Tour highlights
- 7-day private Buddhist pilgrimage tour covering Lumbini (Buddha’s birthplace), Kapilvastu (his childhood kingdom), Tilaurakot, and the Kathmandu valley monasteries.
- Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage sites, alongside Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar.
- Includes Boudhanath Stupa (the largest stupa in Nepal), Swayambhunath, Namobuddha monastery, and the working monasteries of Pharping where retreatants still meditate today.
- Private vehicle, English-speaking Buddhist-aware guide, twin-share hotels with attached bath. Internal flights included for the Lumbini segment.
- 10% deposit to lock dates, balance paid in person in Kathmandu.
- Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center work at Saldum, where 70 children are taught by one dedicated teacher.
Why I built this tour the way I did
I am Shreejan, the founder of The Everest Holiday. The Buddhist Circuit is what we run for pilgrims who want to visit the sites that mattered to the life of the historical Buddha, plus the working monasteries of the Kathmandu valley where the Tibetan diaspora continues the tradition. The route is built around Lumbini, which is where the Buddha was born, and which has drawn pilgrims since the time of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC.
In Lumbini you visit the Maya Devi Temple (built over the exact spot of the Buddha’s birth), the Ashoka Pillar (planted by Emperor Ashoka himself in 249 BC), and the international monastery zone where Buddhist communities from many countries have built temples in their own architectural traditions. The Lumbini Garden complex is large, and you need a full day plus an evening to take it in.
In the Kathmandu valley the focus shifts to the living Buddhist tradition. Boudhanath Stupa is the largest in Nepal and the spiritual centre of the Tibetan refugee community since 1959. Namobuddha (where the Buddha is said to have offered his body to a starving tigress in a previous life) is now a working Karma Kagyu monastery. Pharping has the Asura Cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated.
We run this as a private tour. Your pace, your reading time at each site. We never merge your booking with other travellers.
Every booking on this trip helps us pay the teacher’s salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum, where 70 children get free education. The salary is currently funded out of my own pocket. Your trip is what makes that sustainable.
Enjoy a deep Buddhist journey in Nepal, which is a very spiritual trip that follows the life and lessons of Lord Buddha. It links several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It starts with the peaceful Lumbini visit to the Maya Devi Temple, where Buddha was born.
In the Kathmandu Valley, you can see the famous Swayambhunath Stupa, which has a Buddha face with eyes looking in every direction, and the huge, colourful Boudhanath Stupa, which is a center for Tibetan Buddhism around the world. The trail goes to famous places like Namobuddha, a place to remember a sacrifice made in a past life, and Pharping's meditation caves, which are holy to Guru Rinpoche.
This carefully planned Buddhist heritage tour includes time at working monasteries, Buddhist art and architecture, and a chance to watch daily rituals. It is meant for spiritual travellers and combines the chance to think deeply about yourself with visits to ancient temples and calm natural settings where people follow Buddhist rituals.
A major highlight of the Buddhist trail tour
- Visit the peaceful grounds of Maya Devi Temple, where Lord Buddha was born, and the International Monastic Zone, which has temples from all over the world.
- Climb to this old stupa on a mountaintop, which has the famous Buddha eyes and beautiful views of the valley. It is a mix of Buddhist and Hindu devotion.
- Walk around one of the world's biggest stupas while pilgrims chant in time with the whirling prayer wheels at this impressive UNESCO monument.
- Travel to this quiet mountaintop where Buddha showed the ultimate sacrifice in a former life. Now there are stupas and views of the whole area.
- Visit sacred caverns where Guru Rinpoche found enlightenment. These caves are a holy place for serious meditation and Vajrayana practice.
- Visit this quiet monastery on a hilltop overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, and ask your guide about the basics of Buddhism and meditation.
- See Buddhist art, such as detailed wood carvings, huge gold statues, colourful Tibetan paintings, and designs for stupas that have been around for a long time.
- Watch daily rituals such as morning prayers, butter lamp offerings and local pilgrim rites.
Overview of the Kathmandu-Lumbini Buddhist trail tour-7 days
Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was born in Nepal. It is not simply a nation; it is a living mix of Buddhist culture, spirituality, and peaceful scenery. The Buddhist Trail in Nepal takes pilgrims and visitors on a guided walk through sacred locations, old monasteries, meditation centres, and venerated stupas that have supported Buddhism for over 2,000 years.
This path goes through green hills, quiet valleys, and busy towns.The Buddhist Trail connects locations where the Buddha spread his teachings, great masters meditated, and people now gather to pray.It is a trip that combines looking inside yourself with looking outside at history, architecture, culture, and the natural beauty of the landscape. The journey begins in the peaceful plains of Lumbini, where Lord Buddha was born. It then goes to the lively monastic centres of Kathmandu Valley, such as Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple) and Boudhanath Stupa, which is one of the biggest spherical stupas in the world and a center of Tibetan Buddhism.
It goes even farther to remote mountain retreats like Namobuddha, where people tell stories of kindness, and to the cave monasteries of Pharping, where Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) is said to have meditated. Our tour starts in Kathmandu, goes to Lumbini and comes back to Kathmandu. Along the route, there are quiet woodland walks, prayer flags that flutter in the wind, prayer wheels that spin, and the soft sound of mantras. Each site narrates a story of enlightenment, sacrifice, and dedication.
