Guide
How much does a yoga retreat in India cost?
SHORT ANSWER
A week-long retreat in Rishikesh typically runs $350 to $900 including accommodation and all meals. Ours is $420 twin share and $580 private. Add roughly $600 to $1,200 for flights from Europe or North America, $25 to $40 for the visa, and $60 to $150 for insurance.
Last updated · Written by the team at Junegiri Yoga School, Rishikesh
The full cost of a week, not just the retreat fee
For a traveller from Europe or North America, October to March. The retreat fee is usually the smaller half of the total, which is the part people are surprised by.
| Item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Retreat fee, twin share | $350-$700 | Includes room, all meals and all sessions at any reputable school |
| Private room supplement | $100-$250 | Worth it for light sleepers, and cheap next to the flight |
| Return flights | $600-$1,200 | Cheaper September to November than December to January |
| Indian e-Tourist visa | $25-$40 | 30-day is ample for a week. Depends on passport |
| Travel insurance | $60-$150 | Required. Make sure it names yoga |
| Delhi to Rishikesh | $10-$95 | Train from about $10; a private car is roughly $70-$95 |
| Spending money | $50-$150 | Extra treatments, a shawl, tips, a meal in town |
Our own 7-day retreat is $420 twin share and $580 private, or Rs 24,000 twin share for Indian nationals, who are quoted and pay in rupees.
Where the very cheap retreats save the money
You can find a week in Rishikesh for under $250. That is a real price and it buys a real week, but it is worth knowing what has usually been cut to reach it.
Group size is the first thing. A retreat running twenty-five people has a different economy to one running ten, and it is felt in every class - a teacher cannot adjust twenty-five bodies. The second is food, where a shared buffet catering for a large group is a different proposition to three cooked meals for ten. The third, less visibly, is who teaches: the cheapest weeks are often taught by whoever is available rather than by named teachers you can look up before you book.
None of that makes a cheap retreat a bad one. It makes it a different product, and the question worth asking any school is simply how many people will be in the room.
Three ways to spend less without buying a worse week
Come in the shoulder months
September and February are quieter and flights are cheaper than the October to November peak, and Rishikesh is still comfortable. Our retreat price does not change by season, but your flight will.
Take the train up from Delhi
Delhi to Haridwar is five to seven hours and costs a fraction of a private car. We collect you from Rishikesh or Haridwar station at no charge, so the only cost is the ticket.
Share a room
The twin-share saving is $160 on a week here, which is most of the cost of getting from Delhi and back by car. Retreat groups are small and people tend to get on.
Related
Other questions worth answering first
Should I do a yoga retreat or a yoga teacher training?
A retreat is a week of practice with no assessment and no certificate. A teacher training is a month of study that qualifies you to teach. Choose the retreat if you want rest and a deeper practice. Choose the training only if you intend to teach, or genuinely want the discipline of full immersion.
What actually happens on a 7-day yoga retreat?
Two yoga sessions and two meditation sessions a day, three vegetarian meals, and a long free afternoon. Mornings start early and evenings end early. Across a week that is roughly fourteen hours of yoga - enough to change how you feel, not enough to leave you wrecked.
What does a yoga teacher training in India actually cost, all in?
Budget $1,900–$3,200 all-in for a 200-hour in India from Europe or North America. The course itself is typically $1,000–$1,600 including accommodation and all meals; flights add $600–$1,200, and visa, insurance, vaccinations and incidentals add roughly $300–$400.
Still deciding?
We would rather talk you out of the wrong course than sell you one. Ask us anything — including whether another school suits you better.
Or see dates and prices.
