Solo travel empowers women to step out of their comfort zones and see the world on their own terms. There’s nothing quite like having everything you need right on your back with a drive to see, do, and experience complete freedom in a foreign destination. But the idea of traveling alone is so scary that many people write it off altogether. Truth be told, they’re missing out—but there is a happy medium between hitting the road completely on your own and taking an organized vacation.
It’s called a wellness retreat, and it might be the most addictive travel experience on the planet.
Imagine a mix of cultural immersion, healthy eats, adventurous activities, and therapeutic treatments—those are just some of the amazing things you can expect on a wellness retreat. These kinds of trips nourish your mind, body, and soul with a diverse, structured itinerary and plenty of time for inward reflection. You’ll feel completely at peace and connected with the destination. Plus, when you go on a wellness retreat, you’ll meet other boss babes as deeply interested in experiencing all of the amazing things the world has to offer—without neglecting their self-care along the way.
Ready to hop on a plane, you jetsetter, you? Fab. We’re here to tease your wanderlust with a roundup of the best wellness retreats for solo women travelers eager to explore the world, both externally and internally. These are the wellness retreats that will help you heal your mind and soul, step outside your comfort zone, make new friends, and ultimately reconnect with yourself. Here are the wellness retreats that should be on your bucket list.
Wellness Retreats for Healing and Empowerment
Wellness retreats aren’t just about relaxing at the spa. Sometimes, you need a little healing and empowerment in a special place. Here’s where to find it.
The DEN Wellness Retreats (various global destinations)
Popular Los Angeles meditation studio The DEN hosts wellness retreats that infuse travel with a heavy dose of meditation and alternative healing treatments. Each retreat takes place in an invigorating destination with a theme to inspire the itinerary.
The Peru wellness retreat, themed around mysticism and the spirit, will set your heart on fire with a week of growth and discovery in the Sacred Valley that includes yoga, dharma talks, group healing with a Peruvian shaman, and meditation on sacred ruins. You can add a few extra days to the trip to tour Machu Picchu and Cusco with your new friends.
The DEN also has wellness retreats coming up in the Himalayas, the Adirondacks, and a special New Year’s celebration in Nicaragua, themed around “reiki, magik, and manifestation.” No matter which one you choose, these wellness retreats are sure to fill you with a deep sense of gratitude, inner peace, and wonder.
Price: Starts at $1,000
Pura Vida Retreat & Spa (Alajuela, Costa Rica)
With a mission to empower women and make them feel alive, Pura Vida wellness retreats celebrate community building and get you moving in yoga classes hosted by experienced teachers from around the world.
While every wellness retreat offers plenty of time on the mat and accommodations in calming, eco-chic rooms that overlook the San Jose Valley, no two itineraries are exactly alike—some include tours of coffee fields, self-care sessions, salsa dancing, wildlife boat tours, zip-lining, and surprise excursions. The beautiful natural setting in the lush mountains will give you the restoration your mind and body crave.
Price: Starts at $1,290
AdventureWomen (various global destinations)
What could be more empowering than getting up close with Mongolian eagle hunters, horseback riding through Viking trails in Iceland, and getting caught up in the whirlwind of Morocco’s famous marketplaces? How about doing it with a group of spirited, adventurous women like yourself?
That’s just the start of what AdventureWomen wellness retreats offers attendees, more than 70 percent of whom are repeat customers. The all-female team behind the company has taken women on inspired trips around the world for almost 40 years. From wildlife and adventure sports to immersive experiences with local communities, these wellness retreats offer a little something for everyone who wants to have an adventure. Don’t forget to pack your sense of humor!
Price: Starts at $3,290
Wellness Retreats With Adventure and Fitness
If stepping out of your comfort zone and getting your heart rate up puts you in a state of bliss, you’ve come to the right place. These adventure and fitness wellness retreats will indulge your sense of adventure.
SwellWomen Surf & Yoga Retreats (various global destinations)
This boutique wellness retreat organizer takes women to the best surfing destinations in the world, from Sri Lanka and Indonesia to Costa Rica and El Salvador, for wellness retreats that are as much about hanging 10 as they are about hitting your mat.
If you’re looking to make some pals, SwellWomen wellness retreats are for you—the company focuses on building tight-knit communities among members who expand one anothers’ passions and feel empowered to pursue the unknown. Expect daily yoga and surf lessons with pros, photo shoots capturing you on your board (get ready for lots of Instagram love!), massages, life coaching sessions, and accommodations in luxurious villas and bungalows right on the sea.
Price: Starts at $2,795
REI Women’s Adventures (various global destinations)
Beloved outdoor gear store REI has been taking people on adrenaline-boosting retreats for more than 30 years. They push groups of like-minded ladies to their limits on a huge array of women’s-only adventure retreats (led by women guides), which include climbs up Mount Shasta, safaris in South Africa, hiking and camping in Utah’s Zion National Park, and backpacking along the Pacific Crest Trail.
While each itinerary of these adventure–wellness retreats is different, attendees can expect plenty of female bonding, outdoor vistas, and experiences like none other. And you can feel good knowing that these retreats have an emphasis on responsible travel that strives to do good for local communities.
Price: From $749
Pursuit Series From the Outbound (various U.S. destinations)
Want to relive those childhood memories of summers spent at camp? Check out Outbound’s Pursuit Series—a range of wellness retreats that described as “outdoor adventure camps for grown-ups.”
