Silent retreats for reflection and renewal
A silent retreat offers time away from noise, screens, and daily demands. MonkMap helps you find quiet retreat centers, monastery guesthouses, and contemplative communities that welcome guests for periods of silence.
Whether you are looking for a Catholic silent retreat, a Zen meditation retreat, or a Trappist abbey guesthouse, you can browse verified listings and visit each community's official website before you go.
Silent retreat communities
Communities that offer silent retreat stays or structured quiet retreats.
New Camaldoli Hermitage
CatholicBig Sur, California, United States
A Camaldolese Benedictine hermitage perched in the Santa Lucia Mountains above the Pacific. Guests of any faith stay in simple rooms or hillside cottages for silent retreats, joining the monks for daily liturgy and the Hours.
Visit websitevisitor-friendlyretreat stayssilent retreatpublic prayerMost Holy Trinity Monastery
CatholicPetersham, Massachusetts, United States
Home to the Maronite Monks of Adoration, a Catholic monastic community in the Eastern Maronite tradition. Individual men and small groups of men are welcome for silent retreats in the guesthouse, joining the monks for the Divine Office, Mass, and adoration in a secluded setting without cell or internet access.
Visit websiteretreat stayssilent retreatpublic prayerZen Mountain Monastery
ZenMount Tremper, New York, United States
A Western Zen training center on 220 forested acres in the Catskills, founded by John Daido Loori and home of the Mountains and Rivers Order. Resident monastics and lay trainees host meditation retreats and introductory programs for people of all backgrounds.
Visit websitevisitor-friendlyretreat stayssilent retreatBhavana Society
TheravadaHigh View, West Virginia, United States
A Theravada forest monastery and meditation center in the West Virginia hills, founded in 1982 by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. It offers regular silent meditation retreats, cabin and dorm housing, and a path for lay residents and those seeking ordination, supported entirely by donation.
Visit websiteretreat stayssilent retreatvolunteer stayAbbey of Gethsemani
TrappistTrappist, Kentucky, United States
The oldest working Trappist monastery in the United States, founded in 1848 and home to Thomas Merton for 27 years. Its guesthouse welcomes men and women of all faiths for silent, unstructured retreats, with hours of prayer and miles of wooded trails open to guests.
Visit websitevisitor-friendlyretreat stayssilent retreatpublic prayerMepkin Abbey
TrappistMoncks Corner, South Carolina, United States
A Trappist monastery on a former plantation along the Cooper River north of Charleston, founded in 1949 by monks from Gethsemani. Guests join the community for silent meals and seven daily prayer services, and the public gardens and grounds are open to day visitors.
Visit websitevisitor-friendlyretreat stayssilent retreatpublic prayerSt. Joseph's Abbey
TrappistSpencer, Massachusetts, United States
A Trappist community in the hills of central Massachusetts, known for its Trappist Preserves and liturgical vestments. The abbey welcomes guests for contemplative retreats shaped by its life of silence, prayer, and work.
visitor-friendlyretreat stayssilent retreatpublic prayer
Common questions
- What is a silent retreat?
- A silent retreat is a stay focused on quiet, prayer or meditation, and rest. Many monasteries and retreat centers maintain periods of silence so guests can reflect without conversation or digital distraction.
- How do I prepare for a silent retreat?
- Research the community's schedule, dress code, and guest policies on their official website. Pack simply, plan to unplug, and arrive with an open mind about shared meals, prayer times, and community rules.