Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu

Kopan Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on a hill on the northern edge of Kathmandu, just above the great stupa of Boudhanath, and it is the most internationally famous teaching monastery in Nepal. Founded in the late 1960s by the Tibetan teachers Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, it became the birthplace of a worldwide movement to bring Tibetan Buddhism to Western students — and to this day travellers from around the globe come here to learn meditation and Buddhist philosophy in a calm hilltop setting.

A hilltop teaching centre

Kopan grew from a single house bought on the hill into a large monastery that is now home to hundreds of monks, many of them young, drawn from the Himalayan regions of Nepal and from Tibetan communities. It belongs to the Gelug tradition and forms part of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, the global network that grew out of Kopan's early courses. The associated nunnery, Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, sits a little way down the hill.

Meditation and philosophy courses

What sets Kopan apart from most Nepali monasteries is that it was designed to teach foreigners. Its courses, taught in English, range from short introductions of a few days to the celebrated month-long November course that fills every autumn with students from dozens of countries. Topics cover meditation technique, the foundations of Buddhist thought and the practical application of these ideas to daily life. For a wider look at retreat options across the country, see our guide to meditation and yoga retreats in Nepal.

Visiting Kopan

Even if you are not joining a course, Kopan rewards a visit. The gardens are immaculate, the views stretch across the Kathmandu Valley, and the main prayer hall — or gompa — houses a large gilded Buddha and vibrant murals. Come in the morning to hear monks debating or chanting, and walk clockwise around the shrines as worshippers do. Because Kopan sits just above Boudhanath, it pairs perfectly with the stupa and with a visit to the nearby Shechen Monastery, another celebrated Nyingma centre in the same neighbourhood.

How to get there

A taxi from central Kathmandu or Thamel reaches Kopan in around thirty to forty minutes, often via Boudhanath, from where it is a steep but short climb or drive up the hill. For help moving around the city and valley, see our getting around Nepal guide. Kopan is one of six gompas and sacred caves featured in our collection of the famous Buddhist monasteries of Nepal, and a fine introduction to the living tradition explained in our guide to Buddhism in Nepal.

When to visit

Kopan is pleasant year-round, but the courses follow a calendar — the flagship course runs through November, so book well ahead if you want a place. Autumn and spring bring the clearest valley views. Plan your dates with our best time to visit Nepal guide.