My Women’s Adventure Retreat Guide: What They Are, What Is Included, How to Join

A women’s adventure retreat with me is a small group of women, a house somewhere worth waking up in, and six days that are half outdoors and half creative. I host them, I co-create the itinerary, and I photograph the whole thing, so everyone goes home with real pictures of themselves instead of the usual three blurry phone shots. Two trips are open right now: Joshua Tree in October 2026, and Iceland in July 2027 with nine spaces.

People ask me a lot of the same questions before they book, and most of them come down to “will I be the odd one out.” So here is the whole thing written down.

What a women’s adventure retreat with me actually is

Small. That is the main thing. Iceland 2027 is nine women plus me, which is roughly the size where a group still eats dinner as one conversation instead of splitting into cliques at opposite ends of a table.

The days are built around being outside and making something. In Iceland that means waterfalls, a glacier lagoon, black sand, and photo sessions along the way. In Joshua Tree it means clay, natural pigment watercolor, sun printing, writing, hikes in the park, and nightly circles under a sky with no light pollution in it.

What it is not: a workshop you have to keep up with, a yoga certification, or a trip where somebody hands you a schedule at 6am. There is a plan, and there is also permission to skip the morning and read on the porch.

Who these are for

Women, most often traveling on their own. No photography experience needed, and no camera needed either, because I am the one shooting. The fitness level is medium. Days usually include moderate movement such as yoga and intermediate hikes, and every trip has had a range of ages on it.

The single most common thing I hear beforehand is some version of “I have never done anything like this by myself.” Most people arrive not knowing anyone. That is normal, and it is honestly half of why the group bonds the way it does.

What a day looks like

Iceland, July 2027, runs like this:

• Day 1. Land at Keflavik, drive out, settle into the coastal house.
• Day 2. South coast waterfalls, then the airplane wreck on the black sand.
• Day 3. Diamond Beach and a boat tour on the glacier lagoon.
• Day 4. A midnight sun hike and photo sessions.
• Day 5. Drive to Reykjavik, Blue Lagoon.
• Day 6. City time, then departures.

Joshua Tree, October 2026, is less about driving and more about staying put. Two meals a day plus snacks and a stocked kitchen, a daily workshop, hikes and park entry, nightly circles, stargazing, an optional photoshoot, and a somatic movement session led by local somatic teacher Bree VanZutphen. The workshops rotate through clay sculpting, natural pigment watercolor painting, sun printing, writing, photography, meditation, yoga and oracle readings.

Joshua Tree, October 15 to 20, 2026

Five nights on a retreat property in Joshua Tree, California. Three ways to sleep, three prices:

• Glamping tent: $2,400, or 6 payments of $400. Shared with one other person, twin beds, air conditioning and heat.
• Shared cabin room: $3,000, or 6 payments of $500. Queen bed, shared with two others.
• Solo cabin room: $3,600, or 6 payments of $600. Private room, queen bed, shared bathrooms.

Included: five nights of lodging on the property, two meals a day plus snacks, drinks and a stocked kitchen, daily workshops, transportation, all art materials, park entrance and guided hikes, nightly circles, stargazing, an optional photoshoot, and the somatic movement session with Bree VanZutphen.

The park itself is worth reading up on before you come. Joshua Tree National Park sits where two deserts meet, and October is the month it stops being punishing and starts being perfect.

Iceland, July 22 to 27, 2027

• Cost: $3,500 per person, or 10 payments of $350. If that schedule does not work, ask, I can usually flex it.
• Group size: 9 spaces, 10 of us including me.
• Arrival: Keflavik Airport, KEF.

Included: five nights of lodging (four at the coastal house, one in Reykjavik suites), most meals on the coast, every activity including the glacier lagoon boat tour, the Blue Lagoon, the waterfalls, the plane wreck walk and the hikes, guided photo sessions and your own image gallery afterwards, ground transport within Iceland, and me running the whole thing.

Not included: flights to and from Keflavik, travel insurance, and some meals in Reykjavik.

July means the midnight sun, which is the actual reason for those dates. Visit Iceland is a decent starting point if you want to tack days on either end, and several women do.

How to join

Send me a note through the contact page saying which trip and, if it is Joshua Tree, which room. I will tell you what is still open. Once you are in you get added to the group text, and you get packing lists and an app with the details on it, so you are not guessing about boots in the weeks beforehand.

The small groups are the reason I say book earlier rather than later. Nine spaces goes faster than you would think for a trip two years out.

Where I have taken groups before

• Iceland, 2025
• Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole
• Iceland, the first one
• The Joshua Tree desert artist retreat
• A women’s circle retreat in the PNW
• All of the retreats, in one place

Booking pages for the two upcoming trips: Joshua Tree 2026 and Iceland 2027.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in a women’s adventure retreat with you?

It varies by trip. Joshua Tree in October 2026 includes five nights of lodging on the retreat property, two meals a day plus snacks, drinks and a stocked kitchen, daily workshops, transportation, art materials, park entrance and guided hikes, nightly circles, stargazing, an optional photoshoot, and a somatic movement session. Iceland in July 2027 includes five nights of lodging, most meals on the coast, all activities including the glacier lagoon boat tour and the Blue Lagoon, guided photo sessions with your own image gallery, and ground transport within Iceland.

How much does one of your women’s retreats cost?

Joshua Tree, October 15 to 20 2026, is $2,400 for a glamping tent, $3,000 for a shared cabin room, or $3,600 for a solo cabin room, each available as six equal payments. Iceland, July 22 to 27 2027, is $3,500 per person, available as ten payments of $350. Retreat pricing starts at $2,400 and varies with the location. Scholarships are available, so ask if cost is the thing stopping you.

How many women come on each retreat?

They are deliberately small. Iceland 2027 has nine spaces, ten of us including me. Joshua Tree is similarly small and split across glamping tents and cabin rooms.

Do I need photography experience or a good camera?

No to both. I am the photographer on every trip, so you do not need to bring a camera or know how to use one. You go home with a gallery of real images of yourself. If you do want to learn, photography is one of the workshops.

Can I come on my own if I do not know anyone?

Yes, and most women do exactly that. Solo travelers are the norm rather than the exception on these trips. The group size is small enough that everyone is eating together and talking by the first evening.

How fit do I need to be?

Medium. Days usually include moderate movement such as yoga and intermediate hikes. The hikes are chosen so that everyone can do them, and skipping an activity to stay at the house is always an option. If you are worried about a specific limitation, tell me before you book and I will give you a straight answer about whether the trip works for you.

Thinking about coming?

If you have been reading retreat pages for a year without booking one, this is your sign to just ask. Tell me which trip you are drawn to and what is making you hesitate, and I will answer honestly, including if I think a different trip suits you better.

Ask me about joining a women’s retreat