In recent years, Nepal has gained a strong reputation among yoga enthusiasts seeking some quick fix R&R, or a more intense month-long escape. Combined with other recreational activities – including cooking and meditation classes – we’ve selected the best yoga retreats to enjoy around the country.
Enjoy an early morning yoga session in Sarangkot, overlooking the snow-capped Himalayan mountains, as part of Culture Trip’s exclusive 11-day Nepal adventure – led by our Local Insider.
This retreat is the oldest in Pokhara and has been operating for over 20 years. Book a stay from anywhere between one to 32 days and choose from a range of packages: Yoga and the Poon Hill trek, Yoga and Chitwan National Park, or a Yoga and Meditation Programme. Guests praise Sadhana’s peaceful and relaxed atmosphere and rave about their massages.
Located on a hillside in Pokhara, Purna Yoga Retreat offers a variety of packages – from classic yoga retreats lasting from one to 21 days to three-day juice cleanses and week-long detox programmes. They also offer drop-in yoga classes, cooking workshops, massages and much, much more. Participants particularly appreciate the homely atmosphere and the delicious food.
Certified by the Yoga Alliance International, Nepal Yoga Home is located on a hill on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley – at the foot of the jungle of the Nagarjun National Park. It combines close proximity to the capital city with being far enough away to feel tranquil and detached. It’s a family-run establishment with a reputation for its warmth and hospitality. As well as their wide array of retreat packages, Nepal Yoga Home also offers many yoga teacher training and Ayurveda-related courses.
Tushita’s packages range from four-day retreats for beginners to 30-day courses including all food and drink. There’s a spiritual focus to the retreat – which places an emphasis on Vedic philosophies and rituals – as well as spectacular views of Phewa Lake and the Annapurna mountains in the background. There are only nine rooms up for grabs, so make sure to book well in advance. Instruction is also available in Japanese.
The Neydo Monastery in Pharping – on the southern edge of the Kathmandu Valley – is a working monastery with an attached guesthouse. While the monastery itself doesn’t offer any R&R, Kathmandu-based yoga studio, Pranamaya, runs weekend yoga retreats here a few times a year – or you can stay at the nearby Neydo Hotel, which offers 23 rooms. While some travellers do attend – and are certainly welcome – most participants tend to be foreigners living in Kathmandu. Two or three-day yoga retreats here include practices taking place in a beautiful room overlooking the farmland and rice paddies below, lessons on Tibetan Buddhism from the monks and walks into Pharping village – an important Buddhist pilgrimage site home to an important meditation cave.
High above the Pokhara Valley – with spectacular views of the Annapurna Himalaya – Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge is a luxury boutique establishment that runs yoga and meditation lessons on-site. It doesn’t run dedicated yoga retreats in the same way that many other places around Pokhara do, but if you’re looking to combine luxury accommodation with a spot of yoga, Tiger Mountain Lodge is an excellent choice. They are at the forefront of responsible tourism practices in Nepal and are dedicated to supporting local community development through the “Pack for a Purpose” initiative.
As well as one and two-week yoga retreats, the Begnas Lake Resort and Villas hold group yoga sessions in their outdoor pavilion twice a day and offer Ayurveda treatment packages. Individual classes and consultations can also be arranged. The nearby Lake Begnas – which is about a 40-minute drive from Pokhara – is a major draw. While it’s much less developed than Pokhara’s Phewa Lake, it is every bit as picturesque.
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