Best Meditation & Silent Retreats in Canada (2027): Compared by Province

About this guide. We teach short Vipassana retreats in Alberta with Vipassana.ca, so we are part of this landscape ourselves. Our retreats appear below in the category where they fit, described the same way as everyone else’s. No organiser paid to be included, and we do not rank anyone as “number one”.

Canada's retreat landscape in numbers

• We started from 131 retreat listings found in catalogs (BookRetreats, Retreat Guru, Tripaneer, Insight Timer, Eventbrite, dhamma.org and Buddhist and Christian directories).
• Only 38 of them showed current retreat dates on their own website in October 2026. The rest were closed, outdated, catalog-only or not centred on meditation or yoga.
• Of the 38: 11 in Alberta, 7 in British Columbia, 7 in Ontario, 6 in Quebec (one shared with Ontario), 3 in Manitoba, 2 in Saskatchewan, 2 in Atlantic Canada.
• 5 are Goenka Vipassana centres, all donation-based with 10-day courses year-round. Every other retreat in this guide charges a fee or asks for a set contribution.
• Paid three-night retreats with meals and lodging ranged from about $450 to $1,000; one-day retreats from free to about $120.

Source: Vipassana.ca review of 131 listings; official websites checked October 26, 2026.

How we compared these retreats

We checked each retreat on the same points: where it is, what tradition it follows, how long it lasts, how often it runs, what it costs, how much silence it asks of you and who teaches. Every fact comes from the organiser's own website, checked on October 26, 2026. Where a site does not publish a detail, we write "check with the organiser" rather than guess. We do not score retreats: a ten-day Goenka course and a yoga weekend in the Rockies serve different people.

Goenka Vipassana courses (10 days, donation-based)

Most searches for "Vipassana in Canada" lead to the ten-day courses taught in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. The format is the same at every centre: ten days of noble silence, a 4 a.m. wake-up bell, about ten hours of meditation a day, simple vegetarian meals and recorded instructions and evening talks, with assistant teachers available. All courses run on a donation basis; you can only donate after completing a course. Canada has five centres, and each runs ten-day courses year-round:

Courses often fill weeks or months ahead, so apply early through dhamma.org. More on what the course involves: Goenka 10-day Vipassana retreat.

Insight and Theravada retreats (teacher-led)

Insight meditation (Vipassana) is also taught outside the Goenka network by live teachers, usually in weekend to week-long silent retreats. Many of these groups are run by volunteers and rent retreat houses, so dates and venues change from year to year.

BC Insight Meditation Society (Vancouver, BC)

BCIMS runs several insight retreats a year with visiting teachers: non-residential weekends in Vancouver, online and city retreats, and six- to eight-day residential retreats at Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo and Sea to Sky Retreat Centre in Whistler. Its 2026–27 calendar lists eight retreats between November and May. Prices are on each retreat page. Website: bcims.org.

Calgary Insight Meditation Society (Calgary and Cochrane, AB)

Calgary IMS holds several silent insight retreats a year: non-residential weekends in Calgary and four- to six-night residential retreats at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre in Cochrane. Fees use a sliding scale, from $85 for a weekend to $500–850 for a residential retreat, plus dana for the teacher. Website: calgaryims.org.

Edmonton Insight Meditation (Edmonton, AB)

Edmonton Insight Meditation hosts an annual non-residential silent weekend each September, led in recent years by Howard Cohn, and co-hosts a ten-day residential retreat with Saskatoon Insight. Registration is a $20 deposit; teachings are offered by dana. Website: edmontoninsightmeditation.ca.

Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community (Saskatoon, SK)

Saskatoon Insight offers monthly day-long retreats in Saskatoon, plus weekend, four-day, seven-day and ten-day residential retreats, including a wilderness camping retreat at Zeden Lake. Its main teacher, Jeanne Corrigal, trained at Spirit Rock. Dates are listed through mid-2027. Website: saskatooninsight.com.

True North Insight (Quebec and Ontario)

True North Insight runs insight retreats in English and French several times a year, from daylongs to seven-night residential retreats, at venues such as Kio-o in the Laurentians and Galilee Centre in Arnprior. Fees use a sliding scale (for example $720–1,640 for a November 2026 retreat), with scholarships available. Website: truenorthinsight.org.

