Forest Foraging & Elemental Wellness Retreat in Lithuania's Labanoras Forest

You arrive on 30th June 2027 from 4pm, with group transfers from Vilnius airport included. That first evening there's a welcome session by the fire-pit and a tour of the facilities, then dinner and a welcome chat. The retreat wraps up on 4th July with a slow morning, breakfast at 9am and check-out at 10.30am.

A typical day starts with a morning activity — maybe a silent sensory walk, an elemental movement practice or a dip in the lake — followed by a slow breakfast by the water. Then Amber leads a guided foraging and plant identification walk through the forest. You'll be looking for edible mushrooms, bilberries, cranberries and cowberries, which the forest is rich in. Lunch is in the forest. The afternoon is free for a massage, reading, or taking a SUP or row boat out on the lake, before a workshop: herbal tea blending, sauna-hat crafting or shadow drawing. Dinner is by the open fires, and the evening activity might be plant-infused yoga nidra or a deep rest session.

The sauna ritual is a highlight: a traditional three-hour guided session with Master Lukas, moving through the four seasons with oils, scrubs, birch twigs, calming tea, towels and lake dips. It takes place in the white smoke sauna house, which you have use of for two days. There's also a tipi in the heart of the forest used for meditation and plant rituals, and a glass dome for movement and workshops.

What sets this apart is the combination of foraged food, Lithuanian sauna tradition and a group size small enough to fit in three chalets. It's not a fitness bootcamp — the movement is gentle and the focus is on nature, rest and seasonal eating. Charlotte's background in Ayurveda and forest therapy shapes the schedule, while Amber's foraging walks are the practical, hands-on part. The forest itself is home to grey wolves, wood grouse, black grouse, hoopoes, Eurasian eagle-owls, ospreys, mountain hares and stoats, though you're more likely to spot birds and plant life than the larger mammals.

The retreat home is a private recreation complex in Labanoras Forest, made up of the Big Šiaurys (6 bedrooms), Little Šiaurys (4 bedrooms) and Northern House (4 bedrooms). All are wooden chalets with forest views. You'll have exclusive access to the grounds, including outdoor terraces, lake areas with sun-beds, boats and paddleboards. The weather in early July is expected to be in the mid-twenties, with long light-filled days — good for lake dips and eating dinner on the terrace as the sun sets. The venue is set up for all weathers, with dining tables and sun-loungers by the lake and open fires for cooler evenings.

What's included

- 4 nights accommodation in wooden chalets (Big Šiaurys, Little Šiaurys or Northern House) - Group transfers to and from Vilnius airport - 3 daily meals cooked by Šiaurys cooks using local, in-season ingredients - Daily activities with local experts, Amber and Charlotte - Guided foraging and plant identification walk with Amber - Traditional guided 3-hour sauna ritual with Master Lukas (oils, scrubs, birch twigs, tea, towels, lake dips) - Sensory meditation and forest therapy with Charlotte - Deep rest sessions and plant-infused yoga nidra - Herbal and creative workshops (smudge stick making, herbal tea blending, sauna hat crafting) - Use of tipi for meditation and plant rituals - Use of SUPs and row boats on the lake - Use of the white smoke sauna house for 2 days - Exclusive access to the private recreation complex facilities

What's not included

- Flights - Toiletries - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional massages