9 Cool Retreat Activities in Los Angeles to Bond Your Team (2024)

On the lookout for the coolest retreat activities in Los Angeles to bring your team together? Makes sense to us! Los Angeles is a sprawling city with dozens of cool neighborhoods to explore. It’s also home to hundreds of fun activities to get your team out of the office.

Whether you’re planning a weekend trip away from the city or a full-day outing to the mountains or the beach, we’ve come up with some awesome Los Angeles retreats to build team spirit and foster collaboration.

If a prearranged retreat package or guided tour isn’t your thing, then design your own corporate outing by renting a local venue on Peerspace and hiring your own caterer and workshop facilitators. Peerspace is the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals and offers you access to thousands of one-of-a-kind spaces in Los Angeles. We’ll share some of these ahead, along with more traditional retreat ideas. Excited? We hope so! Let’s get on to the list.

1. Book a unique venue for your team retreat on Peerspace

For the most flexibility in your retreat program, create your own customized outing by renting a Peerspace venue from a local host. Peerspace is similar to Airbnb in terms of ease of use, but Peerspace allows you to host events, which Airbnb does not.

With Peerspace, you can filter your search results by size, location, and other amenities until you find the perfect spot for your team.

Want a few examples to see the types of retreat spaces you can book on Peerspace? Here are a few of our faves:

• This architectural secret oasis hidden in Chinatown (pictured above) with outdoor space, a bar, entertainment areas, a kitchen, and indoor and outdoor sound systems.
• This chic light-filled oceanview house in Laguna Beach with expansive living areas, outdoor decks and patios, a pool, a kitchen, and stunning views.
• This bright and spacious indoor and outdoor loft in Santa Monica with multiple breakout spaces, a private roof deck, on-site catering, and meeting equipment.
• This amazing Hollywood Hills mansion with a pool, a hot tub, incredible views, a large open kitchen, a pool table, and meeting amenities.
• This downtown rooftop lounge with a kitchen, a conference room, indoor and outdoor lounge seating, outdoor heaters, and citywide views.

You get the idea! Peerspace can connect you with any type of space that you feel is best for your team retreat. And since each venue is hosted by a local who is dedicated to providing personalized service, you can rest assured that just about anything you need can be arranged.

2. Take a workshop with the Fulcrum Leadership Institute

The Fulcrum Leadership Institute (FLI) is a great option for a guided program of retreat activities in Los Angeles. Their workshops include leadership assessment, values clarification, and other programs, but their most effective activity is the high ropes challenge course. FLI is especially ideal if your team is currently experiencing roadblocks or communication challenges.

They also offer fully planned multi-day retreats, giving your team a chance to put away their phones, enjoy the peace and quiet of nature, and reflect on their work together. You can book their workshops on-location or at your Peerspace rental anywhere in LA.

Check out where to find an Airbnb for events in Los Angeles for your business and personal needs!

3. Embark on a scavenger hunt through Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios is a great option for a team retreat, with dozens of event spaces available all around the park and the backlot. Rent out meeting spaces, dining areas, or a private cinema for your scheduled activities, then let your team run free on a two-hour scavenger hunt designed by the Universal Studios team. The “ride and seek” guides will provide your team with clues to solve. In addition, your team can stroll through the park and enjoy the rides and attractions.

4. Take a trip with Bikes & Hikes

Incorporate some exercise into your team retreat with a bicycle tour led by Bikes & Hikes. Their tours can accommodate up to 500 people while offering a range of team-building activities. Choose from a hike to the Griffith Park Observatory (with a picnic lunch included) or a sailing trip from Marina del Rey.

Whether you take the six-hour “LA in a day” bike tour or something a little more leisurely, Bikes & Hikes can put together a customized package of retreat activities in Los Angeles.

5. Relive summer camp with Camp No Counselors

This retreat facility situated one-and-a-half hours outside of LA is the perfect choice for teams that want to relive the magic of summer camp. But this isn’t any summer camp. In fact, it boasts climate-controlled bunk beds and a solar-heated swimming pool. Talk about an upgrade from the camp you went to as a kid!

But you’ll still get to participate in all of your favorite camp activities, including dodgeball, capture the flag, arts & crafts, and more. For a fun retreat weekend outside of the city, reach out to the Camp No Counselors team. They’ll design a program for you — with food, drinks, and accommodations included.

Prefer a less structured option? Use Peerspace to book a summer camp for you and your team to enjoy, minus the designated activities. For instance, you can book this summer camp with outdoor spaces, a lodge, and more in Altadena. Embark on a private trail hike with your team members before retreating to the lodge to cook dinner. End the night in the amphitheater that provides firepits for roasting s’mores!

6. Build bicycles for children with Foster Love

For a team retreat with a do-good mission, book an event with Foster Love. This organization helps provide duffel bags and bicycles to children in foster care. Through customized team-building exercises, your group will work together to build bikes or skateboards or decorate duffel bags filled with toys and teddy bears for foster children. Whether your team is a few dozen or a few hundred in size, this is a great retreat activity that can make a difference in people’s lives.

7. Hike to Sturtevant Camp for a San Gabriel Mountains getaway

To really get away from it all, head to Sturtevant Camp in the San Gabriel Mountains. This is the most remote option on this list. In fact, although the cabins can accommodate groups of 40, they’re only accessible by foot. That means you’ll have to hike in — or hire a donkey to carry your gear at a dollar per pound.

Once you’re there, enjoy hikes, board games, volleyball, shuffleboard, ping-pong, and more. The camp also hosts events on some weekends, such as a beer-making and tasting workshop. See what team activities are available on the weekend that you visit.

Here are some of our favorite corporate event ideas near Los Angeles ideal for your next business event.

8. Go horseback riding at the LA Horseback Riding Ranch

For a less remote option, spend a day at the Los Angeles Horseback Riding Ranch. It offers guided horseback rides in Topanga customized to our team. You can choose sunset rides, beach rides, and more, all along well-worn trails with your friendly guide and trusted steed.

These events are suitable for groups of up to 25 and last around 90 minutes. At the end of your ride, enjoy a catered lunch at the ranch while discussing your horseback journey with your colleagues.

Book a horse ranch in Los Angeles with ease through Peerspace, including:

• A ranch property in Shadow Hills with horses and a 1970s camper
• A horse ranch with an old barn in Lake View Terrace
• A horse facility and ranch-style house in Kagel Canyon
• A 5-acre working horse ranch in Frazier Park
• A ranch with horses and livestock in Santa Clarita
• And more!

9. Explore LA’s foodie scene with Sidewalk Food Tours

Part history lesson, part food crawl, Sidewalk Food Tours offers large and small guided group tours to some of LA’s finest eateries. Choose from the downtown LA food tour, the West Hollywood food tour, the LA private food tour, or virtual experiences that involve virtual cooking or mixology classes.

Should you go the virtual route, remember that you and your team can book a retreat-worthy Los Angeles kitchen through Peerspace and then meet your guide virtually. One sweet option is this Spanish house with a boho kitchen in Glendale. It is a 2,000-square-foot home with ornate architecture, indoor and outdoor dining space, and mid-century modern decor.

Sidewalk Food Tours can also accommodate any and every dietary restriction a team member may have, so be sure to discuss that with them when you book.

Retreat activities in Los Angeles: conclusion

Southern California is one of the best places in the country to plan a corporate retreat. With great weather year-round and a variety of outdoor settings to choose from, you won’t have to work too hard to find awesome retreat activities in Los Angeles and beyond.

We think these nine options are a great starting point, and you can always browse Peerspace for more ideas!

Find a unique event space in Los Angeles on Peerspace