Italy's yoga retreats are lifestyle holidays first and practice intensives second. A typical day starts with a morning class, then breakfast, then free time or an excursion, then sometimes an evening session. Guests who want five hours of yoga a day and rigorous philosophical study will find these programmes light. Guests who want to practise in the morning and spend the afternoon in a hill town will find them about right.

The range of programmes is wide. In Sora, Lazio, one host runs a whole family of holidays from the same farm base: a 6-day yoga holiday in the Abruzzi National Park, a 4-day lake swimming and yoga break, a 4-day yoga and hiking trip, a 5-day yoga and horseback holiday, a 7-day yoga and dark retreat, a 6-day yoga and permaculture class, and an 8-day yoga holiday with an overnight hike. The farm cooks its own food and runs permaculture classes.

In Tuscany, options include a 4-day yoga and multisport holiday in Cavriglia, a 4-day custom relax yoga and outdoor retreat in Capalbio, a 4-day yoga and soul journey in the medieval village of Lajatico, a 5-day e-bike tour and yoga holiday, a 7-day trekking and yoga week in the Dolomites with a mountain guide, and a 6-day Christmas yoga retreat in the Province of Grosseto. Sicily has a 5-day balance, cacao, workshop and SUP yoga retreat in Marsala and a longer 7-day version with massage and art workshops.

Elsewhere there is aerial yoga and Pilates in Amelia, Umbria; a silent retreat in Piedmont; an 8-day silent retreat with spa in Sardinia; a private city detox retreat at Lake Como; a women's ski and yoga week in Pila, Aosta Valley; beach yoga with Ayurvedic massage in Misano Adriatico; and cooking retreats in Puglia. Several hosts teach in English, with some instruction also available in German, Spanish and French.

Prices on the listings start at €280 and run up to €29,697 for the longest and most luxurious options. Most 4 to 6 day programmes sit between roughly €319 and €900, with mid-range private-room options from about €900 to €1,800 and luxury villa weeks above that.

What's included

- Accommodation for the length of the programme (private or shared, depending on the listing) - Daily yoga sessions, usually one or two per day - Meals as specified on the individual listing (many include breakfast, lunch and dinner) - Scheduled excursions and activities named on the listing (hiking, cycling, cooking classes, market visits, horse riding, lake swimming, SUP, e-bike tours) - Use of the property's yoga space and grounds - Some listings include airport pickup

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Airport transfers unless the listing states otherwise - Personal expenses - Optional spa treatments and massages unless listed as included - Wine and drinks unless the listing states otherwise - Excursions not named on the listing

More wellness retreats in Italy