Blue Ghost Firefly Forest Bathing

Price
From$125
Price
From$125

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  • Get in touch for a free consultation and let the locals with all the insider tips and tricks help you plan the perfect custom wellness retreat.

  • 3 Hrs
  • Group Size: 1-10
  • Late May / Early June

2024 Dates Have Been Released!

Registration for 2024 tours is now open! Click book now to reserve your spot. The season for the elusive Blue Ghost Fireflies lasts only two weeks every year. We’d love to share the magic with you.

Forest Bathing with Fireflies

Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From sunset and starry skies to fireflies, we’ll marvel at Mother Nature’s light show as we explore the forest, hoping to encounter the elusive Blue Ghost firefly species!

The evening begins with a gentle, guided stroll into a peaceful forest as the sun sets and sparkling fireflies emerge. While we cannot guarantee a showing, we hope to see the elusive Blue Ghost fireflies and will surely enjoy the forest at twilight and other beings present there.

This is a unique opportunity to unplug in a peaceful setting with a series of invitations led by a certified forest therapy guide that invite you to connect more deeply to the environment around you. Quiet your mind and awaken your senses as we sink into the heightened awareness of this special evening experience. Together, we’ll deepen our relationship with nature, community and ourselves. The best part: there’s no right or wrong way to forest bathe; just bring an open heart, adventurous spirit and be yourself. All is welcome in the forest.

This special offering takes place on only 8 evenings each year with group sizes limited to 10 for a more intimate experience.

Pricing:

Community firefly forest bathing experiences are available on select evenings at the height of Blue Ghost firefly season, generally a two week window in late-May and early-June. You may also request a private experience with advanced notice on any other day of the week during that time frame. If the date you’re hoping for isn’t listed on the calendar, call us!! We’ll always accommodate if we can.

Community Firefly Forest Bathing Retreat (join in with other guests):

  • $125/person
  • Max group size = 10 guests

Make it private! Schedule a retreat exclusively for your group.

  • Base price = $1000 (includes up to 6 guests).
  • Additional guests = $125/person. Max group size 12.
  • See calendar for available dates.

Retreat Location

This magical Firefly Forest Bathing experience takes place in a peaceful forest about 1 hr from downtown Asheville.

To protect this fragile environment and the elusive fireflies we hope to visit, we release the exact location to registered guests only.

What is forest bathing?

Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a forest environment, forest bathing retreats led by certified nature and forest therapy guides invite guests to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community. During this immersive experience, your guide will share mindfulness practices and invitations designed to connect you more deeply to your inner landscapes, as well as the world around you.

This is essentially a mindful, rejuvenating mini-retreat in the forest…no actual “bathing” required. For more information, visit our blog: All Things Forest Bathing.

Pairs well with...

Mobile Massage: Relax, we’ll come to you! Unwind at your vacation rental.

Tarot Reading: Connect through the cards and cultivate deeper bonds.

Private Chef: Let us bring the restaurant experience to you!

Book more than one experience and enjoy a package discount! Get in touch to benefit from this deal.

FAQ

Where do we meet for Firefly Forest Bathing?

This special experience takes place approximately 1 hr from downtown Asheville. To protect the Blue Ghost habitat there, we share the location of these walks a few days prior to the event with registered participants only. If you’re considering where to stay, we recommend looking in the area of Brevard.

What will I do on a Forest Bathing Retreat?

With the help of a certified guide, guests are led through a series of nature-focused invitations during a leisurely walk on a gentle trail or pathway. The focus will be on mindfulness practices and opportunities to slow down, unplug, and soak up the magic of our wild places. The experience typically lasts 2.5-3 hours and culminates in a tea ceremony with snacks.

What should I bring & wear?

Bring/wear:

  • headlamp or flashlight with a red lens if you have one (we’ll provide extras during the tour if you don’t have one on hand),
  • warm layers,
  • rain protection,
  • full water bottle,
  • close-toed shoes that can get muddy
  • long pants

And an open heart and mind and anything else you need to be comfortable on this short, gentle stroll. Be sure to wear weather-appropriate clothing and remember that layers are your key to comfort. Rain protection is essential. Please remember that temperatures in higher elevations can be significantly lower than in town and rain is always a possibility.

Do I need a bathing suit to participate in Forest Bathing?

Nope! We’ll be immersing ourselves in the restorative forest atmosphere and aren’t bathing in the traditional rubber-ducky-in-the-bathtub sense. Though we highly recommend wearing shoes that you feel comfortable getting muddy, you can otherwise expect not to get wet.

Who is my guide?

Your guide is certified as a forest therapy guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and holds current certifications in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. They look forward to sharing the practice of forest bathing with you! For our current roster of guides, visit our team page.

What is the cancellation policy?

Due to the special nature of this experience, tickets are non-refundable. We plan to hold these walks (light) rain or shine. If AWT cancels due to weather or any other reason, you will be offered a back up tour date or a full refund.

These minimums and policies ensure all experience providers, guides, instructors, etc are paid a living wage for their work. Thank you for your understanding as we strive to remain as flexible as possible.

Can you help with transportation?

You are responsible for getting yourself to/from the meeting point. It is important to note that Uber/Lyft are unreliable in rural areas.

If you do not have transportation, we recommend reaching out to AVL Ride several days in advance of your arrival to pre-arrange round trip transportation.

How difficult is the walking portion of this retreat?

Though we’ll walk less than a mile along a gentle, easy path, please bear in mind that you’ll be navigating the trail at night and will need heightened awareness of roots, uneven terrain, and obstacles. Because of these parameters, this experience is not appropriate for anyone with mobility issues, medical concerns, or injuries.

Can I take photos on this Firefly Tour?

Photography and videography are not allowed during our Firefly Forest Bathing events. Any small light or flash disturbs the fireflies and disrupts the experience for others in your group.

Is this firefly tour family friendly?

Note that this experience lasts until approximately 10:30pm. If this isn’t too late for your littles, we welcome children 12+ for both public and private firefly forest bathing retreats. The Blue Ghost habitat is very fragile so children unfortunately won’t be able to roam freely but must instead stick very close to the group. Please keep this in mind when deciding if this event is right for your family.

Can I bring a pet?

Pets are not allowed on Firefly Forest Bathing tours. Thank you for understanding.

Are firefly sightings guaranteed?

Sadly, nope, we cannot guarantee that the fireflies will show themselves. It’s all up to Mother Nature and the fireflies themselves! To set expectations realistically and prepare ourselves for a lovely adventure, we can say that we are sure to have a magical time experiencing the forest at twilight and we’ll hope to spot fireflies along the way.

Fireflies are sensitive to cold weather and rain which can disrupt viewings. Throw in other elements like other guests, a delay or early onset of “high season”, and other unknowns and we never know for sure what we’ll see. Please bring an open mind and leave expectations behind. We’ll step into the unknown together!

Covid Considerations

Your safety and the safety of our facilitators and community is of the utmost importance. To that end, we’ve taken a close look at our policies and procedures and have updated protocols for each tour, service, and experience we offer.

You can review all of our Covid-19 policies for full details. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have further questions or concerns. We’d love to chat with you!

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