To start this review : I would like to thank Thupten for all the explainations he gave us about Tibetan culture, but also history : very interesting and helpful to give you the keys for a better understanding of the Tibetan diaspora and of those people, living in several places around Nepal, Bhutan, India… Visiting the village and traditional house was a great experience as well ! This tour permitted me to learn more about Buddhism, we spent a long moment at the monastery, watching some prayers, and most of all : talking with a monk, who taught us which are the foundations and values of Buddhism philosophy and religion.

I took the afternoon Tibetan Encounter tour, which featured a monastery visit, a conversation with a monk, and homemade snacks at a Tibetan refugee settlement. I found Thubten to be a passionate and knowledgeable guide with a remarkable life story that added depth to the tour. In particular, I enjoyed Thubten's sharing of anecdotes and quotes from the Dalai Lama's teachings enriched the experience, reflecting the spiritual essence of Tibetan culture. Overall, this tour deepened my appreciation for the challenges faced by Tibetans in the diaspora. It left me with a profound admiration for their resilience and a greater understanding of their situation. Highly recommended!

One of the best activities we did in Nepal. Definitely a must do if you are interested in the plight of the Tibetans and the preservation of their culture. I learnt so much from Thupren is very knowledgeable and his English is very good 👍🏼 There’s an indescribable peaceful and calm vibe about the places we visited with him. The philosophy of Buddhism and world peace is felt strongly for me by the end of this tour. You can’t help but wish these beautiful people and their beautiful much love and all the best!

I just happened to walk by and it piqued my interest, as I haven't seen anyone else selling it. The reception lady is very friendly and patient to help with any queries one has and the guide doing the Tibetan Encounter Tour (Thupten) is super knowledgeable and friendly as well. Still amazed how one can remember this many facts. The tour is well structured and one surely learns a lot about Tibet, Nepal and how it connects!! Because I was so pleasantly surprised by the kindness, I also did a small trekking tour with the same company, with Dahnraj as my guide. Same pleasant experience, super friendly and knowledgeable about lots of topics and always happy to talk and smile. He was not only a guide but also a friend. Just give them a try, you won't regret

Mr Thupten is not just a guide. He's an inspirational advocate for the Tibetan people - their language, their culture, their land, and their right to be free. I was truly in awe of him the whole afternoon - So knowledgeable, so passionate. I learnt so much about Tibetan history, their current political stance, and lots of sage advice from is His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Also spent some amazing time with one of the Monastery monks - who sat down with us (in between building a retaining wall) to tell us a little bit about his journey. We also sampled locally made food/drink, were very generously invited into a womans home to share with us their staples of butter tea and bread. The whole afternoon was so interesting and inspiring and wonderful. Youd be crazy NOT to experience this.

I can highly recommend this trip, beeing enjoyable & educational at the same time! Starting directly in the car after the pickup, Thupten began to give me an introduction into the Tibetan history and culture. I did not know much about it before, which was not a problem and any question was encouraged. There was so much information, transmitted in a never boring way, but including many stories, real live examples, historic details, Dalai Lama quotes and much more. During the trip, I very much enjoyed the opportunity to try local tea& Tsampa, but especially to meet a Buddhist monk. He was also very kind, openminded and every question was allowed. I will surely tell my friends and family about this and wish Thupten and his people all the best.

Thanks to Thupten and Tibetan Encounter for a really beautiful, thought-provoking tour - so thought-provoking that we are still thinking about it over our dinner! The highlight for us was speaking to a young 22 year old monk - hearing his life story, sharing ours and asking questions back and forth felt like a very authentic, real experience to experience first-hand the lives of young Buddhist monks. Visiting the evening prayer at the monastery and having Tibetan tea and snacks at in the home of a Tibetan refugee were also greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Thupten!

Thupen was fantastic and is clearly proud and passionate about Tibetan culture. I learned so much on this tour. Very authentic, down to earth experience staring with visiting two monasteries, speaking with a monk and see the adorable baby monks running around playing. Walking around the settlement and having tea and bread in someone’s home. If you’re able to go on a Wednesday you may get lucky and see them doing cultural dances - best part is that it is not some overdone performance for tourists, rather something they do for themselves to honor their heritage. Highly recommend

This was the highlight of our Pokhara trip. Got to speak to a monk, visit a Tibetan family house where we had Tibetan butter tea and barley meal. It was a rich, intimate and cultural experience. Not to mention the scenery was amazing too! Our guide Thupten was simply delightful and had us engaged the whole duration of the trip. He was very knowledgeable and extremely nice.

One of the best things we did in Pokhara! Such an interesting and memorable experience. We learned so much during the tour and could ask so many questions. Highly recommend!

Although there are many tours run by local Nepali people in Pokhara, this is the only tour you can do run by a Tibetan refugee. He uses this tour not only to educate foreigners but to support other Tibetan refugees in his community. Our guide was passionate and answered many questions about Tibetan refugee villages, monks and Buddhist way of life. This was a highly educational and inspiring tour I recommend to everyone.

Thupten is truly passionate about his subject, and it shows in the quality of his tour. We booked one morning for the same afternoon. Exchanges were very easy on WhatsApp, and Thupten picked us up at the right place and time. About the tour itself, we did not know anything about Tibet and just bits about Buddhism before. But the tour is very accessible and we learnt so many things. The exchange with a monk-to-be was priceless. Getting to know a bit more about the Tibetan lives in Nepal while enjoying Tibetan bites (tea, bread, …) was so interesting. We definitely recommend this tour with Thupten if you are interested in learning more about Tibetans and Buddhism - definitely not a “human zoo”/ sightseeing tour.

I joined this half-day tour & Thupten was very kind to arrange pick-up & carefully introduced me into the tour. We visited temples, settlements, Tibetan Buddhist praying & enjoyed authentic Tibetan meal (tea & food). Thupten was really passionate about the Tibetan people, culture, Dalai Lama, their country's spirit & deep desires to return to their home land. I understood more & was glad to have joined this!

Very nice and genuine experience! I have learned a lot about Tibet, its history and present. Highly recommend.

We had a great half-day with Thupten! We really enjoyed all the components of the tour, from talking to a monk, to visiting the monastery, to trying the traditional Tibetan cuisine. Although all of these individual aspects are enjoyable in itself, what makes the day so interesting is Thupten's knowledge and explanation of Tibetan history and culture.

Great experience! Thupten is an amazing story teller and totally intrigued me. Learned a lot in one afternoon.

Thank you! Very informative and educated tour.And a good taste of Tibetan culture. It was a small group.

An exceptional tour that I could not recommend more highly. Thupten encouraged us all to be curious, ask lots of questions and explained so much about Tibetan culture in an informative, engaging way. He is passionate about helping us understand Tibetan culture through its philosophy, history, traditions and food. Just brilliant.

We had a very informative afternoon learning about Tibetan culture and Buddhism. The guide is very friendly and passionate!

It was a great experience mostly for those that are not so knowledgeable about Buddhism. The monk’s prayer was an impressive ceremony but I would recommend to only stay there for half an hour and then use the rest of time to talk with the guide and find out more about the Tibetan s culture , as he was really knowledgeable. The tour included a lunch in a typical Tibetans house , which I enjoyed :) might not be on everyone’s taste tough. Overall the guide is a 5 out of 5.