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• Eurynome Journeys LLC

Specialty Tours & Women-only Travel Vacations and Retreats to Europe, US & Beyond since 1998!

Eurynome journeys invites you to….

join our WanderWoman® Tours , and a small group of adventurous women traveling together. You will visit some of the most beautiful places in the world. Our WanderWoman journeys offer island hopping in Greece, tours of Ireland, retreats in Maine, vacations in Italy, getaways to Malta, expeditions to Egypt, Russia, and more! Our women-only travel vacations and women’s wellness retreats are designed to provide an exciting, yet hassle-free, alternative to the typical “package tour.”   Our tours are active vacations, but the pace of our women-only trips is leisurely with ample time to explore the charm and sights of each destination. Hike, bike, visit museums and galleries, or just relax. The group sizes are small (approx. 6-12) enabling us to stay at unique hotels and inns with local ambiance and to dine at quaint local restaurants. Our trips are not just for solo Wander Women, so bring along a friend, a sister, your daughter/mother or partner. We have specialized in women-designed, women-only, small group travel to Europe, the Middle East, the US & beyond since 1998 .

Learn what women who have traveled with us say about our trips.

If you’d like to join us on a WanderWoman Journey, email us to reserve your travel getaway.

Scroll down for upcoming 2024 tours and 2025 trips in the works .  Pre-register for any upcoming trip to be the first to be notified of details and to save if you decide to join the tour.

Upcoming Trips and New Tours!

• NOV 2024 Egypt
• APR 2025 Egypt
• MAY 2025 Greece
• Summer 2025 Maine Retreat
• Summer 2025 Ireland
• SEPT 2025 Malta
• SEPT 2025 Sicily, Italy
• OCT 2025 Greek Isles
• NOV 2025 Egypt
• New Year Getaway

Come Celebrate 26 Years of WanderWoman® Journeys! The one and only WanderWoman since 1998!

 europe: greek isles: october 2024~room share available.

Island Hopping in Style! Crete, Santorini & Mykonos –  Early October is a wonderful time to travel to the most popular Greek islands. The weather is pleasant, the crowds have gone home, the sunlight has a warm glow & the sea is warm enough for swimming. From Athens we travel to Chania on Crete, one of the most picturesque towns in all of Greece. Our accommodations are in the charming Venetian old port.  Enjoy a fun, hands-on Greek cooking class at an Olive Estate in the mountains—optional hike in the Samaria Gorge. Tour the fascinating archaeological site of Knossos, before traveling by ferry to the most beautiful islands of Greece: Santorini and Mykonos.  Santorini’s geologic beauty is awe-inspiring.  Our hotel is a luxury property built into the cliffside with breathtaking views. The next port-of-call is the popular island of Mykonos with its iconic windmills, quaint winding alley-like streets, and world-famous beaches.   From Mykonos it is a short boat trip for a tour of the ancient sacred island of Delos, an open-air museum today.   \   Click here for Greek Island Hopping trip details (Photo: Santorini/ Mykonos, Greece)

Middle East: Egypt: November 2024 ~Roommate opportunity ~Save single supplement

Egyptian Treasures Past and Present-  Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. Traveling to Egypt on our small group, women-only tour provides a more intimate view of this amazing country. Tour the Pyramids of Giza, visit sacred sites and temples as you cruise the Nile River upon which Cleopatra sailed with Caesar, explore ancient mysteries, and learn about the lives of ancient Egyptian queens and pharaohs too. Dine with local women for an evening of conversation and laughs.  You’ll stay at select 5-star properties and one beautiful, historic 4-star hotel. On this tour you will find both ancient and contemporary treasures…and kind, beautiful people you will never forget.  Everyone should visit Egypt…at least once!  Egypt travel itinerary.

2025 WanderWoman Journeys in the Works. Email us to Pre-register for trips you are interested in.

Middle east: egypt: march 31 to13 april, 2025.

Egyptian Highlights & Gems-  Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. You’ll love Egypt on this 13-day  fully escorted, small group, women-only  tour.  Throughout the tour you will have our private Egyptologist to answer questions as we visit sacred sites and temples and learn of Egypt’s fascinating past.  We begin at the Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara with it’s new finds, visit temples of ancient Thebes, and sacred sites as you cruise the Nile River on a 5-star river boat on which all cabins have private balconies.  You’ll stay at select 5-star properties all with Nile views and rejuvenating amenities.   Egypt travel itinerary.

Europe: Greek Isles: May 20- June 3, 2025 Simply Island Hopping Travel Adventure  – Our signature tour since 1998 and our most popular trip .  Email us to reserve your spot.  This full 2-week  tour is designed to give you flexibility and a good value.  The pace is leasurely with time to relax or to partake in optional excursions/activities.  We begin with 2 amazing nights in Athens touring the “must see” sites.  Then we will fly to Chania, Crete, which is one of the most picturesque old towns in Greece. Enjoy time to wander and/or an optional hike in the Samaria Gorge. Next to the village of Archanes to explore the fascinating  archaeological site of Knossos, once a center of goddess worship of the Minoans. Next hop a ferry to Santorini, which some believe to be Plato’s lost Atlantis.  Our final port-of-call is a hidden gem, the island of Tinos. Click here for the tour itinerary  

Usa: maine: wander women’s retreat   email us to  be notified of dates.

Movement, High Vibration Food, and Revolutionary Self-care!!  Avail yourself of an amazing team of yoga, dance, and fitness teachers, gear up for outdoor adventures, such as hiking, biking, and kayaking in one of Maine’s most pristine playgrounds, or just spend time by yourself, napping or sitting by the sea. Learn to cook nutritious, tasty meals; explore alternative health regimens; and learn about Metabolic Typing ™ for optimal energy and well-being. This retreat is designed for all women. Come alone or with your mother, daughter, and/or friend. Click here for details. (Photo Kayaking at Curtis Light House Camden, Maine)

Europe: Ireland: Summer 2025

In Search of the Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley with author Anne Chambers -Celebrating Women in History! Join us and author Anne Chambers on a special adventure to the beautiful wild west coast of Ireland as we trace the life of a 16th century pirate queen, Grace O’Malley (Granuaile).  This extraordinary Celtic woman was  dismissed as mere legend, until Anne Chambers found documentation of Granuaile’s achievements. This is an empowering journey whether you are visiting Ireland for the first time or returning for  another look!  Enjoy a guided Burren walk with our local expert. Visit  castles Granuaile attained through war and love with archaeologist Michael Gibbons.   Explore the natural beauty and ancient sites of Connemara, Galway and Clare Island.    Click here for Ireland tour details

Europe: Malta September 2025

Ancient Goddesses & Medieval Knights- Discover the Maltese islands’ mysterious megalithic temples, pre-dating the pyramids of Giza, Egypt. These temples, dedicated to the mother goddess, are among the oldest human-built structures in the world. The Maltese islands have been a cross-roads of civilizations since prehistoric times. Explore an ancient Roman villa, Catacombs of St Paul, narrow meandering streets of villages and medieval citadels crowned by Renaissance cathedrals and Baroque palaces. Stay 2 nights on the island of Gozo, believed to be the island of the nymph Calypso of the Odyssey. If you enjoy history, mythology, nature walks, wine and excellent cuisine, you’ll LOVE Malta!   Travel itinerary

Europe: Sicily, Italy September 2025

Sicily-A Delicious Slice of Life! Experience the beauty of Sicily’s Ionian Coast and Cuisine.  You’ll tour archaeological sites dating to the 8 th century BC, ornate baroque villages, an ancient subterranean mikvah, a cathedral build into an ancient Greek temple of Athens, and the enchanting seaside resort of Taormina. Learn the secretes of authentic Sicilian cooking at fun hands-on cooking lesson. Enjoy wine tasting. Explore Mount Etna by jeep and sample products grown in the volcanic soil of its slopes. Combine this 10-day getaway with our Malta tour for a longer vacation and save $100 per person.   View itinerary

Europe: Russia in Grand Style~   CANCELED

Experience White Nights, Royal Palaces, Art Treasures & Caviar!    Tour Russia in grand style during the white nights (June-July)! Explore Russia’s rich art, history, and culture. Discover the epic role of women in creating the grandeur of the Russian Empire.  We begin in our journey in Moscow the capital of Russia. Tour the Kremlin, Red Square, and St Basils Cathedral.  Next travel to the Golden Ring of Russia to explore beautiful countryside villages and towns, dating back to medieval times, with magnificent onion domed monasteries and charming wooden churches. Travel by train to St Petersburg. Visit the opulent summer palaces of Russian royalty, sample caviar with a vodka tasting. Enjoy a performance at the famed Mariinsky Theater.   Itinerary & Travel update

EURYNOME JOURNEYS custom tours for six or more…

Create your own small group tour! We design unique group travel itineraries catered to your group’s focus, i.e.fun girlfriend getaways, history and art programs, heritage tours, wellness retreats, alumni travel, university travel study programs, educational tours, trips for clubs, organizations, and family vacations. For information visit EurynomeJourneys.com or email: [email protected]

Travel Quotes:

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. ~Seneca (5 BCE-65 CE) Travel frees us to be our true selves rather than what everyone else expects us to be. ~WanderWoman

…about the Celtic Queen Granuaile at: www.graceomalley.com.

We strongly recommend you purchase short term medical and travel insurance for the full amount of your trip.

Free Travel Insurance Quotes from Travel Guard Insurance.

LIVE, LAUGH & TRAVEL!™

Custom Tours & Women’s Travel Vacations and Retreats to Europe, US & Beyond Since 1998!

Welcome to Womens Quest!

Women’s Quest Ultimate Wellness Adventure Retreats

This is no ordinary fitness or sightseeing vacation. This is a chance to reawaken your authentic self.

“ What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? ” ~ Mary Oliver

Created by women for women, our fun-filled health and wellness trips have been transforming travelers of all ages for over 30 years.

Women’s Quest wellness adventure retreats are the ultimate vacation designed to revitalize your body, refresh your spirit, and refill your joy tank.

Our women’s retreats take fitness and well-being to a new level by blending the perfect mix of outdoor activities with mindful practices, including yoga meditation and qigong, to create an adventure that will spark your passion and empower you to LIVE LIFE to the FULLEST! Retreats are held in some of the most enchantingly beautiful places on earth—ideal backdrops for personal growth, transformation, and play! Come share a week with like-minded women and inspirational staff.

“You’ll leave with your biggest smile ever, and the tools and support to keep it there.” ~Women’s Quest Founder Colleen Cannon

Join Our Newsletter

Receive occasional inspirational emails from us with our latest and greatest retreats PLUS tips and secrets from the PROS about health, wellness and travel! *We do not share this list with anyone and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Take Time For Yourself

At Women’s Quest, we believe life is something to be lived to the fullest, not rushed through, or worse, sleepwalked through. Though we want to slow down, make changes, and create meaning in our lives, we are often too busy keeping up with our jam-packed schedule and not sure how to start.

