Top Wellness Retreats 2025……..Okay, so hear me out—I never thought I’d be one of those people. You know, the ones who go on a “wellness retreat” and come back all glowy and annoyingly calm, talking about chakras and gut health while sipping green juice that looks like pond water.
But 2025 is here, and honestly? Life’s been… a lot. And apparently, top wellness retreats you should experience in 2025 aren’t just for yoga influencers and people who own Himalayan salt lamps (although, guilty, I got one at Target because it looked cute—still don’t know what it does).
Here’s the thing: sometimes you just need to escape. Not like, “I’ll binge Netflix all weekend and ignore my emails” escape. I mean full-on “drop your phone in a drawer, live in linen pants, and let strangers chant around you while you remember how to breathe” kind of escape.
So yeah, I made a list of retreats that are actually worth your PTO and your sanity. And because I’m me, this isn’t some polished travel-magazine roundup. Think of it like your friend telling you which places won’t suck.
1. Bali, Indonesia – The Instagram One (But Actually Magical)
I know, I know. Bali again? But hear me out. Ubud has these retreats where you wake up in the middle of a jungle, surrounded by mist, and they hand you ginger tea before you even know what day it is.
I stayed at one called Fivelements Retreat (you can Google it later), and my roommate was a woman from London who swore that after her sound healing session, her chronic migraines disappeared. I’m still not sure if it was the gongs or the fact that she didn’t check her work email for five days.
And yeah, you’ll see influencers taking yoga pics on floating platforms, but honestly? It’s impossible not to get into it. Even I ended up doing sunrise yoga with a monkey watching me. (The monkey looked unimpressed, but whatever, I nailed downward dog.)
Internal link idea: If you’re into the food side of Bali, check out my blog on Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss That Actually Taste Good—because trust me, you’ll want to bring some of those flavors home
2. Sedona, Arizona – The “Your Aura Needs This” Spot
If you’ve never been to Sedona, imagine Mars but with better spas. Red rocks everywhere, and apparently “energy vortexes” that make you feel all kinds of buzzy and alive.
I was skeptical. But then I went to this retreat where they had you hike up Cathedral Rock at sunset, sit in silence, and “listen to your heart.” And—you’re gonna laugh—I actually cried. Like, not a little tear. Full ugly cry.
The next morning they gave us cacao (fancy word for hot chocolate but healthier) and I felt like my entire nervous system had been rebooted. No joke.
Pro tip: if you’re not into the woo-woo stuff, just go for the massages. I had a 90-minute deep tissue session that probably healed unresolved childhood trauma.
Outbound link: Curious about Sedona’s “energy vortexes”? There’s a hilarious but also informative read over at Atlas Obscura that dives into it.
3. Costa Rica – Jungle + Surf = Therapy
Costa Rica is where wellness retreats go feral, in the best way. You’re doing yoga in the jungle while howler monkeys scream in the distance like they’re auditioning for a horror movie.
I stayed at a surf-and-yoga retreat (two things I’m objectively terrible at), and weirdly, failing at both was… freeing. Like, nobody cares if you fall off your surfboard. They just laugh, hand you a coconut, and say, “Try again tomorrow.”
There’s something deeply healing about being barefoot all day, eating plantain everything, and realizing your phone has been dead for 48 hours and you didn’t even notice.
Internal link idea: If you love this vibe, you might also love my Top 10 Budget Travel Destinations in 2025—spoiler: Costa Rica made that list too.
4. Iceland – Chill Out (Literally)
You wouldn’t think of Iceland as a “wellness retreat” place because, well, it’s freezing. But picture this: hot springs, geothermal spas, Northern Lights overhead.
There’s a retreat near Reykjavik where you alternate between cold plunges in glacial water (yes, it’s as horrible as it sounds) and floating in steaming lagoons under the stars.
The cold plunges honestly made me question all my life choices. But afterward? I felt like my blood had turned into espresso. I get now why all those health podcasts scream about “cold exposure.” It works.
Plus, where else can you meditate while puffins fly around?
Outbound link: If you’re curious about the science of cold plunges (and why people voluntarily torture themselves), Wim Hof’s website is basically the bible of freezing your butt off.
5. Thailand – For the Foodies Who Pretend They’re Here for Yoga
Thailand’s wellness retreats are sneaky. They lure you in with yoga, detoxes, and “digital detox packages,” but the real star? The food. I’m talking curries, fresh fruit, soups that taste like they healed your soul.
I went to one on Koh Samui that promised to “cleanse my body.” Translation: they gave me smoothies that looked like swamp sludge and somehow tasted amazing. Also, Thai massage every night. I think my spine cracked in ways I didn’t know were possible.
And yes, you will end up buying loose elephant pants from the night market and wearing them unironically.
Internal link idea: I wrote a whole post on Vegan Breakfast Options that kinda vibes with Thailand’s retreat food—colorful, healthy, and sometimes weird-looking but delicious.
6. Tulum, Mexico – Trendy but Worth It
Okay, Tulum gets a lot of flak for being overrun with influencers and overpriced cocktails. Fair. But there are still gems if you know where to look.
I did a retreat that involved yoga in cenotes (those underwater caves), breathwork sessions, and—get this—ice baths in the jungle. At first, I thought, “No way.” But after the first ice bath, I actually felt invincible. Like, I could’ve fought Thanos.
And when you’re done being spiritual, there’s always tacos. Spiritual tacos.
7. Asheville, North Carolina – Cozy Vibes, Blue Ridge Style
You don’t have to leave the U.S. to have a wellness reset. Asheville has these adorable retreats in the Blue Ridge Mountains where you drink herbal tea, do forest bathing (literally just walking in the woods but fancier), and sit in hot tubs under the stars.
It feels like summer camp for adults, minus the awkward cabin dances.
Also, Asheville breweries. Because balance, right?
Internal link idea: And if Asheville sounds dreamy, you’ll probably also vibe with my Top 10 Best Vacation Spots in the US You’ve Probably Overlooked—Asheville totally deserves a spot on that list too.
So, Which Retreat Should You Pick:
Top Wellness Retreats 2025…….Depends. Do you want to freeze your butt off in Iceland or sweat it out in Thailand? Do you want to surf badly in Costa Rica or sit in a vortex in Arizona?
Here’s my unsolicited advice:
- If you need sun + smoothie bowls: Bali or Costa Rica.
- If you need spiritual reset: Sedona or Tulum.
- If you need cold water slap-in-the-face therapy: Iceland.
- If you need close-to-home cozy vibes: Asheville.
The truth is, wellness retreats in 2025 are less about “fixing yourself” and more about remembering you’re allowed to pause. To be bored. To nap at 2 p.m. and call it “healing.”
And honestly? Even if you just come back with a good tan, a funny monkey story, and some extra patience for traffic—worth it.
