Yoga travel, city by city

Updated October 16, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026

Sunrise over the Ganga in Tapovan, near Lakshman Jhula, Rishikesh — Photo: Roliwrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

In short

Choose the place by the yoga you want to learn, then by the season. Rishikesh and Haridwar for the Ganga and the ashrams, Mysore for Ashtanga, Pune for Iyengar, Munger for the Bihar School, Tamil Nadu for Sri Aurobindo and Ramana Maharshi, Kerala for yoga with ayurveda. Check the official e-Visa rules and travel advice before booking.

Yogide is written from Rishikesh. These pages help you choose where to go to practise, by lineage and by season, with facts checked on official sources and dated. You will never find a "best school" list here, a sponsored retreat or an invented review.

The Ganga flowing out of the Himalayan foothills into Rishikesh — Photo: RKDas09, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Choose by the yoga you want to learn

If you are drawn to…	Go to	Why
The Ganga, ashram life, a first teacher training	Rishikesh and Haridwar	Himalayan foothills, evening aarti, ashrams of many lineages
Ashtanga Vinyasa, the Mysore style	Mysore	The town where K. Pattabhi Jois taught
Iyengar yoga, research-minded hatha	Pune	The Iyengar institute; Kaivalyadhama at nearby Lonavala, founded in 1924 by Swami Kuvalayananda
Satyananda's tradition, kriya, yoga nidra	Munger	Home of the Bihar School of Yoga
Silence, self-enquiry, integral yoga	Tiruvannamalai, Pondicherry	Sri Ramanasramam, at the foot of Arunachala; the Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Viniyoga and the Krishnamacharya heritage	Chennai	The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
Yoga with ayurveda, a gentle tropical stay	Kerala	Ashrams and ayurveda traditions of the south-west
The sacred city of Shiva, the burning ghats, Buddhist roots	Varanasi, Bodh Gaya	Kashi on the Ganga; the place of the Buddha's awakening
Tibetan Buddhism and meditation in the mountains	Dharamsala	McLeod Ganj and the Tibetan community
A winter training by the sea	Goa	Dry season courses, temples inland

Beyond India

India is where yoga was born, and where this site is rooted. Some travellers also practise in places shaped by the same Hindu and Buddhist culture: Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bali and Thailand. Their pages say honestly what the place offers and what it does not.

Before you book anything

Visa: read our page on the India e-Visa for a yoga trip, then the official site itself. Only apply on indianvisaonline.gov.in.
Travel advice: read your own government's advice for the country (UK FCDO, US State Department, France Diplomatie). In India, the national emergency number is 112, according to the FCDO.
The certificate: understand what Yoga Alliance does and does not guarantee, and read our page on the 200-hour teacher training.
The season: each destination page gives the climate with its source. Heat, monsoon and winter cold change the experience more than any brochure.

Want to go and practise somewhere?

Tell us where you would like to go, when, and your level. Clément, who lives in Rishikesh, reads every message and answers personally. We do not sell trips and we have no partner school: we will tell you what we know and what to check.

In this chapter

तीर्थBali for yogis, a Hindu island in Indonesiatīrtha · sacred water, ford (Balinese tirta)Balinese Hinduism, Besakih and Tirta Empul, Nyepi on 8 March 2027, visa, tourist levy and temple etiquette.पशुपतिNepal for yogis, between Shiva and the Buddhapaśupati · lord of creatures, a name of ShivaPashupatinath and the Nath yogis, the great stupas, the Buddha's birthplace, visa fees, seasons and altitude.लङ्काSri Lanka for yogis, the island of the Theravadalaṅkā · the classical Sanskrit name of the islandKandy and the Tooth Relic, Anuradhapura's Bodhi tree, ayurveda, the ETA, the two monsoons and temple etiquette.ऋषिThailand for yogis, the land of the hermit exercisesṛṣi · seer, sage (Thai ruesi)Wat Pho's inscriptions and hermit statues, ruesi dat ton, nuad Thai, the new 30-day rule, seasons and temple etiquette.

Questions people ask

When is the best season for a yoga trip to India?

It depends on the region. The north (Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi) is most comfortable from October to March, with cold winter mornings; the south-west coast (Kerala, Goa) has its heavy monsoon from June to September. Each destination page gives the season with its source.

Can I do a teacher training on an Indian tourist e-Visa?

The official e-Visa site lists attending a short term yoga programme among e-Tourist purposes, but excludes formal courses that issue a qualifying certificate. If your course ends with a certificate, ask the Indian embassy or consulate of your country before booking.

Does Yogide recommend schools or retreats?

No. We publish facts about places and institutions, and the questions to ask, never a ranking or a review. If you want to go somewhere, the contact form lets you tell us where, when and your level; Clément answers personally.

Do I need a travel guide book?

The pages are free and answer the main questions. Our destination guides go further: itineraries centred on practice, sacred sites, festival calendar, dated budget, etiquette, glossary and checklists.

Sources

e-Visa — Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs (official site) checked October 16, 2026
India travel advice — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office checked October 16, 2026
Sri Ramana Maharshi — official site of Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai checked October 17, 2026
Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, Lonavala — official site checked October 16, 2026

Want to go and practise yoga there?

Tell us where, when and how you practise. Clément, who lives in Rishikesh, reads every request and answers you personally. No automated email, no commission, no promise of a price or a partner.