A hotel immersed in nature, warming sunshine, and a good book: it’s the dream getaway trifecta for many travellers.
Recently, reading retreats guaranteeing holidaymakers just that have surged in popularity, becoming one of this year’s biggest wellness travel trends.
More than just time to make headway on a long-neglected reading list, these experiences mean meeting like-minded travellers, taking much-needed time to focus on self-care, and enjoying a digital detox.
Book breaks have been particularly popular with women between the ages of 30 and 50 looking to dedicate time to themselves without disturbances, which is so elusive for those who may be juggling motherhood, a household and a job.
‘There is nothing better than a group of excited readers making recommendations together’
Emma Donaldson runs Boutique Book Breaks in the UK, which she set up after seeing a gap in the market for weekend trips where guests are “left alone to simply read, without any household chores”.
The formula she found for creating a successful reading retreat was to provide enough downtime balanced with planned activities.
“You want to make sure people have time and space to read, but also the opportunity to come together over food and drink to chat about what they are reading and enjoying,” she says.
“There is nothing better than a group of excited readers making recommendations together.”
There are now reading retreats offered all over the world, and Donaldson says their popularity stems from millennials leaning back into reading for escapism.
“It’s an opportunity to interact with well-read and thinking individuals, people who are open and empathetic to others,” she says. “Wellness retreats have been a market for a long while, but reading allows people to enjoy their own books at their own pace.”
Reading retreats are a judgement-free space
Given there is now a wealth of wellness breaks out there, travellers might be wondering exactly what benefits adding reading time brings to the experience, other than getting through a book bucket list.
Donaldson sees reading as an activity that fosters self-care, because it is a “forced time to slow down and spend time on ourselves”.
That might be why they seem to appeal so much to women in their 30s and 40s who so often find themselves putting the needs of others first.
“The common factor is women who are looking to carve out a bit of time for themselves and their mental health, to enjoy a hobby, guilt-free and be around others who are equally excited about good stories,” says Donaldson.
34-year-old Megan Christopher is the founder of Ladies Who Lit, an online book club and book retreats business aimed at women.
“I think we are far enough out of COVID now that we are all craving human connection, and I think as modern women, it can be hard to line up friends to go on holiday with due to overcommitments or life priorities,” she told transport booking site Omio in a recent interview.
“Additionally, I think women revel in the opportunity to not make any decisions and just have it all done for them. It’s not often as a woman you get that opportunity, and to be in a beautiful setting and not worried about what you’re going to eat or have the kids’ school clothes washed, it gives you a real chance to actually relax.”
Christopher says she often sees a different side to a guest emerge during the retreat, thanks to the change of environment.
“I remember when we were in France discussing Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess, and it sparked such a lively debate about race and politics,” she says.
“It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and passionate, and the women taking part in the discussion being so respectful and fostering a judgement-free space.”
Guinevere de la Mare co-founded the Silent Book Club, so named because retreats have a dedicated silent hour-long group read each day.
While the retreats are open to anyone, de la Mare has only had women guests so far. “There’s a unique level of openness that women bring to a group with the psychological safety that comes from stepping outside of the patriarchy,” she says.
Book retreats from rural England to Greek islands
Reading retreats are also about spending time in a different place with good company.
“We like to strike a balance between relaxation and authentic experiences rooted in the place that we’re visiting,” says de la Mare.
In Costa Rica, the group soaked in volcanic hot springs and rode on horseback to swim under a waterfall. In Hawaii, guests participated in a lei-making workshop to experience a local cultural practice and took a sunset cocktail cruise on a vintage yacht.
Both Donaldson and Christopher have retreats in the pipeline for 2026.
In spring, Boutique Book Breaks will head to Burley Manor in England’s New Forest, replete with a private reading lounge, vast deer park and orangery for elegant dinners.
Activities over the weekend include author interviews, bibliotherapist sessions and book bedazzling.
Next summer, Ladies Who Lit is heading to Seville for reading on loungers around a pool fringed by olive trees, and on a sailing boat around Greek islands for paging through a book under the shade of the sail or on a secluded beach.
