Extraordinary adventure to India led by Robert Thurman and Shantum Seth: Entering the Buddha’s World
10-day Option: January 25 – February 3, 2012
Full 18-day Option: January 25 – February 11, 2012
We are very pleased to offer this truly unique opportunity to travel with two of the world’s foremost Buddhist scholars to the very birthplace of Buddhism. Many pilgrims from throughout the world make pilgrimages to the holy sites of the Buddha’s life, and this itinerary offers an opportunity to make this pilgrimage in rare company. Our hosts will bring to life the stories, rich and world-changing history, philosophy, and spiritual meaning inherent in the holy places that we’ll have the privilege to visit. By tracing the Buddha’s steps, partaking in daily meditations in the very places where Buddha’s own life’s journey unfolded, and enjoying daily talks by Shantum and Dr. Thurman to put our experiences in context, this may well be the trip of a lifetime for anyone with a deep interest in Buddhism.
This journey, custom crafted for the Tibet House with Dr. Thurman and Shantum Seth, explores the birth of Buddhism by tracing a path through the sacred sites of the Buddha’s life. At each sacred site, the group will be offered teachings and stories about the life of the Buddha.
Traveling with leading Buddhist scholars Dr. Robert Thurman and Shantum Seth, as well as Geographic Expeditions’ own inveterate leader Brent Olson, the trip offers a rare opportunity to explore a treasure trove of cultural, historical, and spiritual riches—and indeed to see places, through their importance in the life of the Buddha, that would shape the history of the region and the world.
Two options are available to travelers. The concise 10-day journey takes in some of the highlights of the region’s Buddhist holy sites. An immersive 18-day journey builds on the shorter itinerary, with both groups traveling together for the first 10 days. It then continues on for another 8 days--offering the opportunity for deeper exploration of the Buddha’s life and teachings, followed by the trip’s culmination at the Taj Mahal and in Agra.
Itinerary at Glance
Day 1: Arrival in Delhi • Day 2: Exploring Delhi • Day 3: Delhi to Patna & Vaishali • Day 4: Patna to Rajgir • Day 5: Rajgir to Bodh Gaya • Days 6 & 7: Bodh Gaya • Day 8: Bodh Gaya to Varanasi • Day 9: Varanasi & Sarnath • Day 10: Varanasi to Delhi & Onward Flights Home (end of 10-day Journey) or Varanasi to Kurhinagar (for those doing the 18-day Journey) • Day 11: Kushinagar • Day 12: Kushinagar to Lumbini • Day 13: Lumbini • Day 14: Lumbini to Sravasti via Kapilavastu • Day 15: Sravasti • Day 16: Sravasti to Kanpur • Day 17: Kanpur to Agra via Sankasia • Day 18: Agra, Taj Mahal, & evening flights home.
