The World’s Best Ancient Wellness Experiences for Modern Travellers

Many of the world’s best wellness travel destinations draw on centuries of tradition, offering tried and trusted rituals that are perfect for relaxing your body and rejuvenating your soul. Whether you’re drawn to the serenity of a lakeside Finnish sauna or the precise etiquette and traditions of a Japanese onsen, these traditional wellness experiences can serve as the centrepiece for a wellness holiday that’s all about slowing down, stepping away from the everyday and recharging your batteries.

Türkiye: the ritual of the hammam

The Turkish hamman evolved from earlier Roman and Byzantine bathing traditions, where people gathered to bathe, exercise and socialise. The Ottomans evolved this custom to fit Islamic traditions of ritual purification and community life, building many beautiful hammans located near mosques where people gathered to worship and connect.

In modern life, a Turkish bath experience is a spiritually significant ritual for many, however it is also a luxury wellness experience that is open to anyone seeking a few hours of restorative enjoyment.

Good to know before you go:

Expect to spend 1.5 – 3 hours enjoying your hamman experience
Nudity is neither expected or required in most hammans, especially those that are popular with tourists. After removing your clothes, you will wrap yourself in a soft cotton towel known as a peştamal, and you can wear underwear or swimwear underneath if you choose.
hammans are strictly separated by gender, with visitors using separate spaces or different days.
A quiet, restful atmosphere is the hallmark of the hamman, so keep your conversation at a level that matches the tranquillity.
Your hamman experience typically begins in the Hararet: a humid, marble room dominated by an immense, elevated marble slab known as a göbek taşı. You can expect to spend around 15-20 minutes in here, giving your skin time to soften and raise a sweat.
You’ll then be guided to a marble basin where an attendant will pour warm water over you before vigorously scrubbing at your skin with a coarse mitt.
This is followed by a relaxing foam massage with olive oil soap
After being rinsed off with cool water, you’ll change into a dry towel and relax in the cooling room (Soğukluk) for at least 15 minutes, sipping Turkish tea or water while allowing your body temperature to normalise.

Our favourite hamman experiences:

Istanbul is home to spectacular, centuries-old hammams like the immense, domed Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam and the recently restored Hürrem Sultan Hamamı. Set amidst such spectacular architecture and history, the hamman ritual itself is only part of the experience.

Often referred to as ‘the City of Water’, Bursa is located in northwestern Türkiye at the foothills of Mount Uludağ. Built atop natural underground hot springs that are renowned for their mineral-laden thermal waters, the city is home to several beautiful, historic bathhouses that were, in centuries past, patronised by sultans of the Ottoman Empire.

Finland: snow and fire

The modern fascination with saunas and cold plunges hails from Scandinavia, where the tradition has been a popular practice for more than 2000 years. Finnish sauna and cold plunge (avanto) culture was even added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.

The invigorating ritual involves alternately melting into a puddle and then gasping to catch your breath as you move between the sweltering heat of the sauna and the frigid cold of a frozen lake or expanse of snow. It’s a wonderful way to connect with authentic Finnish sauna culture whilst discovering your own sense of sisu (a Finnish term that roughly translates as determination, inner strength or guts).

Good to know before you go:

Nudity is the norm in private or single-gender settings, while swimsuits are frequently worn in public saunas.
Be sure to shower thoroughly before entering the sauna, and bring a small towel to sit on. You should also drink a full glass of water before and after your sauna.
You can increase the amount of steam (löyly) by adding a splash of water to the hot volcanic stones. However, it’s considered poor form to do so without first consulting others in the sauna.
On entering and leaving the sauna, be sure to close the door quickly to preserve the heat and humidity within.
A typical Finnish sauna operates at between 75 and 100 degrees C, so if you’re new to the experience, it’s best to start with short sessions of 5-10 minutes. If you start feeling dizzy or unwell, you should leave the sauna.
In between sauna sessions, it’s traditional to immerse your body in icy water or fresh snow. Focus on controlling your breathing, and again, take a break if you start to feel unwell.

