Published December 15, 2025 05:35AM
Cold, it seems, is the new hot. With the rise of “coolcations” and “quietcations” reflecting a growing desire to tap into the grounding stillness that winter provides, winter wellness is definitely a thing—and more vacationers are understanding that winter wellness destinations can be just as rejuvenating as their sun-soaked counterparts.
Snow tourism has expanded well beyond skiing, and industry research indicates travelers are seeking winter getaway activities in addition to downhill sports, with spa time, restorative immersion in nature, and mindfulness practices leading the way. Whether cold plunges or starlit sauna sessions, these unique winter-based wellness experiences are redefining what a rejuvenating winter retreat can look like.
For travelers wanting to pair the restorative power of nature with curated practices such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, these destinations explore just how perfectly cold-weather escapes are primed for wellness. Scandinavian retreats and alpine hideaways alike provide the backdrop to experience winter’s crisp air, soft light, and simple invitation to slow down and revel in restorative practices.
7 Winter Wellness Destinations
Each destination delivers a different kind of warmth, one borne of presence, perspective, and the quiet magic of a time of year that invites slower rhythms and deeper listening.
1. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise | Alberta, Canada
Set on the edge of its namesake lake in Alberta’s Banff National Park, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a historic retreat surrounded by soaring peaks and an alpine landscape that’s partely UNESCO World Heritage Site. With year-round wellness programming, thoughtful design, and a setting that invites both stillness and adventure, the Chateau offers sanctuary in every season, although especially winter. This year, the resort introduced a new thermal bathing destination to its line-up of nature-immersed wellness offerings.
Embrace the cold: In winter, Lake Louise transforms into a snow-covered haven where mindful movement meets mountain magic. The hotel’s basecamp setting places guests steps from forested trails for snowshoeing, peaceful winter hikes, and lakeside walks surrounded by glacier-carved peaks. Visitors can skate across frozen Lake Louise, take a sleigh ride through the valley, or explore nearby ski resorts.
Warm up inside: After time in the crisp mountain air, guests can retreat to inviting indoor spaces designed for comfort and self-care. The centerpiece is BASIN Glacial Waters, a thermal bathing destination comprising thermal pools, contrast baths, saunas, hot-stone beds, and cooling plunges that is rooted in ancient and Nordic bathing traditions. In other indulgences, the spa offers traditional massages, facials, wraps, and body therapies. Yoga classes and programming draw on the calm of the surrounding landscape, while cozy lounges offer a place to unwind.
2. Deplar Farm | Tröllaskagi Peninsula, Iceland
Set on Iceland’s remote north coast, Eleven Deplar Farm sits on the wild Tröllaskagi Peninsula at the threshold of the Arctic Circle—one of the most dramatic and untouched landscapes on Earth. Once a 15th-century sheep farm, the lodge is now an award-winning retreat where black timber cladding, grass-sodded roofs, and floor-to-ceiling windows blend seamlessly into the landscape, immersing guests in the raw beauty of glaciers and fjords.
Embrace the cold: Winter at Deplar Farm brings crisp air, powder-dusted peaks, and opportunities for outdoor exploration. Guided outings range from Nordic ski touring in the Fljót Valley to snowmobiling, fat biking, ice climbing, ice fishing, and whale watching along the fjords. Winter conditions often allow for horseback riding and coastal pursuits such as surfing, sea kayaking, and SUP.
Located far from light pollution, the lodge is also one of the world’s premier places to witness the Northern Lights, with geothermal soaking pools designed for reclined skyward viewing.
Warm up inside: After a day in the elements, guests can return to interiors crafted for warmth and restoration. Morning yoga sets a mindful tone, while the 5,000-square-foot spa—housed in the restored sheep barn—features additional geothermal heated indoor-outdoor pools, a steam room, floatation tanks, a sound bathing studio, and a traditional Viking sauna ritual that alternates deep heat with invigorating cold immersion.
3. Forestis Dolomites | Dolomites, Italy
Located high on the southern slopes of the Plose mountain, Forestis Dolomites feels like a sanctuary carved directly from the alpine landscape. At 1,800 meters, the retreat overlooks the jagged spires of the Dolomites, an expansive UNESCO World Heritage site, and offers panoramic views from every angle.
Embrace the cold: Winter is considered a season of retreat here, when the rhythm of cold and quiet sharpens awareness and encourages the body to attune to its own needs. It carries a purifying power, and Forestis invites guests to fully step into it. A quiet path leads directly to the Plose slopes where guests can explore Puez-Geisler Nature Park on skis, snowshoes, or fat bikes, following trails over frozen brooks and through snow-laden forests. Guided excursions with Forestis’s hiking guide, Herbert, reveal untouched snowfields, serene woodlands, and the subtle winter sounds of the high Alps.
Warm up inside: Indoors, Forestis transforms into a cocoon of warmth and stillness. The spa is guided by a philosophy of four—trees, woods, stones, and frequencies—which informs deeply restorative treatments. Signature rituals, including a gentle detox treatment that balances the body’s water systems, help unwind tension and restore clarity. Guests can also connect with the local environment through visits to the mountainside herb farm of Laurenz and Giada, where tea tastings, herbal salt blending, and seasonal lessons in traditional harvesting deepen the property’s focus on elemental wellness.
4. The Lodge at Blue Sky | Utah, United States
Set on 4,000 acres of untamed wilderness, The Lodge at Blue Sky lies just a short drive from Park City, Utah, yet feels a world away from everyday life. Here, luxury is measured not by excess but in the freedom to roam wide-open spaces, breathe mountain air, reconnect with the land, and find stillness in nature’s vastness.
