June 23: Airport Hotel
If you have reserved and paid for a hotel room, one of your leaders will meet you at the hotel and stay overnight with the group. We will send you an email one week prior to departure with details about the hotel reservation and instructions on how to meet your leader.
June 24: Departure Day, Los Angeles to Kathmandu
Group Meeting:
At 6:30 AM, meet your leader and fellow students at the Cathay Pacific check-in counter (outside of security) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This is the official start of your program!
Group Flight:
The group will fly on Cathay Pacific flight #897 departing Los Angeles (LAX) at 9:25 AM on June 24, arriving in Hong Kong (HKG) at 3:25 PM local time on June 25. The group will continue on Dragonair flight #104 departing Hong Kong at 7:10 PM and arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM), at 9:55 PM local time on June 25 (23 hours, 45 minutes en route).
June 25–27: Kathmandu
Stay in the heart of Kathmandu’s old city, where temples overhang narrow streets teeming with bicyclists, cows, street vendors, and holy men. Visit a Hindu temple crawling with monkeys, join Tibetan Buddhist nuns and monks in a walking meditation around Asia’s largest stupa, explore colorful markets, and adjust to local life in this ancient city.
June 28–July 2: Kopan Village Community Service
Travel north by private bus to our host village, which is on the border of Shivapuri National Park in the foothills north of Kathmandu. Spend weekdays working alongside community members to build new classrooms for the schoolhouse, helping in a local orphanage, gardening, and teaching English to village children. Get to know the neighboring community of monks at Kopan Monastery, a short walk from our village.
July 3 & 4: Namo Buddha Monastery
Trek through the Kathmandu valley to the sacred pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha. Visit magnificent Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, join young Tibetan monk students in their daily routines, and practice yoga or meditation under a canopy of prayer flags.
July 5–8: Kopan Village Community Service
Return to our host village for a final week working on our service projects. Finish the week with a community celebration, and share what you’ve learned with your new Nepali friends.
July 9: Pokhara
After our two weeks of community service work, drive west from our village to the enchanting Newari town of Pokhara, a bustling architectural gem overlooking a glittering lake. Take in views from the Peace Pagoda, explore the colorful markets, rest before our mini-trek.
July 10 & 11: Mini-Trek
Set off with professional guides on a two-night trek up into the foothills Annapurna Mountain Range just above Pokhara. Stay in village guesthouses, and wake up to stunning views of the snow-capped Himalaya.
July 12–14: Kathmandu
Return to Kathmandu by private bus and spend our last days exploring the magnificent Hindu and Buddhist sites in this medieval city. Close our journey with a day-long creative workshop in the ancient city of Patan with renowned Nepali painter Lok Chitrakar and artist/activist Ashmina Ranjit. Our group departs Kathmandu on the night of July 14, and returns to Los Angeles on July 15.
July 15: Return Day, Kathmandu to Los Angeles
Group Flight:
The group will fly on Dragonair flight #103 departing Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM), at 10:55 PM local time on July 14, arriving in Hong Kong (HKG) at 5:35 AM local time on July 15. The group will continue on Cathay Pacific flight #898 departing Hong Kong at 9:25 AM local time, returning to the International Arrivals Area of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 7:40 AM on July 15 (21 hours, 30 minutes en route).