2008 Tours

For those of you wanting to put your whole trip on your Visa or Mastercard we have good news! Red Lotus will now be accepting Visa and Mastercard for the entire price of the tour. We will still be offering 5% discount to those who wish to pay by cash, check or money order.

Tours to Peru

Peruvian Women's Empowerment Journey

Our Women’s Empowerment Journey is designed to give you a colorful taste of the country and culture of Peru as well as give you the opportunity to explore your edges, to be a part of "community", and to bloom.

The basis of our tours involves daily teachings of meditation, ritual, yoga, community building, and visualizations. This is designed to deepen your spirituality, help you to connect to your feminine essence, and empower you as both a woman and a divine goddess.

The backdrop of our Peruvian Tour begins in Cusco, once the center of the Incan Empire, where we spend a few days acclimatizing and adjusting to the Latin culture while we take in Spanish and salsa classes, explore the city and ruins, and sample the local cuisine.

In the Sacred Valley, a fertile land where the Incas once flourished, we will visit more magnificent ruins, learn about the women of Peru, and take a day to volunteer our time lending a hand to the women and children of Ollantaytambo at the Universal Heart Restaurant. We will also take a trip into the villages of the Andes to visit the colorful Sunday market, and experience the flavor of life in the countryside of Peru.

By train we travel to the great archaeological ruins of Machu Picchu. Our Tour guide and Shaman will take us back in time, enlightening us to the spirituality of the Incan civilization, and immersing us in the magic of this energetic center.

Our final days together are spent back in Cusco, with time for shopping and relaxing before saying our farewells in a closing fire ceremony.

Our price includes: Return flight from Lima to Cusco, all transportation in Peru, accommodation, Spanish and salsa classes, entrance fees to archaeological sites, tour guides, shamanic ceremonies, daily spiritual teachings and practices, breakfasts and either lunch or dinner each day.

Excluded expenses: Your flight to and from Peru, visas, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, beverages and food taken outside of the meals provided, laundry, airport departure taxes and tips.

Prices above are based on double occupancy (sharing a room).
Single supplement (private room) for the 10-Day Peru Tour is $443.
Single supplement (private room) for the 16-Day Peru Tour is $659.
Prices are in US Dollars.

Writer’s Workshop in Peru!

InspireABook creator and teacher, Julie Salisbury is presenting her system for writing and self-publishing on a Red Lotus Tour in the sacred land of Peru! Not only will you receive the self-publishing kit, but you will have Julie personally to walk you through the process of writing the book that is inside you and getting it published.

This writer’s workshop is an amazing opportunity to be immersed in the culture and beauty of Peru while being coached to write your ideas, your memoirs, the story you have to tell by a professional who has traveled around the world and written her own book “A Seven Year Journey Around the World – Discovering My Passion and Purpose”.

During this ten day tour we will visit the sacred ruins of Sacsayhuman and other heritage sites in and around Cusco, travel to the Sacred Valley to do a day of volunteer work at Universal Heart Restaurant (please see our “Giving Back” page), travel on to Aquas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu and of course, spend a day exploring Machu Picchu with our Quechua guides Washington and Carlos.

There will be plenty of “at leisure” time to journal your thoughts and inspirations and enjoy the rich beauty of the Peruvian culture.

Come with us and become the author of your dreams!

For more information please click here.

Price Includes: InspireABook Briefcase & curriculum with personal instruction of the writing course by Julie Salisbury, r/t flight from Lima to Cusco, all transportation in Peru while on tour, accommodations (including day room in Lima on final day before flying home), entrance fees to archaeological sites, tour guides, shamanic ceremonies, breakfasts and either lunch or dinner each day.

Excluded expenses: Your flight to and from Peru, visas, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, beverages and food taken outside of the meals provided, laundry,
taxi in Lima to airport for return flight to No. America and airport departure taxes and tips.

Prices above are based on double occupancy (sharing a room).
Single supplement (private room) for this Tour is $443.
Prices are in US Dollars.

Tours to Nepal and Tibet

Nepal Never End Peace and Love Tour

The Never End Peace And Love tour introduces you to an ancient culture situated in the majestic Himalayas, its foothills and valleys, and its preserved jungle, Chitwan. Nepal is a place you come to Let Go... Let go of your expectations, let go of your limiting beliefs, let go of how you think things should be. Nepal invites you to just Be and truly experience the flow of the moment.

Our 20-day tour begins with getting connected to each other and ourselves through hatha yoga, meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises). We will enjoy healthy, organic, vegetarian food and find our grounding in feeling balanced and rejuvenated. During these first few days we will also visit world famous Kopan Monastery and other heritage sites around the Kathmandu area.

