7-Day Himalayan Ayurveda Yoga Detox & Stress-Reduction Retreat

The retreat runs for seven days and six nights at Yoga Ayurveda School Himalaya in Almora district, Uttarakhand. Mornings start early with meditation, then yoga to cleanse the body, then asana and pranayama practice. Breakfast is vegetarian and organic. Mid-morning there's mantra chanting and healing sessions, followed by karma yoga — you help with simple tasks around the school — and a satsang where a yogi talks and answers questions over tea. Late afternoon and evening bring more yoga and meditation before dinner and an early night.

The detox side is where this differs from a standard yoga week. You get a personalized health consultation to work out your constitution and goals, talks on Ayurveda covering doshas, diet and lifestyle, and juice and fruit fasting days to give your digestion a rest. An eye detox session is part of the welcome. A 30-minute massage and a one-hour treatment are included, and you can book more.

The lead teacher is Master Hemu Masant (Himanshu), who has more than 12 years of practice and teaching behind him. His sessions pull from classical Hatha and Vinyasa, meditation, Ayurveda, anatomy, mantra, sound healing, mudras and bandhas, kriyas, and Kundalini. He's the person running the yoga and Ayurveda talks, so the theory and the practice come from the same source.

Location-wise you're in the Himalayas, not in a resort town. The nearest airport is Pantnagar (PGH), about 110 km away, and the school arranges pickup and drop-off. Guests also arrive via Ramnagar or Haldwani by train, or by bus from Ramanagar, Haldwani or Kashipur. Days off can be filled with hiking, cycling, horse riding, swimming, wildlife watching or camping — all available nearby, not included in the base price.

Who it suits: complete beginners are fine, and so are people who already practise. The FAQ puts the age range at 9 to 90. It's a good fit if you want structure, early starts and a plant-based diet for a week, and a poor fit if you want late nights, alcohol or a lot of free time to go exploring on your own.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation (private room, single occupancy) - 3 daily vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Water, tea and coffee served throughout the day - Welcome drink - Daily yoga classes - Daily meditation classes - Daily pranayama classes - Mantra chanting and healing sessions - Yoga and Ayurveda talks - Personal health consultation - Juice and fruit fasting days - Eye detox session - 30-minute massage - 1-hour Ayurvedic treatment - Cooking class - Guided nature hike with a trusted guide - Airport pickup and drop-off at Pantnagar (PGH) - Transportation during the retreat - Course manual - Professional event photos - Pre and post retreat support from the team - Free parking - Luggage storage - Wifi connection - Access to sauna, library, garden and yoga shala

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Airport drop-off from Delhi (DEL) — €87 per person - Airport drop-off from Dehradun (DED) — €78 per person - Optional extra night before the retreat - Optional extra night after the retreat - Laundry (charged per kg) - Additional spa treatments beyond the included massage and Ayurvedic treatment - Personal expenses