The answer is simple (it has just been lost in our modern lives): go on a Quest, a journey of personal discovery.

With Women’s Quest, you will begin this journey joined by a small group of like-minded travelers, each with different backgrounds and expectations, but with the common goal of following her bliss.

Empower Your Body & Mind

We have all had those triumphant moments when we achieved something that we thought was impossible.

Whether physical or mental, these occasions encourage us to continue to step beyond our present limitations and discover new powers within ourselves.

This is the spirit of Women’s Quest, the culture that we foster on every trip. Our all-female staff of athletes, artists, dance and yoga instructors, body therapists, coaches, optimists, and inspiration junkies is committed to helping women reach their full potential in an atmosphere that is supportive, friendly, and non-competitive.

Live Your Adventure

Our retreats use physical activity as a vehicle to bring balance, self-awareness, and healthy attitudes into everyday life, all at a pace that’s comfortable for YOU.

We’re not hardcore, but we are extreme—as in extreme well-being. Each retreat is designed to rebuild your vitality and help you jump start a healthy routine that rekindles your kid energy. Basically we PLAY all day!

Imagine surfing and practicing yoga in Costa Rica, wine tasting and cycling through Tuscany or California, riding mountain bikes in Vermont and Colorado or hiking to reach the legendary Machu Picchu in Peru. This is Women’s Quest-style travel.

Our Upcoming Retreats:

Life-changing active vacations with lasting results! 

Women’s Quest has a wellness retreat for every kind of outdoor adventure imaginable. From hiking the mountains of Peru, to horseback riding in Iceland, to surfing in Costa Rica and more, we have a retreat for you. 

Come alone or come with friends; either way, you will leave with a new community of best friends and a heightened sense of wellbeing. Explore the world, embrace the outdoors, and connect to your true nature, all while experiencing the history, culture, and cuisine of our incredible retreat locations. 

“If you’re interested in arranging a personalized retreat and have a group of 10 or more people who are eager to partake in the Women’s Quest experience, we provide the option for both Co-Ed and Women’s retreats across the globe.”

Our experience also encompasses orchestrating birthday celebrations and facilitating getaways for groups of friends seeking a memorable escape.”

Costa Rica Surf and Yoga Retreat

Feb 4-10th, 2024

If you’ve ever dreamed of playing in the warm ocean or feeling the exhilaration of riding a wave, then this is your adventure retreat! Welcome to a surf paradise! With the perfect blend of surfing, yoga, sunshine, and delicious food, Pura Vida time is here. 

 Sonoma Wellness Adventure Retreat

April 14-18th, 2024

Ready to Revitalize your Body and Mind? Join our rejuvenation retreat designed to settle your nervous system, energize your body, and awaken personal insight. Explore movement practices for mobility, strength, and balance (yoga, meditation, dance, and qi-gong). Experience the Native Genius Method with Kristen Wheeler – an approach to clarifying what lights you up and how to recognize your inner compass. Spend 5 days in beautiful Sonoma to hit the reset button, hike in the redwoods, and cycle through picturesque vineyards (it is like going to Tuscany but without the jet lag). Come as you are and awaken your senses in Sonoma.

Iceland Total MultiSport Immersion Retreat

July 14 -21th, 2024

Inhale the highland vista of glaciers and mountains where the summer sun never sets. This week, you will hike to spectacular waterfalls, mystical caves, natural hot springs, kayak through incredible wetlands, and take an amphibian boat tour to look at puffins. Plus, you can’t miss the chance to horse-ride across the brilliant Icelandic countryside.  ( Beginning riders welcome )

Hawaii Swimming, SUP, Yoga & Adventure Retreat

April 20-26th, 2024

The Bali-inspired Hale Kai (“Home by the Sea”) will be our homebase for a week of play on the beautiful Big Island. Enjoy soul-nurturing yoga and stunning hikes or jump in the ocean to snorkel, SUP, kayak, and swim alongside dolphins, turtles, and whales. The sound of the ocean will reset your rhythm to nature and our chef will serve you divine food all week long.

Coed Tuscany Cycling Retreat

Sept 15-22th, 2024

From the shimmering Mediterranean Sea to the rolling hills and ancient villages, while cycling, we’ll absorb the essence of Tuscany and allow our senses to run wild. From the honey-soaked light of the morning glowing over the olive trees, to the golden rays shining through the vineyards in the evening, we will discover the blissful rhythm of Tuscany. 

Portugal Luxury Wellness adventure retreat, SUP, Kayak, Hike, Horses

September 14 – 20th, 2024

Join us this September for a luxurious exploration of some of Portugal’s best kept secrets. Held by the ancient beauty of Portugal this rejuvenating retreat will give you space to explore and connect with yourself, your tribe and the tools to tune into your feminine wisdom. 

Greece Blue Waters Bliss: Yoga, Kayaking, Hiking and Wellness Retreat in the Aegean

Sept 22-29th, 2024

Explore the treasures of Amorgos and Schinoussa islands on this awe-inspiring retreat. Hike the rugged coastline to discover hidden, untouched beaches and swim in the crystal-clear Aegean Sea. Ease into the slow pace like a local, feast on farm-to-table food, and get whisked away by the enchanting history and culture of Amorgos. The magic is palpable. 

Canyonlands Hiking, Yoga Adventure Retreat

Oct 16-20th, 2024

Experience the soul-inspiring beauty of the red sandstone canyons that were carved out a millennia ago by the great Colorado River. With Moab as your home base, you are nestled in between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks where you will hike, mountain bike, and practice yoga. The high desert air, beaming western sun, and mighty sandstone cliffs make for a great backdrop for this women’s adventure retreat.

2025 Retreats

Feb 2-8th, 2025

New Zealand Adventure Retreat

March 4th -16th, 2025

Embark on a transformative 12-day journey exclusively for women! Hike the awe-inspiring Milford Track, unwind at a luxurious spa in Kaiteriteri, and explore the scenic Abel Tasman and Akarua regions. Limited spots available – book your adventure today!

Patagonia Adventure Retreat

March 28th -April 5th, 2025

Embark on an unforgettable adventure that beckons you to Torres del Paine, the crown jewel of Patagonia. Wake up to the breathtaking view of Cordillera Paine, partake in invigorating yoga sessions and immerse yourself in the wonders of Patagonia…

Peru Hiking and Yoga Adventure Cultural Retreat

May 10-17th, 2025

Embark on a transformative Peru adventure retreat with Women’s Quest. Experience the awe of hiking to Machu Picchu, engage in profound ceremonies with local shamans, savor authentic Peruvian cuisine, explore vibrant Cusco, and immerse yourself in the sacred beauty of the Sacred Valley. Join us for a journey of exploration, spirituality, and connection.

Vancouver Adventure Retreat

June 22-27th, 2025

Embark on the ultimate Vancouver adventure retreat! Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Northwest, where rugged landscapes meet urban charm. Whether you’ve dreamt of Dragonboating, canoeing down the river of golden dreams, hiking the stunning coast mountains, or mountain biking on world-renowned Whistler trails, this retreat has it all – and yes, there’s even yoga and axe throwing!

Iceland Horse Connection, Hiking, Hot-springs

TBD (June 28 – July 5th, 2025)

4 days of riding, 3 days of Hiking, Kayaking, Waterfalls. Embark on a transformative journey with Women’s Quest Iceland Retreat, where the enchanting landscapes of the Land of Fire and Ice set the stage for a unique Horse-Human Connection and Communication experience. Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate rider, join us for riding through Iceland’s breathtaking scenery. Beyond the saddle, immerse yourself in equine-assisted wellness and empowerment coaching, complemented by rejuvenating sessions of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Discover the profound connection between humans and horses in an unforgettable adventure designed to nourish your mind, body, and spirit.

Iceland Intermediate/Advanced Horse Retreat

July TBD (6-13th), 2025

Dreams really do come true! Spend this life-changing week riding Icelandic horses through bright green valleys of lupin wildflowers, magical beaches, and epic waterfalls. Make your way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, all the while visiting geothermal hot springs every evening.

Dolomites Hiking and Yoga Adventure retre at

July TBD (15th-21st), 2025

Energize your whole body and mind in the spectacular Dolomites with daily breathtaking hikes, yoga, spa time and enjoying the local food. Together, we’ll experience the joy and personal power that comes from combining our journeys in nature with positive and supported self-expression.

Vermont Hiking, Mt Biking, Yoga, SUP Adventures retreat

sept 7-12th, 2025

Breathe in the crisp fall air and restore your core energy through the peaceful magic of our private, lakeside lodge. We balance this week of hiking, mountain biking, SUPing, and canoeing with yoga and deep relaxation for the perfect blend of adventure and calm. 

Testimonials

Many of the women who attend Women’s Quest return year after year and often bring friends or family members to share in this life changing experience. Letters and emails from participants mention how Women’s Quest has changed a their life and taught them that they have the strength to achieve new heights.

“Women’s Quest has been a life enriching, spiritual and physical experience for my daughter and for me. We have learned that nothing is impossible and that life is an adventure to savor and enjoy!” Maria E

“This has been one of the greatest weeks of my life. It’s been not only fun, but an incredible growth experience.” Karen A

“Women’s Quest changed my life in a totally positive way more than any other single event I’ve ever experienced.” Molly M

In the News

Meet the Staff

Our staff is composed of World Champion and Olympic athletes who are all experts in the fields of fitness, health, and wellness. Colleen Cannon, who founded Women’s Quest in 1992, has won over 100 races and is a World and National Champion in Triathlon.

We know how to connect to and listen to the body, and more importantly, we understand the power of inner well-being and mindfulness. We bring this knowledge and experience, coupled with our love for play, to our women’s retreats around the globe. We also work closely with our beloved local guides who share their home with us and give us the inside scoop of every location.

Meet Colleen

Colleen Cannon founded Women’s Quest after a highly successful career as a professional triathlete. In her racing days, she was World Champion in 1984 and National Champion in 1988 and 1990. She also was a multiple U.S. National team member.

Her passions, besides chocolate and being in nature, are liberating and empowering women through movement and balance, and targeting their true “hearts’ desire.” Colleen continues to EVOLVE adventures for Women’s Quest, delighting in ways to ENCHANT women with the experiences that coax happiness grown from joyful physical experiences.

Lorraine Moller Olympic Medalist / Run Coach

Lorraine is a four-time Olympian, a three-time world champion, Olympic bronze medalist, and winner of sixteen…

Jacqueline Stanford WQ Chief Fun Officer

“Live life to its fullest”   “FANTASTIC”   Jacqueline Stanford was born on a farm in Western Canada where…

Kelly Páez Yoga Instructor / WQ Chief Everything Officer

Kelly Páez began her Yogic studies in the Krama yoga school under the guidance of her first teacher, Esteban Salazar…

Christina Russel Mountain Bike / Dance / Massage

Christina was born in Montreal Canada and grew up in New England where she cultivated her love of the…

Giving Back

We partner closely with local guides to ensure that we approach each community with respect and understanding of their place and culture. Working with local guides also enables us to support local businesses and communities, and every women’s retreat has a philanthropic give back project.

