India Nepal Lab bkp
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From 29 November to 21 December 2025
We adjust for more or less days depending on what works best for each Traveller. Please let us know.
Summary Itinerary
Clicking on the days of travel in the summary itinerary will take you to the detailed itinerary for that day and vice versa clicking on the day in the detailed itinerary will return you to the summary itinerary. In the detailed itinerary, in addition to the images and description of the days, we also have the day of the month and the week
Main Program
Detailed Itinerary
Flights
The day has arrived! You will probably be heading to the airport for your flight this morning, depending on your city, route and flight combination. We will see together what will work best for your arrival! Guilherme will be in touch from the moment you arrive at the airport until your arrival in Delhi. Have a great flight!
Arrival
Walk
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Welcome to India! At the arrival of the group will be received by Guilherme at the airport. We will talk about the arrival in our briefing (more here). Transfer to the hotel located in a central area, with interesting possibilities for tours and cultural activities nearby. Let's see if our hotel will have our rooms available by the end of the morning. Then we can take a walk around the city!
We will make a walking around our hotel area, we will visit some temples including the Sikh temple, a 16th century religion, and the Punjab region in India, the beautiful Gurudwara Bangla SahibWe will listen to their songs, watch them pray in the temple and around the sacred tank. We will also be able to visit the kitchen where volunteers provide meals for thousands of people every day, regardless of social class or religion.
Let's see how hungry the group is for our first meal in Delhi!
Old Delhi.
Raj Ghat
Humayun's Mausoleum
Kartavya Path (Rajpath)
We will start our day with what is actually one of the many Delhis that existed in different eras and empires in a succession of neighboring cities. The last and eighth Delhi is where we are staying, built by the English, called New Delhi. The seventh was built by Shah Jahan, one of the great Mughal emperors, the same one who built the Taj Mahal, at the time known as Shajahanabad. Today we call it Old Delhi. or Old Delhi. First we will visit the Emperor's great mosque, the Jama Masjid.
Next, we will walk through the alleys of its old bazaar. In this bazaar, we will visit a small, very old Jain temple with beautiful paintings. We will then continue until we reach the Red Fort, where the important Lahori Gate is located. It was here that important events in the history of India took place, such as the independence of this country, today the largest democracy in the world. A country where ancient values and customs coexist with such modern knowledge and technologies.
On the way back to our hotel area, we will pay our respects at the memorial where Gandhi was cremated, the Raj Ghat. We will see what his last words were, a sign of great achievement on his spiritual path. Those who like photographs, look for images taken by Cartier-Bresson, one of the greatest photographers who ever lived, who was in Delhi that day.
Second of the six major Mughal emperors, Humayun (1508-1556), his mausoleum was built in Delhi. The first with architecture associated with a garden and use of red sandstone on this scale in India. Thus, it was a predecessor and similar in beauty to the Taj Mahal. There are those who consider this monument even more beautiful.
We will end our day on the esplanade built by the English in the 20th century, called Kartavya Path (until recently called Rajpath). Here you will find India Gate, a landmark of the city, built in honor of the fighters in the great war, where you can get off to take some photos. On the other side of Kartavya Path is the house of the current president of India.
Lotus Temple
National museum
Gandhi Smriti
Today we will start our day further south of the city, where we will visit the beautiful Lotus Temple. Built in the shape of its name, it is part of the Bahá'í religion, founded in the 19th century in ancient Persia. When you visit it, you will be invited to remain silent for a moment. An interesting opportunity and experience in the middle of this large, bustling city.
A very interesting visit in Delhi is the National museum. It is possible to spend many hours or days appreciating each hall and exhibits about the history, arts and people of India. A good way to take advantage of this opportunity is to visit the hall of Indo-Saravasti Culture and the relics of Buddha. In this hall we will learn a little about the cradle of Indian culture, with objects from 3500 and 1500 BC, such as the seal with what must have been Shiva (possibly in the form of Pashupati), the sculpture of the head of the priest and the dancing girl. In a new building, we have the relics of Buddha. A very special place to sit for a while and, if you want, do your practice.
Another special visit for our day is the last house where Gandhi lived, known as Birla House or Gandhi SmritiWe will learn a little about this important part of the history of this nation, as well as about the life and final moments of this great leader, an example of the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the culture of peace to this day throughout the world.
For all our days in Delhi, there are several other possibilities for activities and visits if we have a little extra time at the end of the day. As we will also check, of course, if there are any cultural events during the days we will be in the city. There is no shortage of good possibilities for activities and visits to make the most of our days.
