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From 11 to 27 February 2027
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
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
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 walk In the area near our hotel, we will visit temples, including one from the time of the Mahabharata, which is several thousand years old.
We will also visit the Sikh temple, a religion from the 16th century, in the beautiful Punjab region of India. 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.
We'll have our first really good Indian meal in this city with so much history that you're sure to enjoy!
Old Delhi.
Raj Ghat
Gandhi Smriti
We will begin our tour 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. We will visit the Emperor's Grand Mosque, the Jama Masjid. There, for those who wish, there is the possibility of a walk up the minaret! From there we have a view of the city and the Red Fort above. Just be very careful on the platform up there, please.
Next, we will walk through the narrow streets of its old bazaar. There is a very old shop, passed down from father to son for a long time, selling essences (sandalwood, etc.) which is a treat in itself. Following the walk through the bazaar streets, to have more contact with the area and get a better look at the 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 there that important events in Indian history took place, such as the independence of this country, today the largest democracy in the world, where ancient values and customs coexist with extremely 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.
It will probably be time for a proper meal when we get back to the area with better infrastructure in the city, near our hotel.
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.
Lotus Temple
Iskcon temple
National museum
Kartavya Path (Rajpath)
Today we will start our day further south of the city, where we will visit the beautiful Lotus TempleBuilt in the shape of its name, it belongs to the Bahá'í Faith, founded in the 19th century in ancient Persia. Upon visiting, we will be invited to remain silent for a moment. An interesting opportunity and experience in the midst of this large, bustling city. After the temple visit, there will be an exhibition about the history and work of this religion. Interesting for getting a glimpse into its thoughts.
Near the Lotus Temple, we can visit the temple ISKCON. Very beautiful, it's a good opportunity to see how the Hare Krishna movement, which we've already seen in our countries, is practiced in India. Let's just be mindful of their midday closing times (open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m., then from 16:15 p.m. to 21 p.m.).
A very interesting visit in Delhi is the National museumIt's possible to spend many hours or days appreciating each hall and exhibition about the history, arts, and peoples of India. A good way to take advantage of this opportunity is by visiting, in particular, the Hall of Indo Saraswati Culture and the Buddha relics. 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 is believed to have become Shiva (possibly in the form of Pashupati), the sculpture of the priest's head, and the dancing girl. In a new building, we have the Buddha's relics. A very special place to sit for a while and do our practice.
Near our hotel is 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.
We will check the city's cultural agenda for the days in Delhi, as a possibility of a special activity, where great artists from the country perform.
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.
Ganges Sunrise
Sarnath
End of free day
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 SarnathWe 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 first taught, approximately 2500 years ago. We will, of course, do our practice. Then we will visit the Mahabodhi Temple where there are relics of Buddha and a "granddaughter" of the tree on which Buddha sat and became enlightened.
The end of the day is free to enjoy Sarnath a little more, then return to the ghats area in Varanasi, as well as other possibilities that we will discuss with the group later that day.
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 lunch and have free time to enjoy the temple complex. Mahabodhi...other temples, cafes, walking, reading, however each traveller prefers to enjoy this late afternoon.
Walk
Temples
Mahabodhi Temple
Today, if we want, even if it is available for whatever we need, we don't need to use our vehicle. We will walk Around Bodhgaya, you'll see a large Buddha statue built by the Japanese, a Japanese temple, a Bhutanese temple, each with very beautiful and distinct styles. A very beautiful monastery that we can also visit is the Mingyur Rinpoche monastery. There's also a very special new monastery, a little further away, very beautiful, dedicated to Tara. There are many possibilities. We'll see how the group feels on the day and that's what we'll do. Including, of course, the main temple, Mahabodhi, which is always worth returning to. There are good lunch and café options in the city. We can always reserve the ever-welcome and requested free time in the temple, whether for shopping for Buddhist items, sitting a little longer near the Bodhi tree, reading, meditation, walking, taking photos, as each pilgrim 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 PeakThis is 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 from great masters. It's a very peaceful place, also on a nearby mountain. We will take advantage of this special opportunity to offer incense, do our practice, and do the very special reading of the Heart Sutra.
Nalanda University
Kutagarasala Vihara
Ananda's stupa
In the morning, next to Rajgir, we will visit the archaeological site of the very important University of nalandaNalanda was for centuries one of the most important centers of Buddhist studies, attracting students from many parts of the world, especially between the 5th and 12th centuries. It housed approximately 10.000 students and 2.000 teachers, and boasted a library larger than that of Alexandria, for example. Among the many great scholars and masters of Nalanda, known as the Indian pandits, 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 tradition of Nalanda remains alive 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 a rich and important exchange with neuroscientists, physicists, and contemporary educators. We will visit the monasteries of Nalanda, as well as temples, important stupas, and its small museum. It is certainly a very special and inviting place for our practice, such as reading excerpts from important texts of this science, written in the same location 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 Ashoka empire, now part of the state of Bihar, and through which the Ganges River also flows. Upon arriving in Vaishali, quite close to Patna, we will check in, have a good meal, and then take a walk through the small village near our hotel. Vaishali, which, like Rajgir, is one of the eight most sacred sites in Buddhism, may have been the first example of a republic-type government organization, which Buddha visited numerous times. It was in Vaishali that Buddha ordained the first sangha of female nuns, demonstrated miracles, delivered his last sermon (sutra), announced his Mahaparanirvana, and it was also where the Second Council took place.
Near Vaishali, we will continue to the archaeological site of the monastery Kutagarasala, where is the stupa One of Buddha's principal students, Ananda, his cousin and attendant, played a significant role in the first council after Buddha's death, as he remembered all the sutras, Buddha's 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 several other countries in Asia.
Shanti Stupa
Relics stupa
Kesariya stupa
At the beginning of the day we will visit another one Shanti Stupa, as in Rajgir, and a much more ancient stupa, from the Lichwavi Empire, which housed relics of Buddha. There is a very pleasant and inviting lawn for our readings, practice, and always good conversations.
Time to continue our journey for approximately 5 hours across the Ganges 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.
Mahapanirvana Site Temple and Buddha Relics
Stupa at Buddha's cremation site
Today we won't need to use our vehicle. We'll walk through the village of Kushinagar, one of the four most sacred sites in Buddhism, as the Buddha himself instructed his students to visit in his final teaching—the Mahaparanirvana Sutra. While walking, we'll 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 where we can contemplate this important teaching of the Buddha about impermanence and practice it.
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 Exploring the region, visiting some temples and, of course, revisiting the place where Buddha was born. It's such an important place that sitting there a little longer, enjoying reading, reflection, and familiarization, are surely memorable 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.
Flights
For those returning to Brazil today, we offer assisted airport transfers. We hope you enjoyed your time following and experiencing the Buddha's teachings. Have a safe trip home!