The 8 Best Yoga Retreats of 2022

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

For over 5,000 years, yoga has been practiced around the world by people of all ages. The staying power and continued popularity of the ancient practice is a testament to the exponential health benefits of yoga. Regularly practicing yoga can improve strength and flexibility, creates mental clarity and calmness, relieves chronic stress patterns, sharpens concentration, and so much more Imagine a setting that combines the health benefits of yoga with being fully unplugged from technology, the daily grind, family demands, and everything else that weighs you down mentally and physically. Why, yes, that would be the pinnacle of self-care.

Yoga retreats allow you to escape to a quiet place to find inner peace, relaxation, calming meditation, world-renowned teachers, and dieticians. Best of all, there is a perfect yoga retreat for every age, budget, and yoga level. So if you want unlimited classes to choose from, mind, body, and soul healing, a spa day, picturesque vistas of the ocean, or hundreds of acres of walking trails to roam freely, there’s a retreat that has it. Below we’ve rounded up eight of the best yoga retreats to help you find your perfect self-care getaway.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health

Best for Outdoor Lovers: Anamaya Resort and Retreat Center

Best for a Caribbean Getaway: Amanyara Luxury Beach Resort

Best for Mindfulness: Miraval

Best for Art & Culture: The Floating Leaf

Best for Yoga & Surfing: Cala Luna

Best for Friends: Yasodhara Ashram Yoga & Nature Retreat

Best for Disconnecting: Blue Cliff Monastery

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health

Why We Chose It

A variety of retreats are offered year-round by world-renowned teachers and scholars, and dieticians.

Key Specs

Price: Day passes start at $125 or $300 a night for a standard room with a shared bathroom. $400 a night for a room with a private bathroom.
Location: Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Duration: Single classes, day pass, 2-night minimum stay on the weekend

Pros & Cons

Pros

Three meals a day included
Unlimited classes
Access to 100 acres of hiking trails, walking paths, and a private lakefront area
Beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes offered

Cons

2-night minimum stay on weekends
2-night minimum stay on weekends
Standard rooms have a shared bathroom
Healing arts classes are an additional cost

A stalwart in the U.S. retreat scene, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health has been offering teacher training courses and retreats since the 1970s. Since it first opened its doors in 1983, the 125-acre property in the rolling hills of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, has been welcoming students.

A variety of retreats are offered year-round by world-renowned teachers and scholars including everything from teacher training, Ayurveda, yoga therapy, physiology, psychology, and more.

Whether you are looking for a training or a weekend getaway, Kripalu has something for everyone. From YogaDance, an official practice developed by the center, to hiking the trails of the Berkshires, to taking cooking classes or booking a massage, the options are abundant.

In the summer, access to the private lakefront beach is perfect for soaking up the sun, while meditation along the lake is common in spring and fall.

Rates for Kripalu's R&R retreats are $85 to $95 per day in addition to accommodations. The daily rate includes three meals a day, expert-led workshops, daily yoga, and guided outdoor activities. Plus, you can enjoy access to the property's numerous amenities like the fitness room, sauna, marked hiking trails, and more.

Best for Outdoor Lovers: Anamaya Resort and Retreat Center

Why We Chose It

If you're looking for a yoga retreat that combines yoga, meditation, the beach, hiking, and zip-lining through lush jungles consider booking a retreat at Anamaya.

Key Specs

Price: $1,095 per day and includes accommodation and three meals a day
Location: Costa Rica
Duration: 1-5 days

Pros & Cons

Pros

Snorkeling, surfing, horseback riding, and scuba certification are available
Yoga teacher certification courses
Free waterfall hike

Cons

Must have a valid passport to visit the retreat
Classes, workshops, treatments, alcoholic drinks, and other extras are not included in the price
Shared dormitory-style rooms

Set atop a hill overlooking the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Nicoya, this tranquil Costa Rican resort offers customizable yoga retreats with add-ons like surfing, sea kayaking, snorkeling, horseback riding, nature walks, and spa treatments.

Week-long retreats that run throughout the year are perfect for all levels, whether you're a beginner stepping onto your yoga mat for the first time or are an advanced practitioner. You can focus on connecting guests with nature and, most importantly, yourself.

Expect to begin your days with energizing, 90-minute-long vinyasa classes with incredible views of the ocean. You can spend afternoons practicing yin yoga, relaxing in the saltwater infinity pool, at the spa, or exploring the rich Costa Rican countryside.

