A private journey · Nepal · 2026
Eleven days in Nepal for sixteen guests
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An archived page. The journey of September 23 – October 2, 2026 ran on this programme. The next retreat is October 23 – November 1, 2026: see the current offering. Other journeys are in the event archive.
The mountains do not answer those who shout. They speak to those who know how to be still.
a Himalayan saying
Philosophy of the journey
This is neither a tour nor a conventional retreat. For eleven days we live in the Himalayas as a small circle, on our own rhythm. The morning belongs to the mountain. The evening belongs to silence. Between them sits an unhurried meeting with the place, with the people around us, and with what we usually leave unattended.
The group is kept deliberately small. Sixteen guests, gathered through a brief conversation. The resort beneath Annapurna closes its gates only for us during these days. There are no outside voices, no schedule to fit into. There is only what brings a person to Nepal in the first place.
Honorary teacher
Pavel Mikhailovich Dmitriev — author of the programme and senior guide of the journey
The programme is built around Pavel Mikhailovich's own lived experience. He sets the rhythm of all eleven days, from the first evening in Kathmandu to the last sunrise in Pokhara. His role is to keep the silence and the precision intact, so that each guest walks the journey unimpeded.
The accompanying team
Leader of the cycle of ceremonies, healer
Sergiy leads the cycle of ceremonies and holds the rhythm of the whole road, from the first evening to the last sunrise. He has lived and worked in the Himalayas for 4 years: thousands of sessions and more than a hundred ceremonies behind him.
Leader of the cycle of ceremonies, healer
Olena leads the ceremonial part and is responsible for preparation and integration: she takes guests through the psychological tuning before the ceremonies and the deeper work afterwards. A psychoanalyst, hypnotherapist and certified psychologist: twenty-eight years of practice, more than five thousand clients worldwide.
Place. Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the valley pilgrims have entered for centuries. Everything begins here: the first breath of altitude, the first sound of a prayer drum, the first sight of the mountain we have flown halfway across the world to meet.
Place. Pokhara
On the third day we fly to Pokhara, a city set beside Phewa Lake with Annapurna in full view. A resort awaits us there, closed entirely for our group during these days. The grounds, four massage cottages, a swimming pool and a ceremony hall sit within a single space, sheltered from outside eyes.
The programme, day by day
The valley of Kathmandu greets each traveller in its own way. A private transfer, check-in at the city hotel, an unhurried lunch, the first breath after a long flight. In the evening, the group walks through Thamel together: incense, craftsmen's lanterns, a warm dinner inside an authentic Nepali home.
A morning at the great Buddhist stupa, a UNESCO site of pilgrimage. The sound of drums, the movement of prayer flags, the steady step of pilgrims. Onward to the Shiva temple with its great sculpture and a meeting with sadhus. The afternoon is left open: a quiet walk, a cup of tea, the stillness before the flight.
A short morning flight under the wing — Annapurna, gorges, terraces of rice. Arrival at the resort, an open-air lunch facing the mountain. The afternoon is given to a hammam in local tradition, massage in Himalayan techniques, and a slow hour by the pool.
A gentle morning, breathwork, a breakfast composed for the day. In the afternoon, the opening of the first ceremony in the round hall of the resort, held with careful accompaniment by the team. The evening returns to the silence of the grounds, a soft integration, a light dinner.
Morning practice and a walk across the grounds. The second ceremony deepens what has been opened the day before. The evening holds the integration circle, dinner, rest.
Yoga and unhurried morning practice. The third ceremony is the heart of the cycle, the day on which the group reaches its true depth. The evening is reserved for individual conversations with the guides.
The closing ceremony of the cycle. In the evening, a final circle of gratitude and a soft passage into the broader part of the retreat. From this point onward the rhythm of the journey lightens.
A late breakfast, the pool, massage, individual integration conversations. After lunch, the group sets out for the markets of Pokhara. Spices, Himalayan herbs, singing bowls, hand-spun wool, amulets and Tibetan jewellery. Things chosen by hand travel home with their owner.
A walk along the Lakeside on the shores of Phewa, the temples and viewpoints of the valley. In the afternoon, a tandem paraglide above the lake and the foothills of Annapurna. In the evening at the resort: dinner, a fire show by local artists, a performance by an ensemble in traditional dress.
The base programme remains unhurried: masterclasses in singing bowls and calligraphy, a craft block, massage, hours by the pool. Alongside it, two separate options unfold — a helicopter flight to Annapurna and an excursion for wild mountain honey. Both are arranged in advance and follow their own logistics.
Breakfast, the giving of the personal gift sets, the morning transfer to Pokhara airport, an internal flight to Kathmandu, the parting of ways. Guests with later flights find a room of rest in Kathmandu and a final walk through Thamel. The Himalayas remain inside.
Options for the few
A six-seater helicopter takes a small circle of guests to one of the most extraordinary peaks on the planet. The flight passes above the valley, the rocky ridges, the mountain forests and the snow-bound slopes. In a few hours the guest lives through every layer of the Himalayan landscape, from the green foothills to the eternal ice.
An ancient practice of the Himalayan tribes, in which honey is gathered from cliff ledges in full protective gear. The group travels into the high mountain massif, observes the work of local masters, and may take part as it unfolds. It is a doorway into a living culture closed to ordinary travel.
Atmosphere and the living grain
The things that do not fit a programme line by line. Voices of artists, fire by water, the breath of craft, the silence of practice.
The gifts of the place
On the last day each guest is given a personal gift set: Himalayan herbs, ashwagandha, rhodiola and the merch of the retreat. It is not a souvenir, but a quiet continuation of the journey — the Himalayas keeping their work going at home.
What is included
Voices
Words from those who have already walked this road with us.
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Conditions
The group is gathered by invitation. There are sixteen places in total; enrolment for the September journey is closed. An application joins the list for the next journey, October 23 – November 1, 2026. Pricing is shared in private conversation after the short form below. The team replies within twenty-four hours.
FAQ
International flights to Kathmandu and back are arranged by the guest, leaving full freedom over the airline, class and connections. The internal flights Kathmandu — Pokhara — Kathmandu are fully included and booked by the team.
A Nepal visa is granted on arrival at Kathmandu airport, or in advance through the embassy. The team sends a detailed instruction and a list of documents once participation is confirmed.
The programme is designed for healthy adult guests. Chronic conditions, pregnancy, recent surgery or severe psychiatric states are all reasons for a separate conversation with the team before applying.
Full board is included throughout the journey. The resort kitchen leans on local produce and gentle techniques. Dietary requirements are taken into account on request.
The four ceremonial days take place in the round hall of the resort, with the grounds in full privacy. The group is accompanied by the team at every step. The team shares the format in detail in private conversation after the application has been received.
The resort is closed to outside guests during our stay. All movements within the country are accompanied by the team and trusted local partners. Vehicles, drivers and venues are chosen against strict criteria.
Light layered clothing, comfortable walking shoes, a warm sweater for the evening, personal items and toiletries. The team sends a detailed packing list once participation is confirmed.
Travel and medical insurance covering Nepal is recommended and arranged by the guest. The team can suggest trusted providers during the preparation period.
ApplyThe Himalayas do not stay behind.
They go on within.
