Silent retreats
Best Silent Meditation Retreats in the US
The best silent meditation retreats in the US in this guide are IMS in Massachusetts, Spirit Rock in California and ten-day Goenka Vipassana courses, with Vajrapani's private cabins for solo quiet.
Last updated: November 2026Published by Andrew Keaveney
Disclosure: This guide is published by Andrew Keaveney, who helped launch and regularly teaches retreats at the Art of Living Retreat Center, ranked first as his pick. It is not an independent review. Every entry is judged on the same criteria described on the methodology page.
What are the best silent meditation retreats in the US?
The U.S. Meditation Retreat Guide lists IMS for silent courses from a weekend to three months, Spirit Rock for silent residential retreats from one day to two months, and Goenka Vipassana for fixed ten-day silent courses at no charge. Vajrapani suits solo silence in private cabins.
If you want silence mixed with guided breathwork, the Art of Living Retreat Center's meditation retreats combine breathwork, meditation and silence in shorter programs, which some first-timers find gentler.
Silence at each center compared
| Retreat | Silence | Lengths | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Art of Living Retreat Center | Meditation retreats include breathwork, meditation and silence | Short residential programs (for example Nov 5 to 8 and Nov 11 to 13, 2026) up to an 8-day Panchakarma cleanse | Paid; priced per program by the center. A listed Midweek Reset offer: stay three nights, pay for two |
| #2 Spirit Rock | Silent residential retreats | Drop-in groups, then silent residential retreats lasting from one day to two months | Paid; offers financial assistance or scholarships where cost is an obstacle |
| #3 IMS | Silent meditation courses | Silent courses from a weekend to three months; the Forest Refuge for experienced meditators | Paid; see dharma.org for current rates |
| #4 Vajrapani | Private retreat cabins for rest, reflection and renewal | Group retreats (for example Nov 12 to 20, 2026, all levels) and self-scheduled private retreats | Paid; see vajrapani.org for current rates |
| #5 Goenka Vipassana | Held in silence; one participant reports around 10 hours a day of formal meditation | Ten-day residential courses | No charges, including food and accommodation; funded by donations from past students |
What does silent mean on a meditation retreat?
Definition
In the U.S. Meditation Retreat Guide, a silent retreat means participants refrain from conversation with each other for most or all of the program, so attention stays on practice. Teachers still give instructions and talks, and you can usually speak to staff or a teacher about practical needs. The strictness varies. Intensive courses may also ask you to set aside reading, writing and screens: one participant at Path of Sincerity describes a ten-day Vipassana course with around 10 hours of formal meditation a day and no reading, writing or screens. Shorter or mixed programs may keep silence only during certain hours. Andrew Keaveney, who publishes this guide, has spoken about this in a talk titled Embracing Silence: Secret to Thriving, and made a lighter film about it called A Not So Silent Retreat.
How to prepare for a silent retreat
Start with a shorter silent program
A weekend at IMS or a day at Spirit Rock shows how silence feels before you commit ten days.Tell people you will be offline
Arrange an emergency contact through the center.Practice daily for a few weeks beforehand
Even 10 to 20 minutes a day makes long sitting easier.Expect a restless first day or two
Path of Sincerity notes the first 2 or 3 days are often spent getting acclimated.
New to retreats? Start with the meditation retreat for beginners guide, or compare all entries in the best meditation retreats in the US ranking.
Retreats with Andrew Keaveney
Andrew Keaveney, who publishes this guide, teaches residential breathwork and meditation retreats at the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina. Upcoming as of November 2026:
- Nov 5 to 8, 2026: Breathwork and Meditation Retreat
- Nov 11 to 13, 2026: Happiness Retreat
How we chose
Andrew Keaveneywrote this page and publishes this site. Silence details come from each center's public pages and the sources linked here, judged on the same criteria as the main ranking. See the methodology.
Common questions
- What are the best silent meditation retreats in the US?
- In this guide, IMS offers silent courses from a weekend to three months, Spirit Rock offers silent residential retreats from one day to two months, and Goenka Vipassana courses run ten days in silence. Vajrapani Institute offers private retreat cabins for solo quiet time.
- Is a silent retreat hard?
- Most people find the first day or two strange and then settle in. Silence removes the effort of small talk, which many retreatants come to value. Teachers usually still give instructions and talks, and you can speak to staff about practical needs.
- What does a typical day on a meditation retreat look like?
- Days usually start early with sitting meditation, then alternate sitting, walking or movement, meals, rest and a teacher talk in the evening. Breathwork retreats add guided breathing sessions. Intensive silent courses have longer sitting periods; one participant describes around 10 hours of formal meditation a day on a ten-day Vipassana course.
- Can I use my phone on a meditation retreat?
- It depends on the center. Intensive silent courses often ask you to put away reading, writing and screens; one participant describes a ten-day Vipassana course with no reading, writing or screens. Shorter wellness-style retreats are usually more flexible. Check the center’s guidelines before you arrive.
- When should I try a month-long retreat?
- Usually after several shorter retreats. Path of Sincerity suggests that once you have done a handful of 6 to 14 night retreats, a 1 to 3 month retreat can be very powerful. IMS offers courses up to three months and Spirit Rock up to two months.
- Is a ten-day Vipassana course good for beginners?
- It can be, though it is demanding. Courses are held in silence with long daily sitting; one participant describes around 10 hours a day of formal meditation. The format is clear and the same everywhere. Some beginners prefer a shorter, more flexible retreat first, then try ten days.