Wellness Travel: 4 Relaxing, Renewing Vacations

Vacation gives people the chance to disconnect from daily life, but with jam-packed itineraries, long layovers and jetlag, travelers often come home from a trip more exhausted than when they left.

Enter a solution: wellness travel — curated vacation packages in picturesque locations designed to help you reconnect with your relaxed inner self, reinvigorate your psyche and return to your life with a new sense of energy. From yoga classes and guided hikes to spa treatments and organic menus, a wellness vacation is a chance for travelers to escape and rejuvenate.

Check out this guide to four wellness vacations.

Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona

Nestled into the red rocks of Boynton Canyon, a sacred place to the native Yavapai people, this resort offers a variety of daily activities including stargazing, tennis clinics and Woga, a signature class combining yoga and a nature walk. The property also features several hiking trails, Southwestern-style restaurants, heated pools and the Mii Amo Spa, which is open to all guests during their stays.

For those looking to have a more introspective experience, the spa also offers three- to seven-day retreats with daily lectures on stress relief and spiritual exploration as well as unique spa treatments, like a prickly pear butter massage or Aura-Soma color reading, a healing method that makes use of vibrant colors, crystals and aromas.

How to get there: Fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Enjoy the scenic route and red rock views along the two-hour drive, or catch a flight to Flagstaff Pulliam Airport for a shorter, one-hour drive.

Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, Fish Camp, California

You can rough it amid the deep valleys, ancient sequoias and plentiful waterfalls of Yosemite National Park, or forgo the tent and sleeping bag for a wellness retreat within the Sierra National Forest. Use the resort as your basecamp for adventure — horseback riding, glacier viewing and snowboarding are all on offer. After an active day, savor a relaxing seasonal treat, such as aromatherapy with autumn scents at the Ascent Spa or a breath of fresh mountain air during a summertime yoga class outdoors. Make sure to indulge at one of the resort’s many restaurants. Try Summerdale BBQ, where you can toast s’mores and unwind around an open fire while listening to the house string band and gazing up at the stars.

How to get there: Tenaya is best accessed from Fresno International Airport, about a 90-minute drive north through California’s Central Valley.

Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat and Health Spa Program, Ainsworth, British Columbia, Canada

Be warned: If you choose to vacation with Mountain Trek, you’ll be on your feet all day to take advantage of the endless hiking and snowshoeing options through the vast wilderness of British Columbia. Not to worry, though. Therapists at its award-winning spa will pamper and revitalize you enough that you’ll wake up the next day refreshed and ready for more adventure.

Staff members at Mountain Trek are trained not only to offer guests a meaningful experience, but also to help them concentrate on health and wellness through organic, calorie-controlled spa cuisine, lifestyle lectures and daily yoga. Designed with the hope of prolonging wellness benefits after guests return home, Mountain Trek’s boot camp-style schedule is built around six core components — fitness, nutrition, de-stress, sleep, detoxification and support.

How to get there: Fly into Spokane International Airport and drive about four hours north through the Colville National Forest and over the Canadian border.

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California

Full of hot springs and phenomenal views, Big Sur is known across the globe as a healing destination. Discover the area’s appeal at the sought-after Post Ranch Inn, a luxurious resort that sits 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean.  Treat yourself to a soak in one of this resort’s two cliff-top hot basking spas overlooking the Pacific Ocean after a morning yoga class, then sample vegetables and herbs on an edible tour of the property’s chef’s garden, and you’ll have a new appreciation for life and its indulgences. The resort’s spa offers wellness treatments like coconut paradise facials, renewal rituals, energy-balancing massages and shaman sessions. Bonus: You can even sleep in a treehouse.

How to get there: Fly into the closest airport at Monterey Regional Airport and drive about an hour south along the Big Sur coast, or fly into San Francisco International Airport and drive about two and a half hours south.