A short road out of the city and up into the pines. Three days of easy driving, cool air and quiet walks, with sittings at sunrise and sunset and a few silent hours each day. It is the easiest way to taste what a meditative tour is, and a good weekend for first-timers.
The journey.
The road up
Leave Islamabad early. The first silent hour of the drive, a walk in the forest, a sunset sitting above the valley, and dinner in silence.
A day of stillness
No driving. Sunrise sitting, a forest walk, the science hour, time alone among the trees, dialogue, and a night under the pines.
The road down
A last sunrise, a slow walk, the sharing circle, and the road home with a plan for the days ahead.
How the days feel.
The vehicle is quiet for the first hour of every drive. At each stop there is a sitting, short and simple. One full day is spent in one place, like a small retreat. Evenings are for the fire, a story, and the stars.
For you if
- First-timers who want a short, easy start
- Busy people who can give a weekend
- Couples and friends
Not for you if
- Those looking for a sightseeing tour: the stops are few and slow
Included
Travel from and to Islamabad · Stay · All meals · Every sitting and session · A tour notebook · 21 days of WhatsApp practice after you return. Arranged with our partner tour operator.
The few rules
Phones are kept with us during silent hours and sittings. No intoxicants. Keep the group’s times. Tell us at once if you feel unwell on the road or at altitude.
What to bring
Please bring your own personal things. We provide the stay, the food and everything for the practice.
Always
- Loose, comfortable clothes for sitting and yoga
- Comfortable shoes and slippers
- Your own medicines, with a note of the doses
- Toothbrush, toiletries and a towel
- A small torch for the paths at night
- A yoga mat or your own cushion, if you have one
Winter
- A warm shawl or blanket wrap for the sittings
- A jacket or sweater
- Warm socks and a cap
- Thermal innerwear for the early mornings
- Lip balm and moisturiser
- A hot-water bottle, if you feel the cold
Summer
- Light cotton clothes
- A cap or hat
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- A small hand towel
- Sunglasses for the outdoor sittings
Leave at home
- Books and laptops
- Valuables and jewellery
- Anything you will miss your phone for
Health and the mountains
Meditation is not medical or psychological treatment. If you live with a serious physical or mental health condition, are pregnant, or take regular medicine, please talk to your doctor before booking and tell us on the health form. Do not stop any medicine for the retreat. Altitude on some routes reaches 4,700 metres. Read the full notice
After you return
For 21 days you get a short practice on WhatsApp each morning. Once a month you can sit online with everyone who has come before. And three months later, a letter arrives: the one you wrote to yourself.