Join The Quest​

Missing the feeling of being on a retreat? Welcome to the Quest Ohana. OHANA translates to family in the Hawaiian language, and our community has truly become one.

This online monthly membership empowers you with the tools, content, and support to create a more sustainable, happy, healthy and balanced lifestyle of wellness, from the inside out.

Our virtual platform provides you with live workouts, events and discussions with inspirational speakers, interactive group gatherings, guided meditations, and more to help you create your dream life now.

Detox and retox: I tried 6 of Virgin Voyages' free fitness classes, and here's how it went

My triceps ache. My glutes burn. And my quads? I forgot they existed until I tried six of Virgin Voyages ' complimentary fitness classes over the course of two days on my three-night cruise aboard new ship Valiant Lady.

Why would I do this to myself, you ask? I've got eight cruises coming up in a four-month period, and I don't want my affinity for pizza and soft-serve to make me any fluffier than the pandemic already has.

Plus, Virgin is the only mega-ship cruise line that offers its workout sessions completely free, so it seemed like a solid opportunity to both offset my junk food intake and determine if the free classes are as good as the ones that levy an extra fee on other cruise lines' ships.

Spoiler: They aren't as good. They're better. Like, way better. The classes are creative, fun and take advantage of the ship's extensive outdoor workout areas (which don't exist on other vessels).

It's all part of Virgin's "detox and retox" philosophy, which pervades the entire ship. Intrigued? Here's my inside look at the line's unique wellness mantra, the six classes I tried and Valiant Lady's additional options for staying fit if classes just aren't your jam.

What is "detox and retox" exactly?

"Detox and retox" is the term for Virgin Voyages' philosophy of health and fitness mixed with the treats you deserve when you're on vacation.

For instance, you might choose to attend a wellness seminar (be warned: they're largely sales pitches) or partake in an early-morning workout, followed by a healthy smoothie, after a night of drinking, dancing and 1 a.m. pizza.

It's all about indulging, cleansing and repeating as needed -- but in a way that doesn't feel like it's infringing on the fun.

It might sound like a marketing gimmick, but it does make sense. In fact, the line is so invested in the idea that it has even hired a crew member called "The Balancer" -- Patrick on Valiant Lady -- to help passengers find ways to offset all their partying with wellness in a way that isn't a chore.

Classes I tried

Classes consist of a mix of stretching and relaxation, yoga, cardio, spin, body weight exercises and interval training. On my four-day cruise, sessions were available on days two and three, with the most popular classes offered more than once. All of them were taught by fitness instructor Solo, unless otherwise noted.

Growth and Guided Meditation

I'm not a morning person, so this quiet, easy, stationary half-hour class on day two was a great way for me to ease into my day.

After dragging myself out of bed for the 7:30 a.m. start time, I showed up at the studio in the fitness center on Deck 15 and grabbed a yoga mat.

We began with some light stretching, followed by an invitation to sit cross-legged in silence while clearing our minds, controlling our breathing and focusing on the day's mantras.

This wasn't my favorite of the classes I took, mainly because the entrance to the buffet area is nearby, and I could hear people talking and music blaring, which made it difficult to concentrate on being present.

HIIT (Don't Quit)

At 8 a.m., immediately after meditation, I hoofed it to Deck 16's The Training Camp, where HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is held. There, Solo was waiting to divide us into groups of three for a 45-minute session that focused on completing a variety of exercises, each for 30 seconds.

Several stations were set up throughout the indoor space and the connecting outdoor workout area. Each station consisted of three exercises, ranging from battle ropes, kettlebell swings and crunches to rowing, box jumps and planks. After each person completed each of the three exercises at one station, the three-person group would move to the next one.

The class was challenging and kept my heart pumping. The outdoor portion of the workout was a nice added touch, but the chilly morning air was jarring, as were movements like slam balls and kicking a heavy bag -- especially after having just come from meditation.

What I didn't like about the experience was that it felt crowded, and we switched to boxing movements as a group before we were able to make it to all of the stations, meaning nobody was able to complete all of the exercises. Of the classes I tried, this was probably the second-most challenging, so it's a good bet if you're someone who works out frequently.

VHS Workout (Videos/Headbands/Simmons)

My absolute favorite class of the bunch was the VHS Workout. (In this case, VHS stands for "videos/headbands/Simmons," as in Richard Simmons). Held in The Manor, the ship's nightclub, at 11 a.m., it was the class I was most excited to try.

This one is, like, totally rad, serving as equal parts quirky, nostalgic fun; sweaty aerobic fitness; and sexual innuendo. Patrick ("The Balancer") and two other crew members lead a 50-minute aerobic workout set to '80s music while wearing fluorescent tank tops, short shorts and sweatbands.

"You see those balls in the sky?" Patrick asked, while pointing to a set of disco balls suspended from the ceiling, encouraging us to stretch our arms higher above our heads. "Reach for them! Reach for the balls!" As you might expect, there was also a significant amount of hip thrusting involved.

Meanwhile, a cart full of Shake Weights adds to the throwback fun, as do the costumes worn by many passengers who attend. (Don't forget to pack your legwarmers and scrunchies.)

Because this is one of the most popular workouts on the ship's schedule, it fills up quickly. Be sure to reserve a spot early on.

When the class ends, you can head to the adjacent bar for free infused water. Be careful, though: they'll try to entice you with ginger shots and smoothies, both of which cost extra.

Roll Out and Recover

Although I don't usually feel sore until a day or two after intense physical exertion, I was thankful for a chance to break down some of the lactic acid that was surely building up.

During this simple 30-minute evening session, Solo led a small group through using foam rollers to soften the muscles in our feet, calves, glutes, quads, traps, upper back, triceps and biceps.

It's not a particularly flashy endeavor, but it sure did help me to recover.

I have only done two spin classes my entire life. The first was years ago, and I hated it. After Spin-Out, my first class of day three, I remember why.

It has now been 48 hours since I climbed onto the bike, and I'm still having trouble transitioning between sitting and standing positions without feeling like I've been hit by a truck.

That's not to say it was a bad workout. In fact, quite the contrary. I don't know much about spin classes, so I can't say how it compares to what you might get from a Peloton session, a SoulCycle class or a workout at your local gym, but for me it was the most intense fitness experience I tried on board.

My legs throbbed, and my heart raced -- and that was on the lowest setting. Using this assignment as an excuse, I stopped after only 20 minutes of the 45-minute class, which only went for 30 to allow for a cooldown. I had to snap some photos, you know (wink, wink).

On-the-Upswing Bungee Class

Of the classes, I found On-the-Upswing to be the most exclusive. During my sailing, it was offered twice. However, there are only seven spots in each one, so it was limited to 14 people out of the roughly 1,300 who were on board.

Besides being the most difficult to get into, it was also the most awkward. I had never done a bungee class before, and I struggled to get my apparatus to the right height in time for each of the movements. That led to me constantly lagging a full set of reps behind the rest of the class. Solo tried to help, but ultimately, I felt rushed and out of synch.

Although it was fun, I didn't feel like I got a good workout, which tells me I was doing something wrong. With such a small class size, I would have liked more instruction in terms of proper form.

Other fitness and wellness options

I initially signed up for early-morning Cleansing Breathing on the third day, followed immediately by Invigorating Vinyasa Flow Yoga. (Both were held in the fitness center's studio, but there is also an outdoor yoga area called The Crow's Nest.) I will sheepishly admit that I bailed on both at the last minute, opting for an extra couple hours of sleep instead.

I also registered for three seminars: acupuncture, nutrition and exercise, and posture. I canceled when I realized they were more focused on selling me products and services than actually teaching me anything.

But organized classes aren't the only way to detox on Valiant Lady. Deck 15's onboard gym is equipped with Technogym ellipticals and treadmills, as well as free weights and weight machines. The studio, where meditation, yoga and bungee sessions are held, is where you'll find yoga mats and foam rollers.

Craving an alfresco sweat sesh? Stationary outdoor gym equipment is set up around the pool on Deck 15 (think a Muscle Beach jungle gym-style setup) and on Deck 16, just outside of The Training Camp used for HIIT classes. Equipment includes pommels, pushup bars, heavy bags, a boxing ring and benches for sit-ups. Head to the sports court on Deck 16 if you'd like to join in a game of pickup basketball.

One deck up is The Runway, a jogging track that's ideal if you want a run with a view.

If you'd rather rejuvenate your body with a spa treatment, Valiant Lady hosts them for a fee at the Redemption Spa on Deck 5. The facility is home to a thermal suite area, too. You'll get free access if you book a spa treatment that's 90 minutes or longer. Otherwise, you can purchase a day pass.

And what good is all the fitness and relaxation without healthy meals? I was ecstatic to find that the ship provides grab-and-go meals like bento boxes, fruits and veggies, and salads in Deck 15's The Galley food hall . For me, it's much easier to stick to healthy eating habits when healthy items aren't directly next to fried or sugary options on a standard buffet (which Virgin's ships have skipped in favor of a more food court-style setup).

Good to know

Here are some things to consider if you're thinking about getting your workout on while you sail:

Sign up in advance, as some classes are super limited in both number of times offered on each sailing and number of people allowed in the class. I recommend registering soon after boarding so you don't miss out. In that vein, if you can't make it, be sure to cancel so someone else can snag your spot.

Classes often end earlier than the posted times to allow for stretching and cooldown. It also allows Solo, who runs most of the classes himself, to change locations if necessary and set up for the next workout when he's teaching back-to-back sessions.

If you plan to participate in the VHS Workout class and want to go all out, pack an '80s-themed outfit. The more neon, the better.

One thing that really bothered me about the classes is that we were never asked to wipe down our equipment after use. Frankly, that would have been gross pre-pandemic, but it's even more unthinkable now. There are sanitizing wipe dispensers stationed throughout the main fitness center, but they were often empty, and there aren't any dispensers in the studio at all. If you feel compelled, as I did, to clean your stuff after you use it, ask the instructor, or simply hunt down a wipe yourself.

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Home » Budget Travel » fitness retreats

34 Top Fitness and Wellness Resorts in the World • 2024

Life is a special gift. Within that there’s no better gift than good health; physical and mental. 

But we love to travel – and when you’re on the move, it can be hard to prioritise health. When we discovered fitness resorts and wellness programmes, it completely changed the game. 

So we have reviewed some of the best fitness retreats in the WORLD. Not only will I cover gruelling, heart-pumping health and fitness holidays, but yoga, meditation, and wellness retreats, surf camps, nature immersive escapes, and more!

The concept of wellness travel is simple: take time off to restore your vitality and your sanity, to build connections, and take a skill or passion to the next level. Your vacation can truly change your life. 

