Check Out These 11 Creative Women’s Retreat Ideas

Are you looking for a few exceptional women’s retreat ideas? While some events are intended for everyone in your company or organization, others have a more specific focus. Maybe you want to make a space for your female executives to learn new leadership strategies. Or, maybe your organization is putting together a retreat for women writers and artists.

Whatever your purpose, hosting a successful women’s retreat takes more than inviting female speakers to address the audience. First and foremost, you need the right settings. After all, the proper location will help all your guests feel comfortable and have the right tools to ensure your retreat is a success. Luckily, you’ve come to Peerspace, the largest online marketplace for hourly rental venues! That means that you can load up on wonderful women’s retreat ideas and find the perfect venue all in one spot. With thousands of locations across the US and beyond, you can easily find a practical and stylish venue near you.

With that in mind, we’ve put together this list of 11 creative women’s retreat ideas. Ideally, these will help you plan a retreat that the women in your company or organization will be excited about attending.

1. Plan a weekend at the spa

Hosting your women’s retreat at a resort or spa is a great way to combine elements of work and relaxation in the same setting. Choose a venue with conference rooms and Wi-Fi access and enjoy spa sessions in between other tasks. Or, if you prefer, find a more remote location and go off the grid. This gives you the freedom to include scheduled meetings in your retreat experience or stick to the steam room and massages.

Either way, your guests will have plenty of time for informal conversations about their lives inside and outside the office. Expect serious bonding moments and plenty of laughs, too!

You can even book a spa and wellness center with ease through Peerspace! Here are a few of our favorite options:

• Xinu House, a mountain wellness retreat in Sierra Madre with a spa room, garden, and workout room
• This premium wellness studio in Vancouver, BC with an on-site movement studio
• This wellness retreat luxury ranch in Oakland, CA with a pool, Jacuzzi, fire pit, and heated pergola
• This wellness retreat nature cabin and lodge in Molalla, OR with hiking trails, rivers and creeks, and a rustic cabin
• This indoor and outdoor wellness retreat space in Los Angeles with a spa, a pool, a palm garden, and an outdoor kitchen

You get the picture! If you book a spa and wellness facility via Peerspace, you’ll know you’ll have instant access to all the necessary spa amenities on-site.

Not only that, but you’ll have the full support of your venue’s helpful local host. They can give you suggestions on procuring the best cocktails, catering, karaoke machines, you name it! Some even offer these very items on-site, so check out your favorite venues’ listings for all the details!

2. Rent a unique venue on Peerspace

To find a memorable setting for your retreat, browse the locations available on Peerspace and choose a venue that suits your team’s sensibilities. Maybe it’s this chic mid-century home in Miami, FL. Or, how about this modern venue in San Francisco with sweeping Bay views and a sleek kitchen? Since local hosts rent out Peerspace venues, you’ll have the opportunity to request any specific preferences, like gender-neutral restrooms or a lactation room.

And remember, you can also line up other services — like a professional caterer, photographer, or A/V equipment rentals — by consulting your venue’s host. Whether you’re planning an event in a city or a rural area, we’ve got you covered. That way, you can focus on bringing your creative women’s retreat ideas to life!

Our inspiring women’s conference ideas can provide more talking points for your retreat. Check them out!

3. Host a woodworking class

It’s no secret that many industries provide valuable leadership training to male employees and executives while avoiding offering women the chance to learn the same skills. An organization called Frailty Myths, based in Oakland, CA, is pushing back on those stereotypes.

In fact, the group offers female-led workshops in welding, woodworking, and other “traditionally male-dominated activities.” Their workshops foster trust and communication among women while providing a space to “Re-Imagine Femininity” in the workplace. It’s likely to be a great addition to any women’s retreat lineup.

4. Learn to train horses

Outdoorsy teams will love the workshops offered by Spark Women’s Retreat. It’s an annual event held in Zion National Park in southern Utah that allows you to focus on yourself and your personal growth. We especially love their Equus Excursion program, which teaches leadership skills through horse training.

