2 retreats · 7 or 10 days · Rishikesh, India
Yoga Retreats in Rishikesh, India: 7 Days or 10 Days
We run two yoga retreats in Rishikesh, India — one of 7 days and one of 10 days — at our school above the Ganga, in the town where yoga was first taught. A retreat here is not a course and it is not a holiday. It is a week or ten days of practice, silence, simple food and mountain air, with nothing on the timetable you have to pass.
From$499USD per person, sharing · all inclusive
This page sets the two side by side, so you can tell which one is yours before you open either page. They teach the same practice, in the same hall, with the same teachers. What changes is how long you stay, what that costs, and how much of the day is yours.
Start here
7 Days or 10 Days?
Two retreats, two different readers. Find yourself below and the rest of this page is detail.
7 days · from $499 USD
7 Day Retreat
A full week to stop, with the week shaped for you
Choose the 7 day retreat if this is your first retreat, or if a week is the leave you can take. It is the more structured of the two: the day starts early, three sessions are taught, and the ceremonies and the excursion are already arranged for you. Most people who have never been on a retreat before should book this one.
10 days · from $699 USD
10 Day Retreat
Three more days, and much more of the day unscheduled
Choose the 10 day retreat if you already practice, or if what you actually need is time rather than a timetable. The taught hours are lighter and the afternoons are long, which is what the extra three days really buy. It is also the one to book if you want to try Kundalini, Yin, Nidra or therapeutic yoga rather than Hatha alone.
- Length
7 Day Retreat
7 days
10 Day Retreat
10 days
- Sharing room
7 Day Retreat
$499 USD per person
10 Day Retreat
$699 USD per person
- Private room
7 Day Retreat
$599 USD per person
10 Day Retreat
$799 USD per person
- The day
7 Day Retreat
Three yoga sessions a day, from a 5:30 start, with the afternoon given to an excursion
10 Day Retreat
One morning class and one afternoon session, from a 7:00 start, with long open afternoons
- What it has that the other does not
7 Day Retreat
The fuller week: a welcome ceremony, an Ayurvedic massage, a Himalayan excursion, Ganga darshan, a fire ceremony and a closing circle — plus a certificate, a school t-shirt and the free pick-up from Dehradun airport
10 Day Retreat
The range, and the room to use it: seven styles taught rather than one, all three levels welcomed, three named teachers, and an east-facing room with a private balcony over the valley
Every figure above is per person in US dollars, and covers your room, all meals, every class and the excursion.
Looking to qualify as a teacher instead? Compare the four teacher trainings →
Before you talk yourself out of it
You do not need any yoga experience to book either retreat.
You do not need any yoga experience to book either retreat. You do not need to be flexible, you do not need to have meditated before, and you do not need to be able to hold a single posture on arrival. Both retreats are open to complete beginners, and most people who come have never been on a retreat in their lives.
The rhythm
What a Day on Retreat Looks Like
Two practices, three meals, and a long quiet middle. The same shape on both retreats — the hours differ, and both pages publish their own.
- 1
Morning — practice, before anything else
The day opens with traditional Hatha yoga and pranayama, taught with alignment and correction, before breakfast. On the 7 day retreat there is a walk up the hill and mantra chanting first, from 5:30. On the 10 day the first class is at 7:00.
- 2
Midday — study, stillness, and the town
Between the classes the day is quiet: self-study, meditation and relaxation, lunch, and time out in Rishikesh. Both retreats build the excursion into the middle of the day rather than bolting one onto the end of the week.
- 3
Evening — a second practice, then silence
A second yoga or meditation session in the late afternoon, dinner around 7:00, and the campus goes quiet. Both retreats end the day at 9:00 pm with silence and rest — the school asks for it, and it is the part most people are surprised to find they wanted.
That is the shape of a day, not a contract. Each retreat page publishes its own timetable, hour by hour, exactly as the school prints it. The 7 day timetable → The 10 day timetable →
The same on both
What Is Included in a Yoga Retreat
Residential means residential. Whichever retreat you book, the fee covers the same things — and the 7 day retreat adds a few of its own on top.
Your room, for the whole stay
On site, with an attached private washroom and running hot water. Sharing and private rooms are both priced, on both retreats.
Three vegetarian meals a day
Sattvic food cooked at the school from local Himalayan produce, with herbal teas through the day. Dietary needs and allergies are catered for — tell the kitchen before you arrive.
Daily yoga and meditation
Traditional Hatha yoga, pranayama, meditation and relaxation, taught in a small group in the school's own hall.
A local excursion
Time out in Rishikesh and up into the hills, inside the retreat rather than after it.
A fire ceremony
The traditional havan, held at the school. Both retreats publish it, and for most guests it is the first one they have sat at.
Study material, and the use of everything
Material to take home, and mats, props and yoga equipment provided free while you are here.
Wi-Fi and hot water, around the clock
Free Wi-Fi across the campus, and hot water in the washrooms at any hour — the mornings here are colder than people expect.
Not included: Flights, your visa, personal expenses, beauty treatments, extra Ayurveda sessions, and air conditioning or a heater if you want one — those can be arranged at the school for an extra charge. See the rooms and the kitchen →
That is the whole week, and the whole of what it costs.
Ask us anything the list above does not answer — the dates you had in mind, traveling alone, arriving a day early — and we will write back with the specifics.
Who comes
Who Retreats Are For
Almost everyone who books one of these arrives worried they are the least experienced person in the hall. They are not, and it would not matter.
You have never done yoga
Both retreats take complete beginners. The classes are taught with alignment and correction in a group of ten to thirteen, so nobody is left copying the person in front.
