopovers possible in various global hubs.
Tour Highlights
• Learn about Tibetan Buddhism and meet the reincarnated successor to Trulshik Rinpoche, "Destroyer of Illusion" and teacher of the Dalai Lama - a four-year-old lama. Visit 4-5 monasteries.
• Experience the unforgettable Mani Rimdu festival (annual high point festival of the Tibetan Buddhists near Mt Everest) at the spectacularly situated Chiwong Monastery.
• Enjoy views of Mt Everest from a helicopter (weather permitting)
• Join a heritage expert and architect for a behind-the-scenes look at the process of rebuilding Unesco World Heritage sites in Patan, Nepal.
• Learn about the Kathmandu contemporary art scene from one of its foremost experts.
• Visit a factory where traditional handmade materials are made into contemporary architecture and design products.
• Optional mountain hiking experiences with exquisite views
• Authentic direct-contact cultural experiences such as Sherpa hospitality.
* itinerary subject to change according to unforeseen circumstances / opportunities