Sauna Deco

Like so many of Amsterdam’s most impressive canal-side properties, the building currently occupied by this whimsical Marcel Wanders-designed hotel had a past life—in this case, as the city library. While one might be inclined to spend all their time in the dizzyingly beautiful lobby, the kitted out guestrooms—with their ample breathing room and generous views—offer a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle outside. While the knowledgeable concierge team can point you in the direction of many incredible restaurants, the on-site Bluespoon and its namesake bar both deserve a visit. Same goes for the spa and lovely gardens.

While it takes up prime real estate in a former music conservatory just a stone's throw from the Rijks and Museumplein, Conservatorium has a lot more going for it than location alone: Design-wise, the architecturally impressive lobby is both breathtakingly modern and traditional, all while keeping to an elevated, but not at all pretentious vibe (don’t let the bustling entrance fool you, this is a great place to stay with kids). Fittingly, the rooms are spacious, outfitted with the most state-of-the-art gadgets, and come with all the classic hotel comforts like plush beds and pristine bathrooms. Furthermore, there’s a world-class spa and gym and two refreshingly health-oriented but still somehow indulgent restaurants—all a testament to the city’s wellness-focused mindset.

This eclectic and ideally situated hotel pays homage to Amsterdam’s storied history both in architecture (it’s housed in a former theater that dates all the way back to the 17th century) and décor (antiques and original art everywhere). Guests get to pick between five distinct room styles to fit their individual needs, though we’re especially fond of the breezy, wood-beamed loft rooms. Dylan’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Vinkeles, is nestled in the lush courtyard and deserves a visit even if you’re staying elsewhere.

There are actually two locations of Hotel V in Amsterdam, one in Centrum and one in Grachtengordel. Each is decked out in a warm design scheme that’s a mix of modern and vintage Scandinavian furniture alongside quirky accent pieces like antique portraits and decadent chandeliers. The atmosphere is strong, too, with concierges decked out in Canadian tuxedoes and a bar menu that’s big on craft cocktails, which is usually filled with locals. The rooms themselves are a welcome place to settle in for a few days, with comfortable beds, cool bathrooms, and (worth mentioning since it's such a game-changer) excellent shower pressure.

Being that it’s the first Hoxton location outside of London, there’s an inherent polish to this cool hotel in the very walkable 9 Streets neighborhood. The 111 rooms are spread out over five historic canal houses and run the gamut from Shoebox (just teeny enough for one), to Concept (downright sprawling with meticulously restored original details) with rates to match—the WiFi, mini-fridge contents, and daily “breakfast bags,” however, are all 100% free. The true appeal here, though, is in the communal areas: There’s a cocktail den, lobby bar, and Lotti’s, an excellent Italian-inflected restaurant that just happens to be under Soho House supervision.

There’s something about the eclectic mix-and-match décor, dim lighting, and cool staff that make this boutique hotel feel like a more intimate, Dutch equivalent of the Ace. The canal house set-up, residential location, and crazy-steep staircases lend any stay an extra authentic feel and the small-ish, well-priced rooms (there are larger options available, too) mean that it’s a great, non-corporate option for work trips or for those looking to spend the bulk of their time exploring. The on-site bar is actually frequented by locals and often plays host to local bands. We hear the Museumplein outpost is just as fun.

Spread out over six stunning buildings on the banks of one of Amsterdam’s most memorable canals, the Waldorf Astoria is just as much a historic landmark as it is a supremely plush place to stay. The rooms and suites are reflective of the unique surroundings, meaning that no two are the same—though the elegant décor and awe-inspiring views are consistent throughout. The central location means most sights are just a short stroll away—that said, the Guerlain spa (complete with indoor pool), a four-deep restaurant roster, and the immaculately manicured gardens make spending a day on property very compelling.

Breakfast and lunch at this cheery spot is the equivalent of a mini trip around the world: the menu is equal parts New Zealand and America—huevos rancheros, incredible fresh-baked pastry, and a ton of fresh juice options—while the bright interior (the living wall is definitely a focal point) is a nod to one of the owner’s Brazilian roots (the other is from New Zealand). In true Kiwi tradition, the flat whites are on point. There's a second location in Kadijksplein.