Base rates for a seven-day retreat at Anamaya depend on the season and occupancy rate. A double room rate begins at around $1,095 and includes accommodation and three meals a day. Yoga classes are offered at about $12 per class or approximately $96 for ten classes. Other fees may apply for additional excursions, workshops, and gratuities.

Best for a Caribbean Getaway: Amanyara Luxury Resort and Retreat

Why We Chose It

Wellness retreats are devised by the Aman Spa’s team of expert therapists, nutritionists, and medical specialists to deliver lasting change.

Key Specs

Price: $2,800 a night
Location: Turks and Caicos Islands
Duration: 3 or more days

Pros & Cons

Pros

World-renowned instructors and wellness professionals
Complete wellness immersion
World-class dining

Cons

Very pricey
Welcoming family and pets policy may not appeal to some
Valid passport required

To cultivate serenity in the face of a stressful lifestyle, Amanyara retreats shifts focus inward, using meditation, Qi Gong, yoga, and breathwork alongside specially selected therapies to release tension and promote clarity of thought. For those seeking to purify the body and clear the mind, Amanyara offers a program designed to stimulate detoxification pathways through a holistic program of optimized nutrition, cleansing herbal treatments, and bespoke therapies such as acupuncture and Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage.

Designed for those seeking to regain control of their lives, this whole-body wellness retreat offers physical and mental practices, mindfulness and meditation techniques, centering spa rituals, and healthy meals. Amanyara is perfect for those looking to find inner peace and lasting resilience.

The cost for this retreat varies depending on the season and which level of wellness immersion you are looking for. Generally, prices start around $2,800 a day and go upwards of $4,500 a day.

Best for Mindfulness: Miraval

Why We Chose It

A core tenet of Miraval is its "Life in Balance" mission, which focuses on inspiring a sense of mindfulness that participants cultivate on-site and continue to nourish after leaving the resort.

Key Specs

Price: Varies by location - rates begin at around $739 per night
Location: Texas + Massachusetts
Duration: Three or four days recommended

Pros & Cons

Pros

East and West coast locations
A vast range of classes are offered
Hundreds of acres to roam freely
Unlimited classes included

Cons

Required to unplug from all digital devices
Digital device use allowed in designated areas only
Many offered experiences come at an extra cost

A core tenet of Miraval is its "Life in Balance" mission, which focuses on inspiring a sense of mindfulness that participants cultivate on-site and continue to nourish after leaving the resort.

With a digital device-free motto that's strictly enforced, you can unplug and thoughtfully focus on yourself. While there are designated areas throughout the property where you can use your devices, if you need to, the resort encourages you to be mindful of the choice to do so.

Whether you're a new, intermediate, or advanced yogi, you can select from a wide range of offerings that include morning yoga and slow flows to New Age, celestial sessions, and inversion-focused, aerial yoga classes. Since most of the sessions are included in the price, you're free to pick and choose, and try new things.

While there is no minimum stay on the properties, Miraval recommends a three- or a four-day trip to have maximum impact. At Miraval Austin, rates begin at around $739 per night, including all meals, workshops, infinity pool, and fitness center access, as well as a resort credit that can be used toward private sessions, wellness lectures, and spa treatments.

The rates are higher at Miraval, Arizona, at about $829 per night, including meals, complimentary workshops, access to the fitness center, three pools, and hiking trails.

Best for Art & Culture: The Floating Leaf

Why We Chose It

From Bhakti meditations and traditional Balinese purification ceremonies to cooking classes and batik art lessons, the resort has something to offer, no matter the activity level.

Key Specs

Price: $1,042 and includes accommodations and meals
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Duration: Six-day Path to Happiness

Pros & Cons

Pros

Shared rooms available to offset costs
Offers yoga, meditation, art, and cooking classes
2,000-square-foot, open-air yoga studio

Cons

Valid passport required
Extensive travel required for US residents
Not within walking distance to the beach

Welcoming students from all around the world since 2012, The Floating Leaf is a tranquil, wellness-focused resort on the Indonesian island of Bali. Immerse yourself in Balinese culture, find your inner peace, and enjoy Batik art classes all while soaking in the majestic views of Mount Agung and the surrounding rice paddies. The serene property hosts an average of 50 retreats every year, where guests can focus on a lot more than just yoga.

From Bhakti meditations and traditional Balinese purification ceremonies to cooking classes and batik art lessons, the resort has something to offer, no matter the activity level. Their six-day Path to Happiness retreat focuses on yoga and meditation, offering participants a chance to connect and go within to discover joy. A 2,000-square-foot, open-air yoga studio overlooks the peaceful rice paddies that Bali is known for and offers diverse views of Mount Agung, an active volcano, and the Indian Ocean.

