If the skies are clear on approach, the Himalayas appear above the city like a wall at the edge of the world. Then the plane descends and Kathmandu unfolds: woodsmoke, incense, prayer flags, horns, chaos, life. What is the chaos in your own life?

A transfer takes us to our hotel in the city. We check in, freshen up and come together for a welcome dinner. The first meal. The first evening. The Inner Expedition has begun.

Hotel Barahi Kathmandu

Hotel Barahi Kathmandu is a five-star hotel on the edge of the travelers neighborhood Thamel, steps away from the neoclassical Garden of Dreams and within easy walking distance of the ancient Kathmandu Durbar Square. The location strikes the right balance: quiet enough to escape the bustle of the city, central enough to explore it on foot.

After breakfast, we drive to Namo Buddha. Hills, terraced fields, the city falling away. At the top, the monastery appears. Prayer flags. Chanting. Something shifts.

This place carries a story of pure compassion. We slow down, let the silence do its work and go deeper in an optional Kundalini session. The evening ends with dinner alongside the monks. Simple food. A sky full of stars.

Guest House at Namo Buddha Monastery

The guest house sits directly on the grounds of Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, one of Nepal’s most sacred Buddhist sites. At roughly 1,500 metres, the hilltop setting offers open views over the surrounding valleys.

This is as close to monastery life as you can get: meals are shared with the monks, morning prayers start at 6 AM and the rhythm of the day follows the monastic schedule.

Today we stay. A day of silence. No agenda, no words, just presence. An optional Kundalini session for those who want to go deeper. For the rest: hike, sit, breathe, look at the mountains.

In the evening, we gather again. Not to talk, but to arrive. What lives between the inhale and the exhale? Today may have offered a first glimpse.

Guest House at Namo Buddha Monastery

The guest house sits directly on the grounds of Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, one of Nepal’s most sacred Buddhist sites. At roughly 1,500 metres, the hilltop setting offers open views over the surrounding valleys.

This is as close to monastery life as you can get: meals are shared with the monks, morning prayers start at 6 AM and the rhythm of the day follows the monastic schedule.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to the monastery and drive back to Kathmandu. From the domestic airport, a short flight takes us to Pokhara, about 30 minutes, with the Himalayan range visible from the window on a clear day.

Pokhara receives us differently than Kathmandu. Quieter. Softer. And then there is Phewa Lake. Still, mirror-flat, reflecting the snow-capped peaks above. The outer world and the inner world, side by side. What does the water show when you look long enough?

TBD

Follows

After breakfast, we meet our porters and drive into the mountains. About 45 minutes later, we step out and … there it is. The foothills of the Himalaya, all around us. The air is cleaner here. The pace slower. The body notices before anything else does. It’s moving.

The trail descends through rhododendron forest, the sacred double-peaked Machhapuchhre rising ahead. With every step, the ground feels more solid. The breath deeper. By afternoon, we arrive in Landruk. Simple rooms, local food, a warm welcome.

Homestay

During the trek we sleep in homestay’s: simple mountain homes with firm mattresses, pillows and blankets against the cold, and dal bhat in the shared dining room.

Expect a twin room, a shared bathroom and cold water. A hot shower, wifi and charging your electronics is usually possible, for a small extra fee. And then there is the warm fire in the dining room, friendly hospitality and views no hotel can match. This is the Himalaya.

PS: even though pillows and blankets are provided, we recommend bringing your own warm sleeping bag. The nights at altitude get cold, and your own bag makes a real difference. After booking, you’ll receive a detailed packing list from By Mountain People that helps you prepare for both the trek and the nights in the lodges.

The trail drops to the Modi Khola river, crosses a suspension bridge and climbs again through terraced fields and Gurung villages until Ghandruk appears on the hillside. Stone houses, narrow alleys, mountains close enough to feel rather than just see.

Walking through a place like this asks a quiet question: what does home really mean to you?

Homestay

During the trek we sleep in homestay’s: simple mountain homes with firm mattresses, pillows and blankets against the cold, and dal bhat in the shared dining room.

Expect a twin room, a shared bathroom and cold water. A hot shower, wifi and charging your electronics is usually possible, for a small extra fee. And then there is the warm fire in the dining room, friendly hospitality and views no hotel can match. This is the Himalaya.

PS: even though pillows and blankets are provided, we recommend bringing your own warm sleeping bag. The nights at altitude get cold, and your own bag makes a real difference. After booking, you’ll receive a detailed packing list from By Mountain People that helps you prepare for both the trek and the nights in the lodges.