People have been returning from Amsterdam with tales of life-changing meals at this teeny Jordaan spot since it opened back in 1995—and the three-course menus, which are set and tweaked weekly according to what’s in season by chefs Karin Gaasterland and Alain Parry really do live up to the hype: expect farm-fresh crudité, from-scratch risotto, and really incredible desserts. The open-kitchen, hand-written menus, and snug seating arrangement (in the summer months the staff sets up charming street-side tables) makes for a fun, welcoming atmosphere. Definitely call ahead for reservations.

This sweet soup-and-salad spot is set up right in the center of Amsterdam’s most notable sights and offers the kind of light-yet-nourishing breakfasts and lunches—including a robust salad bar where you can get heaps of fresh veggies for a good price—that fill you up without weighing you down. If staying late at the museums, the three-course dinner changes daily according to what’s in season. Weather-permitting, grab a seat at one of the outdoor tables.

Everything about this farm-to-table restaurant is an experience: the slightly out-of-the-way location in a park in East Amsterdam, the almost entirely locally-sourced ingredients (all produce is grown on their own farm just outside the city) and most importantly, the fact that the dining room is actually a gigantic, glass-ceiling greenhouse. The multi-course lunch and dinner menus change according to the what’s in season and are set by the chef, allowing guests to sit back and not worry about ordering the right thing. What’s more, the staff will happily accommodate any and all dietary restrictions.

When strolling the streets of Jordaan, this is where you want to go for a glass of local beer and a hyper-traditional Dutch pub meal in an authentic, low-key setting. The corner building dates all the way back to 1896, and still has some of the ornate, Art Deco flourishes to show for it. Though it’s the spare ribs that are its claim to fame, De Reiger is also known for serving up excellent organic veggie and fish dishes. Note: they don’t take reservations, so expect a wait at dinnertime.

Its location in the historic W hotel building just around the corner from Dam Square technically makes it a hotel restaurant, but The Duchess is truly in a class of its own. The soaring ceilings, lavish marble surfaces, and decadent “Nouveau-Niçoise” menu easily make it one of the most worthy special-occasion restaurants in town. Even if you’re not hunkering down for a full meal, it’s worth stopping by the stretch bar for a cocktail. To quell an aching sweet tooth, consider making an afternoon reservation at the Duchess Tea Room—the dessert spread looks like something out of Marie Antoinette.

Tucked away in a narrow alley, Gartine may not look like much from the outside, but it’s actually something of an institution, serving traditional organic-egg-centric dishes for breakfast and high tea favorites at lunchtime. The produce all comes from the restaurant’s own garden and the desserts are all made by hand on site. It’s best to call ahead to reserve one of the ten tables.

The Indonesian food scene has long been thriving in Amsterdam, and Kartika, which has been around for decades, is still the best of the best. The a la carte menu is a sure bet, but the specialty here is the rijsttafel (something like the Indonesian answer to dim sum). You can request the vegetarian version or opt for the meat, either way, each of the dozen or so lovingly prepared, incredibly flavorful dishes promises to be exceptional.

A newer addition to De Pijp, this no-frills, indoor-outdoor spot has Australian roots and fresh, American-inspired menus. While the share-friendly dinner offering is great and the bar is exceptionally well-stocked, the true standout here is the brunch, with beloved dishes like smashed avocado toast, an elevated take on the bacon-egg-and-cheese, and cinnamon brioche French toast. Also worth noting is the Bloody Mary, which can be had four different ways, including one that’s spiked with Sriracha and garnished with kimchi.

Sure it’s a fairly touristy thing to do, but leaving Amsterdam without having the famous pancakes at least once is nothing short of culinary sin. This no-frills, canal-side pancake house is consistently packed, but the customizable poffertjes (teeny, quarter-sized flapjacks) and oversized Dutch pancakes (the savory variations on the classic, particularly the pizza-inspired one, are a game changer) are well worth braving the lines. Plus, the all-day hours mean you can come after the breakfast/lunch rush hour.

