The 13 best health retreats in Australia

Hidden in the peaceful hinterlands of the Hunter Valley, Elysia Wellness Retreat is the breath of fresh country air you didn’t realise you needed so badly. The tranquil day spa here is a relaxation sanctuary, offering more than 50 therapies and treatments – from traditional massage and bespoke facials to breathwork and ice bath immersion, reiki, energy healing and chakra clearing or wellness coaching. Fully unwind by staying the night in one of Elysia’s private adults-only suites or take a mini wellness break by booking one of their hard-to-resist packages. These come with perks like complimentary access to the spa pool, steam room and gymnasium; wellness activities, like volleyball, pilates and deep water running; an energy-boosting breakfast and more. 

Where: 165 Thompsons Rd, Pokolbin NSW

Price: From $984 per night

Escape off-grid and reconnect with mother nature in Australia’s healing heartland of Byron Bay. This tropical hinterland oasis is one of Australia’s most awarded boutique lifestyle wellness retreats, offering four signature stays: Revive (two nights), Renew (three nights), Rebalance (four nights) and Refresh (five nights), plus a three-night midweek retreat. You’ll have complete flexibility to tailor your holistic journey with morning restorative yoga sessions, plus two or more daily activities of your choice. Gaia’s deluxe day spa also welcomes guests for astrology and tarot readings, natural therapies like cupping and hypnotherapy, energetic healing, clay facials and specialty massages, with all treatments including complimentary use of its pool, hot tub and sauna. 

Where: 933 Fernleigh Rd, Brooklet NSW 

Price: From $2,500 for a two-night stay

Stress less and thrive more with a day workshop or overnight retreat at this wholesome yoga sanctuary. Hidden in the treetops just a 45-minute drive from Sydney CBD, the boutique resort specialises in yoga and meditation, with a side of spa treatments and organic, vegetarian cuisine. A typical day might start with a 7am yoga practice, drawing meditation before lunch, a massage in the afternoon and a discussion about nutrition before a healthy dinner. For those who choose to stay the night, a chorus of cicadas will soothe you to sleep, with water cabins, treehouse rooms and terrace suites available.

Where: 41 Mcclymonts Rd, Maraylya NSW

Price: Day retreat package from $125 pp; overnight package prices from $217 pp

There’s something inherently restorative about spending three days barefoot on a 60-acre horse ranch. Throw in yoga, meditation and sound healing, and you’ve got a pretty flawless recipe for a wellness retreat. Add private chefs serving (probiotic) ice cream and three resident horses, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d found yourself in a 13-year-old’s fever dream. At Sugar Beach Ranch, this fantasy becomes a reality with women-only horse retreats that harness the healing power of equine wellness. 

Where: 259 Keith Hall Ln, South Ballina NSW

Price: Tap and Thrive = $199 pp; three-day retreat from $2,199

Heaven really is a place on Earth – and you’ll find it at this world-class wellness oasis on the Mornington Peninsula. Having opened in early 2023, this sustainable, $90 million wellness sanctuary boasts a collection of geothermal pools within its perfectly manicured 15-hectare grounds. There are an impressive 31 thermal pools dotted around the undulating landscape, including geothermal pools, herbal-infused botanical pools, invigorating rain pools and cold plunge pools for the daring. Alba also houses a private rooftop salt pool that allows you to experience total weightlessness, plus steam rooms, saunas and a day spa. In exciting news for guests who want to maximise their time at Alba, The Sanctuary opened in late 2025, comprising five standalone villas and two studio rooms hidden in bushland at the crest of the property.

Where: 282 Browns Rd, Fingal VIC

Price: Rooms from $1,250 per night

You’ll find more than 50 bathing experiences at Victoria’s first geothermal mineral springs and day spa. The award-winning natural hot spring houses shared thermal mineral pools, wet and dry saunas, a hydrotherapy pool, Turkish and Moroccan hammams and the frequently Instagrammed hilltop pool, which boasts 360-degree views over the farmlands of Fingal. In 2018, Peninsula Hot Springs underwent a $13 million expansion, which welcomed an Australian-first ice cave and a deep freeze chamber, plus a food garden that services the onsite café, as well as nine new pools. More recently, the spa unveiled ten new eco lodges, complete with private geothermal pools overlooking a peaceful lake.

Where: 140 Springs Ln, Fingal VIC

Price: Bathhouse from $80; eco lodge from $1,020

Fun fact: 80 per cent of Australia’s mineral springs are in Victoria’s Daylesford region, which makes it perfect for spa treatments and easing tired muscles with long, hot soaks. The Hepburn Springs Bathhouse has been a centre for wellness and social bathing since 1895, so you can be pretty sure they've got it down pat by now. There are two areas for soaking, with heated pools, a magnesium salt bath under a gorgeous skylight, a spa couch bath, a rainfall shower, two saunas, a cold plunge pool and an outdoor spa. Feel like even more pampering? You can book numerous spa treatments, including a mud or milk bath, an exfoliating spa, or a hot stone massage. You aren't going to feel like driving anywhere after that much relaxing, but luckily, Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa also offers accommodation options, so you can make an indulgent weekend of it. 

Where: Mineral Springs Reserve Rd, Hepburn Springs VIC 

Price: From $349 per night

If you’re seeking a complete escape into opulence and luxury, then look no further than the Spa at Crown Towers in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Treatments by La Prairie and Subtle Energies offer the usual facials and massages, along with other therapies such as the Detox and Adrenal Boost Journey, which begins with a foot ritual and meditation, before ingredients such as tulasi, wild turmeric and Indian lime are applied via an invigorating body scrub, mud wrap and massage. Every treatment longer than one hour is complemented with time in the Aqua Retreat, which consists of a steam room, vitality pool and therapeutic rain shower. The white fluffy bathrobe and a relaxation lounge with snacks and refreshments add that extra bit of wow factor that makes parting with your dollars a little bit easier.

Where: Crown Towers in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney

Price: Aqua retreat from $105

Situated on a secluded beach in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this luxurious spa retreat offers wellness journeys for solos and couples. You can melt away any stress with a relaxing Swedish-style massage, nourish your skin with a hydrating glow facial or relax in the infrared sauna with your loved one. Go all in with an overnight stay in one of Injidup’s ten adult-only villas, each with its own private plunge pool and panoramic ocean views.

Where: 31 Cape Clairault Rd, Yallingup WA 

Price: Massages from $170; villas from $695

Recharge your batteries with a three-, five- or six-night wellness retreat in Tasmania’s tranquil southern mountains. The focus at Harmony Hill is on healing and stress relief, with all packages inclusive of a private villa, detox vegan meals, daily meditation, and two-hour sessions of healing and natural remedies, such as Ayurveda, sound and quantum healing treatments, plus organic facial and body detox mud therapies. Harmony Hill only welcomes a small number of guests per week, ensuring that you’ll receive a super-tailored treatment.

Where: 210 Old Bernies Rd, Margate TAS

Price: Three-night retreat from $1,800

Gather up to seven friends for an unforgettable wellness stay at Bass Lodge on King Island. Just a ten-minute drive from the airport, this secluded property feels a million miles away. Inside, the lodge boasts four spacious bedrooms, while the huge deck invites you to enjoy King Island’s finest produce as you watch the sunset over the sea. Start your mornings with an invigorating cold plunge in the Bass Strait, thaw off in the private glass barrel sauna and melt your worries away in the sunken red cedar hot tub. A nourishing breakfast is included, with indoor and outdoor fireplaces for daily meditation, and the option of private guided yoga on the beach or remedial massages.

Where: 1419 North Rd, Loorana TAS

Price: Min. two-night stay from $3,234