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| Image courtesy of Vinyasa Yogashala |
Finding the best yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, can be a huge challenge. There seems to be an endless number of yoga TTCs available all over the city.
Well, you don’t need to stress anymore. I curated this list to make the process a bit easier for you, narrowing it down to the 7 best YTTs in Rishikesh.
I’ve only included schools with at least a 4.5-star rating and consistently positive feedback. They all offer 200-hour and 300-hour teacher training programs, along with a variety of additional courses.
This list is an extension of my previous article: 15 BEST Yoga Teacher Training Courses in India [My Curated List]. In it, you’ll find six other schools in Rishikesh, as well as many others across different parts of India.
In that article, you’ll also find answers to questions you might have, such as:
- Why you should do a yoga teacher training
- Why do a yoga teacher training in India?
- How much yoga do you need to know before doing a YTT?
- Is one month enough to become a yoga teacher?
- What to expect from a yoga teacher training
- What type of yoga TTC should you choose?
- Do you really need a YTT from a Yoga Alliance-registered school?
So make sure to check out that article as well if you want a more complete overview of the best yoga schools in Rishikesh, and help you make a more informed decision.
Where to do a Yoga Teacher Training Course in Rishikesh?
The yoga schools included in this list are located mainly in Ram Jhula, Tapovan, and the quieter Khadri/Nirmal Block area on the outskirts of Rishikesh.
Each area has a slightly different vibe, so it really depends on the kind of experience you're looking for.
Ram Jhula is the spiritual heart of Rishikesh. It's home to many of the city's most famous ashrams, temples, yoga schools, and ghats along the banks of the Ganges.
If you're looking for a more traditional yoga experience surrounded by chanting, ceremonies, spiritual seekers, and daily life on the river, Ram Jhula will probably feel like paradise.
Tapovan is the most popular area among international yoga students. It's packed with yoga schools, cafés, restaurants, bookstores, Ayurvedic centers, and wellness businesses.
It feels more modern, social, and convenient than Ram Jhula while still maintaining a strong yoga atmosphere. If you enjoy having plenty of healthy food options, good coffee, and opportunities to meet other travelers and yoga practitioners, you'll probably love Tapovan.
Tapovan is also located right next to Lakshman Jhula, one of Rishikesh's most iconic landmarks. Although none of the schools in this guide are located there, the area is easily accessible from Tapovan and is well worth exploring for its cafés, shops, temples, and beautiful views of the Ganges.
Ram Jhula and Tapovan are actually very close to each other. Depending on where you're staying, you can usually walk between them in about 20–30 minutes, or take a short tuk-tuk ride in around 5–10 minutes.
Some schools included in my previous article are located in the quieter Khadri and Nirmal Block area, a more peaceful part of Rishikesh, away from the busy tourist center.
This part of Rishikesh is much less touristy than Ram Jhula or Tapovan, with more open space, nature, and a peaceful, retreat-like atmosphere.
If your main goal is to fully immerse yourself in your training, spend time in nature, and avoid the crowds, these schools can offer a calmer and more secluded experience. But be aware that it will take you about 30 min by tuk-tuk to visit Tapovan.
Which YTT in Rishikesh would I choose?
To be honest, I’m a bit biased. I did a YTT in Rishikesh many years ago and, although I would describe it more as a meditation-focused TTC, I would still choose the same program again. I’m talking about the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama ashram, which I mentioned in my previous article.
My second choice would be the YTT at Swasti Yoga with Surinder Singh, which is also included in my previous article. I think Surinder is a fantastic teacher. I practiced hatha yoga with him many years ago, and I even interviewed him for my blog.
My third choice would be D’Vine Yoga Academy in Ram Jhula, which is part of this list. I tend to lean toward more traditional settings, so I really like the ashram atmosphere of this school. I’m also curious about their Sanjeevani Shakti Kriya technique.
Things to keep in mind before booking a YTT in Rishikesh
While reading hundreds of reviews, I noticed that many negative experiences often come from having the wrong expectations. So before you book your YTT in Rishikesh, make sure to go through this section carefully.
Accommodation setup
Be aware that some schools operate across multiple buildings, which are used interchangeably for their different yoga TTCs, depending on capacity. This means you may be assigned a different room or building than the one you originally expected.
Make sure to read their booking page carefully or reach out to the school if anything is unclear.
That being said, if you are placed in a hotel or guesthouse outside the main school premises without any prior notice, in my opinion, that’s not acceptable. I would recommend raising this immediately with the school if it happens
Air conditioning (AC rooms)
Although rooms usually have fans, if you’re planning your YTT between May and July, I strongly recommend getting an AC room. It can make a big difference not only because of the heat, but also due to humidity.
