The week runs Sunday to Friday. On arrival day a group transfer picks you up at 3:00pm in Queenstown town centre or 3:30pm at Queenstown International Airport. The drive to the lodge takes about an hour through open South Island countryside. Once you're settled in and have had a walk around the property, the first evening brings a gentle yoga session, a welcome dinner and yoga nidra.

The four full days in the middle follow a fixed rhythm. Jessie's 7am class mixes gentle flowing sequences with breath awareness and longer-held postures, with attention on alignment. After the 9am buffet breakfast and fresh juice, the group heads out at 10am to a different trail each day. Expect lake walks with turquoise water, tracks through native bush, and river valley routes. Lunch is packed sandwiches and trail snacks carried in your daypack. Each hike includes some stretches of walking in silence.

You're home around 4pm with time to shower and rest before the 5:30pm restorative class. This is a slow, floor-based practice with props, and it's very welcome after a day on your feet. Dinner is a warm vegetarian buffet at 7pm, and the day closes at 8:15pm with yoga nidra, pranayama or a guided meditation. Everything is optional. If your legs need a break, you can skip a hike and stay at the lodge, or go into Wanaka town during free time.

The hiking is what makes this different from a typical yoga retreat. Wanaka is close to national parks, glaciers, big lakes and alpine rivers. The trails are chosen so the group can split: some people take the flatter option, while others head up for a steeper mountain section. You don't need to be an experienced tramper to come, just someone who's happy walking for a few hours.

Jessie Chapman leads the yoga and has been teaching since 1997. She's known for her restorative work and is the author of four HarperCollins yoga books, including the bestseller Yoga Postures for Your Body, Mind & Soul. Lee Purdie has worked alongside her since 2006, giving adjustments in class and guiding the hikes with her. On the final morning there's a shorter yoga session and a farewell breakfast, and the transfer leaves the lodge at 9:30am for Queenstown Airport and town centre.

What's included

- 5 nights accommodation at a hilltop lodge near Wanaka - Return group transfers from Queenstown town centre and Queenstown Airport - Morning yoga class daily - Afternoon restorative yoga class daily - Evening yoga nidra, meditation and pranayama - 4 days of guided hiking - Silent walking periods on the hikes - Vegetarian breakfasts and dinners - Packed hiking lunches - All-day fresh fruit, tea, coffee and snacks - Cedar sauna and lake dip session - Yoga props - Free time to visit Wanaka town or rest - Wi-fi, laundry facilities and a drying room

What's not included

- Airfares - Travel insurance - Massages (bookable in-house) - Accommodation in Queenstown or Wanaka before or after the retreat - Personal expenses in Wanaka town

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