How far in advance do I need to book a retreat in India?

Question

Are retreats usually full, or can I just turn up?

RetreatAdvisors Editors · Answer

It depends a lot on the type:

Book or apply early (weeks to months)
• Vipassana courses: the centres say popular dates fill and waitlist quickly. Applications open well ahead on dhamma.org.
• [Tushita](/retreats/tushita-meditation-centre)'s residential courses, which are small and popular in spring and autumn.
• [Sri Ramanasramam](/retreats/sri-ramanasramam): stays must be requested online, and only about a quarter of requests are accepted.
• Luxury and Ayurveda programmes in peak season (October to March), especially around Christmas and New Year.

Need some lead time
• [Atmantan](/retreats/atmantan) asks for a health questionnaire and medical records at least two weeks before arrival.
• [Isha Yoga Center](/retreats/isha-yoga-center) asks overseas visitors to submit a visit request first.

More flexible
• Large ashrams like [Parmarth Niketan](/retreats/parmarth-niketan) and drop-in style stays like [Sivananda Neyyar Dam](/retreats/sivananda-neyyar-dam)'s Yoga Vacation (join any day) are easier at short notice, outside festival weeks.