Embrace the cold: Winter at Blue Sky is an invitation to step fully into the mountains. Guests can access eight nearby world-class ski resorts, returning between runs to the cozy Ski Lounge for hot drinks and high-end snacks. For a slower pace, snowshoeing through powder-laden forests leads to secluded fireside clearings that are perfect for personal yoga or meditation.
Beyond skiing, adventure takes many forms: helicopter tours over alpine ridges, dogsledding, horseback rides through snow-covered valleys, winter sporting clay, and guided wildlife excursions. For a visceral encounter with the elements, guests can try guided cold plunges paired with Wim Hof breathwork.
Warm up inside: After a day in the crisp mountain air, the lodge offers spaces designed to restore body, mind, and spirit. The cliffside Edge Spa provides a sanctuary for renewal, featuring treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam facilities, and therapies that blend relaxation with mindful energy work. Guests can participate in aerial or suspended yoga, reformer pilates, meditation sessions, sound-healing journeys, or a traditional sweat lodge ceremony that honors Indigenous wisdom. For personalized care, intuitive healer Sugar guides energy-balancing practices and chakra-clearing meditations.
5. Arctic Bath | Harads, Sweden
Arctic Bath is a one-of-a-kind wellness retreat that embodies the traditions of Swedish Lapland. Set in the remote village of Harads, home to fewer than 500 residents, the retreat feels wonderfully removed from everyday life. With six floating cabins, six land cabins, an intimate spa, and an ethos that blends Sweden’s sauna culture with serenity, Arctic Bath offers a space for soulful restoration.
Embrace the cold: Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, ice fishing, and dog sledding offer exhilarating ways to explore the forested landscape, while moose and reindeer viewing introduces visitors to iconic regional wildlife. Evening horseback rides under the Northern Lights—set against forests and open tundra—add a magical element to even the coldest nights. Creative workshops, such as Arctic herbs foraging, allow guests to craft herbal teas and soothing beeswax salves from ingredients sourced from the surrounding wilderness.
Warm up inside: After a day in the snow, Arctic Bath’s interiors offer restorative warmth. At the spa, Swedish sauna culture takes center stage and invites alternating between the dry heat of the sauna and cold plunges in the Lule River (Julevädno). Nordic-inspired treatments drawing on wild berries, regional botanicals, and natural oils restore balance and connection to self. Guests can also explore yoga, meditation, and “soul sessions” featuring intuitive guidance and restorative massage, offering a gentle, grounding complement to the invigorating climate.
6. Aman Le Mélézin | Courchevel, France
Part of the famed Les Trois Vallées ski area, Aman Le Mélézin offers ski-in, ski-out access to hundreds of kilometers of groomed slopes—an invitation to alpine adventure. Morning wellness sessions, refined interiors, and attentive ski-concierge service complete the experience, creating a mountain escape tuned to winter’s rhythm and the slow unfolding of serenity.
Embrace the cold: Stepping directly onto the Bellecôte piste, guests glide into a 600-kilometer network of groomed runs across Les Trois Vallées. Ski butlers and a state-of-the-art ski room with valet service ensure effortless transitions from chalet-quiet to mountain-rush. Downhill skiing is just one way to meet the cold. Sunrise brings opportunities for hot-air balloon or helicopter rides above the Alps, offering breathtaking aerial views of snow-laden valleys and jagged ridgelines. Those seeking gentler motion can strap on snowshoes or set out on winter treks through silent, snow-dusted woods and alpine ridges. Tobogganing, ice skating, dog sledding, and snowmobiling round out a diverse winter program.
Warm up inside: The spa, spanning two floors, is a haven of water, warmth, and mindful healing. A 14-meter heated indoor pool flanked by jacuzzis sits alongside a traditional hammam, or Turkish bath, wood sauna, and cold-plunge pool—each designed to ease tired muscles and recalibrate energy. Five treatment rooms offer restorative rituals such as hot-stone massages, oil treatments, dry-body brushing, and hydration facials tailored to counter the alpine elements. Wellness classes prepare or restore the body, and a fully equipped yoga and fitness studio adds further depth.
7. Four Seasons Whistler | British Columbia, Canada
Four Seasons Resort Whistler captures the essence of mountain living at its most soulful. Cozy, charming, and quintessentially Canadian, the property invites guests into a world where adventure meets wellness. Here, snow season is not something to escape but something to revel in.
Embrace the cold: Start with simple pleasures—sweet treats and hot drinks served from the vintage camper or warm maple syrup poured over fresh snow—before heading into Whistler’s expansive terrain. For those seeking next-level adventure, travel by helicopter to explore glowing ice caves or enjoy glacier-side massages; ride a snowmobile into the Callaghan backcountry for a rustic, three-course steak dinner; or journey to the iconic Crystal Hut for its famous cheese fondue and waffle with panoramic mountain views. Heli-skiing, bobsleigh, snowshoeing, and sleigh rides round out the mountain’s exhilarating offerings.
Warm up inside: Spa treatments echo the calm of the surrounding landscape with nurturing prenatal and couples massages and deeply rejuvenating facials. The signature Peak to Feet experience delivers 120 minutes of head-to-toe restoration through an extended scalp massage, full-body sports recovery work, and revitalizing foot therapy, an indulgent way to melt into the warmth of the season. Guests can also unwind in eucalyptus steam rooms, outdoor heated pools, and whirlpools, each offering an inviting contrast to the mountain chill and a perfect way to loosen tired muscles.