If you’ve ever gone on vacation to hike, surf, practice yoga, or immerse in nature, then you’ve experienced wellness travel. The programs below have put together incredible programs in exotic locations with health professionals and other like-minded people to help you create a sustainable lifestyle for the mind, body, and spirit.

So let me give you a low down on our favourite fitness retreats!

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Finding a Fitness Retreat for You

Top fitness retreats in the world, best fitness resorts in the outdoors, best surf retreats, meditation and yoga retreats, best wellness retreats, best fitness retreat for you bad folks, best affordable fitness retreats, best luxurious fitness retreats, faqs about the best fitness retreats, final thoughts on the best fitness retreats in the world.

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The days of MTV girls’ gone wild beach resorts are behind us. Wellness travel is now one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism because people are tired of needing a vacation from their vacation.

People are looking to detox on holiday, not to destroy their livers in the process. People are looking for ways to get away from the stress, not deplete their adrenals faster than their bank account.

Don’t get me wrong: there are times and places for partying and letting loose (this is a backpacker blog, after all), but there is also a time and place for staying fit on the road and fitness classes that are actually restorative and rejuvenating.

Although there are some expensive retreats out there, I’ve hand-picked the getaways and fitness resorts that are worth your money. I’ve also included many affordable getaways so even we backpackers can take a break from the crazy hostel life once and a while.

As someone who personally likes to work out hard, hit the gym, and go on adventures, I also appreciate   working inwards through yoga and meditation, digital detoxes, and nature immersion. I always ensure my backpack is equipped with light and reliable travel workout gear to stay fit on the roads.

You can trust that I’ve covered a solid variety of wellness and fitness getaways that encompass my passion for health and travel.

I’d like to point out that wellness and fitness are not interchangeable, and sometimes athletes sacrifice health and longevity to achieve maximal physical fitness and performance, but the two can go hand in hand. Many of the fitness and wellness retreats I cover below incorporate healthy food, restorative rest, digital detoxes, mobility, and recovery in balance with intensive workouts and adventures.

Some of the best fitness retreats in the world include surf and yoga retreats, outdoor escapes, adventurous locations, luxurious getaways, and more. As mentioned, I’ve included a few amazing surf and fitness camps for those of us on a budget.

I am going to cover a few fitness retreats that focus on your physical fitness as well as particular skill sets like martial arts and CrossFit. Some will focus more on group settings, while others on silent meditation.

Whatever your health goals are, it’s likely there’s a wellness holiday out there for you. Let’s dig in, shall we?

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Before signing up for a fitness retreat, you should think about what you want to get out of your ultimate fitness vacation. Do you want a holistic vacation or one that just hits you hard with HIIT (high-intensity interval training), boot camps, and long runs?

Are you interested in yoga and meditation? Surf? Martial arts?

Are you simply looking at getting into hiking or exclusively time to relax at the spa?

1. WanderFit Retreats

Where: Bali, Costa Rica, and Portugal

WanderFit Retreats is a travel and tour company that aims to be more than the world’s best boot camp. Their mantra is to incorporate healthy living, fitness, and adventure throughout the trip.

Bali retreat spends 8 days on the “Island of the Gods,” combining fitness and active adventures for each day. These include a hike up Mt. Batur, functional fitness and HIIT workouts, sightseeing, snorkeling, and spa days. Get excited about the unlimited access you get to Amo Spa’s sauna and amenities with this package! (I’ve spent quite a bit of time at Amo while visiting Bali .)

These incredible fitness vacations don’t stop in Bali either. They’ve recently added trips to Portugal and also a fitness retreat in Costa Rica. While great for couples or solo fitness enthusiasts, this is a fantastic fitness retreat for singles!

2. Extreme Fitness Camps

Where: Caraberete, Dominican Republic

If you are searching for the best fitness vacations in the Caribbean , then this eco-adventure paradise is the retreat for you. Set in the Dominican Republic, this is one of the best active retreats, designed to get you healthy and energized.

Their fitness retreats include personal training sessions, twice-daily small group workouts, and yoga. (They also have a kiteboarding program, as Caraberate is one of the best kiteboarding locations in the world!)

This is the world’s best boot camp, working with everyone from professional athletes to top executives to fitness enthusiasts.

Food includes a daily protein smoothie, organic breakfast, and dinner at the hotel’s farm-to-table restaurant. You even get to tour their organic farm. An onsite nutritionist will help you figure out how to continue your healthy eating once you’re at home.

Their gym is also one of the leading ecologically sustainable small hotels in the Caribbean. Extreme Fitness Camps is more than just an adventure sports and fitness retreat, but a place that values sustainable and ecological tourism and community.

3. Kung Fu Retreat

Are you looking for a unique and life-changing fitness retreat? Do you want to experience the body, mind, and spirit shift of a yoga retreat… but yoga isn’t for you? Kung Fu Retreat takes you in deep adventures in Thailand in the northern mountains of Pai. Destress and immerse in daily Kung Fu, tai chi, and meditation practices.

Experience an incredible well-being holiday in paradise with a combination of physical exercise, guided meditations, delicious healthy food, accommodations with beautiful views in the hillside, and a feeling of community unlike anywhere else. Kung Fu retreat is a place to build strength, heal, and find peace all in one.

The program packs a punch with the best elements of Chinese Kung Fu, Chi Kung, meditation, and tai chi. You can sign up for the week, a month, 3 months, or even stay for multiple years.

4. 38 Degrees North

Where:  Marbella, Spain

Alright, this is one of the more extreme fitness camps for adults. With retreats in both Ibiza and Marbella, the four-day retreats include a sunrise fasted HIIT session, breakfast, lunch, and dinner intermixed with outdoor functional training, stretching, kettlebell training, boxing, yoga, and nutritional workshops.

38 Degrees North has been running since 2012 and each retreat is hosted by owners Claire and James. They offer a holistic lifestyle retreat that gives you a paradisal location, space, and support to recharge, make changes, and improve your health!

The retreats also include beachside accommodation, habit change coaching and a four-week training plan. What I dig about this fitness retreat is how they focus on creating sustainable programs for busy people. Their goal is to educate people on how to incorporate fitness into ‘real’ life – in a holistic way, so they can get short and effective workouts and routines to weave into normal life.

5. Ultimate Fitness Holiday

Where:  Thailand, Bali, Spain, Sri Lanka and Australia

Want to join an all-service experience retreat in paradise-like destinations? Do you want to get the healthiest you’ve ever been with the support of experts and become the world’s fittest You?

Ultimate Fitness Holiday offers customized fitness retreats for you to get YOUR perfect fitness retreat. With over 10,000 meters of fitness space spread out over all their locations, you will have space and the facilities to deepen your practice while strengthening your body and mind.

Balancing out hard work and relaxation, Ultimate Fitness Holiday makes sure that you also have some downtime and some fun. In your free time, take your healthy body on an adventure and engage in fun activities such as kiting.

While I do love hitting a good workout class or WOD at Crossfit – I’m a firm believer that the best functional fitness and overall health are found in nature. Studies show nature is vital to optimum health.

So let’s use the great outdoors to get healthy, connect with nature, and reconnect with ourselves. These are my favorite outdoor fitness retreats.

6. Red Mountain Resort

Where:  St. George, Utah

Set along the inspiring Southwest’s red rock cliffs and canyons, and a stone’s throw away from Red Rocks, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park, Red Mountain Resort is one of the top fitness resorts in the USA. It offers the perfect location to improve your fitness and wellness in the great outdoors.

St. George, Utah is one of the outdoor adventure capitals of the world, Red Mountain Resort offers a variety of unique fitness-related experiences and outdoor experiences. You’re within driving distance of the greatest national parks in the USA !

Red Mountain fitness Resort includes three healthy meals per day, guided hiking and biking, and yoga and fitness classes. There’s even a lap pool for water workouts!

If you want to take it slow, relax at the Sagestone spa, inspired by ancient health and beauty rituals practiced throughout the world. If you want more of an adventure, they customize trips for rock climbing, canyoneering, and hiking trips in the parks and wilderness.

A typical day goes like this: early morning breakfast and a hike, an afternoon kayaking trip, and an evening winding down at the spa. The southwest, USA is one of the most beautiful places in the world, so you can’t go wrong with this fitness getaway.

7. Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat in British Columbia, Canada

Where: BC, Canada

I can’t think of a better place to reset your health than the exquisite and beautiful mountains of British Colombia. Each day features sunrise yoga, Nordic-style hikes through the mountains, chef-prepared cuisine, and time to unwind in a state-of-the-art spa at their beautiful lodge that Kootenay Lake and the Purcell Mountains.

The concept is to reclaim your functional movement and natural health through balancing key hormones and boosting your metabolism. This is the perfect wellness retreat for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in nature.

Bonus point: Mountain Trek’s spa has been named as one of the best destination spas in the world.

Want to save money on accommodation?

We got you. For reals.

8. Moab Mindful Running Retreat

Where:  Moab, Utah

Moab is home to the ultra-ultra marathons… (We’re talking 250-mile races!) The concept is to build a sustainable running practice that avoids injury and burnout while meeting other like-minded runners.

This fitness retreat is intended for runners who can keep up with four-to nine-mile daily workouts through the red rock canyons. That said, Moab Mindful Running Retreat is about more than just running: set among the sheer beauty of Moab, you have the opportunity to do restorative yoga, join mindful running workshops and natural form clinics to mitigate the stress of running, and improve posture, efficiency, and flow.

The retreat leader Charlotte was once a professional sprinter and Denmark’s fastest woman. Afterwards, she combined her sports science degree with a new interest in mindfulness and yoga and then spent a decade using sports as a tool to create peaceful co-existence and social cohesion in the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.

9. New Life Hiking Spa

New Life Hiking Spa is an all-inclusive fitness retreat in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Its affordable rates include three healthy meals a day, guided hikes along the Appalachian Trail, yoga, wellness lectures, and one massage per three-night stay.

New Life has emphasized cleansing by using the freshest, most wholesome foods available – no lose weight quick schemes. Their schedule is somewhat flexible depending on your fitness level, and the hikes can be customized to your needs.

10. Fitness Adventure Travel

Where: Worldwide

Fitness Adventure Travel trips go to various exotic locations to get you fit while still enjoying what the country has to offer. You go on a wonderful group tour with an emphasis on fitness.

They go everywhere from Morocco and the Mediterranean to a Costa Rica fitness retreat and Barbados boot camp vacation. On their Ecuador trip , for example, they take you to Quito, the world’s highest capital city to trek around the area with experts for your personal training sessions. You get to explore hot thermal baths, volcanoes, rivers, lakes, and beaches.

What makes this a great fitness retreat is their focus on your fitness and nutrition needs, while simultaneously exploring the historic town and indigenous markets. Plus, this program also serves as a digital detox as many destinations are remote, like the top of a mountain or a fishing village.

