Zen Retreats in the US
Zen meditation retreats (sesshin) emphasize direct experience through zazen (seated meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and sometimes koans or interviews with a teacher. Zen retreats often maintain noble silence and follow a structured monastic schedule. Centers range from traditional Japanese-style monasteries like the <a href="https://www.sfzc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Francisco Zen Center</a> to contemporary practice spaces.
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Carmel Valley, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day · Month+
Zen Mountain Monastery
Mount Tremper, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Green Gulch Farm Zen Center
Muir Beach, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Deer Park Monastery
Escondido, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Southern Dharma Retreat Center
Hot Springs, North Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Upaya Zen Center
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
Castle Rock, Washington
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day · 10-Day
San Francisco Zen Center
San Francisco, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day · Month+
Rochester Zen Center
Rochester, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Sonoma Mountain Zen Center
Santa Rosa, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Yokoji Zen Mountain Center
Mountain Center, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day · Month+
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Clatskanie, Oregon
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Dharma Rain Zen Center
Portland, Oregon
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Crestone Mountain Zen Center
Crestone, Colorado
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Ryumonji Zen Monastery
Decorah, Iowa
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Minnesota Zen Meditation Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Hokyoji Zen Practice Community
Eitzen, Minnesota
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Hazy Moon Zen Center
Los Angeles, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Mount Baldy Zen Center
Mount Baldy, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Korinji Rinzai Zen Monastery
Reedsburg, Wisconsin
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Bodhi Manda Zen Center
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Dharma Drum Retreat Center
Pine Bush, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Ukiah, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Zen Center of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Zen Center of San Diego
San Diego, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Providence Zen Center
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji
Livingston Manor, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Blue Cliff Monastery
Pine Bush, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Magnolia Grove Monastery
Batesville, Mississippi
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Two Arrows Zen
Torrey, Utah
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Jikoji Zen Center
Los Gatos, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Great Dharma Chan Monastery
Boulder, Colorado
Weekend (2-3 days)
North Carolina Zen Center
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Houston Zen Center
Houston, Texas
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Austin Zen Center
Austin, Texas
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Kansas Zen Center
Lawrence, Kansas
Weekend (2-3 days)
Green Mountain Zen Center
Huntsville, Alabama
Weekend (2-3 days)
Wallowa Buddhist Temple
Joseph, Oregon
Weekend (2-3 days)
Anchorage Zen Community
Anchorage, Alaska
Weekend (2-3 days)
Tam Bao Meditation Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Weekend (2-3 days)
Mud Lotus Sangha
Columbus, Ohio
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
One River Zen
Ottawa, Illinois
Weekend (2-3 days)
Daiyuzenji Rinzai Zen Temple
Chicago, Illinois
Weekend (2-3 days)
Furnace Mountain Zen Center
Clay City, Kentucky
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day · Month+
Detroit Zen Center
Hamtramck, Michigan
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Mid-America Buddhist Association
Augusta, Missouri
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Nebraska Zen Center
Omaha, Nebraska
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Empty Gate Zen Center
Berkeley, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery
Kingston, Arkansas
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Cambridge Zen Center
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Chogye International Zen Center
New York, New York
Weekend (2-3 days)
Ancient Dragon Zen Gate
Chicago, Illinois
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Clouds in Water Zen Center
St. Paul, Minnesota
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Atlanta Soto Zen Center
Atlanta, Georgia
Weekend (2-3 days)
San Antonio Zen Center
San Antonio, Texas
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Great Tree Zen Women's Temple
Alexander, North Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Windhorse Zen Community
Asheville, North Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Brevard Zen Center
West Melbourne, Florida
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Boulder Zen Center
Boulder, Colorado
7-Day
Sanshin Zen Community
Bloomington, Indiana
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day · Month+
Ithaca Zen Center
Ithaca, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Blue Mountain Zendo
Andreas, Pennsylvania
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day · 10-Day
Tahoma Zen Monastery
Freeland, Washington
7-Day
Zen Center of Pittsburgh
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Mission Mountain Zen
Dayton, Montana
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Dancing Crane Zen Center
Gainesville, Florida
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Indianapolis Zen Center
Indianapolis, Indiana
Weekend (2-3 days)
Zen Desert Sangha
Tucson, Arizona
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Zen Center of Denver
Denver, Colorado
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Vermont Zen Center
Shelburne, Vermont
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Great Plains Zen Center
Monroe, Wisconsin
Weekend (2-3 days) · 7-Day
Louisville Zen Center
Louisville, Kentucky
Weekend (2-3 days)
Missouri Zen Center
Webster Groves, Missouri
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Haku-un-ji Zen Center
Tempe, Arizona
Weekend (2-3 days)
Sophia Zen Temple
South Bend, Indiana
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Dharma Zen Center
Los Angeles, California
Weekend (2-3 days)
Great Mountain Zen Center
Lafayette, Colorado
5-Day
Dharma Mountain Zen Center
Grand Valley, Colorado
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Three Treasures Sangha / Mountain Lamp
Deming, Washington
7-Day
Boulder Morningstar Zen Center
Boulder, Colorado
5-Day · 7-Day
Osage Monastery
Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Great Basin Zen Center
Reno, Nevada
Weekend (2-3 days)
Zen Mountain Monastery at Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Weekend (2-3 days)
Mindfulness Community of Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Weekend (2-3 days)
White Mountain Zen Center
Conway, New Hampshire
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Lowcountry Zen Center
Charleston, South Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days)
Morgan Bay Zendo
Surry, Maine
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Great Lakes Zen Center
Traverse City, Michigan
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Palolo Zen Center
Honolulu, Hawaii
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day · 7-Day
Milwaukee Zen Center
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Weekend (2-3 days)
White River Zen Center
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Bodhi House Zen Center
Hillsborough, New Jersey
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Zen Hospice Project
San Francisco, California
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Won Dharma Center
Claverack, New York
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Coastal Zen Center
Beaufort, South Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days)
Zen Center of Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Weekend (2-3 days) · 5-Day
Spring Green Zen Center
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Weekend (2-3 days)
Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple
Detroit, Michigan
1_day · Weekend (2-3 days)
About Zen Retreats
What is a Zen retreat?
Japanese and Chinese Chan Buddhist meditation
How much does a Zen retreat cost?
Prices range from $0 to $3,200. 52 centers offer programs on a donation basis. Costs vary by duration, accommodation, and location.
Are Zen retreats suitable for beginners?
Yes, 95 of 99 Zen centers offer beginner-friendly programs with guided instruction and structured support.