This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
If 2025 was the year of longevity retreats and digital detoxing, 2026 is all about returning to the elements. That could mean plunging into glacial waters, swapping spa hotels for cabins in the woods, taking on outdoor endurance challenges or exploring ancient healing practices in the countries where they originate. Here, we take a closer look at what to expect in the coming year.
(The rise of wellness travel, from rewilding to yoga and pilgrimages.)
Rage therapy
What began as a quirky experiment in Japan has become one of 2026’s headline wellness trends. The first so-called ‘rage rooms’ opened in Tokyo in 2008, offering overworked employees a space to smash crockery and let their frustrations out. Now, as the world grapples with post-pandemic fallout, political tensions and climate anxiety, among other issues, the concept is spreading. Major cities are hosting outdoor ‘scream clubs’, while remote forest retreats invite guests to split logs with sledgehammers and release whatever tension they’ve been holding onto. Underpinning it all is the principle that expressing emotions in a safe, controlled environment is much healthier than bottling them up.
How to try it: Love Your Rage hosts day retreats in London from £90, combining movement therapy, sound healing and sharing circles to help women explore their relationship with anger. Smash It Rage Rooms offers smash sessions from £25 for 15 minutes.
Glow-cations
Building on last year’s longevity trend, which focused on looking and feeling better for longer, 2026 is seeing a surge in ‘glow-cations’, with travellers heading overseas specifically for skincare and aesthetic treatments. Nowhere is this more evident than in Seoul, South Korea, which has established itself as a global beauty capital thanks to its cutting-edge beauty treatments and the continued influence of K-beauty (a term used to describe Korean skincare and beauty brands). For lots of travellers, a trip here now includes not just sightseeing but ‘glass skin’ facials, micro-needling, head spa and scalp analysis, hair treatments and personalised skincare plans.
How to try it: Regent Holidays offers a 13-day Wellness Escape to Korea from £6,860, including visits to Seoul’s spas and medi-centres, a temple stay in Gyeongju and a trip to a wellness park on Jeju Island.
South Korea has established itself as a global beauty capital thanks to its cutting-edge beauty treatments and the continued influence of K-beauty.
Photograph by Manfred Gottschalk; Getty Images (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Sergey Mironov; Getty Images (Bottom) (Right)
Athleisure tourism
Fuelled by a boom in recreational running and the rise of mass-participation fitness events like Hyrox — a global fitness competition that combines both running and functional workout stations — this trend shows no signs of stopping. Increasingly, travellers are jetting off to take part in races and endurance challenges that push their bodies to the limit, from Ironman Triathlon series to the major city marathons around the world, including London, Boston, Tokyo and Berlin. For 2026, the New York City Marathon, which takes runners around all five of the city’s boroughs and finishes in Central Park, remains an in-demand event.
How to try it: Marathon Tours offers travel and race entry packages for all major marathons, including New York City. Visit to sign up for pre-entry registration.
(Runs worth travelling for—7 scenic routes to try.)
Elemental wellness experiences
The popularity of urban wellness experiences soared in 2025, with the rise of communal saunas and cold plunge studios, but travellers in 2026 are looking to escape the city for even more elemental experiences. Think plunging into glacier-fed waters, steaming in geothermal pools and soaking in natural hot springs, all set against dramatic landscapes. Iceland, with its iconic Blue Lagoon and numerous other hot springs, thermal lagoons and nature spas, remains a top destination for those seeking this raw, immersive form of relaxation.
How to try it: G Adventures offers a seven-day Wellness Iceland tour from £2,699.
(Discover Iceland’s most under-the-radar hot springs.)
Wild wellness
As wellness goes back to the elements, so too does accommodation. For 2026, travellers are increasingly choosing stays that immerse them in nature and allow them to fully disconnect. Yurts, pods, shepherd’s huts and cabins tucked among trees or set beside quiet lakes, ideally with zero wi-fi, are becoming the preferred way to unwind. In the UK, Unplugged, a pioneer in off-grid and digital detox cabins, has reported a 25% rise in bookings in 2025 and has launched 20 new cabins across the country to meet growing demand.
How to try it: Unplugged escapes start from £390 for three nights’ self-catering.
Yurts, pods, shepherd’s huts and cabins tucked among trees or set beside quiet lakes are becoming the preferred way to unwind.
Photograph by Caroline Pang; Getty Images
Wellness cruises
Long associated with excess, cruises are now drawing in a new wave of wellness-minded travellers. The shift began when Celebrity Cruises launched a programme led by Gwyneth Paltrow that focused on onboard fitness, nutrition and mindful experiences. Since then, other cruise lines have expanded their offerings, moving from token spa menus to entire wellbeing itineraries. This year, one of the most anticipated is Cunard’s seven-night voyage created with Harper’s Bazaar Wellness, featuring movement classes, expert-led talks, relaxing spa treatments and more.
How to try it: Cunard Harper’s Bazaar Wellness at Sea runs 5-12 July 2026, from £1,019 for a seven-night round-trip voyage from Southampton through the Norwegian fjords.
Solo female wellness breaks now feature a mix of yoga, breathwork, holistic treatments and workshops.
Photograph by Svetlana Repnitskaya; Getty Images
Solo female wellness breaks
Expect to see more solo wellness breaks that combine time for yourself with low-pressure networking in the year ahead. Leading the way, The Collective on Retreat is launching a series of getaways for female business owners across the UK and Europe. Guests come alone, ‘soft network’ with like-minded peers and nurture body and mind through a mix of yoga, breathwork, holistic treatments and workshops. “Women are gravitating to this idea of soft networking, spending time with like-minded people on a similar path in a totally unpressured environment,” says founder Claire Vero.
How to try it: The Collective hosts a two-night retreat at Thyme in the Cotswolds 10-12 March 2026, from £2,275.
Wellness through community
Alongside solo wellness breaks, wellness travellers are seeking out experiences that connect them to local communities. They want to meet with locals, learn about ancient healing practices passed down through generations and take part in traditional wellness ceremonies and rituals. In Mexico, for example, visitors might join a temazcal ceremony, an ancient Maya ritual that uses heat and aromatic herbs to cleanse the body. This trend reflects a broader travel shift where travellers are becoming increasingly more mindful of their impact on the places they visit and the need to engage with local communities for a truly immersive travel experience.
How to try it: Xcaret natural water park in Cancun offers an hour-long temazcal ceremony from £30.77.
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