They also provide places for meditation, studying, and connecting with monastic groups. The Buddhist Trail in Nepal encourages you to walk in the footsteps of the Awakened One and feel a quietness that goes beyond time. Whether you are a pilgrim looking for blessings, a meditator looking for solitude, or a visitor interested in spiritual traditions, this is the place for you.
Reminder
For a smooth and easy start, we recommend arriving in Kathmandu by 4 PM the day before we leave. This gives you enough time for a final gear check, a trip briefing with your guide, and to ensure you have everything you need before the tour begins.
Online briefing
This online meeting serves as our first coffee before the trip! This online meeting is your opportunity to learn about everything that will happen on the trip. We'll discuss everything from what gear to bring to what each day on the route will be like and how it will feel, and we'll address any questions you may have. After you book, we'll send you an email with a couple of times when we can talk. We'll set up our pre-adventure meeting as soon as you submit the papers we need. Also, our tour itinerary includes your hotel stay in Kathmandu. During the online meeting, please share your preferences, budget, and the standard of the hotel you would like to stay at in Kathmandu. We will arrange it for you accordingly.
Nepal Buddhist Circuit Tour at a glance
| Duration | 7 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Route | Kathmandu, the valley's Buddhist sites and Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha |
| Style | Private or small group, easy, no trekking |
| Accommodation | Comfortable hotels, included |
| Good for | Buddhist pilgrims and travellers drawn to Nepal's living heritage |
| Best months | October to March |
Best time for the Nepal Buddhist Circuit Tour
| Season | Months | What it is like | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | October to November | Clear and pleasant, the main season | Best overall |
| Winter | December to February | Cool and dry in Kathmandu, mild days in Lumbini (morning fog is possible) | Great |
| Spring | March to April | Warm and mostly dry, good for sightseeing | Great |
| Monsoon | June to mid-September | Hot, humid and wet, with rain likely on the long road to Lumbini | Fair |
Travelling as a group?
Bring your own group — friends, family, a club, a university society, your workplace, or a cause you are raising money for — and any of the three comfort levels can run as a private group on your own dates. Private or group, the price per person is the same; we never put strangers in your group. The more of you there are, the less each person pays:
| Group size | Budget (per person) | Standard (per person) | Luxury (per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | US$1,749 | US$2,690 | US$4,215 |
| 2-4 people | US$999 | US$1,685 | US$2,149 |
| 5-8 people | US$930 | US$1,570 | US$2,000 |
| 9-12 people | US$880 | US$1,485 | US$1,895 |
| 13-20 people | US$840 | US$1,420 | US$1,810 |
The organiser travels free. Get fourteen or more paying people together and whoever organised the group joins the trip free. The one thing the organiser still pays is their own entrance fees at the sites, since those are fixed costs we pay out for every person, and we cover the rest. Your departure is guaranteed on your own dates — from a solo traveller up to a group of twenty, and we never merge you into another trip.
Planning a group? Message me on WhatsApp with the trip, roughly when, and how many of you, and I will send you a price and a plan.
Compare Our Three Packages
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | USD 999 | USD 1,685 | USD 2,149 |
| Meals | Breakfast only (BB basis) | All meals included (B/L/D) | All meals + all drinks (except alcohol) |
| Room | Tourist hotel | 3-star hotel | Luxury hotel |
| Porter | — | — | — |
| Guide | 1 guide, assistant at 9+ | 1 guide, assistant at 9+ | 1 guide, assistant at 9+ |
| Transport | Local shared vehicle | Shared tourist vehicle | Luxury private vehicle |
| SIM data | SIM only | Limited data | Unlimited data |
| Best for | Budget-conscious travellers | Comfortable touring | Premium experience |
Himalayas for Every Budget — same guides, same safety, three comfort levels.
Your Pilgrimage, Our Family
The Everest Holiday is a family company. Shreejan Simkhada, our CEO, grew up surrounded by Himalayan guiding — his grandfather supported expeditions, his father held senior positions in Nepal's tourism institutions. When Shreejan and Shamjhana founded this company in 2016, they were carrying on what their families had done for generations.
On this Buddhist pilgrimage, that family connection matters. We don't just show you temples. We show you the Nepal we grew up in — the living traditions of the country we grew up in.
Why Travellers Trust Us
Deep respect for Nepal's spiritual heritage. As a Nepali family, we understand the sacred significance of every temple, stupa, and monastery on this pilgrimage route. Our guides don't just recite history — they share the living traditions they grew up with.
Government registered. Registration 147653/072/073, TAAN Member #1586. Our guides are government-licensed, trained in first aid and speak English.
A portion of every booking supports 70 children's education through the Nagarjun Learning Center. Pilgrimage that gives back.
Solo Travellers Welcome
Solo travellers are welcome. You travel privately with your own guide, or you can choose to join one of our fixed departures if you would like company. Groups run from 1 to 20 people.
Difficulty: Easy
A relaxed tour of Kathmandu and Lumbini. No trekking. Includes Buddhist heritage sites and cultural experiences, with two long road days to and from Lumbini. Perfect for first-time visitors or those who prefer comfort over adventure.
Your Booking Supports Children's Education
A portion of every booking supports the Nagarjun Learning Center, founded by our family. Today, 70 children receive free education and hot meals daily at our flagship centre in Saldum Village, Dhading District. The centre is verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal.
Travel with a purpose.