Flight
Walk through the ghats
Aarti Ceremony
Today we will visit one of the oldest cities in the world still alive today. After breakfast, we will head to Delhi airport for our flight. flight to Varanasi. Transfer to our hotel and check-in. Time to freshen up in our rooms and then explore the old part of the city, walking through its alleys, ghats on the banks of the Ganges and through a ceremony ancient. The fire puja or Aarti Puja, conducted by Brahmins (a caste of Hindu priests) and hundreds of pilgrims from all over India on the banks of the sacred Ganges, is full of music, symbols, mantras, smells, lots of devotion and, for those who study the sacred scriptures, a very deep and sophisticated knowledge about the functioning of the human mind. Time to return to our hotel, with all these impressions, practically the same ones that both Hindu saints and yogis, as well as Buddha Sakyamuni himself, had in this same place during their walks, training periods and teachings. A good rest for a special start to the day, very early tomorrow.
Flight 3DEC IndiGo 6E2334 Delhi 11:00 Varanasi 12:30
Ganges Sunrise
Sarnath
We will wake up very early to arrive at Ganges, before sunrise. We will board our rowboat to go up the Ganges and witness the sunrise of the sun god, Surya, from our boat. We will watch pilgrims performing their pujas (rituals) at the beginning of their days, in this most sacred place in the Hindu tradition. Slowly, led by the goddess Ganga, we will return the way we have just taken to a ghat (a stairway on the riverbank) a little further on, where we will disembark and have the opportunity to walk through the many alleys, amidst thousands of small and large temples, in the old part of the city. There is a famous temple in this region, called the Golden Temple or Kashi Vishvanath. Its history is important for understanding the different periods of India.
Back in our vehicle, we will have a good breakfast at our hotel and then we will continue to Sarnath. We will pass by the place where Buddha, after his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, met with his 5 fellow practitioners and then we will visit the important Deer Park. A very peaceful place, where Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time, that is, where he taught for the first time, approximately 2500 years ago. We will be able to practice meditation individually, sit for a few minutes, walk, read, take photos, as each traveller prefers. We will visit the Mahabodhi temple where there are relics of Buddha and a “grandchild” tree of the one where Buddha sat and became enlightened. A simple and always very special visit can always be to visit a school where children from nearby villages, in addition to the usual content, learn meditation, yoga and how our mind works from an early age. We will see first-hand the practical results of these tools. We will have the day to enjoy Sarnath calmly and with quality.
Temples
Walk through the city and the ghats
We have one more day to enjoy and get to know the ancient and very special Varanasi. We will visit an important temple Hindu temple, then the small museum and temple of the old University of Benares. It will be a good opportunity to get to know an India with very little contact with foreigners, as is the environment of this university campus. We will continue to see a little more of India, its history, customs and traditions while we do a walking through its alleys and ghats on the banks of the Ganges. End of the day free to explore a little more of the already well-known Varanasi. We have some possibilities of activities in mind for the end of the day, which we will discuss during the trip.
Car trip
Mahabodhi Temple
We will travel Today we will visit the place where Buddha became enlightened, the most sacred site in Buddhism, Bodhgaya. It will take approx. 6 hours with our own vehicle. We will check in to our hotel, have lunch and then visit the main temple complex of the city, the Mahabodhi. It was there that Buddha sat for a few days until he had purified all his obscurations and realized the nature of our mind. We can do the same, sitting near or even under the Bodhi tree, a ficus religisosa (fig tree), in the exact place where Buddha became enlightened. This place is also called the Vajra Seat, the seat of the diamond or the indestructible thunderbolt, as well as our natural condition, our essence. We will be among pilgrims, lay and monastic, from all over the world. Mantras, incense, mind training practices from different traditions for our different mental dispositions. After becoming enlightened, the Awakened One (in Sanskrit: Buddha) contemplated his experience for a few weeks at different points around the Bodhi tree. These places are marked so that we can contemplate the same reflections during our days in Bodhgaya.
Mahakala Cave
Sujata Village
Today we will head to a more remote region on the outskirts of Bodhgaya, to a mountain where there is a cave where Buddha meditated and practiced austerity before becoming enlightened. It will also be an opportunity to observe the rhythm of life in the villages that are more remote from the urban centers. Like all caves of great masters, it is a very special place to practice. After visiting the Mahakala Cave, we will visit the peaceful place where, when Siddhartha practiced eating only one grain of rice a day, the girl Sujata offered rice milk to the Buddha. At this point, as he ate and observed his mind functioning better with his stronger body, Siddhartha realized that it would not be through the extremes of self-indulgence or self-mortification that he would become enlightened, but through the middle path. We will take this opportunity to contemplate these experiences and teachings of the Buddha at these important points in his life.