11. The Big Blue Swim in Greece

Where: Santorini, Lefkada, and Crete, Greece

Long loved as a honeymoon destination for travelling lovebirds , why not experience Santorini in a different light by swimming along the coastline, or visit the large island of Crete and swim its alluring waters? How about exploring the lush island of Lefkada from land and then sea?

Start each day with a buffet-style breakfast before heading to the first swimming location and jumping into the alluring Greek waters. The concept behind this fitness resort is to swim in a different location each day. Boat transfers will take you to harbours for lunch.

12. Cycle Retreats in Costa Blanca, Spain

Where: Costa Blanca, Spain

Another one of the more extreme fitness camps for adults, get ready to cycle along the sunny coast of Spain. With 325 days of sun a year, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better cycle retreat in winter!

They offer routes for every level, including the cycling novice too. What sets Cycle Retreat from other cycle tours? I’m a big fan of Costa Blanca’s incredible views and their relaxing villa with home-cooked food made using locally-sourced ingredients and wines. Moreover, you can schedule trips to the ocean, wine tastings, and massages.

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These are a few of the best surf retreats in the world. Between Morocco, Costa Rica and Central America, and South East Astia, there are so many potential options, but in terms of fitness retreats, these are some of the best.

13. SurfMaroc

Where: Morocco

They offer packages for beginners (Surf Coaching) and intermediate and advanced surfers (Guiding). This surf retreat includes hearty breakfast and dinner, picnic lunches, beachfront accommodation, sunset yoga, and of course, surf lessons with good-quality boards and gear.

As for the coaching, they go above and beyond, with two hours a day of daily surf lessons and video analysis for intermediate and level 5 surfers. This program aims to take your surfing to the next level as quickly as possible with hands-on instruction.

14. Mad to Live

Where: Faro, Portugal

This epic surf retreat offers 7 days of surfing, sunset beach yoga sessions, and sunrise trail running. They also lead beach circuit sessions, and one-on-one PT sessions, so this is just as much a fitness retreat as just surf! All meals are included except for two nights, which are spent out on the town.

15. Point Break Retreats

Where:  Sayulita, Mexico (+ Costa Rica and Portugal destinations)

Their mantra is “find your balance” and that’s exactly what you’ll find. Find your balance on the board, in the studio, and life. They help you go deep into the movement. Point Break is unique as they blend the art of ballet with the athleticism of surfing. The trip is sprinkled with a handful of fun excursions around town, yoga classes, beach time, salsa lessons, and plenty of time to lounge and decompress. I believe they also host women fitness retreats too!

16. Safari Surf School

Where: Nosara , Costa Rica

They have tons of curated packages and some you can design on your own. This program is unique because a percentage of all their proceeds go to a local non-profit – Refuge for Wildlife. Enjoy your vacation, learn to surf all while helping the local community! (They also have a camp in Panama!)

You’ll be getting in the water in the morning and afternoon for lessons, but also have time to explore in between! You can find anything from waterfall hikes to horseback tours! Or just read a book by the pool or beach, take a yoga class, or get a rejuvenating massage.

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While a lot of the best fitness resorts include yoga classes, this section focuses on ashrams, all-inclusive yoga retreats, and meditation retreats, specifically. I have listed some of the most popular yoga retreats, but generally included many of the best retreats and shalas offered in India and across the world.

I have excluded obscenely priced retreats from this section. Please see my luxurious fitness retreat section below for those. Most of these the best yoga retreats in the world reside in yoga’s birthplace of India, though not all, and I added a couple of different retreats elsewhere.

Keep in mind, you can show up to travel India or Asia and find a retreat that speaks to you, but if you want to book everything ahead of time, then these suggestions are a great place to start.

17. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Light of BKS Iyengar

Where: Puna, India

This might be one of the most popular yoga retreats in the world, as it is the heart and soul of Iyengar Yoga. There is a great significance behind the unique design of RIMYI. The three floors represent the body, mind, and soul. Its height is 71 feet and has 8 columns which represent the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga i.e.yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, Dharana, dhyana and samadhi. The institute conducts regular classes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced yogis.

18. Samma Karuna

Where: Koh Phangan, Thailand

Looking for a meditation trip? One of the best yoga retreats in the world? A place to meet like-minded people? Samma Karuna is located amongst the palm trees, beautiful beaches, and jungle landscapes of Koh Phangan, and this place is more like a community than a retreat.

They offer various packages, teacher training courses, a unique 1-month Awakening and Healing program, and shorter stays too. My friend has raved about how incredible this yoga getaway is.

Don’t be alarmed that Koh Phangan is the infamous Full Moon Party island because there are many lowkey spots on the island as well, and I’ve heard the yoga on Koh Phangan is overall incredible at many studios and retreat centers.

19. Mysore Mandala

Where: Mysore, India (Ashtanga’s birthplace)

If you are looking for an Ashtanga-style yoga and meditation retreat in India , this is one of the best Yoga retreats in India. Mysore Mandala Yoga Shala is a Yoga and Cultural Centre located in charming Heritage House with a cafe supplied by the owners’ organic farm on-site.

It’s closer to a western-style studio than traditional ashram but remains authentic. They mainly teach Ashtanga, Mysore Style, but also offer Hatha, shatkriya (cleansing), back bending, and pranayama as well as instruction in Sanskrit, in the yoga sutras, and Ayurveda, the Vedic medical system. The personal training sessions are highly regarded here.

20. Sagrada Wellness Retreat

Where: Santa Margarita, California

Right in my backyard of California’s Central Coast, The Sagrada Wellness retreat is nestled amongst the quiet hilltops of Santa Margarita, California. I love that there is no internet, and you can fully disconnect from technology to practice yoga, eat farm-to-table organic foods, meditate, journal, and spa in peace.

As someone who lives around here, it’s hard not to eat and feel well among the California hilltops!  Bonus points for their 100% solar-powered home, saltwater pool, Jacuzzi, and nearby hiking spots. They also run “Singlehood Retreat” making them one of the best spiritual retreats for singles. Considering the location, there are wine and yoga retreats, too because of wine not?

21. Ana Maya Resort

Where: Montezuma, Costa Rica

More than just a yoga retreat, Ana Maya is a paradise nestled in the Costa Rican jungle overlooking the ocean. They do all-inclusive yoga retreats ranging from a few days to weeks. You’ll get nothing less than all organic, healthy meals – gourmet style, yoga packages, spa services, and specialized workshops.

Ana Maya Resort works with the neighbouring Rancho Delicioso to do yoga packages with their permaculture courses, scuba and surf camps, aerial silk, and archery. Rancho Delicioso is just a few miles away. It’s more affordable but not as luxurious as Ana Maya, and so many guests do one week at Anamaya and one at Rancho Delicioso.

22. Yoga Goa Purple Valley

With access to the world’s best Ashtanga teachers (John Scott, Petri Raisanen, Alexander Medin), Goa’s Purple Valley one of the best yoga retreats in the world to practice Mysore-style yogic living.

The yoga retreat is spread over two Portuguese-style houses and landscaped gardens with a tropical forest feel. Two international and one Ayurvedic chef prepare delicious, healthy meals.

You may also meet with Ayurvedic doctors and massage therapists. We consider this one of the best spiritual retreats in India for singles, though couples you are welcome too.

23. Sleep YourSelf Awake Retreat

When: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Located between the jungle and a private beach, this is one of the best meditation and yoga retreats in the world. I love their focus on yoga nidra sessions to work through the stages of sleep and get restorative sleep.

Yoga Nidra brings the nervous system into a coherent state, resting in a place where healing can occur on all levels. You can also expect body mapping and dream mapping workshops, and the option to participate in a traditional  temazcal  (Mayan sweat lodge) ceremony.

24. Aro Ha in the Southern Alps of New Zealand

Where: Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand

Aro Ha is a multi-award-winning retreat where wellness traditions meet luxury. Each retreat aims to achieve that by focusing on the BREATH acronym: Being, Relating, Eating, Activity, Toxicity, and Healing.

Salute the rising sun with vinyasa yoga, be immersed in nature, and use a variety of practices to elevate your body and mind. The accommodation features a range of eco suites in a home with a shared foyer with communal space to sit and share tea. From the hydrotherapy spas set into the mountainous earth to the yoga studio with panoramic views of Lake Wakatipu, you’ll find peace everywhere you turn.

The all-inclusive program serves up vegetarian, paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free cuisine to help reset your eating habits; and fitness classes, spa therapy, and mindfulness practices take care of the rest of the body and mind. This will translate nicely into all your mindful training in the gym, on the mat and elsewhere.

Aro Ha is a self-sustaining retreat that merges ancient traditions with modern technology. From the organic produce grown onsite and stored in ambient, earth-cooled cellars, to our state-of-the-art solar and hydro energy system, each wellness journey leaves no trace.

25. Akasha Wellness Retreat

Akasha Wellness Retreat combines some of the best hiking in the world with a yoga retreat. It is in a quaint village in the mountains of Transylvania close to the city of Brasov. It is the perfect wellness retreat getaway from Western Europe, as it’s – as they say – “remote and rural on purpose.” You’ll practice yoga and hike amongst pure mountain air and nature, and eat some of the best homemade food.

You’ll have unlimited access to Swedish & infrared sauna, and outdoor jacuzzi hot tub, both with views of the mountains. Body therapies, energy healing, and massages can be booked on arrival.

26. Seven Senses

Where:  Todos Santos, Mexico

Throughout this week-long retreat, holistic naturopath, Dr. Erica Matluck and sound practitioner, Paul Kuhn will lead you through a series of exercises, ranging from breathwork and sound therapy to yoga and empowering purpose-driven workshops, to optimize your seven chakra centers.

At the end of this transformative journey, you will have the access to and understanding of powerful physical and metaphysical tools to unblock, strategize and manifest boundless success and happiness back at home.

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Are you looking for an extreme fitness retreat for adults? You know, the drinking kind? Check out these fitness vacations that may or may not serve beer too.

27. Surf Yoga Beer

Where: Italy, Belize, NYC, and Beyond

No, this surf camp and fitness vacation is not just about beer. They offer salsa dancing, sailing, surfing, HIIT workouts, kayaking, and fitness retreats around the world. There are also smaller exercise and yoga retreats around New York City .

28. Yoga for Bad People

Where:  Multiple locations like Cuba and Tanzania.

So what’s up with Yoga for bad people? From their site: “In a classic text on yoga, the “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”, it is stated that one of the obstacles to yoga is “adhering too strictly to rules”, hence the slang term “bad”. BAD, essentially meaning good, but with a little spice and an element of being unconventional and eccentric.” They do adhere to some traditional yoga but are not afraid to throw on some bumping music and dance.

Yoga for bad people leads fitness retreats around the world that allow for quiet reflection intense physical athleticism. Unlike the other fitness resorts above, they focus on nightlife too.

We’re not all made of money. But it doesn’t matter anyway. Your ideal wellness retreat doesn’t have to cost the Earth.