Rates for a retreat range start at $1,042 and include accommodation, three meals a day, yoga and meditation sessions, and airport transfers. Some packages also include Balinese healer sessions, Indonesian cooking courses, art classes, coffee plantations, and village tours. Check out their upcoming retreats for dates and availability.

Best for Yoga & Surfing: Cala Luna

Why We Chose It

This upscale Costa Rican getaway offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, all while being quietly tucked inside Las Baulas National Park.

Key Specs

Price: Varies by season
Location: Costa Rica
Duration: One or more days

Pros & Cons

Pros

Two-mile-long path through the rainforest
Bike tours, surfing lessons, snorkeling, and fishing offered
An onsite organic farm grows the produce used to feed guests

Cons

Only three yoga retreats are offered per year
Valid passport required
Very few spots available for each retreat

With direct access to Langosta Beach, Cala Luna is the ideal retreat location if you're looking to spend some time on both your yoga mat and your surfboard. This upscale Costa Rican getaway offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, all while being quietly tucked inside Las Baulas National Park.

In addition to open-air yoga classes, surf lessons, snorkeling, and fishing, the boutique property only has 39 rooms, guaranteeing an intimate getaway. Sustainability is vital at Cala Luna, with an onsite, organic farm that grows the produce used to feed guests.

The property also has its own water conservation system, makes use of solar-paneled water heaters, as well as biodegradable cleaning products and toiletries. A two-and-a-half acre labyrinth—one of the largest in the world—sits serenely inside a 74-acre forest, allowing guests who walk its two-mile-long path to find a sense of peace.

On average, Cala Luna hosts approximately three yoga retreats each year that are suitable for various levels. If you're staying onsite, you'll have access to a complimentary breakfast, a sunset happy hour, and bike tours to the local town. Fees vary for retreats hosted at Cala Luna and depend on the time of year, length of stay, add-on amenities, and more.

Best for Friends: Yasodhara Ashram Yoga & Nature Retreat

Why We Chose It

Yasodhara is one of Canada's oldest ashrams and an excellent choice if you're seeking to discover a connection both with nature and yourself.

Key Specs

Price: Five-day retreats start at $1100. Seven-day retreats start at $1400
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Duration: Five and seven-day retreats

Pros & Cons

Pros

Self-development driven
Focus on Light and the Divine Feminine
Free Two-Month long Karma Yoga exchange

Cons

Only Yasodhara Yoga offered
Basic cabin accommodations
Passport required

Founded in 1963 by Swami Sivananda Radha—a German yogi who traveled to India in search of enlightenment and discovered it in guru Sivananda's ashram—Yasodhara is a relaxing yoga retreat set alongside the Kootenay Bay in British Columbia, Canada.

Offering multiple retreats all year long, Yasodhara is one of Canada's oldest ashrams and an excellent choice if you're seeking to discover a connection both with nature, yourself, and your friends. Gather a group of friends for a weekend retreat in a private cabin. Not only will you grow and be enlightened together, but when you return home after the retreat you can motivate each other to continue practicing all you learned.

In addition to week-long retreats, the ashram also offers yoga teacher training and a series of self-guided retreats for artists, writers, and working professionals like teachers, scientists, and architects, to help de-stress, recharge and tap into their innate potentials. Pro Tip: Stop by the Ainsworth Hot Springs, a nearby collection of natural, mineral water hot springs.

Best for Disconnecting: Blue Cliff Monastery

Why We Chose It

The monastery offers retreats, along with work exchange programs and a rigorous five-year monastic training throughout the year.

Key Specs

Price: Sliding scale $60-100 per day
Location: Pine Bush, New York
Duration: Single day to five-year monastic training.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Founded by renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk, activist, and poet, Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Sliding scale fees to fit any income level
Five-year monastic training available

Cons

Extensive walking meditations may be limiting to some
Adults only
95% vegan meals served

Contrary to what most believe, yoga is more than just asanas or physical postures, which guests can learn for themselves at Blue Cliff Monastery, a Zen Buddhist center in upstate New York. Mindfulness is key to not just their retreats but daily life at the monastery. Each day is spent in mindful meditations, workshops, personal time, and complete silence before bed. This tranquil sanctuary with pure mountain air, meandering trails and streams, and digital-free environment offer its visitors a perfect place to rest, heal, and grow.

Founded in 2007 by renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk, activist, and poet, Thích Nhất Hạnh, the monastery offers retreats, along with work exchange programs and a rigorous five-year monastic training throughout the year.