Ottawa Buddhist Society (Ottawa, ON)

The Ottawa Buddhist Society offers days of mindfulness in Ottawa and residential retreats led by Theravada nuns, such as a four-day retreat at Galilee Centre in Arnprior in November 2026. A bursary is available. Website: ottawabuddhistsociety.com.

Satipanna Insight Meditation (Toronto, ON)

Satipanna runs non-residential day retreats in Toronto and five-day residential insight retreats. A November 2026 residential retreat cost $600–650 for venue and meals, with teacher dana extra and scholarships offered. Website: satipanna.com.

Vipassana.ca (Alberta)

Vipassana.ca runs short Vipassana retreats in the Mahāsi Sayadaw tradition every month in Alberta, led in person by Artem Rusinov and Valerii Bandurko: one-day retreats in Calgary and Edmonton ($100) and three-day silent retreats at Gull Lake and at Mount St. Francis in Cochrane ($549–849, meals and lodging included). Practice is combined with hatha yoga and pranayama. Retreats in Ontario, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec are planned for 2027. Website: vipassana.ca.

Buddhist centres and monasteries

Dharma Centre of Canada (Kinmount, ON)

The Dharma Centre of Canada, on forested land near Kinmount, holds group retreats in several Buddhist traditions most months, from weekends to ten-day silent retreats and Zen sesshin, and offers solo cabin retreats all year. A nine-day silent retreat in November 2026 cost about $1,125–1,242 for room and meals, with teachings by dana. Website: dharmacentre.org.

Clear Sky Meditation Center (Fort Steele, BC)

Clear Sky, near Cranbrook, specialises in private silent cabin retreats from three nights to three months, plus a few group retreats a year, including a ten-day Vipassana retreat in March 2027. Private retreats require some sitting experience; beginners are directed to group retreats. Website: clearskycenter.org.

Akshobya Kadampa Buddhist Centre (Calgary, AB)

The Kadampa centre in Calgary runs meditation retreats and day and weekend courses, including non-residential retreats in the city and residential silent "away" retreats at Mount St. Francis in Cochrane. A November 2026 weekend retreat cost $465–525. Website: meditateincalgary.org.

Truc Lam Monastery (near Westlock, AB)

Truc Lam Monastery, a Vietnamese Zen community north of Edmonton, holds monthly English-language mindfulness days and seasonal retreats, including five-day family and young-adult retreats and a ten-day short-term monastic retreat in summer. Website: truclam.ca.

Dorje Denma Ling (Nova Scotia)

Dorje Denma Ling, a Shambhala retreat centre near Tatamagouche, runs several programmes a year from weekends to eleven days, with pay-what-you-can options and discounts for people 30 and under. Website: dorjedenmaling.org.

Saskatoon Community of Mindful Living (Hepburn, SK)

This Plum Village sangha, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, has held one or two residential mindfulness retreats a year near Saskatoon since 2007, most recently in October 2026. Website: mindfulsaskatoon.ca.

Centre Paramita (Leclercville, QC)

Centre Paramita offers two- and three-day silent retreats open to everyone, with self-guided time for meditation, reading and walking. A November 2026 two-day retreat cost $190–245 depending on room.

Secular mindfulness and silent retreats

Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre (Wyebridge, ON)

Sugar Ridge, near Midland, runs about a dozen silent and meditation retreats a year alongside other programmes: days of silence, silent weekends and three-, five- or seven-night silent retreats led by mindfulness teacher Liz Frost. A spring 2027 silent retreat costs $795–2,395 depending on length and room. Website: sugarridge.ca.

Grail Springs (Bancroft, ON)

Grail Springs is a year-round wellness retreat with daily evening meditations and dated meditation retreats several times a year, such as a three-day "Peace Within" retreat for people new to meditation ($457 + HST). Website: grailsprings.com.

Hollyhock (Cortes Island, BC)

Hollyhock is a seasonal learning centre whose summer programme includes silent meditation retreats, such as five-day retreats held in silence in May 2027 and a meditation programme with Jeff Warren in June 2027. Prices are shown at registration. Website: hollyhock.ca.

