sowa rigpaSix Senses Vana · Rishikesh
Tibetan Medicine (Sowa Rigpa)
Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan system of medicine, sold as a five-, seven- or 14-night programme in the Himalayan foothills at Dehradun.
FromUS$11,116per person
Retreat resort · Rishikesh, India
Six Senses Vana
Opened as Vana in January 2014 and part of Six Senses since 2023, it is a full-board retreat whose core offering, in its own words, is based on Ayurveda, yoga, Tibetan medicine and natural healing therapies.
Who it suits
Who this house is for
Somebody who wants a doctor to plan their stay after an arrival consultation, drawing on Ayurveda, Tibetan medicine, yoga and natural healing therapies, and who is happy to wear the kurta pyjamas provided and keep phones and devices to their room or the Sketchbook meeting space.
The signatureA full-board stay of three nights or more, planned by a doctor after an arrival consultation, with optional named programmes of 3 to 21 nights.
Great for
- Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine
- Long retreats
- Digital detox
- Solo travellers
What it is known for
Why this house has its reputation
- 01
The property says it is one of the few places in the world where Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan medical system, is offered in its complete form. It runs alongside Ayurveda, yoga and natural healing therapies.
- 02
After an arrival consultation, a doctor plans each guest’s itinerary, which may draw on several of the four disciplines.
- 03
Every stay includes one standard private treatment or session per guest per night, and an included daily programme from 7am to 7pm with four yoga classes, meditation, talks and fitness sessions.
- 04
Stays start at three nights. Named programmes set their own minimums: five nights for Sleep, Detox and Yoga, 14 for Weight Management and Ayurveda, and 21 for Ayurveda Panchakarma.
- 05
The Six Senses fact sheet calls it the brand’s first dedicated wellness retreat, on a 21-acre estate of sal forest, orchards and gardens with separate Ayurveda, Tibetan healing and natural therapy centres.
What you can book here
The programme we plan at Six Senses Vana
Your accommodation
The rooms, and which one to ask for
- 01
Garden King / Garden Twin
49 sq mA balcony overlooking the gardens. King or twin beds, for up to two guests.
Ask for this room - 02
Forest King / Forest Twin
49 sq mA private balcony facing the sal forest. King or twin beds, for up to two guests.
Ask for this room - 03
Bodhi Suite and Forest Suite
98 sq mA separate living room with a dining table. The Bodhi Suite adds a second balcony and an ensuite meditation room.
Ask for this room - 04
Esteva Suite
145 sq mOn the top floor of the highest residence, with a terrace and a fireplace. Not bookable online.
Ask for this room - 05
Two- and Three-Bedroom Casas
163 and 209 sq mDuplexes with a pantry, a living and dining room, and a terrace over the orchard. The accommodation page says up to 4 and 6 guests; the fact sheet says 2 and 4 adults. Pets allowed. Not bookable online.
Ask for this room - 06
Vana Suite
292 sq mOn the top floor, with a kitchenette, dining room, treatment room, meditation room and a sundeck with a private plunge pool. A second bedroom can be connected. Not bookable online.
Ask for this room
Room categories and names are as published by the property and confirmed in writing at the quote.
Wellness at Six Senses Vana
Who is actually here
Ayurvedic doctors and therapists, and Tibetan medicine doctors and therapists. The property says its Tibetan medicine team trained at the Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharamsala, and its Tibetan medicine specialist at the Chagpori Tibetan Medical Institute, Darjeeling.
Described by role and qualification rather than by name, because staffing changes. Ask us to confirm the current team and how guests are assigned before you book.
What the property contains
- Separate Ayurveda, Tibetan healing and natural therapy centres, plus a wellness centre
- Watsu pool
- Indoor and outdoor heated pools
- Hot tub, sauna and infrared sauna, steam room and ice fountain
- Yoga studios and a yoga pavilion
- Fitness centre
- Meditation cave and library
- Tennis, padel and badminton courts, a cricket pitch and a multi-sports arena
- Cinema Paradiso and the Alchemy Bar
- Grow With Six Senses children’s club
- Sketchbook meeting space and a boutique
- A 21-acre estate of sal forest, orchards and gardens
Eating here, and how the days go
At the table
Eating here
On a structured programme meals may be part of the schedule rather than chosen from a menu. We confirm the dining format before you book.
