Best National Parks Spa Days: Our Top 11 Worldwide

1.National Park Hike & Finnish Smoke Sauna Experience with Campfire Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 182 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $199Our pick

Leave central Helsinki with a guide such as Alex, Jeff, or Didi for a 6-kilometer forest hike near Kuusijärvi and Sipoonkorpi National Park. Eat a Finnish lunch by the fire, then alternate between a wood-fired smoke sauna and a cold lake swim before returning to Helsinki.

“An amazing experience! Helena was a great tour guide. The national park is beautiful that we hiked. Learned a lot about mushrooms. We had a great lunch by a fire pit. Then did the sauna experience.”

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2.2in1: Los Haitises National Park + Yanigua Waterfall-SPA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 97 reviews · from $129

Spend 10 to 11 hours visiting Los Haitises National Park and Yanigua Waterfall from Juan Dolio, Boca Chica, San Pedro, or Santo Domingo. Your guide leads the boat and nature visits, while you swim, try the natural clay spa, taste Dominican cocoa and coffee, and enjoy lunch.

“The guides were very kind amd did a great job making sure that everyone understood what was going on, even with multiple languages in the group”

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3.Hike and Sauna in Sipoonkorpi National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 85 reviews · 6.5 hours · from $194

Join a small group of up to eight from Helsinki for a 6-kilometer guided walk in Sipoonkorpi, a campfire barbecue, and a traditional smoke sauna at Kuusijärvi Lake. Guides such as Alex, Jeff, Ronja, and Helena share local nature and Finnish customs. Towels, sandals, and transport are included.

“Love Didi, she is so warm. And the sauna experience is amazing, we all have fun then”

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4.ZipLine, Horseback Riding, Tubing, Hot Springs & Lunch @ Volcano National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $230

Leave Playa Flamingo at 6:00 am for Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Ride horses through forest, tackle river rapids, eat a Costa Rican buffet, zip across eight canopy lines, then relax in hot springs and volcanic mud. Ronny may guide your day, and hotel transport is included.

“Great day long adventure. The day will proceed as follows: 1. Horse back riding 2. Tubing in the rapids 3. Lunch 4. Zip lining the canopy 5. Hot springs and mud Some hints. You don't need your phone to capture images because they provide photographers for $45. If you deem it truly necessary, bring a waterproof case to carry your phone. Also, try carrying some extra cash with you to give tips into the tip box at the end of each portion. Fun, long day. But, well worth the day away from the beach.”

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5.Bansko: Easy snowshoeing Pirin National Park & thermal spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 19 reviews · 6 hours · from $100Best value

Leave Bansko, Razlog, or Pirin Golf with an English-speaking guide such as Maria or Mari for an easy to moderate snowshoe walk in Pirin National Park. After mountain views and, sometimes, a hut stop, warm up in Banya’s mineral pools. Snowshoes and poles are included, but spa entry and food cost extra.

“The whole experience was perfect from start to finish. We cannot thank Mari enough for the most amazing day. The hike up the mountain was really good fun. We stopped half way on the mountains for some lunch, which was a perfect location with amazing views. We learned lots of facts about the area and its history from Mari, she is extremely knowledgeable and speaks great English. As a group of 4 friends, this was a great activity, which ended at a thermal spa before being dropped back to our hotel. We highly recommend! MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MARI, YOU REALLY MADE THE EXPERIENCE PERFECT FOR US AND WE ALL…”

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6.2in1: Los Haitises National Park + Yanigua Waterfall-SPA

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 1 day · from $125

Spend a full day in the Dominican countryside with guide Henri or Henry, sailing Los Haitises mangroves, viewing Taino cave art, visiting cocoa and coffee plantations, and swimming beneath remote Yanigua Waterfall. Expect a long day, active walking, and several memorable stops.

“très belles visites. notre guide Henri était excellent avec une facilité de donner des explications malgré plusieurs nationalités. lors de ma réservation j'avais une prise en charge a notre hôtel. la veille de l'excursion sultana tour m'a indiqué qu'il n'y avait pas de prise en charge à l'hôtel. après contact téléphonique avec sultana tour j'ai eu la confirmation de la prise en charge a mon hôtel et je les remercie pour leur professionnalisme et réactivité. l'activité au départ de dominicus n'est pas a conseiller départ 6h et retour 21h00 cependant cela reste une très belle excursion”

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7.Private Lappish evening in the wilderness with traditional sauna and dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $593

Leave central Rovaniemi for a private wooden cottage with hosts such as Alex or Tania. Warm up in a wood-fired sauna, try an Arctic lake swim, eat grilled salmon and vegetables, and watch for Northern Lights on evening trips from late October to mid-March.

“My wife and I enjoyed our evening, we were picked up on time and the experience was well organised.”

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8.Nitmiluk National Park & Katherine Hot Springs – Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $429

Leave Darwin at 6:30 am for Nitmiluk National Park, a two-hour cruise through the first two Katherine Gorges, lunch at a local cafe, free time for a lookout or cultural centre, then a soak at Katherine Hot Springs. The group is limited to seven people.

“We had the best day! Our guide was Simon of Tropic Tours. He was an amazingly knowledgeable man on so many topics. There was only 4 of us on the tour. First he drove us to the Daintree Rainforest. We walked into the rainforest (maRead more”

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9.Private Desa Dairy Farm, Kinabalu National Park, Hot Spring & Canopy Walk Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $139

Spend about nine and a half hours with a private English-speaking guide visiting Desa Dairy Farm, a village fish spa, Kinabalu Park, and Poring Hot Springs. Guides such as Nick and Joe can adjust the pace, help with photos, and add local context. Lunch and the canopy fee cost extra.

“Nick was our guide and he was fantastic...good driver, knowledgeable guide and great photographer---taking 85 photos in his own camera and sharing them with us to document the memories. Nobody watched the clock and we all happily went overtime. Whoever takes this tour with Nick will not be disappointed.”

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10.Private Traditional Sauna, Ice Dip and Dinner in the Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $424

Heli of Soma Adventures takes you from Levi to a private wilderness hideout in Lompolo for a traditional sauna, ice dip, lake swim, fishing, canoeing, and a homemade Lappish dinner. Pickup and return are included, and the evening may finish beneath the Northern Lights.

“Helia, what can I say about the warmth and love you gave us by opening your beautiful cozy home to us and our friends. The sauna and ice bath experience was just so amazing. Even our 10 and 11 year olds felt that it was one of the best experiences they had in Finland!! We loved the handmade ginger bread home you gifted our boys and all the stories you told about Lappish culture along with your handmade delicious warm lappish food you served us after the sauna!!! If I ever come back to Lapland, I know who I am visiting for sure ♥️! Soma adventures you guys are truly…”

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11.Hot Springs National Park Self Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.)

This private Shaka Guide tour leads you through Hot Springs National Park by GPS, from Bathhouse Row and Fordyce Museum to mountain overlooks and cold-water fountains. Download the route before you go, then follow automatic narration, directions, music, and history at your own pace.

“I especially liked the way it was tide to the GPS and would always know where we were and comment accordingly . It was hard to get started but once we figured it out it worked really well. We had a great day exploring all the places listed. IT really did help that it always new where we were at. That's more than I can say about my navigation. Thank you for a memorable tour.”

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