How much does a yoga retreat in India cost?

Prices for a week-long yoga retreat in India range enormously, from budget ashram stays to luxury resorts, and the headline number rarely tells you much on its own. What matters is what sits behind it.

What the price usually covers

Most residential retreats quote a single price per person that includes your accommodation, your meals and the daily practice. Beyond that, retreats differ a great deal. Before you compare two prices, check whether each one includes:

• Room type. Shared or private, and whether a private room costs extra.
• All meals, or only breakfast and dinner.
• Airport transfers, which can be a long drive in India.
• Excursions and entrance fees, or whether activities are paid separately.
• Treatments such as Ayurvedic massage.
• Taxes, which are sometimes added at the end.

Two retreats advertised at similar prices can work out very differently once transfers, excursions and treatments are added.

What is almost never included

Whoever you book with, budget separately for international flights, your Indian visa, travel insurance, and personal spending such as souvenirs, extra treatments and tips.

What our week costs

Our seven-day retreat is $1,299 per person. Book at least three months before the start date and it's $999. Book with a friend or partner and you each pay $899.

That price covers your stays, Kerala meals every day, daily yoga and meditation, Ayurvedic massage, airport pick-up and drop-off at Cochin International Airport, and the activities in both places: tuk-tuk sightseeing and cultural immersion in Fort Kochi, then trekking, wild elephant watching, river swims and group activities in Munnar. You can see the full price list and what's included on the retreat page.

Flights are usually the biggest variable

Flight costs depend far more on where you're coming from and when you book than on anything else in your budget. Cochin International Airport (COK) is well connected to the Gulf, Singapore and other Asian hubs, and most European travellers connect through one of them. Booking a few months ahead, and avoiding the Christmas and New Year peak, usually helps.

Money once you're here

Cards work in hotels, larger shops and restaurants in Kochi, but keep some cash for markets, autorickshaws, small cafés and tips. ATMs are easy to find in town. Tipping isn't obligatory in India, but it's normal and appreciated for drivers, guides and therapists; a small amount goes a long way.

Questions worth asking before you pay

• What exactly is included, and what costs extra?
• How large is the group?
• Who teaches, and what is their background?
• What is the cancellation policy? Ours gives a full refund 30 days or more before the retreat.
• Is a deposit required, and how is the balance paid?

Is it worth it?

A retreat costs more than travelling independently and booking drop-in classes. What you're paying for is not having to plan: someone meets you at the airport, the day has a shape, the food appears, and you practise with the same teachers all week. If you'd rather improvise, India is a wonderful place to do that too. If you want a week where you can stop making decisions, that's what a retreat buys.

Questions about what's included? Ask us anything before you book.