Top destinations where yoga travelers will feel right at Om

You don’t need to sign up for a fancy, organized yoga retreat to find your Om while traveling. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced practitioner, these destinations below—a blend of both domestic and international—feature vibrant yoga communities where you’ll find ample opportunity to integrate yoga into a bigger, totally rejuvenating vacation.

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Practicing Yoga at the Beach in Santa Monica, California.

LOS ANGELES

Yoga is like water for most Angelenos: a daily essential. Travelers will find no shortage of studios in LA, with classes sometimes led by the world’s most celebrated yoga teachers and attended by some of the world’s biggest celebrities. Innovative twists on traditional yoga classes abound here (e.g. standup paddleboard yoga, yoga booty ballet, hip-hop yoga), and the amazing year-round climate means you can take your practice outdoors to settings such as Runyon Canyon and Santa Monica Beach. Find hotels such as The Beverly Hills Hotel offering complimentary poolside yoga to guests; or travel beyond the city limits to a wellness resort such as Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, which features a robust yoga class schedule.

UBUD, BALI

Long before “Eat Pray Love” inspired many to make the journey to Bali, it was an oasis for healing centers and yoga studios. The town of Ubud, specifically, continues to draw yogis from around the world, especially during the BaliSpirit Festival (April). Combine lush jungle views with an eclectic assortment of drop-in classes at one of the most popular yoga centers on the island, The Yoga Barn. Classes include gentle yoga, power yoga, acro yoga and Thai yoga massage.

RISHIKESH, INDIA

India is the birthplace of yoga, so we’d be remiss to not include it on this list. Rishikesh, a colorful town at the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India—where cows and monkeys sometimes seem to outnumber humans—offers a plethora of yoga studios and retreat centers. For instance, daily classes are offered at Yoga Vini to World Peace Yoga School. Or, practice yoga with views of the holy Ganges River at hotels such as Raga on the Ganges.

NEW YORK CITY, USA

The City That Never Sleeps should be called The City That LOVES Yoga. Every block of the Big Apple seems to boast a yoga studio. Because New York City offers a ubiquitous assortment of styles and studios—from Jivamukti, one of the oldest yoga studios in the country, to Om Factory, where aerial yoga is popular—it’s easy to include a different studio each day of your trip. Plus, it’s a relaxing way to either begin or end a full day of sightseeing. Don’t care to sport your yoga pants outside of the hotel? The Peninsula New York offers onsite classes for guests.

Photo courtesy

NOSARA, COSTA RICA

Far, far away from the city hustle and bustle, Nosara is a tranquil spot on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. You need to travel dirt-paved roads to get to this vibrant expat community, but the effort is well worth it. Find yoga bliss in open-air studios surrounded by panoramic views of the ocean and jungle, with monkeys and tropical birds providing the soundscape. Popular hotels offering yoga classes and retreats include Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort and Costa Rica Yoga Spa.

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SEDONA, ARIZONA

This epicenter for New Age everything boasts a truly unique offering: vortex yoga hikes, where you can Om atop legendary energetic sites within the stunning Red Rock landscape. While many Sedona hotels such as Kimpton Amara Resort & Spa and L’Auberge de Sedona offer onsite yoga classes to guests, it’s also easy to DIY with classes at popular studios such as 7 Centers Yoga Arts.

DENVER

Denver is consistently ranked as one of the most health-conscious cities in the U.S., so it should come as no surprise that it embraces yoga. Weave daily classes into your Mile High itinerary at studios such as Kindness Yoga, or score a ticket to the insanely popular Yoga on the Rocks event, where you can flow at the awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheatre in summer months.

Photo courtesy of Be Tulum

TULUM, MEXICO

Hugged by lush jungle and the Caribbean Sea, Tulum is a laid-back sanctuary along the Riviera Maya. The tranquil setting makes it a nurturing one in which to practice yoga—even for those who’ve never tried it before. Find pampered R&R and plenty of yoga offerings (as well as intriguing Mayan-inspired spa treatments and ceremonies) at the heavenly Maya Tulum Resort and Be Tulum, which offers treetop yoga at its onsite wellness spa.

SAN FRANCISCO

As soon as you step off the plane in San Francisco, you have the option to practice yoga: It’s home to the world’s first airport yoga room. With local tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Twitter offering free yoga to its employees, the public offerings run deep in this city. Among them: The highly regarded Yoga Tree offers more than 350 classes across its neighborhood studios. You’ll also find plenty of outdoor opportunities in parks across the city, including hiking yoga classes that offer sweeping views of the Bay. Forget your mat? Kimpton Sir Francis Drake Hotel can help: It includes one in every room.

KOH PHAGNAN, THAILAND

Yoga in a far-away island paradise? Yes, please. Most of the islands of Thailand have a lovely assortment of open-air yoga shalas offering daily classes for travelers and locals alike, but Koh Phagnan is home to a welcoming yoga scene that includes the headquarters of Agama Yoga, as well as The Sanctuary Thailand, a beachfront resort renowned for its yoga and detox programs.

Tagged: Asia, Bali, California, Colorado, Denver, Hawaii, India, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Southwest, Thailand