We will return to Bodhgaya for our lunch and with free time to enjoy the Mahabodhi temple complex, other temples, cafes, walk, read, however each traveller prefers to enjoy this late afternoon.
Walk
Temples
Free time
Today, if we want, even if it is available for whatever we need, we don't need to use our vehicle. We will walk or we will take a tuk tuk from our hotel to an institute run by a very important Tibetan Buddhist teacher, who offers introductory courses on Buddhism in several languages, from different countries. There is also an allopathic and homeopathic medical clinic for Indian peasants, and very special Universal Education schools. From the Root Institute we will walk to a large statue of Buddha built by the Japanese, then to a Japanese temple and a Bhutanese temple, each with very beautiful and very different styles. A very beautiful monastery that is worth a visit is the monastery of Mingyur Rinpoche, a great master of Tibetan Buddhism. There is a new monastery, a little further away, very beautiful, of Tara too. There are many possibilities. We will see how the group feels that day and we will do that. Including, of course, the main temple, Mahabodhi, which is always worth returning to. There are good lunch and coffee options in the city. We can always reserve the always very welcome and requested free temple, whether for shopping for Buddhist articles, sitting a little closer to the Bodhi tree, reading, walking meditation, taking photos, as each traveller prefers.
Bamboo Forest
Shanti Stupa
Vultures Peak
Today we will travel for approx. 3 hours to Rajgir. We will begin our visits with one of the places where Buddha and his monastic sangha lived for many monsoons, the Bamboo Forest. Since Buddha and his students lived on foot (throughout the places we are visiting), due to the dangers of a trip like this during the rainy season, during these months of each year they stayed in places offered by the kings of different regions. Lunch, check-in at our hotel and then we will continue to the Peace Stupa, or Shanti Stupa, in a beautiful place on top of a mountain, built by a Japanese Buddhist project for world peace, in many places around the world. From the stupa we will walk to the very special Vultures Peak, where Buddha had a hut. This is the location of the important text and teaching called the Heart Sutra, which we will have with us, as well as commentaries by great masters. A very peaceful place, also on a nearby mountain. We can use this special opportunity to train our mind, either by offering incense, as an invitation to do a practice, reading the Heart Sutra and its commentaries. As each traveller prefers to take advantage of this special opportunity and place.
Nalanda University
In the morning, next to Rajgir, we will visit the archaeological site of the very important University of nalanda. For centuries, Nalanda was one of the most important centers of Buddhist studies, attracting students from many parts of the world, especially between the 10.000th and 2.000th centuries. There were about XNUMX students and XNUMX teachers there, and there was a library larger than that of Alexandria, for example. Among the many great scholars who were masters of Nalanda, known as the Indian panditas, some of them were: Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Buddhapalita, Bhavaviveka, Chandrakirti and Shantideva. For centuries, many of these yogis were invited by Tibetan kings to cross the Himalayas and bring the study of Buddhism to Tibet. Thus, the Nalanda tradition lives on to this day, studied and practiced in traditional Tibetan shedras (universities) and monasteries in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, as well as in important universities in Europe and North America, where there is an important and very rich exchange with neuroscientists, physicists and current educators. We will visit the monasteries of Nalanda, as well as temples, important stupas and its small museum (at the moment the small museum of Nalanda is under renovation / let's see if it opens by the end of the year / we have another museum that we really like in mind in case this one is closed). It is certainly a very special and inviting place to practice observation, reflection and familiarization of our mind, that is, meditation individually or together, as each traveller prefers, as well as reading excerpts from important texts of this science written in the same place where we will be, in this ancient university.
We will continue our journey for approximately 5 hours to Vaishali. On the way we will pass through Patna, the capital of the ancient empire of Ashoka, now part of the state of Bihar, and through which the Ganges River also flows. Let's see how much time and hunger we have! We will then choose some of the good restaurant options along the way or in Vaishali itself. We will also see if we will have time for any visits or walks at the end of the day.
Shanti Stupa
Relics stupa
Kutagarasala Vihara
Kesariya
Starting our day in Vaishali, after our breakfast, we will take a walk through the small village near our hotel. Vaishali, which, like Rajgir, is one of the 8 holiest sites in Buddhism, was perhaps the first example of a republic-type government organization, which Buddha visited numerous times. It was in Vaishali that Buddha ordained the first female nun, performed miracles, gave his last sermon (sutra), announced his Mahaparanirvana, taught the Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, and held the Second Council. We will visit one more Shanti Stupa, as in Rajgir, and a much older one stupa, of the Licchavi Empire, which kept some of the relics of Buddha.