- Salana
The main restaurant, with à la carte menus, a buffet at breakfast and lunch, and nutritional information on every menu. Vegetarian, vegan and allergy-friendly dishes are served alongside meat, fish and poultry.
- Anayu
The Ayurvedic restaurant, with a menu written for the three body types: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
- Kila Tea Lounge
Herbal infusions and dosha-balancing blends.
- The Library
A social space with a café menu of Indian teas, coffees, tisanes, wines and Indian tapas. Alcohol is limited to wine and beer, served here and in the restaurants.
Between treatments
How the days go
What there is to do when you are not being treated — on site, and within reach.
- Included daily programme, 7am to 7pm: four yoga classes a day, meditation, Raag therapy and fitness
- Group DIY sessions making scrubs and face masks, and daily wisdom talks
- Tennis, padel, badminton and a cricket pitch
- Film screenings
- Cuisine and apothecary lessons
- Hikes and a Rishikesh Aarti excursion — ask us which are included
Location & season
Rishikesh, India
Where modern transnational yoga was institutionalised — and then, in 1968, handed global celebrity.
- Nearest airport
- Dehradun (Jolly Grant) DED
- Transfer
- About 60 minutes by road from Jolly Grant, with return transfers included. Dehradun railway station is about 30 minutes away.
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RishikeshIndia | Jan: good alternative | Feb: preferred season | Mar: preferred season | Apr: preferred season | May: less suitable | Jun: less suitable | Jul: less suitable | Aug: less suitable | Sep: preferred season | Oct: preferred season | Nov: preferred season | Dec: good alternative |
Preferred season
Good alternative
Less suitable
Make a trip of it
Around your stay at Six Senses Vana
The excursions and extra stays we arrange in Rishikesh, placed by when to take each — so a day out never lands on the wrong day of a treatment course.
Before you begin
Arrive early — see the country while you are fresh
Extra stay · 2 nights
Delhi, at the start
Old Delhi, the Lodi tombs and a night’s sleep before the domestic hop. Fights jetlag and the Dehradun weather risk at once.
Culture · Half day
Haridwar and Har Ki Pauri
An hour downstream and several centuries older in feel — a pilgrimage town with none of Rishikesh’s yoga-school economy.
During the stay
Light enough for a rest day or a free afternoon
Your stay at Six Senses Vana · 3-night minimumCulture · Half day
The Beatles Ashram
Chaurasi Kutia, where the White Album was largely written in 1968 — now a ruin inside Rajaji reserve with a small entrance fee and a great deal of graffiti art. Melancholy and worth it.
Active · Half day, early
Kunjapuri at sunrise
A short steep temple climb for the Himalayan range at first light — Bandarpunch, Gangotri, Chaukhamba. Leave at 04:30. Not compatible with a 05:30 practice start, so take it on a rest day.
Culture · 90 minutes, at dusk
Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan
The riverbank fire ceremony, every evening, free and unticketed. Go on your first night rather than your last — it sets the register for everything after it.
After you finish
The reward, once the treatment is done
Extra stay · 4 nights
Corbett & the Kumaon hills
India’s oldest national park and then the quiet ridge villages above it. The correct decompression after a month of teacher training.
Extra stay · 2 nights
Amritsar & the Golden Temple
An overnight train or a short flight west. The langar kitchen feeds 50,000 people a day and it is the most moving hour in north India.
Active · Half day
White water on the Ganga
September to November and March to May, when the river is running. Excellent, cold, and firmly incompatible with any oil-therapy week — book it either side.
If this is not the one
Houses of the same kind
Begin with a conversation
Plan your stay at Six Senses Vana
Tell us your dates and what you want from the stay. A specialist comes back with a written quote for Six Senses Vana — room, programme, flights and transfers.
- 1
Share your plan
Two minutes: when you would like to start, how long, your nationality and your WhatsApp number.
- 2
Talk it through
A wellness travel specialist picks it up on WhatsApp or a free call — length, room, season, and whether this is the right house for you.
- 3
Your written quote
Room, dates, treatments, flights and transfers in one quote, with the current cancellation terms.
- 4
Confirm when ready
Nothing is paid until you confirm in writing. One team then looks after the whole journey.