The best yoga retreats in the UK and Ireland for 2024
By Annabel Herrick, Lydia Gard and Emma Love
Over the last decade, the term “wellness” has been redefined a million times over, from travelling to find yourself and the birth of yogalates to the rise of mindfulness and the dawn of at-home self-care (thank you, Covid). There are the simple pleasures of walking in the sunshine and the joy of doing yoga in your pyjamas, and there are the high-tech gyms that make you want to be stronger than you've ever been before. Whatever wellness now means for you, we’ve chosen these yoga retreats in the UK and Ireland to cater for all. Here are our top picks.
Visionary Yoga Retreat, The Grove, Hertfordshire: 9-11 February 2024
An easy hop from London, this bells-and-whistles country hotel has a recently refurbished spa, a striking black mosaic-tiled pool and Bamford treatments on the menu – all of which will be a boon during downtime on this two-day retreat with former New York film industry costume designer turned yoga instructor Julie Ewald. She is influenced by the Iyengar practice, which means classes are creatively sequenced while being focused on precise alignment; sessions also include evening meditation to release deep-seated stress, journalling, qi-gong and breathwork. Winter walks through the woodlands are a must before check-out. Emma Love
Price: From £790, based on two sharing a room
Website: thegrove.co.ukBeyond Resolutions, Hotel Endsleigh, Devon: 5-9 February 2024
Surely one of England’s most idyllic spots for a restorative retreat, Hotel Endsleigh is set in 100 acres of fairytale gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton. No traffic or light pollution, just the sound of the burbling River Tamar. Days are led by yoga instructor Gianna Hewlett and breathwork expert Charlie Polizzi ("To breathe consciously is to become utterly present; breathwork allows us to alter our mood and gain agency over ourselves," she says). There’s also a guided walk on Dartmoor with Steve Crummay (who created Devon’s Tarka Trail), reflexology and massages by Tamami Benjamin, shamanic sound healing with Richard Down, and a tour of the gardens with head gardener Ben Ruscombe-King. Some previous yoga knowledge is recommended. Emma Love
Price: Single occupancy from £1,620
Website: thepolizzicollection.comBreath, Body and Bowls, Hackney: 17 February 2024
Angie Tiwari leads a retreat that explores yoga and breathwork. For those who want to delve deeper into the origins of yoga, Angie’s work involves honouring Eastern rituals and decolonising yoga. 'South Asian representation in the world of yoga is hugely important to me, as is educating people with kindness on the cultural appropriation of the practice, how to culturally appreciate it, and also debunking the many myths that surround it,’ she says. This holistic half-day retreat at Hackney’s Wild Roots Studio is all about recalibrating the body, mind and spirit to cleanse and re-balance. She’ll explain the science of breath and its power as a healing tool before beginning yoga asanas (suitable for all levels). Sound bowls and chimes are the final restful element of the experience, which aims to leave you restored both physically and emotionally.
Price: £69.70
Website: tiwariyoga.comYoga and surf with Swell Yoga, North Devon: 2024 dates TBC
Sometimes stripped-back is best. Nothing beats fresh air, healing sea swims and sleeping in the wild. Mixing surf and yoga, Swell gets the balance right with this compact weekend away – the day starts with energising vinyasa, followed by a lesson with Croyde Surf Academy and finishes with yoga and meditation before sunset by the fire. Vegan chef Nikita Leys draws from Ayurveda, naturopaths, macrobiotics and herbal medicine for her meals – and the result is nothing short of extraordinary.
Price: Private bell tent for one person costs £400 for two nights.
