This tour was designed to raise consciousness. So rather than it being a whistle-stop tour of the local sights, it is a journey that takes you deep into yourself. The tour host, Lisa Tully, is passionate about self-discovery and spiritual growth, so she designed the Tibetan Path Tour to facilitate just that.
Therefore the main focus of the tour is attending public teaching by the Dalai Lama as well as a 10-day Buddhist meditation retreat. Alongside that we attend Buddhist ceremonies called pujas where you have the chance to listen to Tibetan monks chanting as they pray for whatever it is you want in life. We get to see where the Dalai Lama lives and walk around his temple with scenic Himalayan views as we generate good karma in doing so. We visit local NGOs where you will get to learn what is happening within the Tibetan community in exile. A prayer flag ceremony will be held at the end so all your fears can be blown away as you face your journey back home a changed person.
It all starts in Delhi where we meet up as a group. You are picked up at the airport by our dedicated drivers and from that point the magic of India begins! We will be staying in the heart of Delhi where you will witness how much life happens on the streets in this part of the world. Bazaars bustling with vibrancy, colours, spices and sights so all your senses will be working overtime as we stroll around.
McLeod Ganj
Then we drive up by private car to McLeod Ganj which is the sacred suburb of Dharamsala. This journey is approximately 12 hours and one that involves mountainous roads. It is a challenging journey but so worth it in the end when we reach the glorious foothills of the Himalayas! Folks in the past have commented on this part of the tour as essential, for it gave them a real insight into the Indian way of life. But if you really don’t want to drive, there are various flight options available.
Nestled high up in the foothills of the Himalayas, McLeod Ganj has an average elevation of 2,082 meters (6,831 feet) which means it is too high for pesky mosquitoes to survive, a major blessing in itself! Known locally as “Little Lhasa” or “Dhasa,” it has a large population of Tibetan refugees and is home to the Tibetan government in exile. This came about due to the Dalai Lama fleeing into India from Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against the Communist Part of China.
The Indian government offered refuge to the displaced Tibetan community in Dharamsala in 1960 and it became the official home of the Dalai Lama, thousands of Tibetans and several monasteries and nunneries.
Tourism plays a major role in the economy of this scenic town but many people also travel there for a genuine experience of Tibetan Buddhism. With the cultural genocide still going on in Tibet itself, McLeod Ganj is a place where this religion can be practiced openly in all its glory. India has a history of welcoming all religions into the fold and it thankfully carried on that trend for Tibetan Buddhism so it can be preserved.
Many a traveler has come to this town for a “holiday” and never left, or left their heart behind in doing so. It is one of those places that the more time you spend there, the larger it gets. With many alleyways and monasteries, restaurants and cultures, NGOs and Buddhist teachings the things to enjoy, learn, experience and uncover are endless.
The local community is a mix of travelers, Tibetans and Indians with a strong Kashmiri influence. So silk scarves and carpets are sold on every corner but bargaining hard is a must! There are some really great shops that have been set up by Westerners, which means local delights and styles are delivered in great quality. The main Buddhist site is the Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple. It contains statues of Buddha (Shakyamuni), Chenreizig, Guru Rinpoche and Green Tara. It is here we will attend public teachings by the Dalai Lama himself.
The Dalai Lama Teachings
On the days of the Dalai Lama teachings we usually get down for 7:30 am and they last until about 3-ish. The last day may end around lunch time depending on what His Holiness has planned. We will be at the mercy of his schedule, and in this day and age could there be a better place to be?
We will have our passes organized in advance so we can go straight in. There are no seating reservations as in the West, so we book your space by placing blankets down on large cushions a few days in advance. The Dalai Lama usually speaks in Tibetan so we listen to the English translation on FM radios.
The power of being in his presence over a period of days is one that will remain with you for many lifetimes. He is a living Bodhisattva (Tibetan saint) and you will feel that the moment you are in the presence of his expansive heart. We firmly believe that the transmissions you receive from being in the presence of His Holiness go above and beyond our current levels of understanding.
The setting is an incredible one for you will be amongst devotees from all corners of the globe. Each committed to a journey of personal growth just like you. The topics of the teachings vary, if you find you don’t want to attend the whole teaching that if fine. This is your trip and you do what feels right for you.
