4-Day Himalayan Sunrise Yoga & Trekking Retreat in Nepal

The retreat begins with an afternoon arrival at the yoga academy in Kathmandu, located on the edge of the Nagarjun jungle. After a welcome lunch, you have the afternoon free to settle in before your first evening yoga and meditation session. The academy is a calm pocket within Kathmandu's chaos — gardens, a yoga shala, and homemade vegetarian food.

Day two is the big active day. You choose between two options: the trek from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot, or a sightseeing tour of Bhaktapur. The trek starts at the UNESCO-listed Changu Narayan temple (Nepal's oldest), then climbs through rice terraces and pine forest for around six hours before reaching the Nagarkot ridge. The Bhaktapur option is a gentler day exploring the medieval Durbar Square, with its famous 55-window palace and pottery workshops. Either way, you spend the night in Nagarkot at altitude, with a star-filled sky and crisp mountain air.

Day three is sunrise day. You're up before dawn to watch the light spread across 300 kilometres of Himalayan peaks — the Langtang Range, Dorje Lakpa, Ganesh Himal, and sometimes Everest in the distance. After the sunrise, you do shatkarma cleansing (jala neti, the yogic nasal wash) followed by a yoga session with the mountains still in view. Then it's back down to Kathmandu for lunch, a sound healing session in the afternoon, and a final evening yoga practice.

The last morning wraps up with an early practice, breakfast, and a short closing ceremony. The retreat is taught by experienced local instructors who have been running programs at this academy since it opened in 2007. Classes are traditional Hatha yoga, accessible to all levels, with an emphasis on breath and meditation alongside the physical postures.

What makes this retreat different from a generic yoga holiday is the combination of active trekking, altitude, and the specific Himalayan sunrise experience — you're not just doing yoga in a nice hotel, you're doing it at 2,000+ metres with the world's highest mountains in front of you. The trade-off is that it's fairly rustic: simple rooms, early bedtimes, and no spa or pool. If you want a polished wellness resort, this isn't it. If you want an authentic, affordable taste of yoga in Nepal with some real adventure built in, it's a solid choice.

What's included

- Airport pickup and drop-off - 3 nights accommodation - 3 daily meals (except lunch on Day 2) - Daily yoga classes - Daily meditation classes - Daily pranayama classes - Welcome drink - Guided nature hike (Changu Narayan to Nagarkot) or Bhaktapur sightseeing tour - 1-hour treatment - Transportation during the retreat - Wifi connection - Professional event photos - Pre and post retreat support - Parking

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Nepal visa fee - Lunch on Day 2 (hiking/sightseeing day) - Additional activities not in the itinerary - Additional spa treatments - Personal expenses