Wellness retreats beyond yoga: 5 top self-care getaways

With more travellers looking for more intense self-care, wellness tourism is going beyond its standard yoga and meditation retreats. From silent monasteries to dopamine detox camps, alternative wellness getaways are providing unique means to restart the mind and body. We bring you five remarkable self-care retreats revolutionising wellness travel in 2025.

For those looking to escape digital overload, Bali’s Dopamine detox camps offers a screen-free sanctuary. Guests surrender their phones and laptops upon arrival and participate in guided mindfulness activities, cold plunges, and journaling sessions. The retreat is designed to reset the brain’s reward system, reducing dependency on instant gratification and increasing overall mental clarity.

Located in the Kyoto mountains, this quiet retreat provides travellers with a taste of Zen Buddhist monastery life. Days start with sunrise meditations, contemplative gardening, and tea ceremonies, with silence being strictly observed throughout. This very special practice brings profound self-reflection and clarity of mind, enabling guests to get in touch with themselves without the distractions of contemporary life.

Spurred by Japan's Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, this retreat in Sweden transports guests into nature's healing domain. Guests walk mindful paths through forests that date back thousands of years, with guided tree meditation and nature-art therapy. Clinical tests have indicated that forest bathing decreases stress levels, strengthens the immune system, and improves health as a whole.

Based in Tulum, this retreat is an emotional wellness haven that incorporates cathartic therapies such as scream therapy, ecstatic dance, and breathwork. It aims to release repressed feelings and past experiences so that visitors can feel light and centered.

For a radical wellness experience, Finland's Arctic Ice Therapy retreat mingles cold exposure with sauna therapy to increase resilience and mental toughness. Trainees submerge in ice baths in frozen lakes, preceded by sauna treatment and breathing techniques borrowed from the Wim Hof Method. The retreat aims to improve circulation, decrease inflammation, and increase mood through natural endorphin release.