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California · 2026–2027
Best Women’s Retreats in California, 2026–2027
In September 2026 I took a group of women to Mount Shasta. California has more retreats than I could visit in a year, so this list keeps the women's retreats that have run before and have new dates, each with a link to its organizer.
How we choose
6 rules a retreat has to meet
The California list runs from Big Sur to the Joshua Tree desert, and Mount Shasta has no retreat yet that meets all 6. How we rank
Any California organizer on the list can place the badge on its site. Badge and code
- A women's retreat that has run
- A living leader with a name
- An open price
- Reviews you can read
- The place in photos
- Spiritual work in the program
The 2026–2027 list
Who is on the list
Big Sur, California
Esalen Institute
A Women's Third Rite of Passage
- Leads
- Jovinna Chan
- Dates
- Mar 19–21, 2027
- Price
- $595–2,375 weekend, 2 nights
A weekend on the Big Sur cliffs, with the hot springs open day and night.
esalen.orgWoodacre, California
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Rest, Renewal, and Liberation
- Leads
- Erin Selover, Kate Johnson, Victoria Cary, Erin Treat
- Dates
- Sep 20–26, 2027
- Price
- $1,500–3,750 6 nights
A women's meditation retreat in silence in Marin County. The price is a sliding scale.
spiritrock.orgScotts Valley, California
1440 Multiversity
Love Mama Grief Retreat
- Leads
- Laura Berman
- Dates
- Jun 2–6, 2027
- Price
- $3,300 5 days, 4 nights, plus tax
For mothers who have lost a child, on the 1440 campus.
1440.orgYucca Valley, California
Wildlight Wellness
ILLUMINATE Joshua Tree
- Leads
- Angie Corogin
- Dates
- Jan 19–24, 2027Feb 16–21, 2027
- Price
- $2,900–3,400 6 days, 5 nights
A villa in the high desert, a hike in Joshua Tree National Park.
wildlightwellness.comSoquel, California
Road Scholar
Rejuvenation Retreat for Women
- Leads
- Breige Gormley Walbridge
- Dates
- Mar 22–25, 2027Apr 12–16, 2027
- Price
- $1,049–1,719 4 or 5 days
At Land of Medicine Buddha, a Buddhist center in the hills above Soquel. 12 vegetarian meals.
roadscholar.orgJoshua Tree, California
Whole YOU Retreats
Awaken, Align, Ascend
- Leads
- Brenda Ridgley, Stacey Stedman, Renea Skelton
- Dates
- Apr 18–21, 2027
- Price
- $1,797–2,197 4 days, 3 nights
A villa in the desert, a walk through the labyrinth and a fire circle.
wholeyou-niverse.comJoshua Tree, California
Riley Murtha
Love Yourself Unconditionally
- Leads
- Riley Murtha
- Dates
- Feb 12–15, 2027
- Price
- CA$2,499 4 days, 3 nights, plus 12% tax
Her women's retreats have run in Canada, and this is her first one in Joshua Tree.
coaching.rileymurtha.comRetreat Curator is this site’s own project
Our retreat here
Mount Shasta, September 1–5, 2026
Our retreat at the foot of Mount Shasta has already taken place. Its page stays on the site as the record of those 5 days.
The next retreat — Miami, Florida, April 2027.
Questions
What people ask before they go
Which part of California should a first timer pick?
Decide by what you want the silence to sound like. Ocean and cliffs mean Big Sur or the Marin headlands north of San Francisco, dramatic and damp. Desert quiet and star fields mean the Joshua Tree area, cheap and stark. Soft warm valley calm with citrus and mountains means Ojai, an easy drive from Los Angeles and the gentlest of the three.
Is wildfire smoke a real risk for my dates?
It is a real and increasing one from roughly July through October, and it is unpredictable: a fire two hundred miles away can grey out a valley for days. Nothing about it is a reason to avoid the state, but it is a reason to buy flexible bookings for autumn dates, to check an air quality map the week before, and to carry a mask.
Do I need a car here?
For the coast and the desert, yes, without much argument. Big Sur has one road, no transit and long gaps between fuel stops, and the high desert is the same story with worse phone signal. The exceptions are the Bay Area and central Los Angeles, where you can manage on trains and rideshares. Check whether your stay includes airport pickup before booking a rental.
Where next
Before you choose
Other 2026–2027 lists