After breakfast, we walk down to Nayapul, the final steps of the hike. Then we board our vehicle and drive back to Pokhara.

In the afternoon, we reach a Tibetan monastery and refugee camp on the outskirts of the city. From mountain stillness to human story. The transition is part of the journey. What has moved in you these past days, in the body, the heart, the mind?

Tashi Palkhel

The guest house sits directly on the grounds of Tashi Palkhel, in one of Nepal’s most Tibetan Refugee Camps.

Again, just like at Namo Buddha, this is as close to monastery life as you can get: meals are shared with the monks, morning prayers start at 6 AM and the rhythm of the day follows the monastic schedule.

Today we spend the day in stillness at Tashi Palkhel. Rest, breathe, write. Attend an optional Kundalini session with Rosalie, join a Buddhist ceremony in the monastery, or contribute to the community through a donation or voluntary work.

No agenda. Just presence.

Tashi Palkhel

The guest house sits directly on the grounds of Tashi Palkhel, in one of Nepal’s most Tibetan Refugee Camps.

Again, just like at Namo Buddha, this is as close to monastery life as you can get: meals are shared with the monks, morning prayers start at 6 AM and the rhythm of the day follows the monastic schedule.

We leave Pokhara behind and transfer back to Kathmandu. The mountains slowly give way to the valley. The inner journey and the outer world begin to meet again.

How do we carry what we have found here, back into the noise, the pace, the ordinary?

Hotel Barahi Kathmandu

Hotel Barahi Kathmandu is a five-star hotel on the edge of the travelers neighborhood Thamel, steps away from the neoclassical Garden of Dreams and within easy walking distance of the ancient Kathmandu Durbar Square. The location strikes the right balance: quiet enough to escape the bustle of the city, central enough to explore it on foot.

After breakfast, we visit Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa. Two of Nepal’s most sacred sites, and two very different encounters with the same truth.

At Pashupatinath, the cremation fires burn at the edge of the Bagmati River. Life and death, side by side, without apology. At Boudhanath, we walk the kora, the circular path around the stupa, alongside monks and pilgrims. Every step a small letting go.

This is the theme of the day: impermanence. What the river carries away. What the circle brings back.

Hotel Barahi Kathmandu

Hotel Barahi Kathmandu is a five-star hotel on the edge of the travelers neighborhood Thamel, steps away from the neoclassical Garden of Dreams and within easy walking distance of the ancient Kathmandu Durbar Square. The location strikes the right balance: quiet enough to escape the bustle of the city, central enough to explore it on foot.

This morning, we gather one last time before the journey home. Rosalie and Govinda close the expedition with a final ritual, a small gesture of blessing for the road ahead.

You do not leave as the same person who arrived. Something was left behind. Something was found. The Inner Expedition does not end today, it continues in how you return.

Kort het afscheid en de terugkomsessie benoemen?

We leave Kathmandu and head west towards Pokhara. The city chaos gives way to green hills and open countryside. A long but rewarding drive with the Annapurna range appearing on the horizon as we approach the lake city.

We enter the Lower Mustang, gateway to the Upper Mustang and one of Nepal’s most dramatic landscapes. Ancient monasteries, traditional Thakali villages and the deep Kali Gandaki gorge pass by the window. The sacred temple of Muktinath is one of the highlights along the way. The landscape shifts from subtropical green to something altogether more austere.

The road climbs higher and the landscape becomes wilder. The Upper Mustang has a distinctly Tibetan character. Vast, rugged and extraordinary.

The destination is Lo Manthang: a walled city on Nepalese soil, right on the border with Tibet. Closed to the outside world until 1992, today only accessible with a special permit. We spend a full day here to experience the Tibetan atmosphere and, for those who want to, drive further towards the Chinese border.

We drive back through the mountains towards Pokhara. Temperatures rise, greenery returns and the snow-capped peaks remain in view the entire way. A night in our 4-star hotel in Pokhara — time to wash off the dust and rest.

We head south into the jungle. The Terai lowlands are a world apart from the mountains: flat, warm and teeming with wildlife. We spend a full day on safari at a top-class resort on the banks of the Rapti River — by boat, on foot and by jeep. One-horned rhinos, crocodiles and gharials are almost certain. A Bengal tiger is always possible.

A spectacular mountain road brings us back to Kathmandu. Hundreds of bends, narrow passes and no heavy traffic. A final full day in the city with a guided tour of Kathmandu’s highlights. Then the flight home, with a full head and heart.