The Best Wellness Retreats In New Zealand

With its countless empty beaches, swathes of incredible native bush and rolling verdant countryside, New Zealand is ripe for the picking when it comes to getting away to soothe your soul. Add in yoga-focussed retreats by the beach or surf-dedicated camps, and you have a trip that will nourish both your mind and your body. Look after yourself, take some ‘me’ time and book into one of the best wellness retreats in New Zealand.

1. 19-day transformative 200-hour hatha vinyasa yoga teacher training in Piha, North Island

Yoga Studio

Head out to magical Piha – with its rolling sand dunes, arresting beaches and looming cliff faces – for this 19-day yoga teacher training course. The focus of this course is neuro-physiological training, allowing you to become a teacher who places equal importance on the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga. The house is set just back from the beach, so when you’re not undergoing your training and education, you’ll be able to stroll the black sands and dive into the rolling seas; just be sure to swim between the flags, as Piha is notorious for its ever-changing currents.

2. 6-day hiking and yoga holiday in Whangarei Heads, Northland

Yoga Studio

Immerse yourself in nature on this six-day coastal getaway. Not only will you participate in morning yoga classes each day, but you’ll also be taken through a nightly meditation session while staying at the edge of some of the most spectacular hiking routes in the area. These daily walks will take you around some magnificent Northland scenery – through lush native bush, to incredible coastlines and along golden beaches. Back at home there’s an infrared sauna to help soothe sore muscles, and a gym if you fancy getting in an extra workout. This is the ultimate Zen getaway, and you’ll leave feeling physically and mentally nourished.

3. 7-day surf and yoga camp in Whangamata, North Island

Sports Center, Yoga Studio

One of New Zealand’s most beloved beaches, Whangamata is a sprawling stretch of white sand that attracts holidaymakers from all over, year-round. It also happens to have some of the best surf in the area – making it an ideal spot to hide away for a week, riding waves and practising yoga. You’ll start each day in the ocean, building up your surf skills with the camp’s experienced instructors, and you’ll finish each day with an hour-long yoga session aimed at strengthening and stretching your key surfing muscles. Shared rooms and a convivial environment mean you’ll likely leave with a bunch of new friends too.

5. 5-day progressive surf camp in Whangamata, North Island

Sports Center

If you’re a more experienced surfer looking to refine your technique, this surf camp is for you. You’ll get a surf lesson each day, focussing on skills such as growing your understanding of currents, enabling you to feel capable and confident taking off on any green wave. Free board hire is included throughout your stay, so you’re able to practise your new skills or head out for a leisurely surf session in your own time too. Accommodation ranges from a private studio to shared dorm rooms, and an outdoor barbecue allows you to take advantage of the fantastic coastal weather.

6. 5-day eco surf camp in Raglan, North Island

Yoga Studio

If you’re keen to dip your toe into surfing but haven’t tried it before, then this surf camp will help you get started. You’ll develop the key skills needed to feel confident on the waves – building up to being able to head out solo – and you’ll sleep in a refurbished railway cart on an eco-friendly site at the foot of Mount Karioi. Over the five days, you’ll spend nine hours with an instructor, plus you’ll have full use of wetsuits and surfboards throughout your stay, so you can spend as much time as you like out on your own when you feel comfortable. With yoga and massages available on site, you can soothe any sore muscles so that you’re in peak form for the days ahead.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.