Whether you want to hide away in an off-grid cabin and soak in an outdoor hot tub or lap up luxury accommodation while expert spa therapists work their magic, there are plenty of wellness stays to choose from all across New South Wales. From indulgent spa treatments in some of Sydney’s finest hotels to forest bathing in the Blue Mountains and crystal healing in Byron Bay, here are just some of the many ways you can restore your sense of wellbeing as you roam across the state.

Seek out sanctuaries in Sydney and surrounds

You’ve drawn on Sydney’s boundless energy, breathed in the saltwater air and felt the sun warm your face as you explored the beautiful natural harbour. Now it’s time to head back to your centrally located hotel to prepare for a treatment that will leave you feeling refreshed and raring to see more of the city. 

Stay at Capella Sydney, occupying a handsome, heritage-listed sandstone building in Sydney’s financial district, for easy access to the hotel’s serene Auriga Spa. Head up to the spa well before your session to stretch out in the heavenly swimming pool illuminated by a bank of ‘sky lantern’ light wells. Then ease into one of the spa’s offerings harnessing the restorative properties of Australian botanicals, such as the 90-minute Connect to Country treatment, which also employs healing stones gathered from across the country with permission from Indigenous Elders.

Check into your luxe room at The Langham, Sydney, in the city centre between The Rocks and Barangaroo, slip into a bathrobe and enter a sublime subterranean world of wellness at its basement-level Day Spa by Chuan. Lie back and relax as key meridian points are massaged during a Chuan Yu Facial, or unwind with a hot-stone massage with oils representing the five traditional Chinese elements. And linger after your treatment to take a dip in the Langham’s astonishing indoor swimming pool beneath a star-speckled dome ceiling.

Then strike out towards the Blue Mountains to recharge amid spectacular bushland. Attune your breathing to the swaying of the towering eucalyptus trees right outside your treatment room at Spa Anise, at the exclusive Spicers Sangoma Retreat in the Hawkesbury, around an 80-minute drive northwest of Sydney. 

Strengthen your bond with your partner during a four-hour Sublime Connection couples’ treatment at Ubika Day Spa at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains MGallery, outside of the Blue Mountains town of Leura. Or recover from an epic hike along the Grand Cliff Top Walk, which runs through the grounds of the resort on its way from Katoomba to Wentworth Falls, with a focussed massage during a Detox Ritual treatment.

Embrace the majesty of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park with forest bathing therapy at Chalets at Blackheath, or simply book an in-room massage at your luxury chalet after a day of bushwalking. 

Unwind at your leisure out west

Enjoy the best of both worlds when you combine wellness treatments with wine tastings in Mudgee, around a 3.5-hour drive northwest of Sydney or a two-hour drive from the Blue Mountains. 

Settle into one of Sierra Escape’s luxe eco-tents, set in the hills 20 minutes outside of town, and synch your body clock to a slower way of living. Spend blissful hours soaking in your outdoor bathtub before a local yoga instructor arrives to guide you through a private class, or simply stretch out in the comfort of your glamping tent as you enjoy an energy healing massage courtesy of a Mudgee masseuse. 

Take a room at The Clairfield Hotel on the edge of Mudgee town and while away lazy days relaxing by the chic Palm Springs-style pool and savouring farm-to-table dining at the hotel’s Gigi’s restaurant between spa sessions at the on-site Jila Wellness. Boost your metabolism and detox in a private infrared sauna space, or drift off into a calm, meditative state over the course of a dreamy hour in a private float room filled with magnesium-rich water.

Reconnect with the land and your companions during a stay at Budgalong Lodge, near the Great Western Plains town of Wellington, less than an hour’s drive from Mudgee. Choose between a pair of two-bedroom tented camps affording incredible bushwalking and birdwatching opportunities, and book in private yoga and meditation sessions to completely reset and recharge during an unforgettable stay.

Be soothed by the coast south of Sydney 

While you’ll find solace in the NSW South Coast’s incredible natural beauty at any time of the year, you can also transform a journey down south with a revitalising wellness experience. 

Settle into the serene rhythm of days spent in yoga classes and healing workshops, swimming at nearby beaches and exploring the fringes of the Royal National Park, all while replenishing energy levels with vegan buffet-style meals, at Heart and Soul Retreats in Otford, around 75 minutes by train or car from central Sydney.

