Cultivating the mind of love
Thich Nhat Hanh
From July 11th – August 3, 2026, Plum Village will welcome adults, families with children and teens, and practitioners of all ages to cultivate the mind of love together.
- Week 1 ( July 11th – July 18th)
- Week 2 ( July 19 – July 26th)
- Week 3 (July 27th – August 3rd)
The teachings and practices will be for all ages with tailored programs for children and teenagers.
We came to the Plum Village summer retreat for the first time with our twelve-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter. As a family with mixed experiences of camping, we had a wonderful time sleeping under the star-filled sky and eating wholesome food. Our children really enjoyed being outdoors for 8–10 hours a day, giving them the freedom to be themselves in a safe retreat environment. As parents, we learned to let go, which also provided us with time and space to breathe, listen, and enjoy each other’s company. Plum Village was truly a place of love and refuge.
— William Lau, Suki Chan, Zi Chan-Lau and Ziqiao “Q” Chan-Lau; London, England
Application for Children | Teens’ Program
Dear friends,
Thank you for coming to Plum Village each Summer and growing our sangha family together.
We are aware that we do not have the physical capacity to accommodate all the families that wish to attend. We would like, as much as possible, to offer an inclusive registration experience.
The initial dates for applying for the Children and Teens Program in the Summer Opening in Plum Village France will be open from 20th December 2025 3pm CET to 7th January 2026 9am CET (an 18 day window). If you are coming with children aged 5 or under, you can also go through this application process.
From 7th January – 10th January 2026, applications will close temporarily and the random selection process will take place. During these days, families that are selected will be contacted and invited to finalize their registrations with a payment.
Applications that were not selected in the initial round will remain on the waiting list and will also be notified. Families can choose how long to wait during the application process.
From 10th January 2026, we will re-open the application process again for any available spaces in the programs. For the programs that are full, families can have the option to join the waiting list.
Please note: Exact dates and weeks of each program for children and teens will be posted soon.
Click here to view our updated payment and cancellation policy
Registration & Payment
Payment Structure
For retreats from January 3, 2026 onwards, your contribution will be split into two payments:
- Main payment to Bienvenue Aux Pruniers S.A.S. (BAP) for practical retreat aspects (food, accommodation, facilities, administration, taxes)
- Monastery contribution to Congrégation Bouddhique Zen Village des Pruniers (CBZ) to support the monastic community
Your bank statement will show two charges, and you will receive two invoices.
Note: For retreats taking place in 2025 until January 3, 2026, retreat contributions are received by Communaute Bouddhique Zen du Village des Pruniers, the religious nonprofit 1901 association operating our activities from 1988-2025.
Payment Methods
Our online booking system accepts:
- Credit card payments (worldwide)
- European direct debit (SEPA) for European bank accounts
All payments are processed via the secure Stripe payment gateway. We do not store payment details. Due to strict French regulations, we cannot accept cash, cheques, or manual bank transfers for retreat payments.
Cancellation Policy
To ensure fair access for all, we have revised our cancellation policy to encourage participants to book a retreat place only when certain they can attend.
Cancellation by Participants
If you need to cancel:
- 28+ days before arrival: Full refund minus €100 admin & cancellation fee
- 14-27 days before arrival: 50% refund after deducting the €100 non-refundable admin fee
- 13 days or less before arrival: No refunds possible
We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance to cover retreat cancellation fees in case of unforeseen circumstances, including personal illness or family emergencies.
For those generously coming to Plum Village to help as a volunteer, the cancellation fee is €25 (to cover admin costs).
Cancellation by Plum Village
Plum Village reserves the right to cancel a retreat under any circumstances. If this occurs, you will receive a full refund of all payments made to us, including the admin fee.
Plum Village accepts no further liability beyond the retreat registration fee refund. We cannot be liable for funds spent on advance travel arrangements, such as flight tickets and visas. We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance that covers this.
Volunteering for the Summer Opening
The Summer Opening is not possible without the support of our volunteers. In order to truly offer stability and peace to the retreat, we prioritize volunteers who can make a one month commitment (arrive on July 5 and depart on August 5).