The short answer. Choose a meditation centre if you want to learn a practice with a teacher and accept strict rules; choose a country house or a resort if you want silence with more comfort and fewer rules; choose a remote place such as a desert if you want the silence to come from the surroundings rather than from a rule. Then check how strict the silence is, who guides it, how long it lasts and whether anyone else shares the place.
Why the choice matters
Silence is no longer a niche request. In Hilton’s 2026 trends research, carried out with Morning Consult, 57% of the American travellers surveyed said they were interested in a quiet or silent retreat (Hilton). The word now covers very different things, from a free ten day meditation course that starts at four in the morning to a resort week with spa treatments. Picking the wrong one is the most common reason people come home disappointed.
Four kinds of silent retreat, compared
The prices below are public prices per person, as published by the operator or its booking agent and checked in October 2026, in the currency of the source. They change with the season and the room.
| Type of place | Typical length | What is usually included | Public prices (examples) | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinic or medical centre | 4 to 14 nights | Medical tests and treatments; silence is rarely the product, quiet is a by-product | Silent programmes are uncommon. For scale, Lanserhof Tegernsee, Essential Health Check-Up, 4 nights: from £5,679 sharing (2026) | Healing Holidays, Lanserhof |
| Meditation centre, monastery or country house | 2 to 10 nights | Teaching, a timetable of sittings, simple rooms, vegetarian meals, silence at meals | Vipassana, 10 day course (12 days with arrival and departure): no fee, donations accepted only from past students. Sharpham House (England), 5 night silent retreat, single room, full board: £655 to £815 (2027). Eremito (Italy), hermitage with silent dinners: from €220 a night for one, all inclusive, 2 nights minimum | Dhamma.org, code of discipline; Dhamma.org, course finances; Sharpham Trust; Eremito |
| Wellness resort | 6 to 7 nights | Guided meditation, yoga, spa treatments, full board, transfers, rooms without screens | Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, monthly 7 day silent retreat launched May 23, 2026: from £7,192 for 6 nights | Rus Tourism News |
| Desert camp | 3 to 8 nights | Walks, nights outside, simple programme, silence of the place itself | 8 day Sinai retreat (Egypt), Nature, Silence and Renewal, 7 nights, rooms with wifi: US$2,018. Umnya Desert Camp (Morocco), Silence Retreat, 6 nights: price on the retreat page | BookRetreats, Sinai; Silence Retreat |
Two kinds of silence
The table hides a distinction that matters more than price. In most places, silence is a rule: the group agrees not to speak while the building, the road, the kitchen and sometimes other guests carry on around it. In a few places, silence is a condition: there is nothing around to make noise. A rule asks for effort. A condition asks for nothing, which is why some people find it easier and others find it harder, because there is no structure to hold on to.
How to choose: seven questions to ask before you book
1. How strict is the silence?
On a Vipassana course, noble silence covers speech, gestures, sign language and written notes, and lasts until the last full day (Dhamma.org). At Sharpham House, morning groups allow some sharing and the rest is silent, meals included. At a resort, silence is often limited to sessions and meals. Decide which level you want before comparing prices.
2. Do you want a teacher, or to be left alone?
A guided retreat has a teacher, a tradition and a timetable. An unguided stay gives you a quiet place and leaves the rest to you. Beginners often do better with some guidance; experienced meditators sometimes want none.
3. Is the silence yours, or shared with others?
Ask whether another group, a wedding or day visitors can be on site during your retreat. In a resort, you may share the pool with guests who are not on the programme. In a small venue taken by one group, nobody else is there.
4. How long can you stay?
Two nights give you a taste. Most people say the silence starts to work on the second or third day, so five to seven nights is a common recommendation for a guided retreat, and ten days for a Vipassana course.
5. What is the timetable?
A Vipassana day starts with a bell at 4 a.m. Many resort programmes start after breakfast. Neither is better, but you should know before you arrive.
6. What about your mental health?
Intensive meditation is not for everyone. Vipassana centres state that the practice is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment and ask applicants to declare their medication. If you have a history of depression, anxiety or trauma, talk to your doctor and tell the organiser. No silent retreat should present itself as therapy.
7. What does the price include?
Teaching, meals, a single room, transfers, treatments. A donation based course and a resort week are not comparable on price alone; compare what you will actually receive each day.
Umnya Desert Camp: when it is the right choice, and when it is not
We run one of the retreats in the table, so here is our own view.
Umnya Desert Camp is a camp of eight tent suites, each with a private bathroom, in the dunes of Erg Chegaga in southern Morocco, open since 2019 from September to June. It sits 60 kilometres of piste beyond M’Hamid El Ghizlane, about an hour and a half by 4x4. There is no road, no flight path and no village near the camp, and no network: a signal can be found a short walk away, about twenty minutes there and back. The night sky is rated Bortle 1.
It is a good choice if you want silence as a condition of the place rather than a rule to keep; if you would rather walk in the dunes than sit in a hall; if you are not looking for a particular tradition; and if you want a comfortable bed and your own bathroom, because silence breaks quickly when people queue.
It is not the right choice if you want to learn a specific meditation technique from a recognised teacher: a Vipassana centre or a monastery will teach you more, often for a donation. It is also not the right choice if you can only spare two nights, since the journey takes time, or if you want a spa and treatments every day.
You can come in two ways. The dated Silence Retreat runs from February 19 to 25, 2027, six nights, with a dawn walk in silence and an evening under the stars; the price is on the retreat page. Or you can book a single tent with no programme at all and share the camp with only a few other guests; teachers can also take the whole camp for their own group. Both are described on our page about a silent retreat in Morocco. Guests come by road from Marrakech, or fly from Casablanca to Zagora, where the team meets them at the airport; a helicopter from Marrakech is also possible.
Frequently asked questions
What is a silent retreat?
A stay of a few days in which participants agree not to speak, or speak very little, usually with meditation, walking and simple meals. Some are religious or follow a meditation tradition; others are secular.
How much does a silent retreat cost?
From nothing to several thousand pounds. Vipassana courses charge no fee and accept donations only from past students; a five night retreat at Sharpham House costs £655 to £815 in 2027; the Four Seasons Bali silent retreat starts at £7,192 for six nights.
Do I need meditation experience?
No. Many centres welcome beginners, and Vipassana’s ten day course is designed as a first course. A retreat with less structure, such as a stay in a quiet place without a programme, asks for no technique at all.
How long should a silent retreat be?
Three nights is a minimum to feel the difference; five to seven is common for guided retreats; Vipassana courses last ten days.
Can I bring my phone?
Rules vary. On a Vipassana course, phones and other devices are deposited with the management until the end. In remote places, the absence of network decides for you. We compare both approaches in no network or phone in a box.
Is a silent retreat suitable if I suffer from anxiety?
Speak to your doctor first. Long periods of silence and meditation can bring up difficult feelings; a good organiser will ask about your health and tell you honestly if the retreat is not suitable.
For a longer read on the silence of Erg Chegaga, see the quietest place you can book, and if sleep is your main concern, read how to choose a sleep retreat.