Near Vaishali, we will continue to the archaeological site of the monastery Kutagarasala, where the stupa of one of Buddha's main students is located. Ananda, his cousin and attendant, played a major role in the first council after Buddha's death, as he remembered all of Buddha's sutras and teachings. It was near Vaishali on the banks of the Ganges that Ananda passed into nirvana. Next to the stupa we will see one of the pillars of Ashoka, the great emperor who supported Buddhism in India and in several other countries in Asia. Time to continue our journey for approximately 5 hours through the Gangetic plain, to Kushinagar, the site of Buddha's Mahaparanirvana.
On the way we will make a stop at the Stupa Kesariya. Built approximately 1500 years ago on the site where Buddha lived in a previous life, the site of one of his teachers before he became enlightened, where on a previous visit he taught what has come to be known as the Kalama Sutra. In this teaching Buddha emphasized the importance of using reason, testing and investigating the teachings on the workings of our mind, as opposed to blind belief and dogma. On his way to Kushinagar, on his last visit, Buddha offered his bowl here to the Lichavis, the inhabitants of Vaishali.
Mahaparinirvana Temple
Walk
Ramabhar stupa
Today we will not need to use our vehicle. We will walk through the village of Kushinagar, one of the four holiest sites in Buddhism, as the Buddha himself, in his last teaching in Vaishali, instructed his students to visit – Mahaparanirvana Sutra. While walking we will visit the temple that stands on the site of the Mahaparanirvana of Buddha, where today there is a statue of the reclining Buddha. We will visit a Myanmar stupa and a small Japanese temple. In the afternoon we will visit the place where Buddha was cremated, a stupa and there is a pleasant lawn to contemplate this important teaching of the Buddha on impermanence, as well as his legacy for the development of the human mind.
Buddha's birthplace
Early in the morning today we will head towards the South of Nepal. This region is still low-lying, but geographically, culturally and ethnically very similar to the regions we have visited in recent days. We will notice small differences due to the proximity and influence of the higher regions of this small and highest country in the world. After formalities at Indian and Nepalese immigration, facilitated by Guilherme, we will head to our hotel for a good meal. We suggest some very good typical Nepalese food! After our lunch, we will take a walk to the Maya Devi temple. Place where Buddha was born when his mother, Mayadevi, returned to her parents' village, as is traditional to this day, to give birth to her son. Thus we will complete the four most sacred sites in Buddhism.
Kapilavastu
Walk
Buddha's birthplace
After our breakfast, near Lumbini, we will visit the place where Buddha lived during his childhood and youth, Kapilavastu. The then prince Siddhartha was quite protected by his father, with regard to all discomforts and possible suffering. At the same time, with the presence of all the pleasures that our senses can offer us. It was while exploring the surroundings of his house that Siddhartha had four important visions: for the first time he saw a sick person, an old man, a dead person and an ascetic. We will walk through the same places where Siddhartha lived before his enlightenment, from where he continued his Walk, studies and training until he became enlightened in our already known Bodhgaya. Back in Lumbini, we will be able to walk through the region, visiting some temples and, of course, visiting once again the place where Buddha was born. Such an important place that sitting there a little longer, enjoying reading, reflecting and familiarizing yourself, as each traveller prefers, are certainly remarkable and very worthwhile experiences.
Flight
Boudhnath
Transfer to the nearest airport in Lumbini, approx. 20min, and flight to Kathmandu. Weather permitting, with an incredible view of the snow-capped mountains, the highest on our planet: the Himalayas. Arrival in the Kathmandu Valley, transfer to the hotel in the Tibetan neighborhood, with a free afternoon around the great stupa of Boudhnath with assistance.
Around the great stupa (Tib: chörten) of boudhanath In our Tibetan neighborhood, full of monasteries, we will find nuns, monks and lay Tibetans, sometimes great masters, making their koras (circumambulations), turning the famous prayer wheels with millions of Om Mani Padma Hungs, reciting mantras and lighting lamps, especially in the late afternoon and early morning. We will take advantage of one of the cafés or restaurants to observe and assimilate our first contact on this trip with these people who, in a more direct or indirect way, keep alive to this day, throughout the world, the legacy of the Nalanda University that we visited a few days ago.
