What to pack for a luxury yoga retreat.
We often get asked what to bring on a luxury yoga retreat – will it be casual or should we pack our best summer dresses? Will the hotel have shampoo and shower-gel, do we need to bring our own yoga mat, and should we pack a beach towel for those dips in the sea?
We recommend traveling light, but also making sure to include all the adequate necessities to have a comfortable yoga holiday. A quick look at the weather forecast before packing can also be very helpful. All our yoga retreat locations are close to towns where you can find most everything you need, so even if you forget something, we can surely find it there. Below are some essential things to pack, as well as some optional items that can come in handy.
Things to bring on a luxury yoga retreat:
1. Clothing:
- Yoga clothes – yoga pants, tanks, tops, as well as a long-sleeve shirt, and a sweatshirt or hoodie for the evening yoga classes – we recommend layers.
- Comfortable clothes for the day, especially if you’re planning to go on an excursion, boat trip, strolling in town, or a camel ride in the Moroccan desert!
- Bathing suits – for the beach and pool, but also worth packing a ‘not-so-fancy’ bathing suit for the indoor spa and thalasso-therapy pools.
- Beach clothes, sun dresses, shorts and t-shirts, comfy poolside covers, maybe even a handy sarong.
- Summer dresses and trousers/tops for the evenings. Nothing elegant, but this is your chance to get out of your yoga clothes and into something a little more dressed up than leggings and a tank.
- A pashmina, shawl, or light jacket for the evenings in case it gets chilly, mainly for early May or late October retreats.
2. Shoes:
- Beach shoes or flip-flops for the beach and pool
- Comfortable walking shoes in case you want to go exploring
- Sandals or shoes for when we go out in the evenings
- An optional pair of running shoes / trainers if you want to go hiking or exercise
- We also recommend bringing socks – we’ll practice yoga barefoot, but socks can come in handy if it gets a bit chilly during the evening yin yoga classes, especially for meditation and savasana.
3. Electronics:
- Chargers for mobile phone, Kindle, iPad, laptop (resist the urge… leave it behind!)
- Plug adapters
- Alarm clock, if you don’t want to use your phone as an alarm clock
- Headphones
- Camera – most people use their phone as a camera, but if you have a professional camera, then this is the time to dust it off – we go to some picture-perfect places.
4. Other things we recommend bringing:
- Suntan lotion
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Hairband and hair ties
- Book or Kindle
- Any special medication you may need (there are pharmacies at all our locations for basic meds)
5. Optional handy things:
- Re-fillable water bottle
- Laundry soap bars or small travel detergent packs
- Mosquito repellent – if you’re traveling somewhere prone to mosquitos
- Any other yoga props you may need not provided on site
- Yoga mat wipes – if you want to wipe off your mat in between classes, then yoga wipes are handy.
6. Things you won’t need to bring:
- Yoga mats, blocks, straps
- Towels – room towels and beach towels are changed daily at the hotel.
- Basic toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, shower-gel, body lotion – the hotel provides these and replenishes them daily in your room.
- Hairdryer – the rooms all have hairdryers.
And before you leave for the airport, make sure you have:
… your passport, ticket, visa (if you need one), bank card and credit card, and a little local currency to keep you going until you reach a cash machine on location, or until you can change money at the hotel.
Our yearly yoga retreats:
Lanzarote Canary Islands: February
Marrakesh Morocco: February
Sicily, Italy: April & October
Corfu, Greece: May
Mykonos, Greece: June & September
Menorca, Spain: June
Rovinj Croatia: September
Crete, Greece: October
Red Sea, Egypt: November
As always, happy travels!
If you like this post, you may also be interested in:
“How to best clean your yoga mat.”
“Mindfulness vs. Meditation – what is the difference?”
Yoga Escapes organizes luxury yoga retreats in beautiful places around the world at 5* hotels, offering a mix of Vinyasa yoga and Yin yoga classes. Contact the Yoga Escapes team for info on upcoming yoga holidays or take a look at their Calendar.