You practice already
And you want to practice where the practice came from, with teachers who correct you by name rather than from the front of a hall.
You are worn out
By work, by caring for other people, or by a year that took more than it gave. This is the most common reason people book, and the school treats it as a good one.
You want the silence
Noble silence, meditation and quiet journaling are part of the week rather than options at the edge of it.
You are traveling India anyway
And a week in Rishikesh is the part of the trip you will still be thinking about a year later.
You are over 16
The only age rule on either retreat is a lower one — there is no upper limit. Classes are taught in English and in Hindi.
The teachers are the same people who run the trainings — meet them →
The calendar, and the weather
When to Come to Rishikesh
There is no batch table on this page, and that is deliberate: the retreats run to your dates rather than to ours.
You choose the dates
The retreats do not run to a fixed calendar. Tell us when you can come and we confirm the dates with you — which is why there is no batch table on this page.
October to February — the cool season
The clearest air and the best mountain views. January is the coldest month, so bring something warm for the mornings and the evenings.
March to June — summer
Warm and bright, reaching 35°C in June. The early start on the 7 day retreat is at its best in these months, and an air-conditioned room is worth asking about.
July to September — the monsoon
16 to 26°C, humid, rain most days, and the greenest the valley gets. It is the quietest time to come, and the Ganga is at its loudest.
Where you sleep, what you eat
Rooms and Food at the School
A sharing room
The tier every price on this page is quoted at. Twin sharing on the 7 day retreat; double or triple sharing on the 10 day. An attached private washroom either way.
A private room
The same room, the same balcony, the same everything else — yours alone. Priced on both retreats, and worth it if you sleep badly in company.
- 7 Day Retreat
$499 sharing · $599 private
- 10 Day Retreat
$699 sharing · $799 private
Three vegetarian meals a day
Three vegetarian meals a day, cooked at the school. The food is sattvic — light, fresh and built to sit well before a practice rather than after one — and the vegetables come from farmers in the Himalayan villages around Rishikesh. Herbal teas and gentle detox drinks run through the day, and dinner is deliberately light so the body rests at night. Allergies and dietary needs are catered for; tell the kitchen before you arrive rather than on the first morning.
For international guests
Coming to India for a Retreat
Most of our guests fly in. Here is what that involves before you book anything.
The visa: a tourist visa, and nothing more
A retreat is a holiday and the tourist visa is the right one. For a stay of up to 60 days you apply online, and both retreats are far inside that. There is no visa on arrival, so apply before you book your flight. We are not immigration advisors — confirm the current rules with your own embassy.
The nearest airport is Dehradun
Jolly Grant (DED), a short domestic hop on from Delhi and a road journey from the school. Send us your arrival time and we will arrange the car. On the 7 day retreat that transfer is already in the fee.
Or overland from Delhi
5 to 6 hours by road from Delhi airport, or a train to Haridwar or Yog Nagari Rishikesh station and a taxi for the last 10 to 12 km. Ask us before you book a car from Delhi — that journey is charged separately.
How long to allow
Arrive a day early if you can. A 7 day retreat is a short trip to lose a morning of, and the drive up from the airport is better when you are not counting the minutes.
We are not immigration advisors. Confirm the current rules with your own embassy or consulate before you pay for anything.
Before you choose
Questions people ask while deciding
Should I book the 7 day or the 10 day yoga retreat?+
Book the 7 day retreat if this is your first retreat, or if a week is the leave you can take: the day is fuller, three sessions are taught, and the ceremonies, the massage and the Himalayan excursion are arranged for you. Book the 10 day retreat if you already practice, or if what you want is unhurried time — it teaches seven styles rather than one, and the afternoons are long and open.
What is the difference between a yoga retreat and a yoga teacher training?+
A retreat is for you. A teacher training is a qualification. On a retreat you practice, rest and go home — there is no syllabus to pass, no teaching practice and no examination. A teacher training runs 100 to 300 hours at a Yoga Alliance registered school and leaves you able to teach. If you are not sure which you want, start with a retreat; several of our trainees did.
How much does a yoga retreat in Rishikesh cost?+
Our 7 day retreat is $499 USD per person in a sharing room and $599 in a private room. The 10 day retreat is $699 sharing and $799 private. Every one of those figures covers your room, three vegetarian meals a day, all classes and the excursion. Flights, your visa and personal expenses are not included.
When do the retreats run, and can I choose my own dates?+
You choose them. Unlike our teacher training courses, the retreats do not run to a fixed monthly calendar — tell us the dates you can travel and we will confirm what we can hold for you. Write to us before you book flights, not after.
Do I get a certificate at the end of a yoga retreat?+
The 7 day retreat lists a certificate among what it includes. Neither retreat is a teaching qualification, though, and that is not what they are for — Yoga Alliance registers schools at 200, 300 and 500 hours, and a retreat is none of those. If you want a certificate you can teach on, our teacher training courses are the route.
Which visa do I need for a short yoga retreat in India?+
A tourist visa. For a stay of up to 60 days you apply online, and a 7 or 10 day retreat is well inside that — you do not need a student visa and should not apply for one. Approval usually takes under a week and there is no visa on arrival, so apply before you book your flight. Confirm the current rules with your own embassy: we are not immigration advisors.
Everything else — food, rooms, what to pack, arriving in Rishikesh — is answered in the full FAQ →
Still torn between the two?
Tell us how long you can be away and what you are hoping to come home with. We will say which retreat fits — including when the honest answer is the shorter one.