If you decide to pay the extra fee for an AC room, make sure you book it in advance as availability is usually limited.
Getting a heater during winter
The coldest months are between December and February. It can reach 5 degrees Celcious in Rishikesh, so make sure you come prepared. You can always ask for extra blankets.
Some schools offer portable heaters for an additional fee. Personally, I find their effectiveness quite limited, and in some cases, they may even produce unpleasant fumes, so it’s worth being cautious and testing them before using.
Adhere to the rules
Although yoga schools are not traditional ashrams, most of them still follow fairly strict rules. Substances such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and often caffeine are not allowed.
Non-vegetarian food is also prohibited, and you’ll also be expected to be at the premises before a certain time at night.
Not a holiday retreat
Another important thing to understand is that a YTT in Rishikesh is not a holiday retreat.
You’ll be busy most of the day, expected to follow the schedule and rules, and in most cases, you’ll need to clean your own dishes after meals. Some schools may even expect you to keep your room tidy.
Yes, I did read a review complaining about having to clean their own dishes. That said, some schools do offer room cleaning services.
If you’re looking for a more comfortable resort-style experience with luxury facilities, incredible food, and more freedom to explore, you might want to check out my list of the best YTTs in Bali instead.
Teachers can vary
Many of the schools’ yoga teachers work like independent contractors. They can form part of the teaching staff of several different yoga schools simultaneously. So do not expect to see all the teachers who are listed on their websites during your training.
Dietary restrictions
Most yoga schools in this list can accommodate different dietary needs and often offer vegan or gluten-free options upon request.
However, since the typical Indian diet is quite focused on dairy, rice, and chapati (bread), requesting vegan or gluten-free meals may result in a very limited menu.
Also, if you have a condition such as celiac disease, keep in mind that no school can guarantee 100% gluten-free meals.
7 Best Yoga Teacher Training Courses in Rishikesh
OK, so here is my curated list of the 7 best yoga teacher training courses in Rishikesh. I curated this list based on reviews from Google Maps, BookYogaRetreats, BookRetreats, and Tripadvisor.
As mentioned earlier, I’ve only included schools with at least a 4.5-star rating across these platforms, so you can be confident these are among the best options available.
All of these schools have highly experienced yoga teachers, strong (and fairly similar) curricula, and they generally include the same types of activities, such as temple visits and cultural excursions.
Because of that, I’ve focused my summaries mainly on location and facilities, since those are the main differentiating factors between them. I also highlight any other notable aspects I came across during my research.
All the yoga teacher training programs mentioned in this list include three vegetarian meals per day. I only go into detail about the food when students consistently highlight it in their reviews.
Disclaimer: I’ve included links to the school’s BookYogaRetreats pages. These are affiliate links. If you book a course through these links, you’ll be supporting my work via a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Please note that prices on BYR change frequently. The “starting at” price I've included for each 200-hour TTC is for reference only. It was the lowest available option at the time of writing.
1. Jiva Yoga Academy, Tapovan
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| Image courtesy of Jiva Yoga Academy |
⇒ 25-day 200-hour Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga TTC starting at $ 999
Jiva Yoga Academy is located in Upper Tapovan, nestled between forested areas and surrounded by mountains. There’s a small stream at the back of the property, and plenty of butterflies, which gives the place a calm and serene atmosphere.
It’s away from the noisy main roads, but still close enough to cafés and shops, and only about a 10-minute walk from the banks of the Ganges.
The building feels like a welcoming guesthouse, with wide open-air corridors that provide comfortable shared spaces where students can study, relax, and connect.
The yoga hall is located on the rooftop. It’s simple but beautifully decorated, with views over the surrounding forest.
The rooms are basic, ashram-style, but clean and spacious, with comfortable beds and, in some cases, forest views. Both shared and private rooms are available, with attached bathrooms.
They offer a range of programs, including 100-hour, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour yoga TTCs focused on Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga.
One of the highlights of this school is the small group size, with a maximum of 12 students and an average of around 8. Many reviewers mention this as one of the main reasons they chose Jiva Yoga Academy.
While they don’t yet have reviews on BookYogaRetreats, they hold a 4.9-star rating on Google from over 130 reviews.
2. Mira Yogashala, Tapovan
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| Image courtesy of Mira Yogashala |
⇒ 24-day 200-hour Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga TTC starting at $1,150
Mira Yogashala is located in Lower Tapovan, in a quiet alley away from the main roads, but still close to shops and restaurants, and only a 5-minute walk from the Ganges.
