27 October 2026 - With vast views of the Himalayas, just one hour from Kathmandu airport, Dwarika’s Sanctuary offers an introduction to Himalayan wellbeing rooted in a profound sense of place.
28 October 2026 - With vast views of the Himalayas, just one hour from Kathmandu airport, Dwarika’s Sanctuary offers an introduction to Himalayan wellbeing rooted in a profound sense of place.
Set on a hillside above Dhulikhel, Dwarika’s Sanctuary draws on Hindu and Buddhist ways of life practised in the region for thousands of years, inviting guests to experience traditions that have shaped approaches to wellbeing around the world. Paired with the original Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu, it offers a rich immersion into Nepali lifestyle and culture, both traditional and modern.
Dwarika’s Sanctuary puts Nepal firmly on the luxury wellness map, offering an experience rooted in Himalayan wellbeing traditions and philosophies. Whether guests stay for three days or three weeks, they leave feeling rested, restored and curious to discover more. This year, the Sanctuary launched a programme of three-night retreats, inviting travellers to take a deep dive into the wellbeing practices and lifestyle of the Nepali people.
Set on terraced slopes with glorious views of the Himalayas and surrounded by forests and fields, Dwarika’s Sanctuary showcases this richly intricate heritage with a real sense of place. Yoga and meditation can be practised around the world, but here they are experienced in the valley where Hinduism and Buddhism converge, with the cloud-smudged Himalayas high on the horizon. From Ayurvedic therapies, yoga and meditation to Buddhist practices and monastery treks, the retreats tap into five millennia of philosophy to provide an atmospheric primer on Himalayan wellbeing.
René Vijay Shrestha Einhaus, CEO of The Dwarika’s Collection, states: “Most people come to Nepal for the mountains and leave having only seen them. Dwarika’s Sanctuary is for those who want to feel what the Himalayas have known for a thousand years: that much of what the world now calls wellness is rooted in the symbiosis of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Whether you're a spa connoisseur, someone coming down from a trek, or flying in from Singapore or Hong Kong for a long weekend, you'll experience Himalayan wellbeing the way it is lived, in an environment that lets you enter that state naturally.”
Kathmandu – where the story begins
The Dwarika’s hotel was founded in the early 1970s by Dwarika Das Strestha, who saw it as a way of preserving the centuries-old Newari architecture that was being torn down at the time, along with the country’s artisanal skills. Over the years, he built the hotel using pillars and windows, doors and carved eaves rescued from around the Kathmandu Valley – a project that has been continued by his family ever since. Life at The Dwarika’s revolves around the courtyard, where gods, demons and animals prowl in the carved woodwork all around and robed flutists perform in the evening before dinner.
Now overseen by René Vijay Shrestha Einhaus, the founder’s grandson, The Dwarika’s offers a distinctive base from which to explore Kathmandu and its traditions. During a one- or two-night stay before continuing to Dwarika’s Sanctuary, guests can settle into the city over tea with René Vijay, as he shares the story of his grandfather, Dwarika Das Shrestha, and his vision for preserving Nepal’s architectural heritage. Guests can also join master carvers for a hands-on woodcarving experience, learning the traditional techniques behind the intricate details that define Newari architecture. Visits to nearby temples, the Buddha Stupa and the UNESCO Heritage Sites of Bhaktapur and Durbar Square. These encounters introduce guests to the traditions and philosophies that underpin the wellbeing experience at Dwarika’s Sanctuary, where Hindu and Buddhist practices remain rooted in everyday Nepali life.
But The Dwarika’s Collection is also keen to join the dots between Nepal’s historic traditions and its newly dynamic contemporary culture. Guests are invited to visit recently opened galleries where young artists are reinterpreting traditional painting and sculptural motifs, go shopping with René’s wife Shavona, who runs her own ethical fashion brand, and dine at the restaurants reimagining Newari cuisine. Kathmandu is emerging as one of Asia’s most vital and vibrant cities – a destination in its own right rather than simply a staging post for trekking adventures.
What is Himalayan wellbeing?
Over the past few years, the global wellness conversation has centred around longevity, and all the hi-tech biohacking therapies and biometric tracking that it entails. Dwarika’s Sanctuary represents a return to a more soulful and spiritual form of wellness. Nepal, after all, was the birthplace of the Buddha, and his descendants still live in and around the Kathmandu Valley – a surprising fact to many outsiders. This part of the world was also the birthplace of many of today’s wellness concepts, and Dwarika’s Sanctuary seeks to present them alongside their original spiritual outlook – a connection that is often lost in Western interpretation.