What this bustling little café lacks in sitting room, it more than makes up for in delicious, locally sourced food and really good coffee. The homemade sandwiches, salads, and soups are especially great for a quickie lunch while exploring 9 Streets. And if you’re an early riser, the farm fresh juices and yogurt-and-granola bowls are a nice taste of home.

The first thing you’ll see upon entering this sprawling, bi-level Latin American restaurant is something roasting on an open-air spit—a sight hardcore carnivores, in particular, are sure to get a kick out of. While the menu is in fact very meat-heavy, there’s plenty for veggies and pescetarians, too: you can easily make a meal of the sides alone (the cheese-smothered corn is unreal) though the ceviche list deserves ample attention. Needless to say, the rich wine selection will be appreciated by all.

Right around the corner from P.C. Hooftstraat and a short walk from the Rijksmuseum, this conveniently located lunch spot makes for a surprisingly quiet reprieve on a day of sightseeing (there's another location in city center). The décor is crisp and bright, with white subway tiles occupying one wall and exposed brick on the other. The first thing you’ll see when you walk in is a deli counter stuffed with fresh seafood, from King crab legs to oysters. It should come as no surprise that the must-orders here are the fruits de mer seafood plates, but the fried cod and simple grilled fish dishes are also excellent. You won’t go wrong with a crisp glass of white wine.

While you may not associate Amsterdam with traditional Italian food, the fresh pasta, imported antipasti, and fish-centric mains at this spacious, surprisingly romantic restaurant rival anything you can get in the States—or Italy for that matter. A great way to ensure you try the best of the best is to spring for the chef’s six-course tasting menu. The wine list is lengthy and devoted entirely to Italian wines.

Don’t let the creepy cannibal theme throw you off—it actually kind of works. As for the food, the charcuterie plates and simple salads are delicious and easy, and the long draft list features some of Europe’s best craft beers. They serve food late even on weeknights, making it a god-send after delayed trains and planes.

Within Amsterdam's picturesque canal-side shopping district, De 9 Straatjes ("The Nine Streets"), you'll find De Kaaskamer van Amsterdam, which has to be one of the world's most wonderful cheese shops. Obviously there's a lot of gouda, much of which is organic, along with ready-made food—homemade salads, sandwiches, and snacks—as well as specialty hams and wines. And should you be so inclined after visiting, they ship to more than 25 countries, including the U.S.

Amsterdam's best Saturday farmers market is on the edge of the Jordaan neighborhood in Noordermarkt square. Head here in the morning for fresh, local fare—cheese (of course), mushrooms, fruits and veggies, homemade pastries—to see the flower stalls, and sample some pancakes.

This is the first large-scale indoor food market in the Netherlands and it’s already proven to be a great idea. Here, you can choose between Vietnamese banh mi, gourmet grilled cheese (this is the birthplace of gouda, after all), brick-oven pizza, Swedish meatballs, and so much more. Kids—and grownups with a sweet tooth to quell—go especially nutty for the crêpe stand and the dress-your-own-waffle station. Fair warning: seating room is very much first-come, first-served, so there may be some awkward stalking involved.

This stop is an especially valuable recommendation if you're visiting Amsterdam in the cold winter, as the cozy interior is a pretty perfect place to warm up from the cold with a glass of wine. Stop by in the early evening to pick up a bottle of wine from their shop for dinner, or come after dinner for a more bar-like feel (they're open until midnight most nights).

If you looked up "hipster" in the dictionary, it's likely there'd be a picture of Hiding in Plain Sight (or HPS, as locals call it)—and the clientele here would be the first to acknowledge it. Before you roll your eyes at the waiters in vests, take a sip of your cocktail; it's likely one of—if not the—best in the city. HPS is also a hangout for local musicians, so check the calendar in advance to find out if anyone's playing while you're in town.