Yes, you can still experience health spa services, fun activities, and weight loss boot camps on a budget. Here are some top picks that the world has to offer in affordable fitness retreats.

29. Soul & Surf

Where: India, Sri Lanka, Portugal

With shallow, uncrowded waves, Kerala could never rival surf hot spots like Indonesia and Hawaii, but it’s perfect for learning how to surf in a tropical, exotic place. They were one of the country’s first surf camps to offer classes from professional teachers. Get to know this beautiful place in India, and learn to surf with daily rooftop yoga.

Another excellent option is to go surfing in Sri Lanka with Soul & Surf. Although they’re affordable, they set their standards high with brilliant, down-to-earth staff, surf, yoga, pranayama, meditation, therapies, cafe, and music programs. I’m a huge fan. 

30. Free Spirit Hostel, Nicaragua and Ecuador

Surf and yoga package holidays do not have to be expensive. At Free Spirit, the owners believe surf and yoga should be for everyone. The package includes six nights of accommodation in a shared dorm, six breakfasts, six dinners, three surf lessons, one surf theory lesson, board rental, and five yoga lessons. El Transito’s break offers the best intermediate-advanced waves in March-August.

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While we love to backpack and travel on a dime , we also love to dream about luxurious fitness retreat vacations once and a while. If you come across a winning lottery ticket or inheritance, maybe you should book yourself a spot at a luxury boot camp.

31. The Ranch

Where: Malibu, California

The Ranch is one of the best luxury fitness retreats in the world, where wealthy A-listers go to get in shape. Choose from the Ranch (a seven-day stay), the Ranch 4.0 (a four-day weekend), or the Ranch 10.0 (an intense 10-day program). A typical day includes long hikes, strength training, and yoga, accompanied by an organic plant-based meal plan.

32. Canyon Ranch

Where: Tuscon, Arizona

One of the most famous luxury fitness resorts in the US, Canyon Ranch offers everything you can imagine in the name of wellness. They have experts in medicine, exercise physiology, nutrition, life management, spirituality and other wellness specialities onsite. From their Life Enhancement Center to their Spa, wellness programs, and incredible dining experience (organic and beyond), no one does luxurious wellness better.

During your stay, you are encouraged to set an intention for each visit. From there, you get over 40 classes and activities to choose from, like forest bathing and yoga, HIIT training, and creative art classes. You also get $160 per day to use for massages, facials, and one-on-one with fitness pros, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, spiritual guides, physicians and more.

Canyon Ranch has a 100,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility with indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms, an indoor running track, cycling studio, and more.

33. The Body Holiday

Where: St Lucia, Caribbean

If you are looking for one of the best luxury fitness retreats on a beautiful, tropical island, then this fitness resort is for you. You have several activities to choose from, like archery, Zumba, morning runs, snorkeling , and sunset yoga. Plus, five restaurants cater to any type of diet.

They host weight loss retreats, yoga retreats and beyond. The Body Holiday is both a great fitness vacation for singles but also couples fitness retreat too. Moreover, they use technology, ancient Ayurvedic principles, and a range of non-invasive diagnostics to assess your nutrient, hormone and stress levels, heart health and more.

34. Ananda Spa Wellness Retreat

Where: Narendranagar, India

Ananda Spa is one of the best wellness retreats and most famous Ashrams in India. It’s quite pricy for India, but their detox program is supposed to be one of the best. You’ll experience a variety of yoga, Ayurvedic, meditation, and cleansing spa remedies.

Still have some questions? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:

What are the best luxury fitness retreats in the world?

If you’re not worried about money, joining The Ranch retreat will be a blast. Other great luxury options are The Canyon Ranch and The Body Holiday Retreat .

How fit do you have to be for a fitness retreat?

As long as you can move consistently for a couple of hours during the day, your fitness level should be fine. However, reserach the retreat you want to join for any fitness requirements beforehand.

What are the best fitness retreats in Europe?

Check out these cool Europe fitness retreats: – 38 Degrees North – The Big Blue Swim in Greece – Mad to Live

What is the best all-inclusive wellness retreat?

The best all-inclusive wellness retreat in the world is Ana Maya Resort in Costa Rica. As well as offering all the best healthy food and luxury experience, they just have an incredible all-rounder experiences.

Fitness and wellness is way more than just weight loss or dropping dress sizes. It truly should be about how happy you are in your skin. That is way off from anything you’re going to just see in the mirror. 

That’s why these are some of the best opportunities in the world to improve your life. Make yourself proud of what you achieve, and you can also be somewhere incredible while you do it!

From luxurious adventure retreats to mind-body yoga, for fitness and wellness to extreme fitness getaways, I aimed to cover the best wellness getaways in the world. Whether you want to surf, greet the sun with salutations, or get your butt whipped, there’s a retreat listed for you.

In the process of improving your physical and mental health, push yourself to make friends. These people are in the same place as you for a reason. So open up your heart to get to know these people around you. If you’ve had amazing experiences in a fitness or wellness retreat anywhere in the world, tell us about it in the comments!

Buy Us a Coffee !

A couple of you lovely readers suggested we set up a tip jar for direct support as an alternative to booking through our links. So we created one!

You can now buy The Broke Backpacker a coffee . If you like and use our content to plan your trips, it’s a much appreciated way to show appreciation 🙂

Ana Pereira

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9 Amazing Wellness Retreats for Women

Whether you want to find inner balance, get stronger, or learn a new skill, these all-women retreats can take you around the world.

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Girls getaways may be fun, but wellness retreats for women are where fun meets transformation. Retreats designed exclusively for women and led by women can be a great way to connect with your femininity and find sisterhood within a microcommunity of like-minded people. Whatever you need, whether you want to deepen your yoga practice, learn a new skill like surfing, or pamper your body and soul with massages and mindfulness sessions in a stunning destination, there's a women's retreat for you.

Here are nine retreats for women that will take you all over the world, from New York's Catskill Mountains to the jungles of Thailand and the Spanish countryside.

Dunya Novikova / EyeEm / Getty Images

SwellWomen hosts surfing retreats on beaches around the globe, designed to empower women by teaching them how to surf. No previous experience is necessary and everything is included in one price, from the luxury accommodations to the boards. During the retreat, the Surf Coaching Team is on hand to assist guests while integrating yoga, meditation, and massage with the daily surf lessons. Check the online calendar for upcoming retreats in destinations like Hawaii, Indonesia, and Costa Rica.

Unbridled Retreats

The woman behind Unbridled Retreats is host Devon Combs, a real-life horse whisperer who believes healing and transformation can be achieved through equine connection. Her goal is to help women take the reins and live an unbridled life — puns intended. These women-only retreats take place in various locations from Arizona and California to Hawaii, including one at the luxurious and downright dreamy Four Seasons Lanai .

Menla Retreats

Menla is only about a 2.5-hour drive north of New York City, but since it sits in a serene valley surrounded by the Catskill Mountains , it feels a world away. If your dream is to run into the Dalai Lama, or see where he spends his time when he visits the U.S., look no further. Menla offers an array of group retreats focusing on everything from Buddhism to yoga, shamanism, and even conscious dying, but there are occasional retreats just for women that focus on yoga and pilates, mindfulness, and ecstatic expression. Meals and accommodations are included.

Wilderness Scotland

Ever wondered if you would be able to make it in the wild? Wilderness Scotland is on a mission to teach their guests the outdoor skills they need and, of course, it has specialized tours just for women . Instead of getting mansplained, you'll enjoy the scenic lochs and mountains of the Scottish Highlands while learning from experienced women and building your confidence in the outdoors. Activities range from sea kayaking to road cycling and traditional wilderness walking. For example, the Cairngorms and Central Highlands trip includes wild swimming and summiting the United Kingdom's sixth-highest peak.

Goddess Retreats

lechatnoir / Getty Images

Bali's jungles, affordable, fresh food, and many beaches make it one of the most popular destinations for women's retreats in the world. There are tons of options on this Indonesian island, but one of the most experienced retreat operators is Goddess Retreats , which has been hosting women in Bali since 2003. It offers a variety of packages from the standard Bali Goddess, which includes yoga treatments, spa time, and local adventures, to the Surf Goddess and Fitness Goddess, which focus on building those skills. Each seven-day retreat includes complimentary airport transfer and accommodations with luxury amenities.

Lena Dugnus

Following on from the trend for babymoons , where expecting couples take one last trip before the baby comes, solo mom-to-be babymoons are becoming more common. Mom'z is bringing these women together for an all-women, all-pregnant Spanish retreat. Held in different destinations like Alicante, Barcelona, and Mallorca, the five-day trip includes group activities from gentle exercises to birth preparation classes and creative workshops, as well as massages and relaxation time.

GI Jane Bootcamp

Courtesy of GI Jane Bootcamp

If you want to kick your exercise routine into high gear, this women's retreat can help you achieve your goals. Attracting celebrities like Michelle Keegan and Jacqueline Jossa to join their ranks, GI Jane Bootcamp runs a tight militaristic schedule of exercise circuits topped off with an ice bath and daily massage. It offers one- and two-week camps throughout the year in the U.K., but you should also check the dates for its boot camps held abroad in countries like Greece and Thailand.

Absolute Sanctuary

Courtesy of Absolute Sanctuary

At this wellness center in Koh Samui, Thailand, guests can partake in a variety of programs while surrounded by landscaped gardens. The Women's Holistic Health Program is tailored to those seeking balance and includes a fitness assessment, nutrition coaching, and unlimited access to the resort's exercise, yoga, and meditation classes, plus other activities. Although this isn't a group retreat, the services approach wellness from a female perspective. Guests also enjoy the complex's modern accommodations, pool, and spa facilities.

Retreat in the Pines

Courtesy of Retreat in the Pines

For an experience in nature that may be a bit closer to home, look to Texas's first women-only retreat center. Located two hours east of Dallas, Retreat in the Pines offers various retreats focusing on yoga, mindfulness, and healing. For something unique, consider the Book Lovers Retreat, which gives women an opportunity to cozy up around the fireplace to talk about their favorite books and spend the day reading with zero distractions. The team also offers destination retreats to scenic places like Maria Island, Florida, and Sonoma, California.

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Virgin Voyages' new ship felt more like a millennial wellness retreat than a cruise — here are its most impressive fitness and spa features

• Richard Branson's new line of cruise ships, Virgin Voyages, has been designed with a focus on well-being.
• I spent a night on board the first ship , the Scarlet Lady, and was blown away by the fitness and health facilities.
• There are extensive cardio and weights gyms, a spin studio, a high-intensity training room, indoor and outdoor yoga areas, an outdoor boxing ring, and a running track around the top of the ship, all with state-of-the-art equipment and epic views.
• The ship also has a beautiful spa (which turns into a club in the evening) and lots of pampering options, like a hair salon and barber.
• I was so impressed that I'd book a full cruise just so I could turn it into a wellness retreat at sea.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Last week, I got to spend a night on board Virgin Voyages' first ship, the Scarlet Lady, as part of a launch event for press, influencers, travel agents, and family of crew, who we were all invited free — and it felt more like a wellness retreat than a holiday cruise.