The Meditation Retreat
This meditation retreat is based on the Tibetan Mahayana tradition and is held at the world renowned Tushita Buddhist Centre in McLeod Ganj. Established in 1973,
Tushita has an international reputation for its Introduction to Buddhism course which is equally applicable to beginners and people with some knowledge of Buddhism. It is taught by experienced Western and Tibetan teachers who explore Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation with a modern twist on it. The schedule includes different methods of meditation and discussion groups. A typical day begins at 6 am and finishes with an evening meditation at 7:30 pm. This is a silent retreat, however you are permitted to talk in class with the teacher and during discussion groups with your fellow classmates. There is an extensive library with fantastic books to read and at the end of the retreat you can opt for a CD which contains recordings of the meditations you did so you can continue to practice at home. A sample retreat timetable can be found at the end of this document.
During the day you will be expected to assist with the cleaning and upkeep of the centre by doing Karma yoga jobs. If the retreat is 10-days long, the last two days are comprised of intensive meditation to afford you the chance to put into practice what you have learned. For shorter retreats the schedule is the same except there are no two day intensive meditations. On this retreat you will learn how to apply various methods in order to increase peace, happiness and compassion in your daily life. The teachings touch on areas such as: The Mind and Emotions, Karma, Rebirth, Love and Compassion, and The Nature of Reality.
Weather
The weather in McLeod Ganj varies. In general February is very cold, getting as low as -5 degrees Celsius (23 F). March is between 0 – 15 degrees C (32 – 59 F). April, May and June are peak season at 15 – 38 C (59 – 100 F). Then mid-June to September is monsoon season where things are much quieter and the aim is to keep dry as well as warm. Mid September to November is 10 – 30 degrees C (50 – 86 F). December and January are when everything shuts down and the snow comes in. For Delhi in October and November, and in February and March, the nights are cool and the days filled with mellow sunshine. December and January can be a little gloomy in Delhi, while mid-summer (May, June and July) is very hot with temperatures over 45 C (113 F). It is a dry heat and is sometimes accompanies by dusty desert winds. Most of the rain falls between July and September but they are not the tropical rains you’ll experience in other parts of India.
Accommodation
Sometimes it is necessary for us to be staying at different hotels from one another, especially for late signups. When the teachings are on, tourists flock from all over the world and hotels get booked very far in advance. The standard is Indian 3- or 4-star in Delhi and McLeod Ganj. Tushita is a retreat centre and not so posh, but the love and tranquility to be found there makes up for that and so much more.
Health
We will provide you with a list of suggestions on keeping healthy in India when you book a tour. It covers things such as what to eat, water, sickness prevention and what to wear.
Room Allocations
If you have opted for sharing, we will do our very best to find you a roommate, but if we can’t find one then you will have to pay the single room subsidy. When choosing who shares with whom and which room you get, we put the room numbers into a hat and you pick one out. This does not include the hotel in Delhi at the start of the tour when we will be putting people in rooms according to when they arrive. If you are traveling as a pair from the date of signup we will of course put you in the same room if that is your preference. For sign ups who want a single room we will do our best to get you one but please bear in mind that it may not always be possible with India being India. All of this excludes Tushita Meditation Centre where the rooms are allocated by Tushita on the day of check-in.
Food
The food included in the tour price is the food provided on retreat at Tushita. It is a vegetarian diet. Feel free to bring foods you enjoy or think you will need. Locally, nuts, potato chips, chocolate and other snacks are available. There is even a health food shop in McLeod Ganj! For the rest of the trip you are free to go forth and taste all the yummy restaurants around town during meal times. There are Japanese, Tibetan, Indian, Italian, Korean, Thai, Western and Chinese foods on offer in McLeod Ganj. In Delhi we stick to the one place which serves Western and Indian food as it is clean. Health is Number One when passing through Delhi!
Money
Obtaining Indian Rupees is easy at the airport as there are ATMs and 24-hour money exchange facilities situated in the arrivals hall. In McLeod Ganj itself there are lots of ATMs and money exchange facilities also. A typical 3-course meal in Dharamsala may cost between US$3 and $15. In Delhi the price is between approx $15 – $23.
Visas
To take part on our tour you will most likely need an Indian tourist visa. We urge you to check with your local Indian embassy as soon as possible as it can take longer than anticipated. For example in the UK if you can’t prove residency by providing the necessary utility bills you may have to apply via a different process which takes significantly longer. When you book onto this tour we will send you a concise list of what you need to do and our suggestions on what to bring.