I was surprised to see them describe themselves as a “Boutique Yoga Ashram.” But after looking at the facilities, it makes sense.
The interior of the building, which looks brand new, features clean modern marble floors, beautiful wooden furniture, and traditional Indian artwork.
The rooms are simple but feel quite luxurious, with large wooden beds, matching bedside tables, and beautifully carved wooden wardrobes and vanity tables.
All rooms come with a balcony offering sunrise and mountain views, and the attached bathrooms are spacious and modern.
They offer both private and twin-sharing rooms. Heaters and AC are available at an additional cost.
The yoga shala is located on the rooftop. It’s bright and spacious, with panoramic views of the mountains and sunrise.
Note that this school previously used a different accommodation, which still appears on Google Maps photos.
The current location is next to Pure Soul Café. To view the new room photos, when visiting their BYR page, just select “view photos” after selecting your preferred room type.
Another highlight is the food. Students consistently praise it not only for its quality and freshness, but also for its variety.
They offer 100-hour, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour yoga teacher training programs focused on Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. The daily schedule also includes Kundalini yoga, along with meditation and pranayama sessions.
The program also includes a sound healing session, as well as a Bollywood dance session.
3. Nirvana Yoga School, Tapovan
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| Image courtesy of Nirvana Yoga School |
⇒ 25-day 200-hour Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga TTC starting at $649
Nirvana Yoga School is located high in Upper Tapovan, away from the noisy main roads but still within walking distance of cafés and shops.
The school resides in a modern four-story building. There are two indoor yoga halls on the 3rd and 4th floors, both well-lit with large windows offering sunrise and mountain views. They are also equipped with fans and AC.
There is an open terrace with panoramic mountain views, which is sometimes used for classes, sunset gatherings, and events such as kirtans.
The dining hall is spacious and beautifully designed, with both floor seating and tables with chairs, surrounded by large windows.
For many students, the food is a real highlight, especially because of its variety, and judging by the photos, it looks nourishing and high-quality.
The rooms are modern, comfortable, and well-lit, with closets, tables, and attached bathrooms. Each room has its own balcony with views of either the mountains or surrounding greenery. Both shared and private options are available.
They offer a wide range of programs, including 200-hour Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga TTCs, Ayurveda and Hatha Yoga TTCs, Meditation and Yoga Nidra TTCs, and Kundalini Yoga TTCs.
They also run 300-hour and 500-hour teacher training programs, along with online courses and shorter trainings such as Sound Healing and Yin Yoga TTCs. The 200-hour Hatha and Ashtanga program includes a sound healing session.
4. Vinyasa Yogashala, Tapovan
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| Image courtesy of Vinyasa Yogashala |
⇒ 25-day 200-hour multistyle Yoga TTC starting at $650
Vinyasa Yogashala is located in a very convenient but quiet area of Upper Tapovan. It’s close to some of the best cafés (perfect for studying), restaurants, shops, organic stores, and even a pharmacy. The Ganges is only about a 10-minute walk away.
This is the largest school on this list.
They have four buildings on the same campus for their various teacher training programs, and each building has two yoga halls. So in total, they have eight yoga halls, and each of them has AC and mountain views.
The halls shown on their booking page look very bright, with large windows and beautiful wooden floors.
Students are usually accommodated in the same building where their practice hall is located. So although multiple courses run at the same time, there is normally a maximum of 20 students per batch.
This is also the only school with a swimming pool, but you can use it only on Sundays, your days off. There is also a small garden on the campus that you can use to eat or study.
They offer several programs, including 100-hour, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour multi-style yoga teacher training courses focused on Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa yoga.
The 200-hour YTT includes a complimentary sound bath, as well as a trauma and emotional healing session, which students really enjoy.
In addition to TTCs, they also offer shorter courses such as Aerial Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Sound Healing, and several online programs.
5. Sarvodaya Vinyasa Yoga School, Tapovan
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| Image courtesy of Sarvodaya Vinyasa Yoga School |
⇒ 25-day 200-hour multistyle Yoga TTC starting at $550
Sarvodaya Vinyasa Yoga School is located in Upper Tapovan, in a quiet and peaceful area away from the main city noise and surrounded by nature.
Students often appreciate that just opposite the school you’ll find one of the nicest cafés in Rishikesh, Aarcana.
The school has two buildings used for both the 200-hour and 300-hour yoga TTCs. In total, there are three spacious AC yoga halls offering mountain and sunrise views.
The facilities are modern and well-maintained, with a small lawn that is sometimes used for outdoor pranayama and meditation sessions.
