Hundreds greet Dalai Lama on arrival in Australia ahead of tour with Richard Gere

The Dalai Lama has touched down at Sydney airport with US actor Richard Gere.

Gere, who is a devout Buddhist, will join the spiritual leader on his 12-day visit to Australia.

The Dalai Lama plans to give talks on the wisdom of forgiveness and compassion on his Ocean of Wisdom tour.

Hundreds of people came to the airport to greet the 79-year-old monk, who will visit the Blue Mountains, Brisbane, Uluru and Perth as part of his trip Down Under.

"Australia, also part of seven billion human beings. We are the same. Emotionally, mentally, physically," he told 9NEWS at Sydney Airport after touching down.

Gere said His Holiness would be giving "very high teaching, experiential, something extraordinary - so it's worth coming this far."

Around 100 protesters have gathered with placards in the NSW Blue Mountains to call on the Dalai Lama to end his persecution of Shugden Buddhists.

Monks, nuns and people from all walks of life have turned up to the Fairmont Resort in Leura today where the spiritual leader is kicking off his visit.

"There's lots of placards, banners, caricatures of the Dalai Lama illustrating how he's suppressing his own people, there's images of the Buddha he's trying to ban," said International Shugden Community spokesman Nicholas Pitts, adding they just want a peaceful solution.

Meanwhile, Gere had a chuckle when he was pushed aside by a man who seemed uninterested in the celebrity fanfare.

With AAP.