Guests are welcome to visit Deer Park for Days of Mindfulness, multi-day overnight retreats, and other special events.
Visiting Hours
We welcome people with all levels of meditation experience — including none at all. However, please plan your visit for times when the monastery is open and receiving visitors. If you have registered for an overnight retreat, plan to arrive on your designated arrival day. The monastery gate is closed outside of these times.
Please keep in mind that the monastery is a spiritual space intended for relaxation, reflection, healing, and transformation. Observe the Five Mindfulness Trainings to ensure a respectful and harmonious atmosphere for all.
Intoxicants and Drugs on Campus Are Strictly Prohibited
This includes illegal drugs, marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, vapes, as well as illicit use of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Possession of these substances will result in immediate removal from the monastery.
Appropriate Physical Conduct
Respect personal boundaries and avoid behaviors that may make others feel uncomfortable or unsafe, including romantic advances, sexual gestures or comments, inappropriate physical contact (including touching, punching, or hugging), asking another visitor to go to an isolated place away from the Sangha, or disregarding dress code guidelines.
Dress Code
Dress modestly and comfortably in loose-fitting clothes that cover shoulders, midsection, and knees. Avoid wearing shorts, tank tops, and fragrances.
Pets Policy
For the protection and safety of all, guests cannot bring pets to our practice center.
Reporting Misconduct
Please report concerning or inappropriate behavior to any monastic resident or email us here.
Getting Here
To navigate to Deer Park using a GPS, mobile device, or rideshare service put in either 2499 Melru Ln, Escondido, CA or 1 Deer Park Ln, Escondido, CA.
Once you arrive at our Main Gate, drive up the road about one mile. Go past Clarity Hamlet and park in the Main Parking Lot — a large gravel lot on the left side.
Deer Park is located about 40-miles from downtown San Diego and six miles from downtown Escondido. We are closest to I-15 and HWY-78.
Taxi in Escondido: To take a cab from Escondido, you can contact either All City Taxi Cab at 760-747-8888 or A1 Taxi Cab of Escondido at 760-690-2080.
The nearest airports to Deer Park include:
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is about 40 miles away with a typical travel time of about an hour by car. From there you can travel by car, train, or bus. More details below.
John Wayne Airport (SNA), located to the north in Orange County, is about 75 miles away with a typical travel time of about 1.5 hours by car. From there you can travel by car, train or bus.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), located to the north in Los Angeles County, is about 115 miles away with a typical travel time of 2.5 hours by car, depending on traffic. From there you can travel by car, train, or bus.
The Escondido Transit Center is serviced by SPRINTER Light Rail. SPRINTER travels between Oceanside Transit Center on the coast inland to the Escondido Transit Center.
Visitors traveling south can take Amtrak or Metrolink to Oceanside.
Visitors who land at San Diego International Airport can take the COASTER Rail (after a short bus ride) to Oceanside.
You can use the North County Transit District Trip Planner to get information on travel times and rates for both SPRINTER and COASTER.
Most buses arriving in Escondido and traveling within Escondido, start and terminate at the Escondido Transit Center including Greyhound Bus service.
Within Escondido, the closest bus stop from the monastery is located 3-miles away from the transit center at the corner of Rincon and Broadway. This is serviced by Route 358/359 of the BREEZE bus service operated by North County Transit District. Travel time is about 2O minutes.
It is possible to take a Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) bus from the San Diego Airport to downtown San Diego and transfer to a bus that takes you to the Escondido Transit Center. Total travel time is about 1.5 hours.
When planning to visit Deer Park, many friends ask about carpool or rideshare options. Our community is very supportive of finding alternative means of transportation. We use our community platform below to help visitors self-organize offering and requesting rides.
Types of Visits
To get more information about your type of visit, see our Types of Visits page. There’s useful information there for you if you are:
Visiting for a Day of Mindfulness
Visiting to attend a multi-day overnight retreat
Visiting to volunteer at a multi-day overnight retreat
We welcome you to attend our Days of Mindfulness on a donation basis. There are donation boxes available in the Dining Hall and Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall, or you can click here to donate online.
Visitors for events and retreats are welcome to donate as they are called to and are able. There is a donation table located near the Registration Office on the day of events or the last day of retreats.
Alms giving (food donation) has connected the monastic and lay communities since the time of the Buddha. If you would like to make a donation of vegetarian food to the monastery, you may come to the kitchen on a Day of Mindfulness so that we can receive your gift.
All donations are greatly appreciated.
Explore Online Courses
From time to time we offer multi-week courses related to mindfulness, the teachings and life of Thich Nhat Hanh, and a variety of similar subjects. Please see our schedule of upcoming courses.
Take the Deer Park Monastery and Plum Village community with you wherever you go. The Plum Village app is designed to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and joy through guided meditations, deep relaxations, practice poems, bells of mindfulness, and other practices — all through a mobile device.
Turn Your Inbox into a Dharma Door
Subscribe to our Coyote Tracks newsletter on Substack to receive event announcements, writing, art, music, and meditations from Deer Park monastics.
Support Deer Park
Donations are our main source of support, so every offering is greatly appreciated. Your contribution helps us to keep the monastery open to receive guests throughout the year.
May 8 / 8:00 AM-June 1 5:00 PMViet Wake Up 2025 Tour
Saturday / 8:00 am-1:30 pmHappy Farm Community Work Day
Sunday / 9:00 am-2:00 pmDay of Mindfulness: Vesak
May 16-20 / 9:00 am-5:30 pmMindfulness As A Foundation For Health: The Buddha the Scientist Symposium & Retreat in Vancouver
May 18 / 8:00 am-9:00 pmNo Day of Mindfulness