Virgin Voyages is Richard Branson's latest venture, and he certainly hasn't done anything by halves.

I saw as much of the ship as I could in my 19 hours on board, and though there were lots of features I didn't have time to experience — like all the restaurants, the casino, and the tattoo parlor (yes, the ship offers tattoos, permanent makeup, and piercings) — the main reason I'm desperate to go back is to make the most of all the fitness and wellness facilities on board.

Whether you're a boxer, spin fanatic, weight lifter, yogi, TRX lover, barre fan, swimmer, or boot-camp blitzer, there's plenty of inspiration to get moving on board the ship — and you can recover with some pampering in the spa afterward.

Sure, you could go on a Virgin Voyages cruise and never set foot in any of the gym areas, instead spending your days lounging in the sun drinking cocktails and your nights partying in the club.

Or you could make your time into a type of wellness retreat — and a pretty luxurious one at that.

The Scarlet Lady is the first of four Virgin Voyages ships scheduled to be rolled out from now until 2023 — and she's a sizable gal. You certainly won't struggle to get your steps in on board.

The ship's main gyms are called the B-Complex, which is divided into four parts: Burn, Build, Bike, and Balance. This is the Build room, aka the strength-training gym.

As a fan of resistance training, I was blown away by how extensive it was.

There were so many machines, all cutting-edge Technogym Artis, which are also sustainably crafted.

I loved how light and airy the gym was, with views out over sea on one side and of the pool in the middle of the ship on the other.

There's a free weights section at the end of the room with an impressive dumbbell selection. Two things the gym was lacking were barbells and a squat rack, but there's still plenty there to get the gains in, and there was a lot more than your average hotel gym.

For stretching, mobility, and your warm-up and cooldown, there are mats and exercise balls ...

... plus plenty of floor space to use them (not to mention an excellent mirror for those all-important gym selfies).

Lockers, towels, and water are all on offer, too.

The second B in the complex is the Balance room, where I took part in a quick yoga class.

It's a beautiful studio, and I imagined I'd feel even more zen when looking out to Caribbean seas while nailing a warrior pose.

The studio will also be used for barre, pilates, and even TRX workouts, and all classes are included in the price of the cruise.

Next up, I went to check out the other two Bs: Burn and Bike.

This is the Burn room, aka the cardio gym.

With more state-of-the-art equipment, I was amazed by how many machines there were.

The Bike room, aka the spin studio, looked as slick as any boutique studio I've visited, with the added advantage of epic views.

If you prefer to get your cardio in outside, there's also the Runway, which is a running track that circles the top of the ship like a halo and can be used for jogging, walking, or even skating. Not a bad way to soak up the views.

By this point I thought I'd seen everything, but I then stumbled upon the Boot Camp room, which is part of the Athletic Club.

It's been designed with high-intensity training in mind and features rowers, slam balls, TRX, plyo boxes, and more. Plus it looks super swish.

Just outside the Boot Camp room is the outdoor boxing ring, which looked amazing in the promo shot ...

... though it looked more like this for me, since I was in rainy Liverpool, England, and not the Caribbean.

As well as the ring, there are two boxing bags — ideal for punching away any last ounce of stress you may have.

The Scarlet Lady also has what it calls a "Well-being Pool" — serious swimmers may be dismayed to find it's not really conducive to getting the lengths in, but you could still boost your recovery by sipping a cold-pressed juice while chilling in the water. The area also has outdoor fitness equipment and two plunge pools.

Finally, there's the Perch: the ship's outdoor yoga deck. Here, sailors can take part in sunrise yoga and meditation while breathing in the salty air. Sign me up.

Since hardcore workouts require hardcore recovery, there's the Redemption Spa.

The chic and sleek spa felt like an oasis of calm when I checked it out, and I was pretty sad I didn't have time to enjoy it properly.

From the marble entrance, I walked down this mirrored corridor of changing rooms.

When I entered the main area, my jaw dropped (I have an expressive face).

It was more beautiful than any other spa I'd been in.

With a hydrotherapy pool, mud room, salt room, and cold plunge pools, I could quite happily have spent an afternoon hopping from spot to spot.

In true Virgin style, the ship even throws evening spa parties, where a DJ sets up shop in the thermal suite.

There are various spa treatments on offer if you want to treat yourself, but there's plenty to enjoy free — I loved these quartz beds.

They're heated marble surfaces on which guests can lie or sit and gaze out to sea. Yes, please.

There's a decent-size sauna, again with epic views.

I can think of worse places for a moment of mindfulness.

I'd also like to try the salt room, mainly because I have no idea what it is or does.

For the finishing touch, the ship has a dedicated mani-pedi spa, as well as both a hair salon (the Dry Dock, below), and a barber called Stubble and Groom.

I paid the Dry Dock a visit for a blow-dry and loved how stylish it was, with the peach and aqua color-scheme matching the Kérastase products. The gold touches added a luxurious feel.

The salon offers cuts and color as well, and the strategically placed hair-washing chairs offer sailors views out to sea.

The prices are high-end, though — I opted for a Scarlet Night blow-out, which would have cost £109 ($139).

As with all of the facilities, I was left impressed, though — it was a bouncy blow-dry to rival any top salon.

The fact that Virgin Voyages has decided to put well-being "at the forefront of the onboard experience," as a press release puts it, says a lot about who the company is hoping to reach.

Young adults today are more interested in their health and fitness than ever before, and the Scarlet Lady's many wellness offerings will no doubt appeal to millennials.

The company says this focus will be "activated through a mix of high-energy moments coupled with relaxation and rejuvenation," and it seems to have struck the perfect balance — there are plenty of ways to look after yourself on board, but it's not forced down your throat if that's not your thing.

As someone passionate about health and fitness, I was genuinely surprised by what I found on board — not only by just how much was on offer but also by how well it had all been designed.

All the workout areas are as stylish as the rest of the ship, and the equipment is top-tier. When you factor in the inevitable incredible views, I challenge anyone not to feel inspired to get active (or just chill out in the spa, because #selfcare, right?)

• I spent the night on Virgin Voyages' new cruise ship, and it was a millennial playground I didn't want to leave
• Richard Branson reveals how his new adults-only cruise line, Virgin Voyages, will turn the cruise industry upside down
• Virgin Voyages CEO explains what makes Richard Branson's new adults-only cruise line stand out from the crowd

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Grand tour of ljubljana with first slovene lady at north pole.

Hi! My name is Minka, I was born in Ljubljana and I am the biggest fan of my city, so I did all of my 7.000 tours with great joy and a big smile. I traveled to more than 60 countries, including going on the expedition as the First Slovene woman to the North Pole and I am always happy to come back to my hometown. Guiding, traveling and dancing is my passion. Learn the secrets of my city, learn about locals like me, what drives Slovenes to extreme achievements, and learn about customs and traditions. Let me guide you on a path through Ljubljana to an unforgettable moments on your trip.

• Free booking and cancellation Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

This  Grand tour is unique experience held in "Small groups". The most common opinion is "the best tour ever", so make sure you don't miss it.  We start on the spot where is easier to imagine the development of my city through different periods. Listen to stories about life in Ljubljana at different stages, so you can make your picture of how people were living, walking, working, eating, and being social in the middle ages or any other period. Through the funny, attractive, remarkable story you can get to know the city very well with all its hidden gems, secrets, and special places. On a tour I do show you all the main sights in the Old part of Ljubljana:

• Triple bridge
• Shoemaker bridge
• Dragon Bridge
• National Library
• Congress square

And on the way, I show you hidden spots, less known stories, and small secrets like: Present for Emperor Franz Josef Famous shining nose House where Napoleon was sleeping Formal pig market Optical Illusion and many more things In a simple, easy way you will get to know our greatest Slovene architect Plečnik, whose many works you can see also in Prague. Combining stories, hidden secrets, and Plečnik's influence on the city, your love for Ljubljana will grow. You never know, you might love it so much, that you stay in Ljubljana longer or forever. A little girl got the name Ljubljana because her parents loved the city so much. Come and let me show you what I consider the most beautiful city in the world.  We do a circle and we finish on Congress Square. The tour takes 1 hour and 45 min. And I stay some extra minutes for all your burning questions. 

What will we visit on this tour?

I meet you at the Vurnik house, which is a red house in front of the Grand Hotel Union on Miklošičeva street 8. In case of rain, you can find a passage (and roof) on the left side of the main entrance, just next to the shop with clothes. If it is not raining you can wait for me at the Max Mara sign at the right end of Vurnik house. I have long blond hair and around my neck, you will see my card license for Ljubljana or Slovenia, with my name and photo.

• 1 Outside visit Miklošičeva cesta 8
• 2 Outside visit Vurnikova hisa
• 3 Outside visit Grand Hotel Union Eurostars Show 17 more stops
• 4 Outside visit Zadružna Gospodarska Banka
• 5 Outside visit Palaca Urbanc
• 6 Outside visit Prešeren Square
• 7 Outside visit Tromostovje
• 8 Outside visit Butchers' Bridge
• 9 Outside visit Central Market
• 10 Outside visit Dragon Bridge
• 11 Outside visit Catedral de San Nicolás
• 12 Outside visit Bogoslovno semenisce
• 13 Outside visit Robba fountain
• 14 Outside visit Town Hall
• 15 Outside visit Drofenigova hisa
• 16 Outside visit Pod Trančo
• 17 Outside visit Čevljarski más
• 18 Outside visit Congress Square
• 19 Outside visit University of Ljubljana
• 20 Outside visit Slovenska philharmonija

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price , instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

Tour opinions (1715)

BEST WALKING TOUR I HAVE EVER BEEN ON !! If you do One walking tour in yourentire life, it should be this tour with Minka. Minka was born and raised in Ljubljana, you get a true local perspective. Ljubljana town is small but filled with history and culture that Minka so vividly expresses. Minka speaks perfect English and is totally encapsulating in her explanations of history of events. Day Prior to your tour Minka thoughtfully sends you a text with links of the best places to see and visit while in Ljubljana. During the tour, Minka has a small cart that she totes around that is filled with Ljubljana and Slavic Goodies. Minka prepared these goodies in advance that she lets you sample, each sample she passes out along the tour route has a history of food and culture of the Slavic people. Minka is a true gem so kind, giving, and exceptionally talented in her explanations about what you are looking at as well as her cooking skills. MINKA's TOUR SHOULD NOT BE MISSED!! A+++ SIMPLY THE BEST WALKING TOUR I HAVE EVER BEEN ON!

The tour was fantastic, with a good balance of information about history, culture, and local cuisine.

well worth it and full of nice surprises

Best tour i had so far! Outstanding, it was like a food tour on the walk where we could taste different local products and listening to the facts and stories about history and life of Slovenia and especially Ljubljana!

