Join Jessica Gumkowski and Valerie Griffiths for 6 nights / 7 days in the Dolomites of Northern Italy, where movement, mindfulness, breath and mountain adventure come together in one beautiful week.

Your retreat will be based at Hotel Das Paradies in the village of Latsch, perched at the entrance of Stelvio National Park—the largest protected area in Italy. With 315 days of sun per year, the Vinschgau Valley sits at the border between Alpine and Mediterranean regions, creating a unique dry, sunny microclimate.

Jess and Val are longtime friends, retreat leaders, and teachers who have led international retreats together for years. Their work together is seamless, and their friendship is very much part of the experience. Expect thoughtful programming, plenty of laughter, and the ease that comes from two people who genuinely love doing this work together.

Your days will include daily yoga, mat pilates woven into select practices, somatic breathwork, mindset work, two guided mountain hikes and a visit to the historic spa town of Merano, balanced with plenty of time to explore, wander, relax or simply enjoy being in the mountains.

Valerie brings more than 30 years of personal practice and over a decade of teaching experience. As a Vinyasa yoga instructor, Level II Power Pilates certified instructor, and certified Soma+IQ™ Somatic Breathwork practitioner, she integrates yoga, Pilates, meditation, Yoga Nidra, sound healing, and embodied breath practices to create space to slow down, reconnect, and listen inward. Rooted in compassion and connection, Valerie encourages others to meet themselves where they are at, breathe deeply, and remember that we are always more than our thoughts.

Jess brings more than two decades as an endurance athlete, mindset coach, yoga teacher and retreat leader. A yoga practitioner since the early 1990s and former orthopedic sports massage therapist, she brings a deep understanding of the body alongside her work in mindset and endurance. She has a gift for meeting people exactly where they are — nervous, excited, somewhere in between — and leading them into experiences that change how they see themselves and the world.

When it’s time to explore beyond the resort, we’ll head into the mountains for two guided group hikes, with professional guides, transportation and lunch included, and spend a day exploring historic Merano. We’ve also built in free time to make the experience your own — book a spa treatment, explore nearby villages, hike or cycle, or use your Südtirol Guest Pass for complimentary bus and train travel throughout South Tyrol. Or simply sit somewhere beautiful and take it all in.

Breakfast and dinner are included daily, along with most lunches, featuring seasonal, locally sourced food and authentic South Tyrolean cuisine.

Come for the mountains. Stay for everything that happens along the way.

ALL PRICES LISTED ARE PER PERSON and a €500 per person non-refundable deposit is due to reserve your spot on the trip. Trip balances are due 120 days prior to departure, and a three installment payment plan will be set up for you upon registration. If you'd like to inquire about alternative payment plan options or have retreat related questions, please email the registrations team at info@solseedretreats.com.

Please read on for important info on: What is Included, Not Included, Retreat Activity Level, Passport & Entry Requirements, Booking Conditions & Cancellation Policy, Required Travel Insurance, Flight Parameters, and info on Selecting your Room Type. 

• 6 nights / 7 days lodging at Hotel Das Paradies

• Daily breakfast and dinner at Das Paradies

• Daily lunch with the exception of your Merano visit day and last free day

• Use of Das Paradies wellness facilities: saunas, pools, grounds, and resort amenities

• One roundtrip group transfer from Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Das Paradies

• Daily programming with Jess and Val

• Three group excursions:

  • Two private group hikes in the surrounding Vinschgau Valley, including transportation, professional guides, and lunch.

  • A walking tour of the historic spa town of Merano, including local transportation to and from Merano.

• Sudtirol Guest Pass for each participant, giving free use of public buses and trains in South Tyrol, including the train to Merano.

• Base gratuities for the resort staff, taxi drivers and tour guides

• Airfare to Milan Malpensa (MXP)

• Lunch on your Merano day and last free day

• Alcoholic beverages

• Additional excursions or cab rides 

• Massages & Spa Services (can be booked directly at the resort front desk)

• Required Travel Insurance

We rank this itinerary as Activity Level 4 - Active. Group hikes will be offered as part of the included retreat programming.

Activity Level 1 - Easy: Expect only short walks, and short flights of stairs.

Activity Level 2 - Relaxed: Expect short walks, slight inclines, and sustained activity for only a few hours.

Activity Level 3 - Moderate: Expect slightly longer walks, and activities that correlate to a semi-active lifestyle. Participants should be comfortable with half days of touring, and walking up and down steeper inclines.

Activity Level 4 - Active: Expect longer walks, steeper inclines, and 4 - 6 hours of sustained activities, with appropriate rests. To take advantage of all the offerings, folks should lead an active life style.

Activity Level 5 - Challenging: Expect vigorous walks, hikes, kayaking, etc. Participants should be experienced in outdoor activities, and know how to prepare for, and endeavor upon full day adventures in the wild!