Website: swellyoga.net
Coastal Yoga Break, St Michaels Resort, Cornwall: dates from March to November 2024
The coastal location behind Gylly Beach in Falmouth is as much a part of these retreats (held over four weekends throughout the year) as the small group yoga sessions themselves which include vinyasa flow, pranayama and yoga nidra. Each morning an invigorating cold water sea dip is encouraged before breakfast; other highlights on the itinerary are a guided walk to Maenporth followed by a plant-based picnic lunch, a SUP session, and a hydrothermal experience that combines a hydrotherapy pool, cedar hot tub and sea salt steam room. Emma Love
Price: From £698 per person based on solo occupancy
Website: stmichaelsresort.comSee in Spring Equinox at Tresco, Isles of Scilly: 18–22 March 2024
Yoga on a remote island doesn’t have to mean a long-haul flight. A trip to Tresco, the second-biggest island of the Isles of Scilly, could hit the spot. See in the new season with this Spring Equinox retreat led by local yoga teacher Gem Hansen, whose family have lived on the island for over 60 years. Mere metres from the water's edge, guests stay in The New Inn, a recently revamped 19th-century inn with rooms. As well as six yoga sessions, the retreat includes a three-course supper, access to the Tresco Island Spa and bike hire. Helicopters can be booked from Penzance.
Price: £688 pp based on two people sharing. Non-participating partners are welcome at a cost of £528 pp
Website: tresco.co.uk- Polly Baldwin
Glow Fforest: 20-23 June and 26-29 September 2024
Beginning life as a farm, Fforest has been transformed by two art school graduates, and now the company has spread across Wales with an array of rustic accommodation clusters. Their biannual Glow retreat is an intimate gathering hosted at their small coastal camp – a short walk from Penbryn Beach, Cardigan Bay. The full line-up is still being confirmed but will feature Bristol-based Gemma David, a wellbeing practitioner whose areas of expertise range from acupuncture and counselling to meditation and movement. For these retreats, she will lead a gentle yoga session, followed by a sound bath of singing bowls for a greater sense of calm and balance. Other creatives taking part include ceramicist Amanda Banham (June) and Dutch floral art designer Alice Van De List (September).
Price: A single bed in a shared twin bedroom with shared bathroom from £639 pp
Website: coldatnight.co.uk Woodland Yoga Retreat, near Bath: 12-15 July 2024
For the eco-conscious, this retreat is hosted in an off-grid, low-impact ‘village’ in a woodland valley near Bath which runs on renewable energy and uses a sustainable water supply. Guests will lay their yoga-weary heads in handcrafted yurts or log cabins, and campfire meals are cooked by the retreat chef in his outdoor kitchen. To fill in the time between savasana, book a massage as an extra, swim in the nearby lake, sizzle in the wood-fired sauna or head out for country walks. Teacher Faye Shekhar teaches Jivamukti yoga – soulful and progressive sequences of asana combined with eclectic playlists and ancient teachings.
Price: From £425 for 3 nights.
Website: reclaimyourself.co.uk
Scotland Wilderness Yoga Retreat, Cairngorms National Park: 6-9 September 2024
Hosting sublime escapes across the world, founder Jools Sampson matches out-of-this-world venues with stellar teachers – and they never disappoint. Teacher Tania Brown offers a precise, alignment-based practice with a light-hearted edge is back. Expect twice-daily yoga, loch swimming, mountain biking and hiking through Abernethy forest and up mountain paths in the Highlands. And, for those who want to keep their carbon footprint low, you can travel to this retreat by train.
Price: From £675 for three nights.
Website: reclaimyourself.co.ukRelease into Joy at Cliffs of Moher, Ireland: permanent retreat
Set on Europe’s western frontier, nothing says “behold Mother Nature” like the precipice at the Cliffs of Moher. Warning: concentrating may be hard with views like these – the retreat’s yoga studio has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Atlantic Ocean and Aran Islands. The organic vegetarian menu is sourced from the land – but no alcohol (unless you visit the local pub). There’s a gorgeous wood-burning sauna and hot tub with sea views, too. Michelle Moroney runs several Rest Recover Reflect retreats throughout 2024, including guided silent walks along the Wild Atlantic Way, breathwork and a sound bath.
Price: Prices from around €640 for a weekend in a shared room
Website: cliffsofmoherretreat.com