Start here · Essential guide
The Sacred Sites of the Buddhist World
A map of the main kinds of Buddhist sacred sites across Asia, from the four places of the Buddha's life to stupas, caves, mountains and regional centres.
Pilgrimage guide
Walk the sacred sites of Buddhism, with care and understanding.
An independent guide to Buddhist pilgrimage sites across Asia, their history, art and practice, and how to visit them respectfully.
455 in-depth guides
55 topics
Oct 2026 latest guide
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Uncovering the Hidden History of Buddhist Art and Architecture
A survey of Buddhist architecture across Asia: stupas, monasteries, cave temples, pagodas and images, and how styles changed as the religion travelled.
Uncovering the Hidden History of Buddhist Philosophy and Doctrine
A plain introduction to Buddhist doctrine: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, key ideas, and how the main schools of thought developed over time.
Discovering the Ancient Charm of Bodh Gaya: A Buddhist Pilgrimage
Bodh Gaya in Bihar is the place Buddhists associate with the Buddha's enlightenment. A careful guide to its temple, tree, monasteries and the wider circuit.
Exploring the Ancient Buddhist Monastery of Nalanda
How Nalanda Mahavihara in Bihar grew into a great monastic centre of learning, what its excavated ruins show, and why UNESCO inscribed the site in 2016.
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Pilgrimage and Practice
Why Buddhists make pilgrimage, the teachings and the art behind the sites.
Pilgrimage Basics The history, meaning and etiquette of Buddhist pilgrimage. 9 guides Art and Monasteries Stupas, cave temples, monastic life and sacred architecture. 10 guides Beliefs and Practice Teachings, symbols, festivals and ceremonies explained plainly. 10 guides Respectful Pilgrimage Practical courtesy for visiting temples, monasteries and sacred sites. 11 guides Pilgrim Health and Safety General health and safety information for pilgrimage travel, not medical advice. 10 guides Reading Stupas and Temples How to understand the shapes and layouts of Buddhist sacred buildings. 10 guides Buddhist Art and Symbols The gestures, symbols and images pilgrims see at every site. 11 guides History, Texts and Terms A short history of Buddhism, its key texts and teachers, and the words pilgrims meet. 12 guides Mindful and Responsible Travel Journaling, mindful travel, accessibility and responsible tourism. 10 guides
India
The places of the Buddha life and the great ancient centres of Indian Buddhism.
Places of the Buddha Life Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar and the routes between them. 9 guides Ancient Indian Centres Nalanda, Rajgir, Sanchi, Sankassa and other historic sites. 8 guides Bodh Gaya and the Mahabodhi The place of the Buddha awakening, its temple, tree and surroundings. 10 guides Sarnath and Varanasi The Deer Park of the first teaching and the river city beside it. 10 guides Kushinagar, Sravasti and Sankassa Sites of the final passing, the long rains retreats and the descent legend. 10 guides Nalanda and Vikramshila The great monastic universities of ancient Bihar. 7 guides Rajgir The ancient Magadha capital, Vulture Peak and its surrounding hills. 8 guides Sanchi and the Great Stupas Sanchi, Amaravati and other stupas of central and southern India. 10 guides Planning an India Pilgrimage Overviews of Buddhist India and its great cave sites. 10 guides Bodhi Tree and Vajrasana The Mahabodhi Temple, the Bodhi tree and the seat of awakening at Bodh Gaya. 7 guides Visiting Bodh Gaya How pilgrims reach, explore and practise in and around Bodh Gaya. 7 guides Nalanda Today The Nalanda ruins as a heritage site, its layout, ideas and modern revival. 6 guides Sravasti The city of the Jetavana and many rainy season retreats in Buddhist tradition. 4 guides Ganges and Shared Traditions The Ganges, the Kumbh Mela and Hindu temples, explained respectfully alongside Buddhism. 7 guides
Nepal and Bhutan
Lumbini, the Kathmandu Valley and the monasteries of Bhutan.
Lumbini Visiting the birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal’s Terai. 9 guides Lumbini and Kapilavastu Traditions The birth story, its commemoration and the Shakya homeland. 5 guides Boudhanath Stupa Kathmandu’s great stupa and its Tibetan Buddhist community. 8 guides Kathmandu Valley Swayambhunath, Pharping and the valley’s shared sacred sites. 5 guides Nepal Overview Planning a Buddhist pilgrimage across Nepal. 7 guides Bhutan Dzongs, monasteries and festivals of the Thunder Dragon kingdom. 10 guides
Tibet, Himalaya and Silk Road
High monasteries and the ancient routes that carried Buddhism north and east.
Himalayan Monasteries Ladakh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and the high monastic seats. 10 guides Silk Road and Gandhara Taxila, Bamiyan and the routes that carried Buddhism across Asia. 6 guides Himalayan Routes and Treks Monasteries and palaces of the Tibetan plateau together with the great walking routes of the Himalayas. 10 guides Lhasa The Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and the sacred circuits of Lhasa. 10 guides Great Monasteries of Tibet Sera, Tashilhunpo, Sakya, Kumbum and other major Tibetan monasteries. 10 guides Tibetan Buddhist Lineages The Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug schools and their Himalayan heritage. 10 guides Himalayan Pilgrimage Trails Kailash, Langtang, Manaslu and other routes walked by pilgrims. 9 guides Sacred Sites of Tibet An orientation to pilgrimage across the Tibetan plateau. 10 guides Sacred Himalayan Landscapes Lakes, valleys and highlands held sacred in Tibetan Buddhism. 7 guides Himalayan Sacred Geography Mountains, rivers and foothills as Buddhists read them. 6 guides
Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
Theravada heartlands and great temples from Sri Lanka to Indonesia.
Borobudur and Java The great Mahayana monument of Java and its neighbours. 10 guides Myanmar Shwedagon, Bagan and the Theravada heritage of Myanmar. 7 guides Cambodia and Angkor Angkor and the living Buddhist temples of Cambodia. 6 guides Sri Lanka The Theravada heritage of the island. 6 guides Southeast Asia Overview Planning and comparing pilgrimage across the region, including Thailand. 6 guides Vietnam and Laos Pagodas and wats from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. 6 guides Thailand Temples Bangkok’s royal temples and the wats of northern Thailand. 10 guides Angkor and Khmer Buddhism Angkor’s temples and Cambodia’s living Buddhist tradition. 6 guides Shwedagon and Burmese Practice Yangon’s great pagoda and Buddhist life in Myanmar. 6 guides Laos and the Mekong Lao wats and the riverside temples of the Mekong. 6 guides Sri Lanka Sacred Cities Kandy, Anuradhapura and the other great pilgrimage places of Sri Lanka. 10 guides
East Asia
Sacred mountains and temples of China, Korea and Japan.
Buddhist China Chinese Buddhist history, caves and sacred mountains, with Mongolia. 7 guides Kiyomizu-dera Kyoto’s hillside temple of Kannon. 5 guides Temples of Japan Nara, Kyoto and the schools of Japanese Buddhism. 6 guides Japan Pilgrim Routes The Shikoku trail and other temple circuits of Japan. 10 guides Korea Temples Korean Buddhism, its mountain monasteries and temple stay programmes. 10 guides