The quickie three-day retreats kick off with unwinding under the stars. Then, make the experience your own, packing your days with adventurous activities like rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, stand-up paddle-boarding, and so much more. You can refresh your Girl Scout skills in outdoor first-aid classes, basecamp cooking lessons, and backpacking instruction. You’ll bond with other campers around nightly socials, the fire pit, and (of course) s’mores. Don’t forget to do a little forest-bathing while you’re there!
Price: Starts at $225
Cheap Wellness Retreats
Think you can’t get out of town without spending a fortune? Think again—these affordable wellness retreats give you plenty of opportunities to bliss out without breaking the bank.
Discover Calabria Retreats (Calabria, Italy)
Unwind under the southern Italian sun on five-day yoga retreats set in the ancient seaside village of Scilla. Each morning of these wellness retreats kicks off with 90-minute yoga sessions on a terrace overlooking the picturesque Tyrrhenian Sea. Explore the area’s shops and restaurants, or chill out on the beach during your free afternoons. Then, join the others on your wellness retreat for evening yoga and meditation, followed by a four-course meal at a local restaurant.
Not down with downward dogging all week? Consider jumping on Discover Calabria’s women’s-only wellness retreat. Hosted at a historic farmhouse, the retreat includes organic meals, nature walks, meditation, visits to a medieval village, and a sacred circle ceremony that will stimulate “the divine feminine within.” Talk about transformative!
Price: Starts around $900 for yoga retreats
Museflower Retreat & Spa Thailand Getaway (Chiang Rai, Thailand)
At Chiang Rai’s Museflower Retreat & Spa, you can get pampered from head to toe—without doing serious damage to your wallet. Four-day packages include daily herbal steams, signature massages, body scrubs, foot massages, and Japanese-style energy balancing.
These all-inclusive wellness retreats will also nourish you with organic vegetarian food from the on-site organic garden—perfect fuel for activities like visiting the nearby elephant sanctuary, biking around local villages, sweating it out in yoga classes, or splashing around the Himalayan crystal saltwater pool. If that doesn’t sound like a rejuvenating experience, we’re not sure what does.
Price: Starts around $513
Mountains & Mystics of India Tour (India)
Few places carry the mystical energy found in India, and you can take it all in on Intrepid Travel’s wellness retreat–style tour of some of the country’s holiest destinations. The 13-day tour kicks off in the capital, New Delhi, where you’ll visit temples, sacred tombs, and one of the country’s largest mosques. Then you’ll go up to the mountains via the World Heritage–listed train to chill out in Shimla for a couple of days. Next up, check out Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama’s home, where robed Buddhist monks stroll to monasteries and prayer flags flutter in the breeze.
You’ll then make your way to Amritsar to learn about Sikhism and see the famous Golden Temple before finally chilling out on the holy Ganges River in Rishikesh, a town that’s often referred to as the “yoga capital of the world.” This is one wellness retreat that’s as much about immersing yourself in culture as it is about getting in touch with your spiritual side.
Price: Starts at $1,280
Luxe Wellness Retreats
Got some cash to burn? Lucky you—with healing ceremonies, one-on-one attention from shamans, and accommodations fit for your inner queen, these luxurious wellness retreats are worth the splurge.
Holistic Wellness Retreats at Fivelements (Hong Kong)
If Fivelements’ recently opened urban retreat center in Hong Kong is anything like its well-reputed property in Bali, you’re in for a treat. The three-night rejuvenation retreats include gourmet raw foods, a wellness consultation, two massages, aquatic body work, yoga and meditation, sacred arts classes (like tea ceremonies and Qigong), and beautifying spa treatments. (The superfood facial is a must!)
It sounds like a jam-packed schedule, but Fivelements leaves plenty of time for quiet reflection and exploration of its beautiful grounds. These integrative wellness retreats are perfect for solo travelers who want a peaceful getaway with opportunities to develop intimate connections with like-minded folks on a path to healing.
Price: Around $2,200
Marry Yourself at Rosewood Mayakoba (Playa del Carmen, Mexico)
Do you ever dream of destination weddings? Now you can have one—for yourself—at Rosewood Mayakoba. The serene property, nestled along the Caribbean coast, is launching a “Marry Oneself Journey,” a four-day wellness retreat dedicated to cultivating self-love and steeping guests in ancient Mayan traditions. You’ll reconnect with your soul on a series of guided experiences led by a local shaman, water therapy treatments, purifying body rituals, and relaxing spa treatments, along with daily lessons focused on the four major elements of the universe (earth, water, fire, and air).
On your last day, you’ll have your own sacred “wedding ceremony,” wherein you’ll commit to personal vows and a promise to pursue happiness—no white gown required. Our only question is where to have a honeymoon after a wedding this incredible!
Price: Starts at $1,293 per suite per night
Como Parrot Cay (Turks and Caicos)
Wellness retreats go luxe at Como, a private island resort with airy, colonial-inspired rooms, a stunning spa with Ayurvedic treatments, and restaurants with diverse cuisines. Respected yogi Elena Brower, author of Art of Attention and Practice You: A Journal, is hosting a “Well of Grace Workshop” at the resort that sounds absolutely divine.
The wellness retreat includes hours of daily yoga, meditation, and journaling. In between, check out Como’s other creative travel activities like snorkeling eco-tours, plantation trail walks, bike excursions, diving, and fly fishing—or use those options as the basis for your own personalized wellness retreat.
Price: Workshops start at $7,444
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