During a stay at Dwarika’s Sanctuary, guests will consult the resident Ayurvedic doctors, receive blessings and take part in experiences rooted in a way of life practiced In Nepal for
thousands of years, where Vedic and Buddhist traditions come together as the foundation of so much of the world’s wellness. The wellness philosophy is based on Pancha Kosha, a Hindu teaching that understands wellbeing through five interwoven layers: the physical body (Annamaya), energy (Pranamaya), mind (Manomaya), insight (Vijnanamaya) and bliss (Anandamaya). At Dwarika’s Sanctuary, this understanding becomes practice through therapies, spaces and rituals shaped by Himalayan nature, allowing wellbeing to unfold naturally through sound, movement, silence and the surrounding environment.
As well as enjoying Himalayan wellbeing treatments – from hot-stone therapy to Shakti renewal journey, Panchakosha NewarI massage and more – guests can join the resident priest’s morning nine-planet balancing ritual, a regular spiritual practice focused on planetary alignment for the day. Other experiences include yoga with a mountain panorama, a chakra sound-therapy chamber and breathwork in a house made from mineral-rich Himalayan rock salt. A Shiva Lingam meditation walk session in the meditation maze which is inspired by Pashupatinath Temple (labyrinth), devoted to Lord Shiva. Separately, a visit to a nearby Buddhist monastery leads to an informal lunch with the monks and a conversation with the khenpo (the monastery’s Buddhist scholar), with the chance to talk about their way of life.
“In Nepal, many of the practices the world now calls wellness have never been treatments. They have simply been part of life. At Dwarika's Sanctuary, guests experience this Himalayan approach to wellbeing where it belongs: a meditative walk through the Shiva Linga maze, breathwork in the Salt House, time with the monks at Namobuddha, or simply rest,” says Vijay-René.
Dwarika’s Sanctuary
Located just outside Dhulikhel, a historic town on the Tibetan trading route, Dwarika’s Sanctuary is set across various bungalows set on hillsides forests, with terraces, garden decks and lounges offering Himalayan and sunset views. Every space has been designed to bring guests as close to nature as possible. Bedrooms are positioned for the morning light and furnished with locally made fabrics and linens. Curtains are adorned with rudraksha beads, associated with Lord Shiva and traditionally believed to ward off negative energy.
The ethos of being locally and organically sourced permeates into every nook and corner of Dwarika’s Sanctuary, from the sustainably sourced timber, handmade bricks and bamboo used to build the retreat to the natural fabrics, such as jute and hemp, used to furnish it. The smallest details of a stay are considered with the same care as the larger experience, with in-room amenities such as soaps, body creams and shampoos made in-house and inspired by Nepal’s rich botanical heritage, using ingredients including Himalayan salts, black rice, rhododendron and fenugreek, along with essential oils and plant extracts. Some of the herbs used are grown on our own farm, keeping us closely connected to the land and to the ingredients we work with.
<Local sourced ingredients used in wellbeing practices>
It is this connection — between the land, the ingredients, the craft and the guest — that makes these simple details distinctly Dwarika’s. This flows into the dining experiences at the Sanctuary’s three restaurants – Nature’s Flavours for global dishes, Mako’s for Omakase Japanese and Ananta Poolside for fusion cuisine– which all use produce grown on Dwarika’s six organic farms around Nepal to create nourishing, unadulterated and flavoursome cuisine. The second-largest is Darimbot Farm, which guests can hike to on a gentle trail through terraced fields and forested paths, to help with the harvest, tour the orchards and fields, and sit down to a lunch prepared by the farmers themselves following the philosophy of fresh, local, organic, seasonal. Like the rest of the Dwarika’s experience, it succeeds in providing a true taste of the Himalayas.
Rates for a wellness break combining a stay at Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu and a three-day retreat at Dwarika’s Sanctuary start at approx 3802 USD for solo travelers and 4750 USD for two entry level rooms during the peak season.
Supporting high resolution imagery is available HERE.
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About Dwarika’s
Dwarika’s Collection is a family-owned group of luxury boutique hospitality properties in Nepal, built on a legacy of preserving Newari craftsmanship and celebrating the country’s cultural heritage. Guided by the principles of restoration, preservation, and revival, the Collection brings together Nepali art, architecture, cultural experiences, and Himalayan wellbeing. From the cultural richness of Kathmandu to the tranquil wellness experiences of Dwarika’s Sanctuary in Dhulikhel, the Collection offers a distinctive expression of Nepali hospitality, where heritage, holistic wellbeing, and living traditions come together to create meaningful and restorative experiences.
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