Forest bathing… the newest travel trend

Luxury has changed… There was a time when it was defined by private jets, infinity pools overlooking turquoise seas, Michelin-starred dinners and extravagant penthouses perched high above glittering skylines. Today, the world’s most discerning travellers are seeking something altogether different. They aren’t chasing excess. They’re searching for stillness.

At TheGlitz, I’ve had the privilege of travelling across continents, discovering extraordinary destinations, breathtaking hotels and unforgettable experiences. Yet, every once in a while, a travel trend emerges that feels far deeper than luxury… it feels transformational. As someone who has spent decades exploring the world and telling its stories, I, Sumita Chakraborty, Founder & Editor-in-chief, TheGlitz, believe Forest Bathing isn’t just another wellness trend; it’s an invitation to reconnect with ourselves through the quiet, restorative power of nature.

Welcome to Forest Bathing. Known as Shinrin-yoku in Japan, Forest Bathing isn’t about hiking, trekking or conquering mountain trails. It is the gentle art of immersing yourself in nature, slowing your pace, breathing deeply and allowing the forest to awaken every one of your senses. There are no finish lines, no fitness trackers and no itineraries. Only birdsong, filtered sunlight, fragrant pine, rustling leaves and the remarkable feeling of simply being present… perhaps the greatest luxury of our times.

Forest Bathing – The Science of Slowing Down

Long before wellness became fashionable, the Japanese recognised forests as living sanctuaries. In the early 1980s, Japan officially introduced Shinrin-yoku as part of preventive healthcare. Decades later, scientific research continues to validate what nature lovers have always known. Studies suggest that spending mindful time among trees can lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, decrease blood pressure and even strengthen the immune system through exposure to natural compounds known as phytoncides… aromatic oils released by trees.

Luxury wellness brands around the world have embraced the practice not as another spa treatment but as a philosophy of living. …Because sometimes, healing doesn’t come from another appointment. It comes from listening to the trees, the wind and nature

Japan: Where Forest Bathing Was Born

No destination embodies Forest Bathing quite like Japan. Nestled in Nagano Prefecture, Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest is widely regarded as the birthplace of Shinrin-yoku. Towering Japanese cypress trees, crystal-clear streams and ancient walking paths create an atmosphere of profound tranquillity. Guided forest therapy sessions encourage visitors to pause frequently, touch the bark of centuries-old trees, inhale their distinctive fragrance and experience nature with complete mindfulness.

Further south lies Yakushima Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose mystical cedar forests are believed to have inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. Some of the island’s magnificent cedar trees are over 2,000 years old, creating landscapes that feel almost mythical.

Luxury travellers often pair these experiences with stays at Hoshinoya Karuizawa, where riverside villas, hot springs and guided forest walks redefine modern wellness, or Aman Kyoto, where quiet gardens and nearby woodland trails offer moments of rare serenity. In Japan, forests are not simply landscapes. They are sacred companions.

Norway: Where Silence Becomes the Destination

Norway has perfected the art of slow living. Beyond its dramatic fjords lies an equally enchanting world of forests, where silence is treated almost like a national treasure.

Just outside Oslo, Nordmarka Forest stretches across thousands of hectares of pristine woodland. Locals come here year-round… not to escape life, but to reconnect with it. Walking beneath towering spruce and pine trees, accompanied only by birdsong and the occasional rustle of wildlife, becomes an experience of quiet introspection.

Further west, the forests surrounding Hardangerfjord and Geirangerfjord combine dramatic mountain scenery with peaceful woodland trails. Every turn reveals waterfalls tumbling into emerald valleys, making even a leisurely walk feel cinematic.

For travellers seeking understated Scandinavian luxury, Storfjord Hotel offers handcrafted timber lodges surrounded by forests, while Fjellro Turisthotell near the Sunnmøre Alps invites guests to experience Norway’s natural beauty at an unhurried pace.

In Norway, luxury isn’t loud. It’s the extraordinary privilege of hearing absolutely nothing at all.

Switzerland: Where Alpine Forests Heal the Soul

Most travellers visit Switzerland for its snow-covered peaks. Those who linger discover something even more magical. Beneath those iconic mountains lie magnificent forests where Alpine wellness takes on an entirely new meaning.

The forests surrounding Sils Maria in the Engadin Valley have inspired philosophers, writers and artists for generations. Walking beneath fragrant larch and pine trees with panoramic views of shimmering lakes creates an overwhelming sense of calm that no luxury spa can replicate.

Another remarkable destination is the Aletsch Forest, bordering Europe’s largest glacier. Here, ancient Swiss stone pines… some nearly a thousand years old… stand silently overlooking dramatic alpine landscapes, offering one of Europe’s most extraordinary Forest Bathing experiences.

Luxury seamlessly blends with nature at The Chedi Andermatt, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, renowned for its thermal wellness experiences, and the iconic Bürgenstock Resort, perched above Lake Lucerne with direct access to spectacular woodland trails.

Perhaps Switzerland’s greatest gift isn’t simply its scenery. It’s the rare feeling that every deep breath somehow makes the world feel lighter.

