According to a recent Booking.com survey, more than three-quarters of Americans say that travel is critical to their mental and emotional wellness. Fortunately, Asheville has been a self-care escape since long before that term was trending. For over a century, the fresh mountain air, crystal clear waterfalls and stunning natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains have drawn travelers looking to heal and rejuvenate.

  • Asheville’s Winter Refresh: Between January and March 2022, Asheville is celebrating its luxurious and highly creative self-care scene with a “Winter Refresh” promotion. Travelers will enjoy revitalizing spa and wellness experiences at 25% off or with 25% in added value, launching Jan. 5 on ExploreAsheville.com/Asheville-Winter-Refresh
  • Travel Package: Digital Detox Adventure at The Foundry Hotel: The Foundry Hotel is leading the digital-detox movement with the launch of their “Digital Detox Adventure Package,” a partnership with Asheville Wellness Tours and The Arrivals, an outerwear design studio that creates mindful products for mindless activities. The customizable Digital Detox Adventure Package includes: overnight accommodations at The Foundry Hotel, one of The Arrivals AER classic puffer jackets filled with responsibly sourced down (each puffer includes the "Off The Grid" pocket, which blocks 100% radiation from cell signal) and an exclusive, private guided hike at Wild Cat Rock via Asheville Wellness Tours, a stunning route with no cell service. 
  • Frozen Waterfall Yoga Hikes: Throughout winter, Namaste in Nature will be holding guided waterfall yoga hikes where attendees can experience expansive views through the bare trees and the brisk, recharging feeling of al fresco yoga (with the occasional frozen waterfall as a backdrop!).  
  • Forest Bathe in the Light of the Full Moon: This spring, Asheville Wellness Tours will offer Twilight Forest Bathing Walks. These walks will take place in the Botanical Gardens at Asheville and a private retreat center in alignment with the full moon. Description: Experience "golden hour" and the beauty of dusk during this guided forest immersion as the full moon rises. Quiet your mind and awaken your senses while deepening your connection to nature and community. This gentle and restorative walk is suitable for most ages and activity levels and will not exceed a 1-mile round trip.
    • Or, Order-In Your Self Care: Asheville Wellness Tours also has a new option for visitors to order a full-fledged wellness experience—including private chefs, yoga instructors and even a tarot reader — straight to their hotel, cabin or other lodging.
  • Elevating Self-Care | Customized Aromatherapy & Spa Day Essentials: Healed Skin and Candle, a Black woman-owned business on Lexington Avenue, is a make-your-own lotion candle shop dedicated to making skin and self-care a priority for all. Founder Traci Taylor is committed to all-natural, vegan skincare and wellness education around the healing effects of customized aromatherapy. Healed now offers a bespoke Spa Day Box consisting of skincare products, candles, whipped body butters and other personalized self-care items. Additionally, Healed is offering a new Wax and Wine bar where guests can create custom candles and skincare products while sipping BYOB wine.
  • Wellness, Any Way You Want | Creative Self-Care Adventures: Self-care adventures in Asheville run the gamut from a world-renowned subterranean spa (with mountain views) to a lively scene of indie entrepreneurs passionate about self-care in all its forms.
    • Asheville’s wide-ranging menu of creative wellness offerings includes color therapy yoga at Asheville Iridescence Yoga; decadent foot soaks and massage therapy at Wake Foot Sanctuary; bracing dry heat and cold plunging at Sauna House; sound healing sessions at Skinny Beats; sensory deprivation and saltwater flotation at Stillpoint Wellness; hot jade massage and epic three-hour treatments at Urban Exhale Massage; aura readings and customized aromatherapy for people (and pets!) at Adoratherapy; salt cave meditation and a “hammam bath” inspired by ancient Turkish and Moroccan cleansing rituals at Asheville Salt Cave; and mountain honey wraps and massaging waterfalls at the 43,000-square-foot subterranean Spa at Omni Grove Park Inn.

 

Want more 2022 news? Click here to view 22 (and then some!) transformational travel stories for the year ahead. Beyond the “what’s new” factor are the ever-inspiring histories, untold stories and trailblazers leading the way in this lively mountain city.