We spend the next 15 days journeying into the other regions that make up this diverse and fascinating country we will visit:
~ Pokhara and the mellow vibes of this town offers opportunities to day hike, relax and enjoy the town and its Annapurna range vistas, and visit a local paragliding center that incorporates birds of prey and falconry in their programs.
~ The Chitwan National Park and small village of Sauraha, with its warmer temperatures and wildlife.
~ Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha the Buddha; a perfect place for reflection, journaling and peaceful moments
~ Dhulikhel with its spectacular sunrise, our Buddhist lamas and yoga ceremony, day hiking and a funky "flower power" evening that recreates the feel of Kathmandu in the 60’s and early 70’s.

A return to Kathmandu for the final four days of the tour will give us time to do more sightseeing of absolutely amazing places, take advantage of a spa treatment or two, and enjoy free time aside from tour activities.

As we allow ourselves to explore the many sights and sensations that define Nepal, we take time to open our hearts to those less fortunate and spend time with Children s welfare groups and Women’s cooperatives donating our time and service.

And don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to shop for Buddhas in Thamel; Tibetan treasures, jewelry, shawls and exquisite art too!

We invite you to come on a journey that reaches deep into your heart and soul. There is no doubt about it: Nepal changes people in the most beautiful ways.

Everest Base Camp Trek

Mountain trekking is one of the major draws to Nepal so if you like your adventure served up a little more challenging; we have the perfect tour for you! Imagine yourself at Everest Base Camp, the starting point for hundreds of ascents on Mt. Everest! And for photographers, Kala Patther has the most amazing views of Everest, Nupste, and the Khumbu glacier.

Our trekking guides are Sherpa, local, and well known in their area, and will lead you safely and professionally through the quaint villages and rugged landscape of the Solukhumbu region, their home. They will give you insights into the culture and open doors to experiences you would not have otherwise.

Typically these treks are through mountain villages where you stay in Tibetan teahouses or guesthouses and require that you are in good physical condition but there is no technical mountaineering involved. You will be challenged for sure, but the reward is the breathtaking views of Mt. Everest and Ama Dablam, possibly the most beautiful peak on earth.

Part of the integrity of Red Lotus Tours comes from us personally meeting, traveling with, and having a positive relationship with our tour professionals in far away lands. We operate all our tours in as responsible a manner as possible; socially, culturally and environmentally. With that in mind we have personally chosen our tour and trekking expedition ground crew in Nepal. They are socially conscious, active in responsible tourism, and delightful human beings who possess an excellent knowledge of their profession, valuing, above all, the trust and respect of their clients. These Nepali professionals work together in synergy with Red Lotus Tours to make sure your trekking experience is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The expedition company we use in Nepal is licensed, bonded and highly recommended for its integrity and expertise in tourism, not only in Nepal but Tibet and Bhutan as well.

Our prices includes: All transportation in Nepal including two flights, accommodation, at least two meals per day (typically breakfast and dinner), yoga and meditation classes and ceremonies, entrance fees to all world heritage sites and national parks.

Excluded expenses include: Your flight to and from Nepal, entry visa for Nepal (at this time $30 USD), alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, meals taken outside the meals provided, laundry, airport departure taxes and tips.

Overland to Tibet Tour

Tibet Lhasa tour - Kathmandu to Lhasa overland drive

Enjoy a 7-day journey from the lush Kathmandu Valley to the expansive vistas of the Tibetan Plateau. This journey will take you across 1000KM/620 miles of the Tibetan Plateau in 4 days of travel on the world famous Friendship Highway to Lhasa where you will spend 3 days exploring the sites of the capital of Tibet. This is not a trip for the faint of heart; the road is partially paved but primarily a dirt road through the rugged Tibetan countryside.

You will experience the amazing views of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau. You will have the opportunity to see the rich culture of Tibet, in the rugged boarder towns between Nepal and China.

En route, you will visit Lhatse, Shigatse, and Gyantse; three towns with one foot in the historic and traditional culture of Tibet and one foot in the modern century with roads and electricity. In each town there are incredible opportunities to visit the local monasteries and experience the strong Buddhist culture that thrives throughout Tibet.

Additionally, you will see the Dzongs or old forts that protected the cities during the years of war. Through out the countryside you will encounter traditional Tibetan families herding sheep and yak through the hills of the plateau. There are many natural wonders to take in and experience; such as the Xiqian hot springs, local cuisine and maybe even some yak butter tea.

Once in Lhasa you will encounter the old with the new. You will experience the melding of the Chinese and Tibetan culture which may come somewhat of a surprise. Once you have let that soak in, you are ready to experience the rich culture of Lhasa; the seat of Tibetan Buddhism and some of the oldest active monasteries; the Jokhang Monastery Tibet's holiest temple with its priceless statues and frescoes, and the Sera Monastery which is famous for the lively debates of the monks, the Ganden Monastery known for academic excellence. Walk the Barkhor kora around the Jokhang Monastery and experience the life of the people in this bustling marketplace. Visit the famous Potala Palace, home of the Dhali Lama.

Fly back to Kathmandu with a new sense of wonder!