Yoga ashrams and yoga retreats

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp (Val-Morin, QC)

The Sivananda Ashram in the Laurentians runs programmes every week of the year, from yoga vacations on your own dates to themed weekends and weeks, including "Meditation and Silence" retreats. Beginners are welcome. Accommodation starts at about $105 a night. Website: sivanandacanada.org/camp.

International Art of Living Centre (Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, QC)

The Art of Living centre runs several programmes a month, from three-day meditation retreats to four- to ten-day silence retreats; the intensive silence retreats require earlier courses. Website: artofliving.org.

Yasodhara Ashram (Kootenay Bay, BC)

Yasodhara Ashram, on Kootenay Lake, offers five-day guided retreats from May to October, restorative stays, a ten-day Yoga Journey and a three-month Yoga Development Course. A 2026 five-day retreat cost about $1,073–1,834 per person. Website: yasodhara.org.

Nectar Yoga Retreat (Bowen Island, BC)

Nectar Yoga, a short ferry ride from Vancouver, hosts yoga and meditation retreats most months: afternoon retreats, weekends and five-day retreats, including a silent "Disconnect to Reconnect" retreat. Many retreats are led by guest teachers. Website: nectaryoga.ca.

Vedanta Society of Edmonton (Edmonton, AB)

The Vedanta Society holds an annual free weekend retreat of meditation and talks led by a visiting monk of the Ramakrishna Order, most recently in August 2026. Details and registration are posted on the society’s Meetup group.

Jan Goranson Yoga & Wellness (Canmore, AB)

Jan Goranson runs an annual non-residential yoga weekend in Canmore with Ashtanga and all-level classes, meditation, yoga nidra and a sound bath. The 2027 retreat is on May 7–8 and costs $345 + GST. Website: jangoranson.com.

Rocky Mountain YMCA Yoga Retreat (Kananaskis, AB)

One Light Spirit Wellness runs a residential yin and restorative yoga weekend at YMCA Camp Chief Hector twice a year, in June and November. Registration is through YMCA Calgary. Website: onelightspiritwellness.com.

Yoga with Heather (Beausejour area, MB)

Heather McDermid has run weekend yoga retreats in Manitoba roughly every year since 2019, mostly at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, with hatha and restorative yoga and meditation. The 2026 retreat cost $600 with meals and a private room; the next is in April 2027. Website: heathermcdermidyoga.com.

Shell Andrea Yoga (Beausejour area, MB)

Shell Andrea runs several residential yoga weekends a year at Sandy-Saulteaux, timed to Indian festivals and combining hatha, pranayama, meditation and kirtan; the next is in March 2027. A 2026 weekend cost $625–675. Website: shellandreayoga.com.

Mantari-Yoga Weekend, Nature Manitoba (Whiteshell, MB)

Nature Manitoba runs a canoe-in yoga long weekend at its off-grid Mantario cabin in Whiteshell Provincial Park most summers, most recently in July 2026. Website: naturemanitoba.ca.

Nature and wellness retreats with meditation

Northern Edge Algonquin (South River, ON)

Northern Edge, on the edge of Algonquin Park, runs about fifteen themed retreats a year combining yoga, movement and nature, from three to five days, all-inclusive from about $1,184 + HST. Website: northernedgealgonquin.ca.

Nature Space Wellness Retreat (St. Peters Harbour, PEI)

Nature Space hosts themed weekends with gentle yoga, breathwork and sound several times a year; a December 2026 weekend cost $649 plus lodging. Website: naturespaceresort.com.

Kio-o (Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides, QC)

Kio-o is a retreat centre in the Laurentians that hosts weekend retreats by guest teachers several times a year, including meditation weekends and a silent yoga and meditation retreat in March 2027. Website: kio-o.ca.

Christian and contemplative silent retreats

Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre (Cochrane, AB)

Mount St. Francis, a Franciscan retreat centre in the foothills west of Calgary, publishes a yearly schedule of weekend silent retreats (most weekends from autumn to June) and a seven-day directed retreat in July 2027 ($900 suggested contribution); longer silent retreats are arranged on request. Weekends cost about $300. Several meditation groups, including Vipassana.ca, also hold retreats there. Website: mountstfrancis.ca.

