Seven-Day Retreat at San Damiano, 15–22 March 2026

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE

For those who love to dive deeply into the heart of the non-dual understanding, retreats offer an unprecedented opportunity: seven days with Rupert and friends, nestled in a beautiful location in nature, where we steep together in the peace of our true nature. Retreats gather us in the heart of being, where we spend our days in self-abidance, friendship and creativity.

Each day features guided meditation in which we rest in being, as being, as well as dialogue in which we discuss the non-dual understanding. Between gatherings, we enjoy three delicious vegetarian meals, where the love and understanding effortlessly transmits itself through friendship. In the evenings, we might relax with friends, watch a film together or celebrate through poetry and music.

Whether you seek peace, happiness, truth, love or freedom – or if you would simply like to reunite with old friends – retreats provide the priceless opportunity to taste your true nature in an atmosphere of kindness and beauty. The people you meet on retreat will quickly become your non-dual family, so please join us as we gather in the spirit of friendship to celebrate the unity of being.

About San Damiano: Nestled in the rolling hills of the San Ramon Valley, deep in Contra Costa County, the Franciscan retreat centre of San Damiano offers a peace-filled setting for reflection and rest across more than fifty acres of spectacular natural surroundings.

Each room has a private bathroom and opens directly onto the gardens, which embody a spirit of harmony with this sacred environment. Guests are invited to enjoy the views, fountains and waterfalls, or spend time at the centre’s contemplative spaces, including a labyrinth and the Stations of the Cross.

Since the early 1960s, the Franciscan community has welcomed visitors to San Damiano, offering retreats and gatherings that nurture the spiritual life. We are delighted to host a retreat at this inspiring venue.

In the unlikely event that the retreat is cancelled due to Covid-19 or other comparable health concerns, any deposit payments will be automatically transferred to a replacement Retreat at Home.

There are single and twin rooms available on site, each with a private bathroom, heat and A/C. All meals are included, as well as tea/coffee available throughout the day.

If your accommodation of choice is sold out, you will be able to use the ‘Join Waitlist’ button, and you will be notified of any spaces that come available.

There are several local hotels within driving distance from San Damiano for those who would like to commute into the retreat each day. A list of local hotels will be added to the page soon.

If you wish to stay off-site, please register as a commuter, which includes three meals per day.

Local RV parks:

Mount Diablo State Park
Address: Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Tel: (925) 837-6129
Camping fee · Tent sites · RV water hookup

Alameda County Fairgrounds
Address: Road 12, 2100 Valley Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566
Tel: (925) 426-3340
Gated RV park with a covered picnic area · free Wi-Fi · shower/laundry facilities & casual dining. RV water hookup · Public restroom · Public shower 

By plane: The nearest airport is Oakland International Airport but shuttle services are available from all the nearby airports. 

By taxi: Gil Yellow Cab ‭(510) 714-3000‬

More information on local transport will be added to this page soon.

All meals will be lacto-vegetarian. It is possible to select gluten or dairy free meals during the booking process; if you have special dietary requirements, please contact the organiser to check that your requirements can be met by the catering team before booking. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all special diets can be catered for.

The discussion board will be available for attendees to communicate prior, during and post retreat. This can be accessed via ‘My Account’ at the top of the page, simply click on the ‘My Events’ tab to view the events you have booked. Each event has a link to the discussion board under the details.

Balance due Monday 15 December 2025

The final balance is non-refundable and non-transferable except as outlined below.
50% of balance refundable if cancelled before Thursday, 29 January 2026
No refund if cancelled after Thursday, 29 January 2026

Payment FAQs
Terms & Conditions

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE

To register, a $300* non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required to reserve a space at the retreat. Please book using the ‘Book Ticket’ button and simply add the number of tickets you require, with your preferred ticket type in the booking area.

Twin rooms can be booked in pairs for couples or friends who wish to share a room and pay together, simply select the option ‘Two Guests’ and the system will automatically add two tickets to your basket for you.  

It is possible to book a single spot in a twin room to share with another person. If you wish to book only for yourself, please book using the appropriate button for a male or female twin room, and you will be allocated a room with one other person. If you wish to share with a friend but book separately, please book your tickets and email Francesca with your sharing preference. 

Costs per person to attend in person: 

Single – $3,275

Twin – $2,955

Commuter, All Meals – $ 2,485 (3 meals included)

Commuter, Lunch & Dinner – $ 2,295 (2 meals included)

HOW TO BOOK

Please book using the Book Ticket button at the top of this page, when registration opens. All of the ticket options will be available on the ticket page; from there you can simply select the number of tickets you would like, for your preferred ticket type, then click the Add to Basket button at the bottom of that page to checkout and secure your place.

Tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis; we will not be able to reserve rooms for individuals. These events are very popular so if your ticket preference is sold out please add your name to the waiting list in case of cancellations closer to the start date. Booking is strictly through the website, please do not contact the venue to try to book into the retreat.

To ensure you are able to book in on the launch day, please make sure that you have a free account set up by clicking on Sign in at the top of the page and choosing 'Create an account', if you don't already have one. This will help with checking out your preferred tickets.

As usual, we anticipate a high volume of visitors to the site when the tickets go online, so we will be using a ‘waiting room’ platform to manage the queue of traffic onto the event pages. The system will show where you are in the queue and will let you know when you can enter the website to purchase your tickets without the need for continually refreshing pages. This should help ease the booking process for everyone.

*Should the retreat be cancelled for any reason related to Covid-19 or similar health concerns, the deposit payments made will be automatically transferred to a replacement Retreat at Home.

This retreat will not be livestreamed. Please see the Livestream Events page for upcoming online retreats.