Blue Cliff offers a sliding scale for all the retreats at their serene southern Catskills property. Prices range from around $60 to $110 per person per day for simple, dorm-style accommodations, while children under the age of six stay for free.

Camping is also available for $40 to $80 per night if you want to bring your own tents and gear. All meals, 95% of which are predominantly vegan, are included in the registration fee's cost. Check out their calendar of events to find out about retreat details throughout the year.

Final Verdict

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is our clear winner for the best overall yoga retreat due to the wide variety of classes and activities offered year-round by world-renowned teachers and scholars. You can enjoy everything from yoga teacher training classes to Ayurveda, yoga therapy, physiology, psychology, meditation, and more.

Whether you are looking for teacher training or a weekend getaway, Kripalu has something for everyone. Learn YogaDance, hike the trails of the Berkshires, take cooking classes, or enjoy a relaxing massage, the options are almost endless. In the summer, access to the private lakefront beach is perfect for soaking up the sun or enjoying relaxing self-guided meditation along the lake surrounded by the sounds of nature and water.

However, if you're more of an outdoorsy person and you're looking for a retreat that combines mindfulness, yoga, and outdoor activities, Cala Luna, might be more your speed. In addition to open-air yoga classes, surf lessons, snorkeling, and fishing, a picturesque beach and 2-mile hiking trail through the rainforest will offer something for your mind, body, and soul.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pick the best yoga retreat?

Our list includes a variety of yoga styles, locations around the world, and amenities offered, but choosing a yoga retreat is highly individualistic at the end of the day.

Consider why you are looking for a getaway and go from there. Some retreats offer a chance to digitally detox, while others are located in lush, Costa Rican jungles or right up on the beach, providing prime access to the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Are yoga retreats worth it?

Yoga retreats can reduce stress and give you the inspiration and motivation you need to make some lifestyle changes. In fact, research has shown that yoga retreat participants experience mental and physical benefits, both immediately and long-term. You may discover a new favorite yoga practice, adopt healthy-eating principles, find true inner peace, and begin to address any emotional issues or health concerns you might be struggling with.

How do I choose a yoga retreat?

Choosing a yoga retreat should be a fun process. Start by making a list of things you'd like to get out of a retreat—learn a new yoga practice, improve self-guided meditation, visit a new country, meet like-minded yogis, or eat healthy for a week for an internal cleanse. Whatever it is that you need to bring more peace and wellness into your life, there is a yoga retreat available. Of course, budget can be limiting, but with many retreats offering shared room options, if you find a place you love, reach out to the retreat to see if there is an option for cost-sharing.

What’s included in an all-inclusive retreat?

Each retreat will have different guidelines as to what the fees include, but for many standard retreats, all-inclusive means the cost of yoga classes, accommodations, and meals. Additional activities like art and cooking classes, surfing, diving, or guided tours usually require an extra fee. But this differs from one retreat to the next, so it’s best to research rates and add-ons before selecting your preferred escape.

Do I have to take every yoga class offered during the retreat?

While some retreats may be more class-intensive and require full participation, most are casual and completely voluntary. It’s best to check with your getaway organizer on the rules for skipping a session and if you can take the morning/afternoon off if desired.

Should I purchase travel insurance?

A week-long yoga retreat is much more than just an investment in your well-being. Depending on the retreat you pick, it can be a significant financial investment as well.

And, while you may hope that everything goes according to plan, unexpected events do occur, so purchasing travel insurance is highly recommended. Most travel insurance plans cover medical emergencies, trip cancellation, trip interruption, delays, medical evacuation, and lost, damaged, or stolen luggage. Before purchasing insurance, make sure you read the fine print to ensure you fully understand what is covered, and what is not. Also, check with your primary health insurance and credit cards for travel coverage offered through their service.

Methodology

For our top picks for yoga retreats to attend in 2022, we made sure that the getaways were both international and national picks that suited a variety of yoga styles and practices. Whether the practice of yoga is new for you, or you're a seasoned yogi looking for mindfulness and a digital detox getaway, we found the best yoga retreats suggestions for everyone.

To do this, we evaluated the best yoga retreats through various factors, including the time of year, the number of retreats offered, size, accessibility, location, pricing, and past reviews. Each yoga escape offers something different to participants, whether it be location, outdoor activities, or mindfulness lessons. Beginners, intermediates, and advanced practitioners of yoga will all find something to gain from each yoga retreat in our selections.

Edited by

Ally Hirschlag

2 Sources

Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.