
bhutan, himalayas
april 6 — 13, 2025
the retreat:
Join Morgan O’Hare and the Present Practice Yoga community for a truly once-in-a-lifetime 8-day Yoga & Meditation Retreat in the magical Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan — Morgan’s favorite place in the entire world! This transformative retreat is open to all levels of practice. The intention of this Retreat is to immerse yourself completely in the beautiful culture of Bhutan and connect with the locals (and Morgan’s Bhutanese friends from her trip there in 2018!). Gift yourself the time and space to disconnect from your busy life so you can reconnect with yourself and your life like never before. Plus, you’ll have our incredible community to support and expand your experience.
This Retreat is for those wanting to completely immerse themselves in the culture and open their hearts to the pure magic this kingdom offers — ritual and reverence are a way of life in Bhutan, as you’ll see in their many monasteries burning yak butter candles and giant prayer wheels.
Kingdom of bhutan
Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge (bordered by Tibet and Northern India) and is known for its monasteries, fortresses (dzongs) and dramatic landscapes that range from plains with rice paddies to steep mountains, valleys, and rivers. Paro Taktsang monastery (known as Tiger’s Nest) clings to cliffs above the forested Paro Valley — we will hike to the monastery! It’s pure magic.
Bhutan has the best of the best: immersive culture where locals wear traditional clothing and festivals are a way of life, deep reverence for life and others, stunning nature with think fern forests and foggy mountains, and architecture and artwork that is unique to Bhutan.
This retreat is unlike any other — we will explore all the best that Bhutan has to offer and move accommodations every 1-2 nights to do so. Morgan’s dear friend, Kinley, will guide us on our Retreat. We will even have dinner at his house and spend a night letting loose with the locals in his live music bar. Morgan and Kinley have had so much fun planning the perfect 8-day adventure, knowing they will get to reunite after 7 years! Bhutan leaves a lasting impact on your heart forever.
Bhutan was the first carbon negative country in the world and is not overrun with tourists! Bhutan charges a nightly sustainable development fee, which is essentially a tourist tax of several hundred USD per night, to maintain the culture and natural beauty of Bhutan. For that reason, Bhutan is a pricey destination, but so worth it.
Yoga, meditation & programming
Yoga teaches us to turn inward, make peace with the present moment, and open our hearts to life around us. During this 8-day Retreat, we will be completely immersed in the magic of Bhutan and feel worlds away from anywhere we have ever been. This Retreat is unique in that we will move around the entire kingdom of Bhutan so we can experience all it offers — instead of having one yoga shala for practice the whole Retreat, we will have the honor of practicing yoga and meditation in the different places we will go! This includes a meditation at Tiger’s Nest Monastery after we hike, yoga in nature, forest bathing, and so much more.
Meditation and prayer is a way of life for the Bhutanese — we will see monks praying in the monasteries, locals paying their respects and turning the prayer wheels, and a general culture of contentment and compassion everywhere you go.
We will be truly blown away by the places we go and see, and yoga and meditation help us stay present for all the magic and soak it all in. Our custom retreat journal will guide reflection and contemplation on key principles lived by the Bhutanese, including contentment, presence, and equanimity. We will stay active with hikes and exploration, so our yoga will be more focused on finding presence, opening our bodies, and being in the right headspace to appreciate our experience.
Where we will stay
We will move hotels every 1-2 nights to experience all the magic the kingdom of Bhutan offers! Our hotels will be 4-star boutique hotels specifically chosen by Kinley, who prioritizes hotels that are authentic and beautiful.
Our first two nights will be spent at a boutique hotel in Punakha, where we will have time to settle in and enjoy yoga at Dhumra Farm before experiencing the Talo Festival, visiting the impressive Punakha Dzong, and much more. We will then drive to Phobjikha, where we will practice yoga and meditation at Gangtey Monastery and enjoy the Gangtey Nature Trail. After one night there, it’s onto Phobjikha valley, where we get to practice yoga and meditation in nature and stay at Gaselo Eco Lodge. We will wake up and do the Gaselo Village Hike, play archery (very popular in Bhutan!), and transfer to The Pema hotel. We will get to have dinner at Kinley’s house that night and practice yoga in a more rural setting in the valley. The next day is all about the culture — we will practice yoga at the giant Buddha Dordenma, then enjoy a Thimphu Nature Hike and take part in the famous Paro Festival which is happening while we are in Bhutan! That night, we will stay at the Tiger’s Nest Camp (boutique hotel) and hike to the monastery the next day and meditate at the top to soak in the magic and pure peace felt at the top. We will stay our last night in the same hotel before returning to Paro and catching our flights back home.
Where we will go
Here’s just some of what we will experience in Bhutan! Note that everything in Bhutan is just beautiful and special in a way that cannot be described. Trust that you’ll be in very good hands.
Thimphu: Tashichho Dzong, Changangkha Monastery, Crafts Market, Farmers Market, Nightlife and Weaving Factor, Buddha Dordenma, Institute of the 13 Arts, Institute of Traditional Medicine, Jungshi Paper Factory, Post Office, Memorial Chorten, Dochula Pass, Druk Wangyal Chortens, Thimphu Town.