JuiceBrothers was founded by four friends, who decided in the summer of 2013, while on a canal boat, that Amsterdam needed a really good pressed juice place. Two years later, the first JuiceBrothers shop opened in De Pijp, followed by a second location in Amsterdam-West, and another in Centrum. (There's also a JuiceBrothers in the suburbs outside of Amsterdam, in the Amstelveen mall.) JuiceBrothers' main thing is still cold-pressed juice, using as many organic ingredients as possible. But they also make smoothies and serve a limited amount of breakfast (acai bowls, chia pudding, coconut yogurt) and lunch (a couple salads and a coconut wrap), along with some snacks and sweets (kale chips, oat bars, chocolate truffles).

By appointment only, Natasja Sadi makes what are quite possibly the most beautiful cakes and sugar flowers in the world. Clients fly her around the globe to bake custom cakes for their special occasions (collection can also be arranged from Sadi's Amsterdam address). These culinary masterpieces are created in the kitchen of Sadi's picturesque, Dutch canal house dating from 1776. The baker started her career as a wedding dress designer but after several years realized her passion had moved from the dress to the edible design element of the day—the cake. Wedding gowns are often kept by the bride as a keepsake, or passed on to future generations, and Sadi has adapted this experience to the cake in the form of her incredibly sculptural sugar flowers—made by hand and often taking several weeks to complete—these edible decorations can be kept (frozen) for years, or re-used perhaps on a birthday cake down the line.

While it’s not especially difficult to get your hands on a solid cup of coffee around these parts, the skilled staff at this teeny café really know their way around an almond milk latté, and coffee snobs will be especially impressed by their stellar pour-over technique.

This glitzy, "American-style" bar is a central part of the newly revived Odeon building, a historical building that's been standing along Amsterdam's central canal since 1662. The bar has two identities, depending on when you arrive. Before dinner, it's a classy cocktail bar with a jewel-toned Art Deco vibe. Later on, things get a little more raucous, as it stays open until the wee hours. Check out the cocktail "laboratory" in the back, where bartenders prepare craft cocktails under an operation lamp.

The mantra at Toki is "go slow," which largely fits this laid-back neighborhood café where they serve first-rate coffees and teas from around the globe, as well as craft beer. The interior is relatively small but designed for lingering, with cozy couches and counter seating.

While you may stop in with the intention of quickly picking up some train or plane reading material, the selection of English-language books—which spans three floors and just about every genre—has been known to keep book lovers browsing for hours. Check the ABC site before your visit for special events like book signings, author readings, and their famously generous sales.

It’s virtually impossible for anyone—adult or child—to walk by this place without being drawn in by the neat rows of rubber ducks, which all make excellent Amsterdam keepsake alternatives to the ubiquitous windmill/clog/tulip magnets. There are rubber duckies of every possible size, profession (ninja, dentist, bag-piper), and theme (duck as Christmas ornament, punk duck)—though our favorites are the ones dressed up as other animals (cat-duck, sheep-duck, shark-duck, etc..).

The name “pocket” couldn’t suit the tiny sliver of a space better. The neat little shelves are stocked with a tight edit of the requisite striped tees, candy-colored wallets, and heart-adorned PLAY sweaters. And while there are dozens of Pocket shops around the world, each one with its own personality, this one stands out for its fragrance selection. In addition to the cult classic Wonderwood and Play Green, there are many hard-to-find scents and limited editions.

Though you can come to this De Pijp favorite to shop, eat cake, and peep some art while you’re at it, COTTONCAKE isn’t just another design-centric concept shop: There’s something decidedly feminine about the whitewashed brick interior, globally sourced accessories, clothing, and thoughtful jewelry offering. It doesn't hurt that the café serves a small but mighty menu of brunch-y dishes, excellent coffee, and as mentioned, really good homemade cake.

Situated right in the heart of the city center in Dam Square, the elaborate facade of De Bijenkorf’s flagship store is kind of impossible to miss. This is a traditional European department store, meaning you’ll find everything from fashion to home décor to skincare all in one place. There’s also a great café, a hair salon, and a very respectable art gallery.