Our favourite avanto experiences:

Set in the heart of Finland’s southern Lakeland region, the city of Tampere styles itself as the world’s sauna capital. As well as being home to Finland’s oldest public sauna still in operation (Rajaportti), the region has nearly 70 public saunas, including options where you can follow the heat with a winter swim.
Modern Helsinki has transformed the traditional sauna into an experience that combines architecture, food and sea swimming. There are dozens of options to choose from, including the stunning seafront location and eco-design of Löyly, the breathtaking island setting of Lonna, and the heart-stopping ferris wheel location of Sky Sauna.
Head north to Finnish Lakeland if you want to experience the ultimate sauna in nature. Picture yourself in a wood-fired sauna, surrounded by snow-clad forest, as you summon the sisu to leap naked into a frozen lake just outside the door. If you’re lucky, your sauna experience may come complete with a light show, courtesy of the Aurora Borealis.

Japan: the ritual of onsen

Thanks to Japan’s volcanic geography, the landscape is studded with thousands of natural hot springs where people have gathered for at least a thousand years. The onsen, or traditional Japanese hot springs, has evolved over the centuries from being centred on healing and religious purification to becoming one of Japan’s most iconic travel experiences.

The qualities of the thermal waters vary depending on the location, ranging from milky and rich in minerals to sparklingly clear and effervescent. The true art of the onsen experience is not just physical relaxation – it’s also about the ritual of switching off and reconnecting with your nature and your sense of self.

Good to know before you go:

In most locations, onsen etiquette requires full nudity and entry may be denied if you have visible tattoos.
Traditional Japanese bathing is segregated into male- and female-only spaces. Look for red curtains or signage marked onna or 女 for women; blue marked otoko or 男 for men.
To protect the delicate tatami flooring, always remove your outdoor footwear and change into the slippers provided.
To ensure that the thermal water remains pristine, you will be expected to wash thoroughly before entering the onsen proper, sitting on small stools and using the soap and water provided.
Ease in slowly, keep your conversation to a quiet level, and allow the warm water to soothe your muscles and quiet your mind. No swimming, no booze, no selfies!

Our favourite onsen experiences:

In the heart of Gunma prefecture, you’ll find the legendary mountain resort of Kusatsu. The town has taken first place among Japan’s Top 100 Onsens every year for more than two decades, but its winning combination of mineral-rich hot springs and historic charm has been luring bathers since at least the seventeenth century. A network of wooden channels convey naturally heated water from the Yubatake (“hot water field”) to the town’s bathhouses and ryokan (inns), where you can bask in the warm water while soaking up panoramic mountain views.

Set on the southern island of Kyushu, the spa resort of Beppu has well over 2000 onsen and other geothermal attractions to explore across eight distinct hot springs districts. You can relax in a steaming pool of hot water, or opt for a less conventional immersion in naturally heated hot sand, mud or steam. The vibrantly coloured waters of the Hells of Beppu (Jigoku Meguri) are too hot for bathing, but are well worth a visit if you’re looking for a thrilling demonstration of the power of Mother Nature.
The island of Shikoku is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, and its oldest city, Matsuyama, has a hot-springs heritage that dates back an estimated three thousand years. You can begin your onsen experience at the elaborate, wooden bathhouse of Dogo Onsen, or you can don your yukata (linen robe) and soak your feet while enjoying the sweeping views from the Sora-no-Sanpomichi (sky promenade and footbath).

Ancient Wellness Experiences Closer to Home

You don’t have to travel far from home to enjoy a wellness retreat inspired by these centuries-old traditions – there are some incredible destinations dedicated to nurturing your health and wellbeing much closer to home.

Daylesford, Victoria: one of Australia’s best known wellness destinations, the region is home to Australia’s largest concentration of natural mineral springs, you can soak in the restorative waters of Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, enjoy Japanese-inspired hospitality at Shizuka Ryokan, or learn about the wellness rituals that are sacred to the local Dja Dja Wurrung people.
Queenstown, New Zealand: this spectacular alpine playground offers a different take on wellness travel. Whether you’re treating tired muscles to a restorative soak in a cedar hot tub overlooking the Shotover Canyon, or awakening body and soul with a sauna/cold plunge combo at a floating sauna on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, the self-styled adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere has a more relaxed side that’s just as much fun as bungy jumping or jet boating.

Ready to relax into wellness travel?

The beauty of these experiences is that they invite us to immerse ourselves in the culture and traditions of the places we visit. If you’re dreaming of a holiday that is both restorative and enriching, talk to your personal travel manager about planning a wellness escape that’s good for your body and soul.

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