There are three options in Cambodia. The two Vipassana centres, in Kampong Cham and Battambang, teach ten days of silence without charging anything, accommodation and meals included. Hariharalaya, near Siem Reap, sells six days from $695. And Wat Langka, in Phnom Penh, offers a free hour of meditation three evenings a week.
Which option for which traveller?
| Option | Length | Price | Silence | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vipassana centre | 10 days | none, voluntary donation afterwards | total, 10 days | those who want the serious version and have the time |
| Hariharalaya | 6 or 16 days | from $695 | 10 pm to 9 am, plus one full day | those who want comfort and guidance |
| Wat Langka | 1 hour | free | during the session | those spending two days in Phnom Penh |
Three different worlds, and let me say it straight away: they are not levels of the same thing. An hour at Wat Langka gives you a method. Six days at Hariharalaya give you a break. Ten days in a Vipassana centre take away your phone, your books, your paper and your voice. It is not the same week off.
The two Vipassana centres: ten days for zero dollars
Cambodia has two Vipassana centres in the tradition of S. N. Goenka: Dhamma Kamboja, in Kampong Cham, and Dhamma Laṭṭhikā, in Battambang. Both teach the same thing, in the same format, under the same code of discipline.
Why it really is free
Both websites say the same thing: courses run solely on a donation basis. You pay nothing for the course, not even for food or accommodation. Costs are covered by donations from former students who have completed a ten-day course and want to give someone else the same opportunity. Neither the teacher nor the assistants are paid, and the organisers are volunteers.
You can only donate at the end, and only if you have completed the course. It took me a while to understand how it works: your donation does not pay for your stay, it pays for the next person's.
The detail that stops most foreigners
This is the point I have not seen written anywhere, and yet it is the first thing to check before booking time off.
The official schedules of both centres, updated on 11 October 2026, carry a language restriction on several courses. At Dhamma Laṭṭhikā, every 2026 course is listed as "Khmer speakers only". At Dhamma Kamboja, the autumn 2026 courses carry the same restriction, sometimes limited to male students, and the ten-day course from 1 to 12 December 2026 remains open with registration via Telegram.
From January 2027, the restriction disappears from both centres' listings. The ten-day courses are then listed as general courses.
Practical conclusion: if you do not speak Khmer, aim for 2027, and write to the centre before buying your ticket. A schedule can change, a place can open up, and the centre is the only one that can tell you.
The 2027 dates to know
| Centre | First ten-day courses in 2027 |
|---|---|
| Dhamma Kamboja (Kampong Cham) | 6 to 17 January, 27 January to 7 February, 17 to 28 February, 10 to 21 March, 31 March to 11 April |
| Dhamma Laṭṭhikā (Battambang) | 20 to 31 January, 3 to 14 February, 17 to 28 February, 3 to 14 March, 17 to 28 March |
Both centres then continue at a pace of about two courses a month until December. One rule emerges from both schedules: applications open three months before the course starts. For example, the 17 to 28 February 2027 course in Kampong Cham accepts applications from 17 November 2026.
Only one application at a time, and it's in writing
The Dhamma Kamboja schedule states a rule many people discover too late: a student can only apply for one course at a time in Cambodia, whatever the centre and whatever the state of the waiting lists. So you cannot apply to Battambang and Kampong Cham at the same time to improve your chances.
The answer can take up to two weeks. If you are accepted, you must confirm your attendance to secure your place.
What a day looks like
The code of discipline publishes the timetable, which is the same in every centre in the network.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 4:00 am | wake-up bell |
| 4:30 to 6:30 am | meditation in the hall or in your room |
| 6:30 to 8:00 am | breakfast |
| 8:00 to 9:00 am | group meditation |
| 9:00 to 11:00 am | meditation following the teacher's instructions |
| 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | lunch |
| 12:00 to 1:00 pm | rest, and interviews with the teacher |
| 1:00 to 2:30 pm | meditation |
| 2:30 to 3:30 pm | group meditation |
| 3:30 to 5:00 pm | meditation following instructions |
| 5:00 to 6:00 pm | tea break |
| 6:00 to 7:00 pm | group meditation |
| 7:00 to 8:15 pm | teacher's discourse |
| 8:15 to 9:00 pm | group meditation |
| 9:00 to 9:30 pm | questions in the hall |
| 9:30 pm | lights out |
Ten and a half hours of meditation a day. Read that column twice before you sign up.