FCJ Christian Life Centre (Calgary, AB)

The FCJ Centre, run by the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus and describing itself as an interfaith centre, offers private directed silent retreats on request, summer silent weekends and eight-day retreats, and the 30-day Spiritual Exercises. Prices are on request. Website: fcjcentre.ca.

Retreats by province

Ontario

Ontario has the Goenka centre Dhamma Torana, Buddhist retreats at the Dharma Centre of Canada, insight retreats with Satipanna, the Ottawa Buddhist Society and True North Insight, silent mindfulness at Sugar Ridge, and meditation and nature retreats at Grail Springs and Northern Edge Algonquin.

British Columbia

BC has two Goenka centres (Dhamma Surabhi and Dhamma Modana), insight retreats with BCIMS, private cabin retreats at Clear Sky, yoga at Yasodhara Ashram and Nectar Yoga, and silent programmes at Hollyhock.

Alberta

Alberta has the Goenka centre Dhamma Karuṇā, teacher-led insight retreats in Calgary and Edmonton, short Mahāsi retreats with Vipassana.ca, Kadampa and Vietnamese Zen retreats, yoga weekends in Canmore and Kananaskis, and Christian silent retreats at Mount St. Francis and the FCJ Centre. Mount St. Francis in Cochrane also hosts retreats by several meditation groups, including Calgary IMS, the Kadampa centre and Vipassana.ca.

Quebec

Quebec has the Goenka centre Dhamma Suttama, the Sivananda Ashram and Art of Living centre, insight retreats in French and English with True North Insight, guest-led retreats at Kio-o and silent retreats with Centre Paramita.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's meditation retreats centre on Saskatoon: monthly day retreats and residential retreats with Saskatoon Insight, and the annual Plum Village retreat with the Saskatoon Community of Mindful Living.

Manitoba

Manitoba has no permanent meditation centre with a retreat schedule; retreats are mainly yoga weekends at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre near Beausejour and in Whiteshell Provincial Park. Goenka courses are occasionally held in rented sites (none scheduled as of October 2026).

Atlantic Canada

Nova Scotia has the Shambhala centre Dorje Denma Ling; PEI has yoga and wellness weekends at Nature Space.

How to choose: length, budget, silence and experience

• One day. A low-risk first step: you learn the basics, sit in silence for a few hours and go home the same evening.
• A weekend or three nights. Enough time for the mind to settle and for silence to feel natural. A common first residential retreat.
• Ten days. The full Goenka course or a long insight retreat. Best when you can sit for long periods and be fully offline for almost two weeks.
• Silence. Goenka and many insight retreats keep full silence; yoga and wellness retreats usually do not.
• Teacher. Insight, Buddhist and yoga retreats are led by live teachers; Goenka courses use recorded instructions with assistant teachers.
• Comfort. Monasteries, Goenka centres and camps are simple and shared; wellness retreats add private rooms and spas at a higher price.

Who goes on a first retreat: data from 174 participants

Across the 16 three-day and one-day retreats we taught in Alberta in 2026, 83% of 174 participants were on their first retreat.

Almost everyone comes from Alberta's two big cities: 46% from the Calgary area and 41% from the Edmonton area. Another 8% travelled from elsewhere in Alberta and 5% from British Columbia, including Vancouver.

The reason most often given is time: few people can take ten days off work and offline. A short retreat lets them slow down, step away from devices and try the practice before deciding whether to go further.

Source: Vipassana.ca registration and intake forms, January–December 2026, n = 174.

What a meditation retreat costs in Canada

Goenka ten-day courses have no fee; you may donate afterwards. In our review, one-day retreats cost from free to about $120, weekends about $250–525, and three- to five-night residential retreats about $450–1,250 with meals and lodging. Several insight groups use sliding scales and ask for dana (a voluntary gift) for teachers. Wellness and yoga resorts are usually the most expensive.

Sources

Every organiser above is linked to its own website in the comparison table. Dates, formats and prices come from those websites as published on October 26, 2026. We update this guide every three months; if you run a retreat that should be here, write to life@vipassana.ca.