Kopan Monastery
Kopan Monastery
4.5
About
Hundreds of monks and nuns live at this monastery, which offers meditation courses year round.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles799 reviews
Excellent
544
Very good
171
Average
57
Poor
15
Terrible
12

Rohit Chugh
Hyderabad, India38 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
We visited the kopan monastery on our way back from the sleeping Vishnu temple ( Buddha nilkantha ) . It's a very quite place and that's how it should be. Serene beauty with a lot of things to learn about Buddhism here. If u are an adventure freak then this is not a place for you. This place is for those who want to take a step towards meditation and peace .
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Metawijnen
Amsterdam, The Netherlands4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Solo
I attended the November course in 2017. I quit the course after 4 days as it wasn't what I expected. The course claims to give the students tools to apply in your daily life, but for me it felt more like a religious cult. The course and everything they teach is against buddism in its core. Its very religious and it felt like a cult. And I always thought that buddism is all about detachment, but these people are attached to rituals and type of ropes... I think it's a retreat made for westerners to make loads of money. If you want a cult experience where you can only talk about this religion from these people point of view go for it! But this was definitely not for me and the biggest lesson I've learned is that finding your inner world somewhere external is just not what it's about! 💓
Written December 22, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

celen r
Indialantic, FL3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Couples

if you are interested in Tibetan Buddhism and want to get away from chaotic kathmandu, visit Kopan. You can go for a day visit or even stay for a few days if they don't have a course going on and have rooms available. You get to see and feel their daily life, talk to the monks, and watch the little ones playing around. The gompa is beautiful as well as the gardens. Sit for a while and you'll feel their compassion and peace all over. If possible call before, sometimes entrance is not allowed, so you don't go all the way to find out you can't get in
Written July 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cathy M
Cathy M
Liverpool, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2012 • Solo
Hi! I am Cathy aged 52 from Dublin but live in Liverpool. I have just come home from a weeks retreat at Kopan Monastery. Februray 2012. Before I went I was a bit anxious about going on a retreat! It was my first one! Well I loved it so much, Kopan is the most calming peaceful place I have ever been too. And I have travelled a lot! There was 100 people on my Transforming your mind course from all around the world! Amazing! We all bonded so easy and after the first day or so we were like a family! If you want or need to heal yourself or just need to calm your mind! Well please just go to Kopan. The food is good home veggie cooking and plentyful. There is a coffee shop and a shop there too. Wear loose comfy clothing and they will do your washing for you too. The monks are amazing and the kids in the monastery are great. I took donations to them from my family and friends and they were so humble. After a week I spent a few dats sightseeing and had an amazing life changing experience! I will return one day and I want to take family and friends there too. I made lots friends and had a fablous spiritual journey that has made me think about life!!! Its the best thing I have ever done! All those fears and worries about going was a waste of energy! But I know that now! All i can say is go and find YOU! Enjoy and say a pray for me there! Blessings Love Cathy McCauley XXX
Written March 10, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arpitgupta25
Pune, India1,420 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2018 • Family
Not as much expected because the route was very poor to go there. Not good enough . Too heighted and some vehicles cant go there and when you reached it has no such a place where you can spend more than 10 mins. The road was very bad even after it has one of the tourist place in Kathmandu.
Written March 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bikemikeone
Copenhagen, Denmark91 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2012 • Solo
Stayed 14 days in October 2012. 10 days included my participation in Meditation & Retreat Course. Kopan is superb value and a stunningly beautiful and serene spot on the planet. Situated on a small mountain top just outside Kathmandu with views of the city, the valley and the mountains, its not difficult to be taken in by its beauty and fall in love with Kopan, I found. The calm and beauty of early morning sun rises is life long lasting memories. The unfolding buddhist life from the hundreds of monks is ever present. My board was in single room with shared bathroom fascilities. Sparse but clean and nothing was I missing. Three generous and surprisingly good meals per day plus tea and fresh, drinkable water. The Course was nothing short of world class with teachers knowing their stuff, schedules kept with punctuality on start & finish, good study material and a fantastic library. All monks in shops, reception, library speak very impressive English. In total I paid USD 137.00 all inclusive for my 14 days at Kopan - the best money I have spend in 35 years of travelling in more than 100 countries. I have promised myself to return within one year and I will do my best to keep that promise. Kopan is heaven down here.
Written October 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karuna P
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I went there in May this year for a ten days retreat and to learn about buddhism..I was not disappointed. My stay was a memorable one. The monks and the nuns were so serene and helpful. The place in itself is so serene and peaceful. There are many corner areas where you.can sit and.meditate. My retreat was to learn about buddhism and learn meditation. I came out with a hand full of.wisdom and plenty of books. The canteen food is good. The rooms k chose were 5.star ;) the bookstore was awesome. U can spend a whole day there. And meditation were divine. Pure bliss to be there. Very close to Bodhnath area. From Bodhnath one way.up is NPR 150 app but more expensive from Thamel or Kathmandu. The views are just amazing. What a peaceful place to find yourself. There are specific time and days the monastery is open for visitors. You may even consider staying there at a cost..
No hesitations. Just go.
Written October 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rebecca k
Perth, Australia36 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2012 • Solo
I have just finished a 10 day course at Kopan and it was an incredible experience. The schedule was pretty packed - from 6am to 9pm most days, with a break in the middle of the day, but I didn't find it was too much. The teachings were so interesting and really helped me to understand the nature of the mind, attachment and suffering. The daily group discussions were also a highlight as you get to hear the way others perceive things which really makes you think about your own perceptions. The grounds at Kopan are beautiful and it's so nice to hear the monks' chanting in the mornings and evenings. The library is really well stocked and there are so many interesting texts to read. I found the morning and evening practice of silence really calming, although unfortunately some people in the group couldn't stick to it. The food at Kopan was so much better than I expected and was different almost every day. The accommodation I had wasn't great...I was in a very hot shared room at the back of the property next to the animals with hundreds of mosquitos (which you have to take a vow not to kill) and barking dogs, so make sure you take ear plugs. To be fair though, I signed up really late to the course so I was in the most basic of the accommodation. People who signed up early were in really nice rooms with private bathrooms and even had air-con which I had to try every day not to be envious of! The only bit of constructive criticism I'd give is that since it was a beginner's course, I would have liked the teachings to be more practical and explain how to incorporate them into my daily life and thought processes. I felt it was a little too focused on achieving enlightenment, which, to people who are just learning, seems like a lofty, far off goal. Other than that, the experience was so positive I am now considering doing the one month course in November.
Written June 16, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sasha1236
Singapore, Singapore81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Friends
If your tired of the noise and air pollution of Thamel, Kopan monastry is the place to go. There's just this unexplainable sense of peacefulness once you step into the grounds. You could just spend hours, roaming the grounds, eating at the cafe, visiting the library and maybe even making purchases at the store, which sells a large range of really good and affordable books related to Tibetan Buddhism.

*The Monastery is opened when no courses are going on, you can check their website for the date of the courses or you could give them a call to check too.
Written June 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mel W
New York City, NY24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2014 • Couples
We stayed for a 10 days intro to Buddhism session. Under Ani Karen's class. On the first day there were at least 120 students, on the 10th day, a little over 60 remained. The food was delicious, and the chanting was pleasant to listen to. It was a very calming atmosphere. The experience is what you make of it, if you dedicate your time to learning you can get a lot from the course.
Written May 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu

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