What you leave at the door
Noble silence, according to the code, means silence of body, speech and mind. Any form of communication with other students is forbidden, including gestures, sign language and written notes. You can speak to the teacher and the management.
Men and women are completely separated for the whole course. Phones, smartwatches and other electronic devices are handed in to the management until the end. No reading or writing materials. No religious objects, rosaries, crystals or talismans. No alcohol, no drugs, no tobacco or nicotine. Students commit to staying for the whole course and within the boundaries of the site.
This is the part that puts people off, and it is also exactly why it works.
Contact details for the three useful addresses
| Place | Address | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Dhamma Kamboja | Roluos Village, National Road 71, Kampong Cham province | +855 77 233 747, info@kamboja.dhamma.org |
| Dhamma Laṭṭhikā | Phnom Trungmoan, National Road 57, Battambang | +855 92 931 647, info@latthika.dhamma.org |
| Phnom Penh office | No. 70, Street 13, Borey Piphop Thmey Chamkardaung, Sangkat Dangkor, Khan Dangkor | +855 92 803 406, vipassana.cambodia@gmail.com |
The organisation, the Vipassana Organization of Cambodia, has been registered with the Ministry of the Interior under number 4612 since 3 June 2016. Its Phnom Penh office has a 50-seat meditation hall that holds a one-day course every month and two-hour group sittings every Sunday.
Hariharalaya, the paid option ten minutes from Siem Reap
If ten days without speaking seems out of reach, there is another way, and it is ten minutes from the centre of Siem Reap.
Hariharalaya sells three programmes: six days, the most popular, sixteen days, and seven days of one-to-one work. The six-day format starts at 10 am on day 1 and ends at 11 am on day 6, after breakfast.
The prices listed by the centre
| Accommodation | One person | Two people |
|---|---|---|
| Shared room | $695 | not offered |
| Private room | $995 | $1,595 |
| Suite | $1,395 | $1,995 |
For the sixteen-day programme, the centre lists $1,390 for a shared room, $1,990 for a private room and $2,790 for a suite, each line showing a higher price crossed out. The seven-day one-to-one programme exists, but no price is published.
The six days include five nights, daily yoga and meditation, three vegan meals a day, silence practices, sunrise meditation at Angkor, workshops, creative sessions, breathwork sessions and materials.
The six dates left in 2026
2 to 7 November, 12 to 17 November, 22 to 27 November, 1 to 6 December, 11 to 16 December, 21 to 26 December. The schedule then resumes on 8 January 2027 and runs all year round.
A 50% deposit secures your place, and the balance is due 30 days before. You can change your dates free of charge up to 30 days before. Cancellation within 7 days of booking: full refund, minus bank fees. Between 14 and 30 days before: the deposit becomes a credit valid for one year. Less than 14 days before: the deposit is lost.
Silence, but not all the time
The centre keeps silence every day from 10 pm to 9 am the next morning, and day 4 is entirely silent. Phones, tablets, e-readers and computers are collected on day 1 and returned at breakfast on day 6.
The three meals are vegan, homemade and gluten-free: breakfast at 9 am, lunch at 1 pm, dinner at 6:30 pm. Morning yoga and evening meditation are mandatory. Afternoon yoga, teachings and group activities are strongly encouraged, not required.
Coffee is neither served nor allowed on site, and you cannot bring your own. There are coffee stalls in the neighbouring village, which says a lot about how some people get through the first few days.
