Information about traveling to Esalen, including links to check current road conditions, can be found on our Getting Here page.

To reduce our environmental impact, we do not offer camping (car or tent) on property. There is camping nearby both north and south on Highway 1.See the Big Sur Camping Guide at http://http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/camping.html for details.Please note that Esalen does not have parking spaces for RV's and large vehicles. Large vehicles need to park on Highway 1 at the Esalen entrance.

Unfortunately, we do not offer guided public tours. To preserve the sanctity of the Esalen experience, self-guided tours and walkabouts are also prohibited.

Tips may be charged to your credit card if you stop by the Office following your session. We also provide tip envelopes where you can enclose cash or a check, and either leave this in the Office or hand it directly to your practitioner following your session.

Check-out time is 10:00 a.m. on departure days, although you are welcome to stay for lunch and remain at Esalen until 2:00 p.m. If you are participating in a workshop we ask that you have your belongings out of your room before the start of your final session.

Feel free to arrive at Esalen any time after 2:00 pm. Room keys are available from the Gate or the Office/Bookstore by 4:00 pm. Room check-out is 10:00 am on the day of departure.

Due to the COVID-related safety measures we have implemented for the protection of our guests, faculty and staff, children are currently unable to visit Esalen. We look forward to welcoming children once again when it is again safe to do so.

Children may only attend workshops with their care-givers that are specifically designated as family workshops. The fee for children 10 and under is $150 for a weekend family workshop, or $300 for a five-day family workshop. Fees for youth 11-15 enrolled in family workshops are $420 for weekend workshops and $675 for five-day workshops. Parents/guardians pay regular rates.

Guests staying in Premium or Point House accommodations or two full-paying adults housed together in standard accommodations may have their children in the room for a meal fee of $25 per child per day ($10/day for children under six). Children must be supervised by an adult at all times.

We accept credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Due to COVID-related safety measures, we are not currently accepting cash. We cannot charge items to your room, so please have a form of payment with you to make purchases.

Esalen is located approximately 45 miles from "civilization," and there is currently no cell coverage. This isolation and tranquility, while deepening the experience of your stay at Esalen, can also be a significant change. While there is no cell service, there are three pay phones on the property that work with quarters, a calling card, or a prepaid minutes plan. We do not sell calling cards.

We use a bulletin board for important messages and calls from home and offer a few wired Internet kiosks for limited use. Wireless internet is available in the lodge anytime but during mealtimes.

We carry only basic sundries in our Bookstore. The nearest pharmacy is 40 miles away in Carmel, so you will want to make sure to bring your prescription medications with you.

Esalen does not have an on-call doctor, and there are no other medical services available on site. If you will require medical attention or supplies during your stay, please come prepared to administer to your own needs, or make advance arrangements with the Big Sur Health Center in Big Sur.

Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas only. It is not permitted in accommodations or meeting areas or near the lodge and outdoor deck during mealtimes.

Sorry. Other than animals in service, pets are not allowed on the property.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Unfortunately, the Esalen office has no facilities to safeguard your valuables. For peace of mind, it is best to leave them in either the locked trunk of your car or at home.

Our property is dimly lit at night, allowing guests to fully enjoy and appreciate the night sky. Please bring a flashlight for use while walking on the grounds after dark.

Outside of homes, California state law allows cannabis consumption in just two places – dispensaries and special events. Special events that allow public marijuana consumption can only be held at county fairgrounds.

To inquire about items left behind from your Esalen visit, please send an email including your name, the date you checked out, and a description of the missing item/s to lostandfound@esalen.org, or leave a message at 831-667-3019.

The hot springs at Esalen have been in use for over 6,000 years and are clothing-optional. Nudity is common in the baths and the swimming pool but by no means mandatory.

We encourage each individual to find their own edge between comfort and growth, either wearing a swimsuit or not, knowing that the environment we strive for at Esalen is one of personal sanctuary and respect for the human body.

For those who do choose to use the springs, in a bathing suit or without, daily or once in a lifetime — the hot springs experience embodies much of what continues to make Esalen a singular place of adventure, contemplation, and community.

Please see this page for details about cancellations.

We are committed to accommodating guests who have disabilities. If you have a disability and think you might need assistance participating in a workshop or other Esalen activity, please give the office as much advance notice as possible about your needs. We require a minimum of 72 hours' notice to arrange for accessible accommodations. If you will need sign language interpretation at an Esalen workshop, we require at least two weeks' notice to arrange for interpreter services. In all cases, we will do our best to assist you with your needs.

Although we are in the process of increasing our disability access, access to some parts of our property continues to be difficult. While many of our paths are paved, they are still extremely steep due to our cliff-side setting, which is the steepest meeting of land and sea in the continental United States.

Likewise, please inform the office with as much advance notice as possible if you need to bring a service animal. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Our closest airports are Monterey (MRY), San Jose (SJC), and San Francisco (SFO). Learn more about transportation options to Esalen.