Where To Go For A Delightful, Digital Detox Weekend
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably promised yourself a million times that you’ll cut way back on screen time. And yet, somehow, you’re wide awake doom-scrolling at 3am, glued to Instagram reels, or responding to emails that can wait until Monday. I get it. We live in a world where constant connectivity feels as involuntary as breathing.
But then again, we have the power to hit the brakes. NPR recently reported how essential digital detoxing is to our mental health. Inspired by that, I decided to find out where we can truly unplug for a weekend and enjoy wonderful experiences.
I learned there’s a particular kind of freedom that comes from stepping away from endless pings and notifications and slipping into places where the real world feels bigger and more vivid than your screens.
Some destinations pull you into their wild landscapes, some invite quiet reflection within ancient walls, and others wrap you in the simple comfort of solitude. They all offer the same invitation: to disconnect from the incessant noise.
Eremito, Umbria, Italy
The notion of voluntarily checking into what’s basically a modern-day monastery gave me pause. But Eremito is a peaceful sanctuary in Umbria, the lush, green heart of Italy. This centuries-old hermitage has been beautifully restored into a soulful boutique hotel.
And by “boutique,” I mean bare stone walls, candlelight-only dinners, and zero Wi-Fi. None. You cannot scroll through TikTok here even if you tried. It’s a rare space to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.
Instead, you’ll find yourself immersed in stillness. Meals are vegetarian and eaten in silence, with ingredients often sourced from their organic garden. The rooms (called Celluzze, or “little cells”) are intentionally minimalist. They permit you to strip away all the noise.
After a few hours, you feel sublime relief. You can hear your thoughts again. If you’re craving real solitude, not just a trendy version of it, Eremito is pure gold.
The Dreaming, Wales
Wales itself often feels like another realm, and at The Dreaming, you’ll swear you slipped through a portal. Tucked into the velvety hills of the Elan Valley, this retreat doesn’t shout “digital detox” at you. Wi-Fi exists, technically, but it’s gloriously unreliable, and that’s part of the magic.
Rather than ripping your phone from your hand, The Dreaming coaxes you into a different rhythm: yoga in ancient woodlands, painting workshops, open-air fire circles, and shared silent meals.
There’s a beautiful irony here. The less you try to “detox,” the more it happens naturally. The Dreaming does not push militant self-improvement. It helps us remember that human beings were not designed to refresh email apps every three minutes. We are built for stillness, connection, wonder.
Unplugged Cabins, United Kingdom
Sometimes, you don’t want an entirely structured retreat. You simply want to disappear for a few days, with no one expecting anything of you, including yourself. This is where Unplugged Cabins come in. Scattered throughout the United Kingdom’s lush countryside, these off-grid tiny hideaways are the ultimate answer to “I just need a break.”
Each cabin is beautifully basic: a bed, a stove, big windows framing fields and forests, and maybe a hammock swinging lazily outside. No Wi-Fi. No TV. There’s even a lockbox for your phone, complete with an old-school Nokia brick if you need to call someone in a pinch.
Without a screen, time stretches luxuriously. Read that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for a year in one sitting, hike until losing track of miles, and cook embarrassingly basic but satisfying meals. If you think you can’t survive without your phone for 72 hours, Unplugged Cabins will gently prove you wrong.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center, California, United States
Before you panic at the word “silent retreat,” hear me out. Located in the golden hills of Northern California, Spirit Rock is a highly sought-after meditation center in the U.S. It’s known for its easy-going, compassionate approach to mindfulness.
Their weekend retreats involve noble silence, not talking, texting, emailing, or doom-scrolling. It’s shockingly challenging at first as each impulse to check, react, share, and post starts to rise like toxins being released during a cleanse.
But once you move through that discomfort, what’s left is stunning. You gain clarity, patience, and creativity. Spirit Rock teaches us that silence isn’t the absence of something; it’s the presence of everything else.
Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing, New York, United States
If your life has started to feel like one long, bleary-eyed scroll-fest powered by caffeine and regret, the Dharmakaya Center just might be your miracle. Located in New York’s Hudson Valley, this peaceful retreat specializes in recalibrating your tech habits and circadian rhythms.
Translation: you’ll sleep like a baby and wake up like a human being again. Days start with sunrise meditation, followed by yoga sessions and nature walks that genuinely make you forget your phone exists. Meals are plant-based and designed to nourish without overwhelming.
Afternoons include mindful writing workshops or luxurious downtime. By the end of your stay, you will realize that you stopped reaching for your phone every five minutes because your brain no longer craves the hit.
Aro Hā, New Zealand
There are retreats, and then there’s Aro Hā. Set among the awe-inspiring glory of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, Aro Hā is a five-star wellness experience where every moment pulls you deeper into the present — you’ll forget your phone ever existed.
The program combines yoga, sub-alpine hiking, mindfulness training, plant-based meals, and spa treatments in one life-altering package. The sheer physicality of it all is part of the detox. You’re not just detoxing from screens; you’re detoxing while sitting still, while being passive.
Each breath feels sharper, each meal tastes fresher, and every sunset looks like it was painted just for you. Aro Hā is pricey, yes. But the cost of constant burnout is far higher.
It’s Not About the Wi-Fi
Choosing a digital detox weekend Choosing a digital detox weekend is about rediscovering life as it happens — unfiltered and fully real. It isn’t about punishing yourself or proving a point.
As NPR’s coverage reminds us, downtown is necessary for our mental health. Each destination offers its own unique way to unplug, be it silent meditation in California, rugged hiking in New Zealand, or cozy cabin vibes in the UK.
But the real magic happens inside you. When you put aside your devices and screens to realize the world — messy, imperfect, and full of wonder — has been here all the time waiting for you.