Some of the hotel-style rooms also offer mountain views, and students regularly praise how clean and well-kept they are. The school states that “Every room is thoroughly sanitised and safety-checked three times before you step in.” AC rooms are available at an additional cost.
They offer a range of programs, including 100-hour, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour multi-style yoga teacher training courses focused on Hatha, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga.
The 200-hour program also includes a 2-hour sound healing class, which grants a Sound Healing Level 1 certificate, along with additional classes such as Yin and Restorative yoga.
While they don’t yet have reviews on BookYogaRetreats, they hold a 4.9-star rating on Google from over 200 reviews.
Sarvodaya is actually a sister school of Vinyasa Yogashala. Both schools were founded by the brothers and yoga teachers Ashish Rawat and Vikas Rawat from Rishikesh, which is why their teachers and programs are very similar.
6. D’vine Yoga Academy, Ram Jhula
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| Image courtesy of D'vine Yoga Academy |
⇒ 24-day 200-hour multistyle Yoga TTC starting at $718
D’vine Yoga Academy is located in Ram Jhula, literally at the foothills of the mountains. It’s a peaceful, quiet setting completely surrounded by trees and greenery. You’ll hear birds in the morning and crickets at night, while cafés and shops are still just a 5–10 minute walk away.
Rather than a commercial yoga school, D’vine Yoga feels much more like an ashram. This is how many students describe it, largely because the central figure of the experience is Swami Sachidananda, the founder and main teacher.
The accommodation and yoga hall are within a two-story building. The yoga hall is on the top floor. It has large windows with views of the forest. It includes both fans and AC. The rooftop is also used for open-air yoga sessions and sunset gatherings overlooking the surrounding nature.
The rooms are simple, clean, and spacious, with attached bathrooms and either a terrace or balcony offering views of the greenery. There is a standard fee for twin-sharing rooms, with an additional charge for private rooms or AC.
While the food looks quite simple and very ashram-style in the photos, students consistently highlight it as one of the best parts of their stay at D’vine Yoga Academy.
They offer a wide range of programs, including online courses and 100-hour, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour multi-style yoga teacher trainings focused on Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa yoga.
They also offer a popular Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training (200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour). This program includes a specific breathing technique called Sanjeevani Shakti Kriya, which they describe as an antidote to stress and a support for various physical and mental conditions.
7. Rishikesh Yogkulam, Ram Jhula
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| Image courtesy of Rishikesh Yogkulam |
⇒ 200-hour Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga TTC starting at $999
Rishikesh Yogkulam is located in Ram Jhula, in a peaceful area close to the mountains, with cafés, bookstores, and grocery stores within easy reach. It’s also about a 10-minute walk from the Ganges.
They have two buildings used for their YTT programs, located about a 5-minute walk from each other. Each building has two large yoga shalas with big windows and AC.
The main building, used for both 200-hour and 300-hour YTTs, is a modern four-story property with a large terrace where you can enjoy both sunrise and sunset views.
The rooms are simple, clean, and very colorful (probably too colorful), and most come with balconies offering mountain views. Both private and double rooms are available, all with attached bathrooms.
The dining hall is also colorful and beautifully decorated, with large windows offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
The rooms and dining hall of the second building are not as colorful, but they are clean and comfortable. I couldn’t find photos of the second building exterior, but I also didn’t come across any negative feedback about it.
Be aware that you can’t choose which building you’ll be assigned to. Allocation depends on how the school organizes the 200-hour and 300-hour programs at the time of your training. Both buildings offer limited AC rooms at an additional cost.
They offer a variety of courses, including a therapy course, online courses, and 100-hour, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga teacher trainings. Group sizes are kept to a maximum of 20 students.
Although the training is focused on Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, once a week, you’ll explore a Yin or Restorative Yoga class. Additionally, the training includes a sound healing session, a Bollywood dance session, and more.
Final thoughts
I hope you’ve found my curated list of the best yoga teacher training courses in Rishikesh useful. Feel free to share it with anyone who might be interested in doing a YTT in the yoga capital of the world.
Don’t forget to check out my previous article, 15 BEST Yoga Teacher Training Courses in India [My Curated List], where you’ll find more options in Rishikesh as well as other parts of India.
If you want to know what clothes to wear, what to pack for your yoga TTC, or how to prepare for traveling around India, you can take a look at my detailed India packing list for yogis.
If you’d like more personal recommendations for the best yoga teacher trainings and retreats, you can join my email list here. After signing up, you’ll also be able to download my free meditation ebook.
Whenever you decide to book your yoga TTC in Rishikesh, using one of my affiliate links is a simple way to support my work. Thank you, and I’d love to hear which one you choose.
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