It’s been said that Jason Denham makes the kind of jeans other denim designers want to wear. What makes Denham denim so special is that it's mostly selvedge and comes from boutique plants in Japan and Italy, in fact, so high is the quality, that according to Denham employees, you don’t have to launder the jeans very often...or ever. Their flagship store, which carries the brand’s complete collection, is located just a few blocks away at Hobbemastraat 8.

It’s hard to categorize droog as any one thing since it’s actually a shop, design collective, gallery, café, garden, and micro-hotel (there’s only one guestroom) all spread out over three floors of a single historic house. The shop is stocked with design-y home décor, accessories, and furniture from notable Dutch makers, as well as an area devoted to under-the-radar fashion labels, and a “spa” for beauty products of European origin. Connected to the retail space you’ll find the Fairy Tale Garden—a real-life garden designed by Claude Pasquer and Corinne Détroyat to look like something out of a pop-up book. Set up right next to the garden is the cafe—a truly special little nook for grabbing a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or something more substantial, like soup and salad. It’s a lot to take in, we suggest setting aside a good chunk of the day to exploring the space.

Dishoeck's teeny shop was a treasure trove of antique books, prints, and maps. Now, he has transitioned to visiting clients on location and working by appointment. Eduard van Dishoeck is a fifth generation antiques expert, so you know that whether you walk away with a fun one-of-a-kind souvenir or a valuable collector’s item, it’s the real deal. Stock is sourced from all over the world and tends to turn around frequently, so no two visits to his site are the same.

It’s likely you’ll get a whiff of Gerda’s freshly picked blooms while bumming around 9 Streets before you actually see it. Whether you’re looking to pick up a quick hostess bouquet or elaborate centerpiece (these guys provide florals for tons of fashion events all over the city), beautiful results are guaranteed—high praise considering flowers are serious business in Amsterdam. While they make really great use of wildflowers, the selection of orchids and other exotics is excellent, too.

As the bricks-and-mortar outpost of graphic designer Sanne Dirkzwager’s online shop, this beautifully curated stationery store can be a major time-suck for anyone with a penchant for pretty paper things. Dirkzwager gathers the collectable journals, cards, calendars, prints, writing utensils, and everything in between from all over the world—mainly Japan, Korea, and Denmark.

A Dutch brand through and through, Love Stories chose a well-loved, bi-level canal house as its first stand-alone location; inside, the setup is equal parts punk and French boudoir. You can easily cobble together matching bra-and-pantie sets, but the real fun lies in playing with different combinations of gauzy bralettes, cheeky panties, and silk pajama shorts. As of late, designer Marloes Hoedeman has been trying her hand at loungewear to great results.

Rika Studios is actually an adorable single-apartment guesthouse masquerading as an achingly chic boutique-slash-gallery. Former stylist Ulrika Lundgren applied the same edgy-yet-approachable aesthetic that makes her namesake line of accessories and separates so great to the two-bedroom, canal-facing space—if it’s authenticity you’re after, this is the way to go. The ground-floor shop is where you’ll find Ulrika’s famed leather bags and star-print tees, as well as jewelry from local designers and a selection of niche fragrances.

As gorgeous as the line of paraben-free skin care and bath product is, the true beauty of Marie-Stella-Maris is in its mission: Every purchase of an MSM product—be it a gentle body scrub or the deeply cleansing shampoo—provides 1 euro toward clean drinking water projects all over the world. The flagship boutique is an excellent place to get familiar with the offering and stock up (the line isn't widely available in the U.S. just yet). And if the name sounds familiar, it's because the Marie-Stella-Maris brand of natural mineral water is served at most local restaurants.

Although the shop itself is rather small, it’s easy to burn an entire afternoon here. The walls are decked out from floor to ceiling with framed curiosities of all kinds, from brilliant blue butterflies to delicate beetles and stick bugs. And while we won’t pretend to know anything about bringing taxidermied goods through customs, there are plenty of other items worthy of suitcase space, like antique globes, unique cutlery, and stationery.

