Home·Pilgrimage circuits
Three journeys · twelve seats each

Routes the dharma asks for.

Departures shaped to the Buddhist calendar — Vesak in May, Asalha in July, the winter teachings at Bodhgaya in December. Slow itineraries, scholar-guides, monasteries that open their gates because they know us.

Next departure14 Nov 2026 · India Circuit
Vesak retreat2 May 2027 · Bodhgaya
Winter teachings28 Dec 2026 · Mahabodhi
Spring Ladakh12 Jun 2027 · Hemis
Pilgrimage circuits

Walk the path the Buddha walked.

Each circuit below is a route we have refined over twenty-five years — every stop verified by a resident teacher, every drive paced for the place it leads to.

Featured · India Most booked
Classical pilgrimage · 14 days

India Buddhist Circuit

The classical pilgrimage — Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Sarnath. Mornings for sitting; afternoons for the road. Three nights at Bodhgaya frame the journey at its heart.

Bodhgaya · 3 ntsRajgir & Nalanda · 2Vaishali · 1Kushinagar · 2Lumbini · 2Sarnath · 2Varanasi · 2
Duration
14 days
Group
max 12
Difficulty
Easy
Departures
Oct–Mar
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Vajrayana · 10 days

Himalayan Vajrayana

Ten days through Ladakh's monastery circuit — Hemis, Thiksey, Lamayuru, Diskit. Slow acclimatisation in Leh, long teachings with the abbots, mountain stillness between sessions.

Leh · 3 ntsThiksey · 1Hemis · 2Lamayuru · 1Nubra valley · 2
Duration
10 days
Group
max 10
Altitude
3500–5300m
Departures
Jun–Sep
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Vajrayana · Ladakh
Zen · Japan
Zen practice · 12 days

Zen Japan

Twelve days with Rinzai and Sōtō teachers — Kyoto, Nara, Eihei-ji, Koyasan. Rakusu sewing, oryoki meals, dawn zazen with the monastic sangha. A working retreat, not a sightseeing tour.

Kyoto · 3 ntsNara · 1Eihei-ji · 4 (residential)Koyasan · 2Tokyo · 1
Duration
12 days
Group
max 8
Practice
Daily zazen
Departures
Apr · Oct
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Theravada · 9 days

Sri Lanka — the island of arahants

Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Mihintale, the sacred tooth at Kandy. Where Mahinda brought the dharma in the 3rd c. BCE. Forest monasteries in the south, dawn alms-rounds with the Sangha.

Colombo · 1Anuradhapura · 2Mihintale · 1Polonnaruwa · 1Kandy · 2Galle · 2
Duration
9 days
Group
max 12
Difficulty
Easy
Departures
Jan–Mar
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Theravada · Sri Lanka
Winter teachings By invitation
Bodhgaya · 7 days

The Mahabodhi winter teachings

When His Holiness gives the December teachings, two hundred thousand pilgrims fill the temple grounds. We hold a small group of twelve in a reserved monastery, with morning audience seats and a senior translator.

Bodhgaya · 7 ntsReserved monasteryTranslator · EnglishMorning teachings · daily
Duration
7 days
Group
max 12
When
Dec 28 – Jan 3
Status
Annual
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What every circuit includes

Walked, not packaged.

Six commitments shape every itinerary we publish. They are why monasteries open their gates to us, and why pilgrims return.

Scholar-guides

A guide trained at Nalanda, Drepung, or Komazawa — fluent in sutra, history, and the local tongue.

Lineage-verified routes

Every itinerary reviewed by resident monks at Mahabodhi, Hemis, and Eihei-ji before a seat is offered.

Twelve seats, no more

The places we visit cannot hold a crowd; the teachings we receive will not arrive in one.

All-inclusive pricing

Boutique heritage stays, all meals, all transport, monastery donations, teaching fees, visas. No surprises.

Carbon-conscious travel

Overland between sacred sites where possible; offsets through verified Bihar reforestation. Disclosed.

Pre-trip dharma reading

Curated reading list, weekly online sessions with your guide for six weeks before departure.

Connect with us

Begin a conversation about your journey.

Whether you are planning a private pilgrimage, a small group retreat, or a corporate dharma circuit — reach us directly. We answer every enquiry within two working days, in the order it arrives.

Speak to us · IST 09:00–19:00 +91 87970 59656 Click to call — or WhatsApp the same number.
Write to walk@bodhidragon.com
Office · SSS Enterprises, 637, GBRC Rd, Maunia, Bodh Gaya, Bihar 824231 · India
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