Who else will be on the tour?
Tour Host
Lisa Tully is your tour host and she has been hosting these tours for a few years now. Her background is Irish and her travels to India first began when she was 21. Her spiritual journey began over 10 years ago and she is now a practicing Tibetan Buddhist having sought refuge with the Dalai Lama in his hometown of McLeod Ganj, India.
When she is not running tours in India she spends as much time as possible there on personal retreat and attending Buddhist teachings and initiations to further her own personal practice. She is also always on the lookout for novel ways to improve the tours.
On top of that she is known to find local projects in need of assistance and fund raise for them when back in the West. It was one such project that led her to face her biggest fear of heights and skydive out of a moving plane at 10,000 feet! As a result there is now a Tibetan Buddhist temple in a very poor part of Delhi which is clean and safe for the monks living there. Constantly working to raise awareness about the Chinese occupation of Tibet, she also researches and writes about the Tibetan struggle for freedom. It is this work that has inspired her to study photojournalism so she can be of even more benefit to her displaced friends.
Local Help
Lisa has a team of local Tibetans, Ladakhis and Indians who assist her on her tours who you will meet in India. They all have varying backgrounds and in the case of the Tibetans have a story to tell about how they escaped to India. By running these tours we are creating local employment for the community, raising awareness and providing you with the opportunity to create global friendships. When choosing drivers and hotels we select the best available. Your safety and well being are our number one priority.
Tour Size
We keep the tour size to 10 people maximum. The age range is usually between late 20s to early 60s. Our main concern is that you are fit and well as India is a challenging country at the best of times so your flexibility mentally, emotionally and physically is a must.
Tushita Meditation Centre
Tushita attracts people from all over the world of all ages and backgrounds. Rest assured you will make some great friends despite the silence, probably even more so as the connection is on a deeper level. For those of you who don’t have English as your first language, they will put you sitting closer to the teacher if you so wish and they speak slowly. They will also put you in a discussion group of your native tongue if as all possible.
Approximate Schedule for 10-Day Introduction to Buddhism Courses
Day 1 – Check-in Day
- 1:00 pm Check‐in/Registration (in the Dining Hall)
- 4:30 Welcome and Introductory talk
- 6:15 Dinner
- 8:00 Course Introduction
Days 2 to 7 – The Body of the Course (Teaching & Meditation Program)
- 6:00 am Wake up
- 6:45 – 7:30 Mindfulness Meditation
- 7:30 Breakfast
- 9:00 – 11:00 Teaching
- 11:15 – 12:00 noon Stretching (if teacher available) or Walking meditation
- 12:00 – 2:00 Lunch and Karma Yoga Jobs
- 2:00 – 3:00 Discussion Groups
- 3:00 – 3:30 Tea Break
- 3:30 – 5:00 Teaching
- 5:30 – 6:15 Guided Mediation
- 6:15 Dinner
- 7:45 Guided Meditation
Days 8 and 9 The 2-Day Intensive Meditation Retreat
- 6:00 am Wake up
- 6:45 Mindfulness Meditation
- 9:00 – 9:45 Guided Meditation
- 10:10 – 10:55 Guided Meditation
- 11:20 – 12:00 Guided Meditation
- 12:00 – 2:15 pm Lunch and Karma Yoga Jobs
- 2:15 – 3:00 Guided Meditation
- 3:00 Tea Break
- 3:45 – 4:30 Guided Meditation
- 5:00 – 6:15 Dharma Video
- 6:15 Dinner
- 7:45 Guided Meditation
Day 10 – Check-Out Day
- 6:00 am Wake up
- 6:45 – 7:30 Mindfulness Meditation
- 7:30 Breakfast
- 9:00 Final Talk and Feedback Round
- 12:00 Noon Picnic Lunch
- 1:00 – 3:00 pm Check out
“Know Lisa-la that the work you are doing is changing people’s lives forever.”
– Barbara, Canada
“The trip was the most profound trip I have ever taken and I would not trade it for any other one I have taken.”
– Debra, USA
“Amazing spiritual experience and a lot of fun. Very well organised and a host that rocks. It’s definitely on my agenda for a Part 2 experience with Lisa and the monks.”
– Katerina, Australia
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