Minka is a great guide that explains history, culture, architecture, gastronomy and generallay everything with passion. So much knowledge!

Who is this tour for?

What should you know, others tours from this guru, others cities to visit after ljubljana, where are you traveling to.

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At 97, the First Lady of Fitness Is Still Shaping the Industry

Elaine LaLanne — who revolutionized modern exercise alongside her husband, Jack — is a model for aging well.

By Danielle Friedman

Photographs by Michael Tyrone Delaney

Elaine LaLanne’s morning exercises often begin before she’s even out of bed. Lying on top of the covers, she does two-dozen jackknifes . At the bathroom sink, she does incline push-ups. After she dresses and applies her makeup, she heads to her home gym, where she walks uphill on a treadmill for a few minutes and does lat pull-downs on a machine.

“Twenty minutes a day gets me on my way,” she said at her home on the Central Coast of California.

But her biggest daily feat of strength, she says, happens above her shoulders. At 97 years old, Ms. LaLanne reminds herself each morning, “You have to believe you can.” She said that belief had not only kept her physically active through injuries and emotional obstacles, it had also helped her to live the life of someone decades younger. “Everything starts in the mind,” she said.

Ms. LaLanne’s habit of speaking in aphorisms (“It’s not a problem, it’s an experience”; “You do the best you can with the equipment you have”) is a product of a lifetime of trying to inspire people to move more and better themselves. For nearly six decades, she was both wife and business partner to the television personality Jack LaLanne , who is widely considered the father of the modern fitness movement, and whose exercise show ran for 34 years, from 1951 to 1985.

“She was the guiding force behind Jack,” said Rick Hersh, Ms. LaLanne’s talent agent for more than 40 years.

While Jack was a natural showman — he rose to fame performing acrobatics on Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach in the 1930s — Elaine preferred to work behind the scenes, supporting him and managing their sprawling entertainment and entrepreneurial empire, which included not only a TV show but dozens of fitness gadgets, food products and supplements, as well as a gym chain with more than 100 locations nationwide.

Since Jack’s death in 2011, however, Elaine (whom friends call LaLa) has quietly cultivated a following all her own. She still runs her family’s remaining business, BeFit Enterprises — which sells archival videos and memorabilia and licenses the LaLanne name — from a ranch nestled among dusty hills and livestock.

She has published two books in the last four years and is developing both a documentary and a feature film with Mark Wahlberg, who has signed on to play Jack. And longtime fitness industry power players — the 1990s home workout queen Denise Austin, the Tae Bo guru Billy Blanks, the bodybuilding legend Lou Ferrigno — seek her counsel on navigating life and business.

“She’s almost like a second mom to me,” Mr. Ferrigno said.

In July, at the annual conference of the Idea Health & Fitness Association, Ms. LaLanne walked the halls with a smile and a shiny new walker as a steady stream of toned, Lycra-clad fitness professionals stopped her for selfies. For more than a decade, she has presented the Jack LaLanne Award, an industry lifetime achievement prize given to fitness personalities promoting health and exercise in the media.

“A lot of our members come for her,” said Amy Thompson, the chief executive of Idea. “We may have to change the name to the Elaine LaLanne Award.”

After all, in 1926, when Ms. LaLanne was born, few Americans made exercising a part of their daily lives, said Shelly McKenzie, an independent scholar and the author of “Getting Physical: The Rise of Fitness Culture in America.” Nearly a century later, Ms. LaLanne is a “testament to the efficacy of a lifelong exercise habit,” Dr. McKenzie said — and perhaps even more important, the power of choosing how you want older age to look and feel.

‘I don’t want to be old when I’m old.’

Raised in Minneapolis, Elaine dreamed of a career in entertainment. In the mid-1940s, she went west to San Francisco, where she worked her way into the nascent medium of television, eventually becoming a producer and co-host of a live daily variety show, which was rare in an era when few women in the medium moved beyond secretarial roles. By the early 1950s, she had become a local celebrity, whom one reporter called “the sweetheart of San Francisco television.”

A divorced single mother with a demanding job, Elaine, then 27, smoked cigarettes, ate candy bars for lunch and, like most Americans of the time, didn’t devote much thought to exercise and nutrition.

Then one day in 1951, the press agent for a local bodybuilder and gym owner called the studio and said her client could do push-ups on air for an entire show. Sure enough, Jack LaLanne pulled it off, lifting and lowering his 5-foot-6-inch frame through a full 90-minute program while the hosts carried on as usual.

Soon after they met, Jack walked over to Elaine’s desk at the studio and chided her for eating a doughnut and smoking. “She blew him off, literally, taking a gratuitous bite of her doughnut and puffing cigarette smoke in his face,” the fitness historian Ben Pollack wrote in 2018.

But in time, she fell not only for him, but for his beliefs about eating whole foods and exercising — which he adapted from the early-20th-century lifestyle celebrity Paul Bragg , and which he credited for transforming him from a sickly youth to a bodybuilder. It got her thinking, “I don’t want to be old when I’m old.”

With Elaine’s television background and Jack’s charisma, the LaLanne star rose. Jack’s appearance on Elaine’s show eventually led to his own live show on the same network and then “The Jack LaLanne Show,” in Los Angeles, which became the first national series devoted to diet and exercise. As Jack was getting settled in Hollywood, Elaine would host his Bay Area show and give lectures across the state about healthy living.

She also began running the business details of product development and licensing deals that presaged the modern personality-driven fitness market — including a Jack LaLanne bathroom scale, a “Glamour Stretcher” resistance band and vitamins.

But she was most known for her appearances in front of the camera as a co-host.

“I was always looking for role models,” said Jan Todd, a pioneer in women’s powerlifting and interim chair of the kinesiology department at The University of Texas at Austin. “I grew up before Title IX passed. Mom didn’t go to a gym.” Dr. Todd found inspiration in Ms. LaLanne, who, with her blond bob and cheerful disposition, made building muscle seem acceptable for women.

In retrospect, not all the LaLannes’ messages promoted health. To watch early episodes is to watch contemporary diet culture being born, promoting a thin body ideal and presenting fat as a problem to be conquered, Dr. McKenzie said. They coined and popularized catchphrases including “10 seconds on the lips and a lifetime on the hips.”

Ms. LaLanne stands by these messages, saying they were giving viewers tools and confidence to achieve their goal. But she acknowledged that “it’s better” now that there is a diversity of body sizes on TV.

With her ever-present smile and her fondness for catchphrases, Ms. LaLanne’s positivity could easily be mistaken for naïveté. But her sunny outlook is hard won, most profoundly as a result of May 24, 1973, when her 21-year-old daughter from her first marriage, Janet, died in a car accident. The night she learned her child had been killed, she said, she was faced with a choice: Fall apart or push through.

She thought to herself, “Janet, if she can see you up there, she would never want to see me cry,” Ms. LaLanne said, choosing her words carefully. “I mean, I can’t — she’s gone, I can’t do anything about it. Can’t bring her back.”

The woman who had preached the gospel of changing your life knew this was one thing she could never change. She managed her grief the way she approached everything else — by hurling forward, she said, and by training her brain, like a muscle, to focus not on her loss but on the joy her daughter had brought her when she was alive.

‘If you don’t move, you become immovable.’

The LaLannes’ greatest legacy, Dr. Todd said, may be “showing us the value of exercise in relation to aging.”

As he got older, Jack would perform media stunts on his birthday. At 70, he towed a flotilla of 70 rowboats filled with 70 people during a mile-long swim. Elaine began writing books about moving through middle age, with titles like “Fitness After 50” and “Dynastride!”

While people who worked closely with the LaLannes say that she was the backbone of the empire, Elaine herself sidesteps credit for her role in building it. When nudged to highlight her achievements, she quickly changes the subject to something else — usually Jack — or falls back into her signature aphorisms (“It takes two to tango,” “A one-man band is good, but more in the band makes it better”). Even her emails show up as “Jack LaLanne.”

Ms. LaLanne said she had slowed down since turning 92. She has also fallen several times over the last decade. But the physical strength she gained at the gym helped her get back on her feet, she said.

Along with her daily exercises, Elaine devotes time to stretching and hanging from a pull-up bar , letting her body hang loose like a rag doll. She uses the same workout equipment that she and Jack used for most of their lives, including weight machines Jack designed in the 1930s and a treadmill the couple purchased in the early 1970s.

“You have to move,” she said. “If you don’t move, you become immovable.”

Danielle Friedman is a journalist in New York and the author of “Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World.” More about Danielle Friedman

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Sheinelle Jones Announces Her First Book Through Mom's Eyes , Including Interviews with the Moms of Famous Celebs

Jones interviewed the moms of stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Steph Curry and Lady Gaga in order to share their stories of motherhood

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Sheinelle Jones ' new book is an ode to mothers.

On the Thursday, Sept. 19 episode of the Today show , Jones, 46, officially announced her first book, Through Mom's Eyes , will be released on April 15, 2025. Described by publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons as an "inspiring collection of heartfelt life lessons from hardworking moms who raised some of our favorite celebrities," the book includes Jones' interviews with the moms of stars including Lady Gaga , Stephen Curry and Lin-Manuel Miranda .

"If you are a mom, a grandmom, an auntie, a big sister, a cousin — if you take care of any children, and I say children ages 0 to even 62, because mothering never stops, this is my love letter to you," the morning show host said.

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Jones went on to explain how the project has been in the works for "so long," and was born out of a recurring Today segment focused on her interviews with the mothers of celebrities. " As a mom of three , I thought, 'Man, what did their mother feed them? Why are they so delightful?'" she recalled.

Her interest in understanding how people like Matthew McConaughey 's mother Mary Kathleen raised such a well-rounded person led to Jones deciding to put together a book sharing the advice and experiences of some of her favorite celebrities' moms. The news anchor even took her journey a step further by trying out some of their tips on her own kids.

The result is a book that looks at all aspects of motherhood. "When life gets really hard, mothering doesn't stop," she added, before sharing that the book includes Kevin Durant's mom Wanda's journey as a single parent, which paralleled that of her own mother's.

Jones previously teased Through Mom's Eyes to PEOPLE during her fellow Today show host Al Roker ’s 70th birthday celebration in August.

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“I do a series on the show, it's called Through Mom's Eyes, where I interview moms of people we admire, from Steph Curry to  Shaq[uille O’Neal ], Lady Gaga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, you name it,” Jones said, at the time. “And I noticed after interviewing about 20 of them that I was taking all of these jewels and applying it to myself for my own kids, calling my girlfriends and being like, ‘Can I tell you how Steph Curry's mom got him to do his chores?’"

“And then I finally realized maybe I should share the wisdom,” she continued. “And so I sat down and I thought, you know what? Let me see if I can write about what I've learned. And it has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done.”

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Through Mom's Eyes comes out on April 15, 2025 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.

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