Paro: Paro Dzong, National Museum, Tiger’s Nest, Kyichu Lhakhang, Drukgyel Dzong, Paro Town, Paro Farmers Market, Drygyel Dzong
Punakha/Wangdue: Punakha Dzong, Punakha Town, Khamsum Choten, Chimmi Lhakhang, Gaselo Village, Rinchengang Village, Gangtey Monatery, Phobjikha, Phobjikha Crane Center, Punakha Farmers Market, Wangdue Dzong
Trongsa/Bumthang: Trongsa Dzong, Chendebji Chorten, Trongsa Taa Dzong, Jakar Dzong, Jakar Town, Ogyen Choling and Ogyen Choling Musem, Kurje Temple, Jambay Lhakhang, Burning Lake, Ura Village
What we will eat
We will enjoy traditional Bhutanese food for most of our Retreat. Additionally, some of our meals will be at hotels and restaurants that offer more western options, and you can order what you want! Bhutanese food is delicious and something that you must experience!
Bhutanese red rice is a staple with most every meals. One of the most famous Bhutanese foods is Ema Datshi. It is considered a top among the traditional Bhutanese dishes. Ema Datshi is made out of Cheese and chillies. You’ll see lots of different veggies too! 'Shakam Paa' is another popular Bhutanese dish in which the dried beef is simmered with potatoes, ginger and radishes and is traditionally cooked in a pot and served along with red rice. You’ll also find a lot of chicken in Bhutan, and it’s quiet easy to eat vegetarian while in Bhutan!
Yak butter tea is common in Bhutan and throughout the Himalayas and you must try it! Morgan put “drink yak butter tea in the Himalayas” on her bucket list in 2015, and this inspired her trip to Bhutan in 2018!
WhAT We will do
Our Retreat will be the perfect balance of cultural immersion, time in nature, hiking, yoga and meditation, and time to take it all in. We planned this Retreat around the Paro Festival which will be an incredible experience for the group to witness all the colors of Bhutan. Here are just some of the activities on our Retreat:
Hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (good for most fitness levels, takes a couple hours)
Visits to dzongs (fortresses), monasteries, and art markets
Prayer and Lighting Butter Lamps at Gaselo Monastery
Paro Festival! Plus Talo Festival
Yoga and meditation in nature and at cultural sites, forest bathing, and more
Dinner at Kinley’s house, visit to Kinley’s karaoke club (drinks on him that night!)
Try out archery!
& so much more! You do not want to miss this Retreat.
how we will arrive
Getting to Bhutan is not easy, and that’s a big reason it’s so untouched by tourism! There are only a few airports that fly into Bhutan, as it takes a special pilot to land in the valley. We will book your flight into Bhutan for you from either Bangkok, Thailand or from Kathmandu, Nepal.
If you fly from or back through Kathmandu, you’ll fly past the peaks of Everest, K2, and other incredible mountains — you can literally see the tops of these mountains poking through the clouds and it is INCREDIBLE. Some of the group will be flying from Bangkok, Thailand from Morgan’s Thailand Intensive happening the week before, and if possible, we recommend flying back through Kathmandu, Nepal to witness Everest from the sky and spend a day or so exploring Kathmandu if time allows. It is cheaper to fly to and from Kathmandu as well, but Bangkok is easier to fly to from the US and Europe as there are more flight options. Morgan has done this all so she will help you decide!
The ‘Details’ section has the different prices for flights, and they are set. We will book this for you, and you don’t have to decide your flight path when booking.
As you fly into the magical kingdom of Bhutan, you’ll get to see the towering mountains, plush valleys and forests, and traditional architecture. We will be greeted by our tour guides once we land!
Daily Retreat Itinerary
DETAILS
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
All Accommodations in 4-star Bhutanese boutique hotels and 3 meals per day
Highly experienced local guides
Night at Kinley’s nightlife bar in Thimphu — drinks on him!
All activities and entrance fees
Bhutan sustainable development fee (tourist tax) and visa fee
All yoga and programming
Custom-made retreat journal
Unlimited mineral bottled water
All transport around Bhutan in Toyota Hi Ace High Roof Travel Vans with professional drivers
Flights into Bhutan from Bangkok or Kathmandu (price differs — see investment section)
ADDITIONAL COSTS:
Flights to Bangkok or Kathmandu
Souvenirs
Alcoholic beverages at hotels/restaurants, outside food and beverages
Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional)
Travel insurance (optional but recommended)
INVESTMENT:
The all-inclusive 8-day yoga retreat is $4100 per person for a shared room (2 people) and $5800 for a single room (your own room).
Plus, you’ll need flights to Bhutan from Bangkok or Kathmandu, and we will book these for you (this is in addition to the above retreat price). There are 3 options:
1) Round trip Bangkok to Paro, Bhutan: $930
2) Round trip Kathmandu to Paro, Bhutan: $485
3) Bangkok to Paro, then Paro to Kathmandu (or vice versa): $830
A $1000 non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit (included in total price) is required to save your spot! The rest of your balance is due 90 days before the retreat. If you’d like to setup a payment plan, contact Morgan at presentpracticeyoga@gmail.com!
Spots are limited and our retreats always sell out. Secure your spot below! You don’t want to miss this.



















































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