7-Day Himalayan Yoga & Trekking Retreat in Rishikesh, India

The retreat runs for seven days, with check-in on day one and a closing on day seven. Most days follow a similar structure: you wake at 6am, do pranayama and a 90-minute yoga class, then have breakfast. After that, most mornings and early afternoons are spent in self-study or watching documentary films on yoga and spirituality, then there is a second yoga session at 4:30pm, with meditation, Yog Nidra, or sound healing in the early evening before dinner. Three days break from this routine — day one you go to Ram Jhula for the Ganga Aarti, day three starts with a yoga session on the banks of the Ganges followed by a trek to the Vashisht Cave, and day five starts at 4am for sunrise at Kunjapuri Temple.

The real point of difference here is the location. Rishikesh sits where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas, and the school has mountain views from most rooms. You will practice yoga with the sound of the river nearby, visit sites that have been pilgrimage places for hundreds of years, and eat food cooked according to Ayurvedic principles. Because the school runs yoga teacher trainings and other retreats year-round, the teachers know the area well and will happily point you to the better cafés and less crowded stretches of the river to swim.

The lead teacher, Pranjal Ji, has spent over a decade learning yoga in India — from Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Kerala, Ashtanga Yoga Mysore por Sri Ramesh Shetty, and Kundalini techniques from a guru in Rishikesh. He teaches the philosophy classes with stories and modern examples, which makes the Patanjali and Bhagavad Gita material feel practical rather than abstract. Two other teachers, Vijay and Shubham, help with classes; Vijay has five years teaching with a 500-hour certification, and Shubham is a local who studied Yogic Science at Shree Jai Ram Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Water and tea throughout the day - Welcome drink - Daily yoga classes - Daily pranayama classes - Daily meditation classes - Daily sound healing session - Yog Nidra session - Group excursions and activities - Nature hikes with a guide - Transportation during the retreat - Parking - Luggage storage - Wi-Fi connection

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional treatments - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Airport transfers (available for an extra fee)