Address: Top Town Road Old, Bakheng Rd, Krong Siem Reap 17259. Phone: +855 66 301 010. The centre advises against using Google Maps to get there, as the access roads are dirt tracks, and offers a tuk-tuk from your hotel for $3 added to your bill.
Wat Langka, a free hour in Phnom Penh
At Wat Langka, in central Phnom Penh, meditation sessions are free and open to everyone, Cambodians and foreigners alike. They take place on Monday, Thursday and Saturday evenings from 6 to 7 pm, and on Sunday morning and afternoon. They are led by the Venerable Son Huonngon.
The session covers the basics, breathing, posture, attention, then gradually moves towards Vipassana. This is the option to remember if you are spending two days in the capital and want to understand what it is all about before blocking out ten days of your life.
What if you only have three days?
Then you will not be doing a retreat, and you might as well know that now. The Vipassana centres reserve their three-day courses for old students, meaning people who have already completed ten days. Hariharalaya starts at six days.
With three days, you still have Wat Langka, the Phnom Penh office's monthly one-day course, and the Sunday sittings. That is already a lot for a first time.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a meditation retreat in Cambodia cost? Nothing at all at the two Vipassana centres, where the ten days include accommodation and meals and donations are only possible after the course. Between $695 and $1,995 for six days at Hariharalaya, depending on accommodation. Free for an hour at Wat Langka.
Do you need to speak Khmer to do Vipassana in Cambodia? For the courses still open in 2026, often yes: both centres' schedules show "Khmer speakers only" on most sessions at the end of this year. The 2027 courses are listed as general courses. Write to the centre to confirm your session before booking a flight.
Can you leave before the end of a ten-day course? Students commit to staying for the whole course and within the boundaries of the site. The code of discipline does not treat leaving early as a normal option. Assume you are staying for ten days.
Do you keep your phone? No, in both cases. The Vipassana centres keep devices with the management until the end. Hariharalaya collects them on day 1 and returns them at breakfast on day 6.
What is the best season? November to February, the cool dry season. Ten and a half hours of sitting a day in the April heat, at 35 degrees, is a different experience. It is also when both schedules are busiest.
Can you do a silent retreat in Siem Reap without doing yoga? Not really. Hariharalaya makes morning yoga mandatory, and it is the only structured retreat centre in town. For silence without postures, you need to go to a Vipassana centre, in Battambang or Kampong Cham.
Are men and women separated? Completely, for the whole length of a Vipassana course. Hariharalaya does not separate them and offers double rooms for couples.
In short
If you want the deepest experience, it is Vipassana: ten days, zero dollars, and an application to submit three months ahead for a 2027 session, after checking it is not reserved for Khmer speakers. If you want silence without withdrawing from the world completely, it is Hariharalaya: six days from $695, silence from 10 pm to 9 am and one entirely silent day. If you are just passing through, it is Wat Langka: one hour, free, three evenings a week.
None of these three options can be booked the day before. It is the only thing they have in common.
Verified sources
- Dhamma Kamboja, overview and donation-based funding: kamboja.dhamma.org
- Dhamma Laṭṭhikā, overview and donation-based funding: latthika.dhamma.org
- Official Dhamma Kamboja schedule, 2026 and 2027 dates, language restrictions, single application rule: dhamma.org
- Official Dhamma Laṭṭhikā schedule, 2026 and 2027 dates, statuses and restrictions: dhamma.org
- Code of discipline for ten-day courses, timetable, noble silence, prohibited items: dhamma.org
- Vipassana Cambodia, centre addresses, Phnom Penh office, 50-seat hall, registration number: kh.dhamma.org
- Hariharalaya, programmes, prices by room type, content and dates: discover.hariharalaya.com
- Hariharalaya, sixteen-day programme and detailed content: hariharalaya.com
- Hariharalaya, FAQ: silence, digital detox, meals, requirements, deposit and cancellation: hariharalaya.com
- Wat Langka, free session times and teacher, article dated 14 April 2026: cambodianess.com
Another way to unwind is to discover the natural swimming spots around Siem Reap.