6-Day Yoga and Hiking Retreat in Bright, Victoria

The retreat is based in Bright, a town on the Ovens River at the foot of the Victorian Alps. The walking here is the reason people come: the trails around Bright range from easy riverside paths through the valley to longer climbs up towards Mount Buffalo and the Alpine National Park. Guided hikes are led by someone who knows these tracks, and the group walks at a pace everyone can hold — around five to six hours of moving time on a full hiking day. Expect eucalyptus forest, granite outcrops, valley lookouts and, depending on the season, wildflowers or autumn colour.

Yoga is scheduled twice daily. The morning class is the more active one — a vinyasa-style flow to loosen up before heading out on the trail. The afternoon or early evening class is slower: yin, restorative and gentle work, often held on the deck or in the garden when it's warm enough. Classes are suitable for beginners and for people who already practise, since the teacher offers variations for both. If you have an injury or a stiff back, say so on the first day and the sequences get adapted around it.

The rest of the day is unstructured. Bright has cafés, a couple of good bakeries and the Ovens River running through the middle of town, so wandering in for a coffee takes fifteen minutes. People often swim at one of the local waterholes in summer or just read on the verandah. There's a rest afternoon built into the middle of the week — no hike, no second class — which is deliberate, because six days of daily walking catches up with you otherwise.

The food is vegetarian and prepared by the hosts. Breakfast is a spread of fruit, yoghurt, muesli and something cooked. Lunch is usually packed for the trail on hiking days — wraps, salads, fruit, nuts. Dinner is a cooked main plus sides, eaten together at a long table. Dietary requirements, including vegan and gluten-free, are handled if you tell them at the time of booking rather than on arrival.

Maximum group size is ten. That matters more than it sounds: with ten people, the teacher can watch everyone in a class, and on the trail the group doesn't string out over half a kilometre. It also means the kitchen and the shared spaces stay calm. Most guests are solo travellers in their thirties to fifties, with a few couples and pairs of friends. The retreat runs on set dates through the year rather than on demand.

What's included

- 5 nights accommodation in Bright - Daily vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner - Twice-daily yoga classes with a qualified teacher - Guided hikes each hiking day (approx. 5-6 hours walking) - Yoga mats, blocks, straps and bolsters - Packed trail lunches on hiking days - Maximum group size of 10

What's not included

- Travel to and from Bright - Travel insurance - Personal expenses and café meals in town - Massage and other treatments booked locally - Alcohol - Hiking boots and personal walking gear