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Planning from · South Asia

Wellness retreats from India

India is the largest source of visitors to Sri Lanka and the second-largest to Bali, and about two in three of Bhutan’s visitors are Indian. For Indian travellers the map starts unusually close to home: Rishikesh and Kerala are domestic flights, and Sri Lanka and Bhutan are a short hop.

Plan from India Where to go
6
Destinations that work from here
US$1,200
Programmes from, per person
Delhi · Mumbai
Departing from

Why travellers from here go

The numbers behind the shortlist

Published figures from tourism boards and statistics offices — not our own bookings, which we do not publish.

The bit that decides it

When you can travel, and whether that is the right season

Indian travel bunches into three windows, and each points somewhere different. The May–June summer break is too hot in Rishikesh and too wet on Sri Lanka’s south-west coast, but May is still spring in Bhutan, the whole break is the dry season in Bali and the best of the European walking cures — and Kerala’s monsoon, the classical treatment season, arrives at the start of June. The Diwali weeks in October or November are the best all-round window: Rishikesh, Bhutan and the Japanese onsen are all at their best, though Koh Samui is in its wet season. Christmas to New Year suits Sri Lanka’s Ayurveda coast; Rishikesh is cold then and its halls are unheated.

Departing from

  • Delhi
  • Mumbai
  • Bengaluru
  • Chennai
  • Hyderabad
  • Kolkata
Worth knowing. Two airports here need slack built into the plan, and both are reached from Delhi: Dehradun, where winter fog from late December through January cancels flights at short notice, and Paro, where flights are turned back for cloud. Never plan a same-day onward connection from either.
When to travel to each destination, by month
DestinationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
RishikeshIndiaJan: good alternativeFeb: preferred seasonMar: preferred seasonApr: preferred seasonMay: less suitableJun: less suitableJul: less suitableAug: less suitableSep: preferred seasonOct: preferred seasonNov: preferred seasonDec: good alternative
BhutanBhutanJan: good alternativeFeb: good alternativeMar: preferred seasonApr: preferred seasonMay: preferred seasonJun: less suitableJul: less suitableAug: less suitableSep: preferred seasonOct: preferred seasonNov: preferred seasonDec: good alternative
The Ayurveda coastSri LankaJan: preferred seasonFeb: preferred seasonMar: preferred seasonApr: preferred seasonMay: less suitableJun: less suitableJul: less suitableAug: less suitableSep: less suitableOct: less suitableNov: good alternativeDec: preferred season
KeralaIndiaJan: good alternativeFeb: good alternativeMar: less suitableApr: less suitableMay: less suitableJun: preferred seasonJul: preferred seasonAug: preferred seasonSep: preferred seasonOct: good alternativeNov: good alternativeDec: good alternative
UbudIndonesiaJan: less suitableFeb: less suitableMar: good alternativeApr: preferred seasonMay: preferred seasonJun: preferred seasonJul: preferred seasonAug: preferred seasonSep: preferred seasonOct: good alternativeNov: good alternativeDec: less suitable
MontreuxSwitzerlandJan: good alternativeFeb: good alternativeMar: good alternativeApr: preferred seasonMay: preferred seasonJun: preferred seasonJul: less suitableAug: good alternativeSep: preferred seasonOct: preferred seasonNov: less suitableDec: good alternative
Preferred season
Good alternative
Less suitable

Getting there

The shape of the journey from India

  • Rishikesh

    A short flight from Delhi to Dehradun — under an hour, many times a day — then a short drive to Rishikesh. The six-hour drive from Delhi is not worth it.

  • Kerala

    Direct to Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram from Delhi and Mumbai, several times a day, and from the other large cities.

  • Sri Lanka

    Direct to Colombo from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru — about an hour from Chennai.

  • Bhutan

    Direct from Delhi to Paro on the two Bhutanese carriers, which are the only airlines permitted to fly there. Paro flights are cancelled for cloud without much warning, so keep a spare night either side.

  • Bali, Koh Samui and Japan

    Bali is direct from Mumbai and Delhi in season, otherwise one stop through Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Koh Samui connects through Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and Japan through Tokyo or Seoul.

  • The European cure towns

    One direct flight from Delhi or Mumbai to a large European hub, then a train: Frankfurt for Baden-Baden, Munich or Vienna for the Tyrol and Bad Gastein, Zurich or Geneva for Montreux, Paris for Quiberon. Karlovy Vary is one stop, into Prague.

Routes describe the shape of the journey, not a timetable. Carriers and connections change every season, so we confirm the actual routing in writing with your quote.

Worth the journey from India

6 destinations, best first

Month-by-month guide

What it costs

Programmes worth the trip

Compare every programme

Starting prices per person, in US dollars. Your written quote confirms the figure before you commit to anything.

What is the best time to go to Rishikesh for a yoga retreat?
February to April and late September to November: warm days, cool nights and the river at its clearest. Avoid May and June, which are too hot for a full practice schedule, and July and August, the landslide season in the hills. December and January are cold, and the practice halls are unheated.
Which wellness retreats can I reach on a short flight from India?
Rishikesh is a flight from Delhi to Dehradun, and Kerala is direct from the large cities. Sri Lanka is direct from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and Bhutan is direct from Delhi to Paro on the Bhutanese carriers.
Where should I go for a wellness break in the May–June summer holidays?
Bhutan in May, Bali through the whole break, or one of the European cure towns, which are at their best then. Kerala’s monsoon arrives in early June, which is the classical season for Ayurvedic treatment. Rishikesh and Sri Lanka’s south-west coast are the two to avoid in these months.
Is Bhutan good for a wellness trip over Diwali?
Yes. Autumn — September to November — brings the clearest skies of the year in Bhutan and its festival season. Book early, and keep a spare night in Delhi either side, because Paro flights can be cancelled for cloud.