Our Retreat Center: Kientalerhof

In the quiet Kiental Valley of the Swiss Alps, Kientalerhof is our home for learning, rest, and renewal—simple rooms, spacious studios, nourishing meals, mountains all around. A gentle place for our Esalen® Massage Global Village to arrive and belong.


What to Expect

  • Rooms – Kientalerhof offers a wide variety to suit every budget — from simple shared rooms to spacious holiday flats. You can explore all options here: → Kientalerhof Rooms and Holiday Flats. A limited number of sleeping bag and tent spaces are available on request for a simple stay.

  • Meals – Vegetarian full board — each meal a gift of nourishment, with gluten-free and other special dietary needs accommodated by the Kientalerhof kitchen.

  • Approximate Costs - To give you a sense of pricing: if you choose one of the most economical options — a bed in a 4-person dormitory with full board (all meals included) — the cost for the gathering period is approximately CHF 400.

  • Workshop Rooms – Bright practice spaces for movement and Esalen Massage.

  • Nature – Trails, fresh air, and quiet — perfect for rest and integration.

Hiking to the top of a mountain in kiental

Still have questions? More details can be found in our → Frequently Asked Questions.


How to book

Accommodation and meals are booked directly with Kientalerhof (separate from the gathering fee).

  • If you stay at Kientalerhof, you book accommodation with full board.

  • If you stay outside the retreat center, you must still book full-board meals at Kientalerhof and pay an additional infrastructure fee of CHF 10 per day (approx. total CHF 310). For more information, see → Gastronomy

Shared meals are part of the heart of the Global Village.

It is each participant’s responsibility to make these arrangements directly with Kientalerhof.

If you would like to share a room with a friend, simply let Renata at Kientalerhof know.
If anything in the booking process feels unclear or does not work smoothly, Renata is our contact person for the Global Village at Kientalerhof: renata.pfeiler@kientalerhof.ch.

Book Accommodation — Teachers’ Gathering
Book Accommodation — Practitioners’ Gathering

Getting There

Address: Kientalerhof, Griesalpstrasse 44, CH-3723 Kiental

Eingang des Kientalerhofs mit blühenden Pflanzen und einer Frau, die die Treppe hinuntergeht

Kientalerhof is located in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. You can travel by train to Reichenbach (via Spiez) and then continue by bus with the Swiss Postauto to Kiental. Please note that the bus schedule is limited — the last bus to the village departs from Reichenbach at 18:27.

Public transport

Travel from Zürich Airport (ZRH) to Kiental, Dorf by public transport usually costs CHF 70–80 one way, depending on the route, train class, and exact time of travel.

The standard route is:

  • Train Zürich Airport → Bern or Spiez

  • Train Bern/Spiez → Reichenbach im Kandertal

  • Bus 220 Reichenbach → Kiental, Dorf

Current timetables and fares are available at → www.sbb.ch/en.

If you buy a Saver Ticket or Supersaver (online via SBB), it can be cheaper. With a Swiss Half Fare Card, the cost is about half (CHF 35–40).

Arriving by car

You can also arrive by car. A limited number of free parking spaces are available at the retreat center. Additional paid parking is available further down in the village.
Also check → Kientalerhof’s website.


A Place with History

For more than forty years, Kientalerhof has welcomed seekers, teachers, and communities into its mountain embrace. In 2025, the center celebrated its 40th anniversary with the making of the film Forty Years of Kientalerhof — a tribute to its journey from a village guesthouse to a place of learning, healing, and presence.

Watch the Film