Opt for a Relaxation Package at Bay and Bush Jervis Bay, a tranquil nature retreat abutting a bushland reserve in Jervis Bay, and you’ll enjoy access to a wellness program featuring yoga classes as well as an included spa treatment as you decompress in a secluded cottage or safari tent. 

Head a little further south, check into Bannisters by the Sea in the beachside town of Mollymook, and prepare to be pampered with a Soul Escape or a Seeking Serenity full-body massage at the resort’s Spa by the Sea. Make the most of your stay by booking a Spa Retreat room, choosing between a double spa bath on your ocean-front balcony or one placed deeper inside your room for the ultimate couple’s getaway.

Nourish your soul on the way to Byron Bay

Heading north from Sydney, you’ll be spoilt for choice of welcoming stays offering wellness experiences. Begin a northern odyssey at the Central Coast’s Bells at Killcare boutique hotel, where you can retreat to a Hamptons-style cottage after enjoying a Bouddi Signature Massage inspired by traditional Australian Aboriginal techniques at Bells Day Spa.

Surrender to an inclusive wellness retreat, such as the three-night Motivate for Change program or the four-night Inspire Change program, at the Elysia Wellness Retreat in Pokolbin, in the heart of Hunter Valley’s wine country. 

Then buckle in for the drive up the coast to Byron Bay, where you’ll be spoilt for choice of places to check in and have your chakras balanced. Set the mood for your stay in NSW’s wellness capital by arranging a Curative Crystalus Massage, a meditative treatment using warmed Australian healing stones, or a Muscle Meltdown full-body massage at Crystalbrook Byron’s Eléme Day Spa. 

Embrace the counterculture vibe with a five-night or seven-night residential retreat at Byron Yoga Centre, or go for the bed-and-breakfast package and add on yoga, massage and sauna sessions.

Venture into Byron’s hinterland and lose yourself in a retreat at BlueGreen Sanctuary near Newrybar. Press pause on your busy thoughts during mindfulness retreat, or restore your inner strength during a yoga or Pilates retreat, all while enjoying luxury accommodation and organic farm-to-table fare. 

Or continue another 10 minutes beyond Newrybar to find your balance at the internationally acclaimed Gaia Retreat and Spa, which offers a comprehensive range of retreat packages. Choose from four signature stays – Revive, Renew, Refresh and Restore – or tailor a program to your needs as you take advantage of Gaia’s yoga studio, Pilates activities, heated magnesium pool, and detoxifying sauna and spa.

Slow down in the southwest of the state

Feel your worries, and any muscle knots, melt away as you soak in an outdoor hot tub at hideaways across the Snowy Mountains and the Riverina region. Pair up with some friends and book both the 1890s railroad cottage and the studio house on offer at Hollyberry House in the former gold rush town of Cooma for exclusive use of an infrared sauna, hot tub and outdoor shower. (Or make new friends as you share the sauna and hot tub with the other guests.)

Get a taste of old-school farm life when you settle into the two-bedroom Kallarroo Cottage at Kallarroo Farmstay outside of Cooma. Work up a sweat exploring a sprawling property encompassing around 400 hectares of native forest and grazing land, then soothe aching leg muscles as you take in sweeping views in the cottage’s divine outdoor wood-fired hot tub. 

Head into Kosciuszko National Park to stay in the off-grid Mill Cabin, a striking granite-rock cabin with bespoke Australian hardwood cabinetry, in Crackenback. Lay the supplied yoga mat – and bolsters, blocks and rollers – on the deck for a serene yoga session before hiking the national park and finishing off a perfect day with a long soak in the Japanese-inspired cedar outdoor bathtub. 

Take your pick of three EcoHuts at Kimo Estate outside of Gundagai – each hillside hut has its own private wood-fired hot tub with sweeping views of the working farm. Or turn out the lights and hop into the outdoor tub at the off-grid Kestrel Nest Eco Hut, around a 40-minute drive southwest of Gundagai, and enjoy a gallery of galaxies so unsullied it has earnt the stay the honour of being Australia’s first Dark Sky Approved Lodging.