Finland: Where Happiness Grows Among the Trees

If there is one country that truly understands the healing power of nature, it is Finland. Repeatedly ranked as the world’s happiest nation, Finland attributes much of its wellbeing to its deep relationship with forests. With nearly 75 per cent of the country covered in woodland, nature is not a weekend escape… it is a way of life.

Nuuksio National Park, less than an hour from Helsinki, offers peaceful trails winding through ancient spruce forests, sparkling lakes and moss-covered landscapes where silence becomes almost tangible. Further north, Finnish Lakeland unfolds into a breathtaking mosaic of forests and more than 180,000 lakes, inviting visitors to kayak, meditate or simply wander without purpose.

Luxury meets wilderness at Arctic TreeHouse Hotel in Rovaniemi, where contemporary Scandinavian suites are nestled within pine forests, and at Haltia Lake Lodge, where guided forest bathing, lakeside saunas and mindful nature walks create deeply restorative experiences.

The Finnish have a beautiful belief: nature doesn’t ask anything of you… it simply welcomes you.

Canada: Where Wilderness Becomes Wellness

Canada’s forests are magnificent in both scale and spirit. Stretching across millions of hectares, they remind travellers just how small… and wonderfully insignificant… we can feel in nature’s presence.

On Vancouver Island, the ancient rainforests of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve are alive with towering Sitka spruce, western red cedars and fern-covered trails that seem untouched by time. Meanwhile, British Columbia’s legendary Great Bear Rainforest, one of the largest temperate rainforests on Earth, offers an almost spiritual encounter with pristine wilderness.

In Alberta, Banff National Park presents another side of forest bathing. Pine forests, turquoise lakes and snow-dusted peaks create an extraordinary landscape where mindful walks effortlessly become moments of awe.

For those seeking luxury immersed in nature, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge offers safari-style elegance amid ancient forests, while Fairmont Banff Springs combines timeless hospitality with direct access to some of Canada’s most spectacular woodland trails.

Here, nature doesn’t merely surround you… It embraces you.

Scotland: Ancient Forests, Timeless Legends

Few landscapes evoke mystery quite like Scotland. Its forests carry centuries of folklore, whispered legends and rugged beauty that invite travellers to slow down and listen.

The enchanting woodlands of The Hermitage in Perthshire, filled with towering Douglas firs and dramatic waterfalls, create one of Scotland’s most atmospheric forest experiences. Equally captivating is Cairngorms National Park, where ancient Caledonian pine forests stretch beneath vast Highland skies.

Luxury finds its place here too. The iconic Fife Arms in Braemar beautifully combines art, heritage and Highland charm, while Gleneagles offers elegant country living surrounded by forests, gardens and endless walking trails.

Scotland reminds us that every forest tells a story. You simply have to be still enough to hear it.

India: Rediscovering Nature Through Ancient Wisdom

And can India, one of the world’s oldest civilizations be far behind? Definitely, not! One doesn’t always need to travel halfway across the world to experience Forest Bathing. India has quietly nurtured this philosophy for centuries.

The mist-laden coffee estates of Coorg, the lush Shola forests of Munnar, the sacred cedar forests of Himachal Pradesh, the pristine biodiversity of Silent Valley National Park in Kerala and the tranquil Himalayan forests surrounding Rishikesh all offer profound opportunities to reconnect with nature.

Many of India’s finest wellness retreats are now embracing guided forest immersion. At Ananda in the Himalayas, forest walks beautifully complement yoga, Ayurveda and meditation. In Karnataka, Evolve Back Coorg offers guests luxurious villas surrounded by coffee plantations and dense forests where birdsong replaces alarm clocks.

Here, Forest Bathing doesn’t feel like a trend. It feels like returning to something our ancestors always understood.

Luxury Retreats Where Nature Takes Centre Stage

Across the world, some of the finest hotels are moving beyond traditional spa menus to create immersive nature experiences.

Properties such as Aman Kyoto, Hoshinoya Karuizawa, Bürgenstock Resort, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, Ananda in the Himalayas and Evolve Back Coorg now offer guided forest walks, mindful breathing sessions, outdoor meditation and wellness programmes inspired by nature.

It’s a quiet revolution. Instead of adding more to your itinerary, these experiences gently encourage you to do less. To walk. To breathe. To notice.

TheGlitz Take – New Definition of Luxury

Perhaps that’s why Forest Bathing has become the defining wellness movement of our time. In an age dominated by endless notifications, packed itineraries and constant connectivity, stepping beneath a canopy of ancient trees becomes an act of quiet rebellion. There are no reservations to chase, no photographs to perfect and no pressure to perform. Only presence.

At TheGlitz, we’ve always believed that the finest journeys are those that transform us from within. Forest Bathing isn’t simply another travel trend… it is a gentle reminder that the world’s greatest luxuries cannot always be bought.

They are found in the fragrance of pine after rain. In sunlight dancing through emerald leaves. In the trill of a birdsong echoing through ancient forests.

And in those rare, magical moments when the world grows wonderfully silent, allowing us to hear something we often forget amidst the noise of everyday life. Ourselves.

Indeed, the greatest luxury isn’t found inside a presidential suite or aboard a private jet. It’s discovering a forest so timeless, so peaceful and so beautifully alive that it reminds you how extraordinary it feels to simply… breathe.

Beyond the Superficial, that’s where every truly unforgettable journey begins.