Lawudo Gompa Announces Two Very Special Opportunities on the Third Anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Passing

A hidden valley, an oracle lake and sacred caves—all blessed by Guru Padmasambhava himself. Ancient gompas, the divine dances of deities, dakinis and Dharma protectors, prayers and pujas, chortens, prayer wheels, prayer flags, and carved mantra stones. Yaks and yetis, streams and waterfalls, fields of potatoes, and the soaring mountain peaks of the Himalayas. An immersion into the magical, mystical world of Sherpa culture and religion away from tourist trails and off the beaten track. All of this, in the holy Buddhist merit-increasing month of Saka Dawa!

This year, Lawudo Gompa invites you to explore more deeply the holy power places of our Spiritual Guide, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, and his predecessor, the Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe, in a new intensive 21-day pilgrimage walking In the Footsteps of the Lawudo Lamas, May 22nd to June 10th 2026.

We also continue to offer our popular 15-day Lawudo Anniversary Pilgrimage, April 16th to 30th 2026, on the third anniversary of Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche’s passing, with pilgrimage to the holy places of Khumbu, culminating in a five-day stay at Lawudo and retreat with Charok Lama Rinpoche. For this year’s retreat Charok Lama will teach on the Kadampa thought-training text Opening the Door to Dharma—which Rinpoche praised as teaching him the real meaning of Dharma when he discovered it in the Lawudo Lama’s cave many years ago—and there will be small group sessions of prayers in the Lawudo Cave throughout the day.

Introduction to Lawudo Pilgrimages

The Khumbu region with its soaring mountains, clear skies, roaring rivers, waterfalls and ancient settlements is not just a place of breathtaking beauty, it was also blessed by Padmasambhava to nurture and support spiritual practice and realization. Generations of yogis have meditated in its caves and hermitages and the landscape is enriched by the presence of stupas, prayer stones, prayer wheels, prayer flags, holy images, temples and hermitages.

This is where our spiritual master Lama Zopa Rinpoche in his past life as the Lawudo Lama showed the aspect of accomplishing the highest stages of Dzogchen Atiyoga in the Lawudo cave and earth holes around it. It is also where Rinpoche took rebirth in the picturesque village of Thame and first became a monk at Thame monastery. Lawudo is where Rinpoche built his first monastery, ordained the first Kopan monks, and where his sister still lives. In recent years, Rinpoche put much effort to help the local people by restoring the huge stupa of Thame-teng, constructing a 100 trillion prayer wheel in Thame, and sponsoring the reconstruction of temples, prayer wheels, artwork and more in the surrounding areas.

Pilgrimage is always uplifting—but to visit and practice in the holy places of one’s own teacher is especially powerful and moving. This anniversary pilgrimage to the Khumbu region—and particularly Lawudo and Thame—is therefore especially poignant on the third anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s passing.

The Lawudo Pilgrimages are a precious opportunity for students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to visit and connect (or reconnect) with the holy places of Rinpoche’s past and most recent life as the Lawudo Lama and to be inspired by the stories of his practice and realization. During the pilgrimage we will do prayers and practices taught by Rinpoche and specifically focused on clearing obstacles and creating auspicious conditions for his return. There will also be time to reflect, contemplate and absorb the blessings of these inspiring places.

Third Lawudo Anniversary Pilgrimage, April 16th to 30th 2026

On this 15-day trek to Lawudo we will:

• Visit two of the oldest Khumbu gompas at Rimijung and Thame where the Dharma first took root for the Sherpas.
• Tour Namche, Khumjung and Khunde gompa and Kari nunnery.
• Enjoy a whole day at Rinpoche’s birthplace of Thame—visiting Thame gompa, prayer-wheel, Tara temple and Thame-teng stupa, finishing off with puja and blessings in Rinpoche’s birth house.
• Explore Lawudo, its stupas and cave, as well as neighboring Charok.
• Immerse in a three-day retreat with Charok Lama teaching on Opening the Door of Dharma (aka The Door to Satisfaction)—a Kadampa thought-transformation text belonging to the first Lawudo Lama that Rinpoche praised as having taught him the true meaning of Dharma practice.
• Join small groups for daily prayer sessions in the Lawudo Cave of Blissful Attainment.
• Trek up to the White Cliff above Lawudo to enjoy its scenic views, offer incense and hang prayer-flags at the huge Amogapasha rock painting above Lawudo, while enjoying the spectacular scenic views.

In the Footsteps of the Lawudo Lamas, May 22nd to June 10th 2026

On this new 21-day intensive pilgrimage-trek around Solukhumbu we will:

• Perform Guru Puja and receive blessings at the birth house of Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Thame on the Tibetan 10th of Saka Dawa.
• Enjoy a full day at the annual Mani Rimdu Festival in Thame Monastery, watching the traditional ritual cham dances of the Guru, deities, dakinis, Dharma protectors and more alongside the local community.
• Camp at the yak settlement of Tengbo—where stories of yeti sitings abound!
  Leave the beaten track to trek to the hidden Oracle Lake blessed by Guru Rinpoche below the Tashi Lapcha Pass to Rowaling.
• Join in prayers and pujas at Lawudo gompa on the holiest day of the Buddhist merit-increasing month of Saka Dawa, Tibetan 15th.
• Trek to the precious White AH Cave of Attainment above Khumjung where Guru Rinpoche and Princess Mandarava are said to have flown after accomplishing the siddhi of immortality at Maratika.
• Tour the blessed caves above Phortse where great meditators once spent their lives in practice and the first Lawudo Lama was initiated into the Vajrayana.
• Visit all three of the oldest Sherpa gompa at Rimijung, Thame and Pangboche where the Dharma first took root in Khumbu.
• Visit the first Sherpa monastery and nunnery at Tengboche and Deboche.
• Tour Namche, Khumjung and Khunde gompa, Kari nunnery, Charok, Thame-teng stupa, Lawudo gompa, stupas and caves and more.

Pricing

The trip prices for the two pilgrimages, in US dollars, are as follows:

For full details and itineraries, please write to Lawudopilgrimage2026@gmail.com.