We start at about 7:30 am, when many monasteries around Boudha hold their morning puja. Our first stop is usually Shechen Monastery, a few minutes' walk from the square, where the main hall is painted floor to ceiling with deities and lineage masters and young monks recite texts to the beat of drums and long horns. Visitors sit quietly along the side wall. Your guide explains the Nyingma school, the role of the lamas and what the monks are chanting.
From there we visit one or two smaller gompas of other traditions, often a Kagyu or Sakya monastery tucked behind the stupa, so you can see how the art and rituals differ. In each, shoes come off at the door, you walk clockwise around the hall, and it is polite to leave a small donation of NPR 50 to 100 at the altar. If the monks invite you for butter tea, accept with both hands. Photography inside halls is often not allowed, and your guide will tell you where it is.
We finish at one of the lamp houses beside the stupa, where devotees light rows of small lamps for good fortune, healing or departed family. You can light a few lamps yourself for a modest donation, set your intention and add a prayer flag on the terrace if you wish. The whole visit takes about 3 hours on foot. It suits Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims alike, and children usually love the horns and drums.
Good for
- Pilgrims
- Families
- Seniors
- Solo
- First-timers
Questions travellers ask
Can visitors enter the monasteries around Boudhanath?
Yes, most monasteries around Boudha welcome quiet visitors, especially during the morning and afternoon pujas. Remove shoes and hats, walk clockwise inside the hall, sit along the wall rather than in the monks' rows and do not photograph without permission. A few halls close at lunchtime or during private ceremonies, and your guide will know which.
How much does it cost to light butter lamps at Boudhanath?
Lighting lamps is done by donation, and a few lamps cost only a small amount, from around NPR 10 to 50 each depending on the size. Families sponsoring large rows of 108 or 1,000 lamps for a special occasion pay more, arranged with the lamp house in advance. Your guide can help with the arrangement.
Is the monastery visit suitable for Hindu pilgrims from India?
Yes. Many Indian pilgrims include Boudhanath on the same day as Pashupatinath, and Buddhist sites in Nepal welcome visitors of all faiths. The Buddha is honoured in Hindu tradition too, and the lamp offering feels familiar to most Indian families. Vegetarian food is easy to find in the cafes around the stupa.