5. Plan a photography retreat

For many women, photography isn’t just a hobby: it’s part of what goes into building a career in social media, web design, and other image-based industries. As you learn about the latest technologies, practice your skills together at a photography retreat like the one the Firefly Institute offers. Their photography camp for women takes place on a ranch in the Sonoma Valley, providing plenty of opportunity for inspiration. Join their retreat or host your own.

After you learn some seriously wonderful photography skills, put them to use at a one-of-a-kind Peerspace venue! If your venue is without catering and equipment, ask the host to help you take care of that.

6. Practice standup comedy

Practice your standup routines in a supportive environment at a comedy retreat designed just for women. For example, Escape the Crazy! Unusual Retreats hosted a women’s comedy retreat in the summer of 2022 in the UK.

Why not take inspiration from this and host your own? Start things off with an improv class, and conclude the event with a talent show where everyone gets a chance to shine. As a bonus, comedy can be a wonderful way to bring out the personalities of even the shiest members of your group.

7. Go on a silent meditation retreat

This one may not be for everyone, but many people who attend a silent retreat only have good things to say about it! Spirit Rock runs residential retreats, including some just for women, at their venue 45 minutes from San Francisco.

Attend one of their events, or rent a Peerspace venue and plan a silent meditation retreat of your own. Ideally, you want a venue that has plenty of space for quiet contemplation. A place with a bit of a zen vibe doesn’t hurt, either!

8. Enjoy a walking retreat

This can be either a meditative or social experience. For example, the Women’s Yoga and Hiking Retreat in Big Sky, MT, includes guided hikes and quiet time. This is a true retreat in every sense of the word. And, you and the group are sure to get plenty of fresh air while breaking away from any formal aspects of the gathering, should there be any.

9. Get a sailing certification

Learn to sail by taking the weeklong Live Aboard Cruising Course offered by Offshore Sailing in Florida. In fact, they offer women-only sailing courses that will be sure to inspire your team, providing life skills you may never have imagined obtaining. Try it as a standalone activity or in combination with other creative women’s retreat ideas.

Have to go virtual? Don’t stress it; just check out our fabulous virtual retreat ideas to dazzle your attendees!

10. Study “Nonviolent Communication”

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a communication technique designed to help people foster compassion for each other and find ways to meet their “universal human needs” without conflict.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication also hosts an International Women’s Retreat, and trained facilitators offer workshops year-round online and in-person. Afterward, apply your NVC skills at the workplace the next time you disagree with your boss, colleagues, or clients.

11. Use “Tea & Empathy” cards

For a similar activity that you can do without a facilitator, use a pack of “Tea & Empathy” cards to take a deep dive into the language we use to process emotions. Each card has a keyword, as well as three related words or synonyms, such as: “confident,” “collected,” “composed,” and “self-assured.”

Also, the cards include both positive and negative emotions, and you can use them for discussion or journal prompts. Or, they can help to pinpoint your emotional state by finding the perfect word to describe it.

Bonus: Learn how to cook something nourishing

Consider inviting a professional chef to your women’s retreat to help your guests learn how to cook a proper meal for themselves. For instance, chef and registered dietician Ali Miller hosts annual three-day retreats that cover topics like stress and metabolism, gut health, and nutritional ketosis and fasting. Along the way, interactive workshops, cooking classes, and breakout sessions ensure you learn how to nourish yourself the right way, an important component of wellness that is too often overlooked.

Women’s retreat ideas come to life with Peerspace

Some of these creative women’s retreat ideas are already offered at retreat venues around the country. However, there are some you’ll have to put together yourself. If you don’t mind mingling with other groups, you can attend one of the preexisting workshops. If you prefer to host an event exclusively for your team, why not also rent a Peerspace venue and hire one of these facilitators to come to you? It’s a wonderful way to bond with your group in a secure, professionally-led environment.

Remember, if you need help making your retreat happen, contact your Peerspace venue’s host for some personalized support. They can help you arrange for a caterer, event staff, A/V equipment, and any other services you may need to make your creative women’s retreat a success.

Find unique retreat venues on Peerspace