If you have any questions or concerns about this itinerary's Activity Level, please contact info@solseedretreats.com for more details prior to registering. 

You must have a valid passport to travel to Italy. Please check your passport expiration date and make sure it is valid for at least 3 months after the end date of your retreat.

All Retreat reservations require a €500 non-refundable and non-transferable deposit per participant, which secures your place on the Retreat.

Participant-Initiated Cancellation

Any amounts paid in excess of the €500 deposit are refundable only if SolSeed Retreats LLC (“SolSeed”) receives written notice of cancellation no later than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the scheduled Retreat start date.

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via email to info@solseedretreats.com and will be deemed effective only upon actual receipt by SolSeed. Notices received after 11:59 PM (local time at SolSeed’s principal place of business) on the applicable deadline date shall be treated as untimely.

The €500 deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable under all circumstances, including but not limited to illness, injury, personal emergencies, scheduling conflicts, or changes in travel plans.

Within one hundred twenty (120) days of the Retreat start date, all payments are non-refundable and non-transferable, including any amounts paid beyond the initial deposit.

Refunds will not be issued in the form of credits, transfers, substitutions, or rebookings for future retreats or other SolSeed offerings, unless expressly approved in writing by SolSeed in its sole discretion.

SolSeed-Initiated Cancellation

SolSeed may deviate from the foregoing refund policy only if the Retreat must be canceled due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to the following:

• The host country’s government prohibits entry or travel for tourism purposes;

• The host country’s government prohibits SolSeed’s vendors or accommodations from hosting tourists; or

• The United States government prohibits U.S. citizens from traveling to the destination for tourism purposes.

If SolSeed cancels or postpones the Retreat for any of the reasons listed above, each registered participant shall receive a refund of all amounts paid, less a €200 administrative and processing fee.

Terms & Conditions for Retreat Participation

For full Terms & Conditions for Retreat Participation, please reference the PDF hyperlinked here: Terms & Conditions

The purchase of travel insurance is required for this trip.

Most travel insurance policies can help protect you in the event of unexpected trip delays or cancellations due to airline disruptions, family emergencies, illness, or injury. Coverage can also help demonstrate to the host country that you are financially prepared to cover emergency services that may be needed during your stay.

SolSeed does not sell or provide travel insurance. Any insurance offers you may see during checkout are provided by third-party providers, and you are free to choose the policy and provider that best fit your needs.

If you’d like a convenient place to compare options, we’ve found InsureMyTrip to be a helpful online marketplace. We’ve also had excellent experiences with Trawick International and their customer service, and have heard consistently positive feedback from AAA and American Express members who have purchased travel insurance through those organizations. Additionally, some travel-focused credit cards—such as the Chase Sapphire® cards—may include built-in travel insurance benefits when trip-related expenses are paid with the card. Coverage and eligibility vary by card and issuer, so we recommend reviewing your card’s benefits guide or contacting the card issuer directly to confirm what protections apply.

We strongly encourage you to speak directly with a travel insurance agent to discuss your specific coverage needs and to make sure you understand what your policy does—and does not—cover.

If you’d like to learn more about travel insurance and our general recommendations, please visit our blog post: https://solseedretreats.com/travel-insurance-faqs/

Please refrain from booking flights until specific flight parameters are sent out by the SolSeed Logistics Team.

DAY 1 | ARRIVAL DAY

Later afternoon arrival from Milan Airport

Check in and enjoy afternoon

Opening Practice 

Dinner at Hotel Das Paradies

DAY 2 | FREE DAY 

Breakfast Buffet

Morning Class

Free afternoon. Explore the village of Latsch, book Spa services, take a nature walk.

Afternoon Buffet

Evening Class

Dinner at Hotel Das Paradies

DAY 3 | HIKE DAY

Coffee, Tea & Fruit available at buffet

Morning Class

Breakfast Buffet

Meet in Lobby for Group Hike

Guides, lunch, and transportation included.

Evening Class

Dinner at Hotel Das Paradies

DAY 4 | MERANO VISIT

Coffee, Tea & Fruit available at buffet

Morning Class

Breakfast Buffet

Meet in Lobby for Merano Visit

Walking tour of Merano

Transportation to and from Merano by local train. Lunch not included.

Dinner at Hotel Das Paradies

DAY 5 | HIKE DAY

Coffee, Tea & Fruit available at buffet

Morning Class

Breakfast Buffet

Meet in Lobby for Group Hike

Lunch and transportation included.

Evening Class

Dinner at Hotel Das Paradies

DAY 6 | FREE DAY

Coffee, Tea & Fruit available at buffet

Morning Class

Breakfast Buffet

Free afternoon. Lunch is not included. 

Evening Class

Dinner at Hotel Das Paradies

DAY 7 | RETURN TO AIRPORT

TBD - Meet in reception for departure