Flight 15DEC Buddha Air U4852 Lumbini 09:00 Kathmandu 09:30
Swayambunath
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Thamel
Boudhnath
After our first afternoon in Boudhnath, we will begin our morning visits with a short walk in the area of the second largest stupa in the valley, Swayambunath (translation: self-arising). Legend has it that the hill where the stupa stands arose from the spot where the bodhisattva Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, picked a lotus flower after emptying the lake in what is now the Kathmandu Valley. Weather permitting, we will have a view of the entire city. We will make our koras around the stupa and visit its small monasteries.
From Swayambu we will continue to Durbar Square, (Palace Square) in Kathmandu where a small living goddess, the Kumari, lives. The durbar squares of the Kathmandu Valley were built by kings who were heirs of the Malla dynasty, from the 12th to the 18th centuries, which, in this case, were fortunate enough to compete in architectural beauty. There are numerous temples of various Hindu gods around the palace. We will then walk to the travellers' quarter in Kathmandu, Thamel, with numerous good restaurants, mountaineering shops, Nepalese crafts, bookstores, for a good meal and, if someone needs it, to buy some clothes, for example, for trekking or future trips.
After our visits, walks and lunch, we will return to the stupa of boudhanath, full of flags, famous prayer wheels with millions of Om Mani Padma Hungs and many monasteries of great masters that we can visit.
Bhaktapur
Namo Buddha
Today we will visit one of the three main ancient cities in the valley, Bhaktapur (bhakt: devotion and pur: Hindu city). Along with Patan and Kathmandu, which we will visit in the next few days, they were once capitals of the Malla empire that competed in architectural beauty with the beautiful squares of their palaces. Bhaktapur is a listed city, with limited traffic flow. Walking through its alleys is like getting to know a little bit of everyday life in medieval Nepal.
After our walk and lunch, we will head to a quieter area of the valley, Namo Buddha.
Namo Buddha
Patan
In a previous life, Buddha Shakyamuni, when he was still a bodhisattva, met a hungry tigress with nothing to feed her cubs. Buddha, because of his level of realization, offered his own body where there is now a monastery of Thrangu Rinpoche, in Namo Buddha. After breakfast, we will take a leisurely walk to the monastery and then to the stupa where Buddha's brothers in that life kept his relics. If you prefer, our vehicle can make this journey instead of walking for a few minutes.
We will continue to the friendly Durbar Square Patan, very famous for its artists and beautiful temples. There we will visit a small, very well-made and very educational museum of Hindu and Buddhist art. Nearby, we will visit the small and beautiful Golden Temple, used to this day by Nepalese Buddhists from the same clan as Buddha Sakyamuni himself. Patan is a good option for our lunch, it is a good place to buy Buddhist statues (as in Boudha too), of excellent quality, as well as to walk through these medieval streets and their temples.
At the end of the day we will return to our now well-known neighborhood of Boudhnath.
Monasteries
Pashupatinath
Today we will visit at least one of the main monasteries of the Kathmandu Valley, thus providing a good opportunity to learn a little about the projects of these great masters. One of the possibilities is Kopan, the monastery of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, where several hundred monks of all ages live. It is an important study center for Sherpas, often coming from the Everest region, and foreigners from all over the world.
Other possibilities, which we will visit naturally according to the group's pace, are the monasteries of Dudjom Rinpoche, called Dudjom Gompa, the Sakya monastery of Trinchen Rinpoche, the KaNying Shedrub Ling of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chökling Rinpoche and Phakchok Rinpoche, and the Shechen, of Matthieu Ricard, Rabjam Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
We will then take a walk through the temple complex of Pashupatinath, which is located around the Bagmati River, sacred to Hindus. In addition to the main temple, dedicated to the most peaceful manifestation of Shiva, Pashupati, there are dozens of smaller temples also dedicated to the Hindu yogi god of destruction and reconstruction. It is also the place where Nepalese who are able to do so will be cremated to ensure a good passage or liberation (moksha).
Free day
Some travellers may fly out this morning. Some will fly out tomorrow morning or in the afternoon. So, today will be the last day of our trip. We are always welcome to buy some souvenirs and enjoy this country that will surely have offered us special experiences and touched us a lot. Take another tour of the places we liked the most, make some more koras, walk, take pictures, read, write, get to know some other places. Whatever is best and according to each traveller's preference.
If you're feeling up to it, as a way to make the most of our last visit, we can make an extra visit to one of Guru Rinpoche's caves. This will conclude our visits to the sacred places of Buddhism.
Transfer
Flight
Transfer with assistance to the airport for the group flight back to Brazil. If you need or prefer to fly before or after the group flight, we will organize an extra transfer with our full support as well. Have a great return!
Photos: Chörten Travels