This is Amsterdam’s grandest shopping street, where all the usual suspects—Chanel, Valentino, Cartier, Prada, and more—are well represented.

Nestled in the luxe shopping corridor inside the Conservatorium hotel, Skins Cosmetics is a beauty junkie's dream come true. In addition to a far-reaching roster of skincare and cosmetics lines, many of which are clean (Rahua, Kjaer Weis, RMS), it holds one of the most comprehensive boutique fragrance assortments we've ever seen. The staff is helpful but not overbearing, so feel free to approach them if you're interested in a quickie makeup tutorial or guidance in picking out a new signature scent. The gleaming staircase at the center of the exposed brick space will take you directly to the Meraki hair salon, where you can schedule everything from cut to color to an emergency blowout.

While the location is slightly out of the way, this modern, dizzyingly beautiful interpretation of a gardening store is well worth the walk, whether you’re a green thumb or not. The goal here is to encourage city dwellers to try their hand at gardening by providing everything they need—from tools, to planters, to actual plants. While you’re here, grab a coffee and a slice of homemade cake and enjoy it under a canopy of hanging houseplants before perusing the selection of plant-inspired jewelry, art, and books.

Walking through the house where Anne Frank hid for more than two years—along with her family, the Van Pels family, and Fritz Pfeffer—is incredibly affecting. Although areas of the house have of course been refurbished, many original objects remain, as well as photographs, important historical documents, and handwritten notes and letters, including the diaries Anne wrote from 1942 to 1944. With great humanity, the museum's changing exhibitions portray different pieces of the Holocaust, Anne's life, the lives of the people who hid with her, and the people who helped keep the secret annex safe for two incredibly dangerous years. On a practical note: The wait to get into Anne Frank House can be long, but it's really a must-go (and captivating for school-age kids, too), so plan ahead if you can. The museum is trying a new entry system with the aim of making it easier for more people to visit.

Seeing an opera or a ballet in Amsterdam is—in a word—magical. Housed in the canal-side Stopera building, which is also home to Amsterdam's City Hall, the Dutch National Opera and Ballet took on its current name in early 2014 to reflect the official partnership of the Dutch National Ballet, The Amsterdam Music Theatre, and De Nederlandse Opera (also renamed to the Dutch National Opera).

Big group boat tours are easily accessible in Amsterdam, but lest you want your view of the city’s greatest sights obstructed by the heads of 80+ fellow tourists, a private or semi-private tour might be a worthy splurge. This is where Captain Heijn and his fleet of electric boats come in. His boats are all immaculate and emission-free (i.e. quiet and no fumes), can accommodate couples and small groups, and the cruises are 100% customizable. You’re welcome to bring drinks on board and the captain will gladly arrange dinner from a local restaurant should you wish to make it a culinary cruise.

Housed in a beautiful old canal-side home, Foam is the place to go in Amsterdam to see interesting photography of every medium—from both established photographers and up-and-comers. (The museum has a designated exhibition space for new talent, which is a great place to discover rising artists.) In addition to their gallery space, Foam also organizes contemporary photography events and lectures, and publishes an international photography magazine three times a year.

This meticulously manicured oasis in a quiet neighborhood also happens to be one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. Here you’ll find countless flower species, a butterfly habitat (kids love this part), tropical hothouses, and gigantic, night-flowering water lilies. The grounds are not too vast, so you can see them in their entirety in a few hours. As is the case with most of Amsterdam’s best activities, there’s a lovely café on site.

Kröller-Müller is a couple hours outside of Amsterdam—you can get there by train/bus—and it is so worth it. The museum was a lifelong dream of a woman named Helene Kröller-Müller, who had one of the largest private collections of art the 20th-century has seen, acquiring close to 11,500 works of art with her husband between 1907 and 1922. The museum, which opened in 1938, is located in Hoge Veluwe National Park. The Kröller-Müller sculpture garden is one of the largest in Europe, with more than 160 sculptures on display from artists like Aristide Maillol, Marta Pan, and Pierre Huyghe. The museum is also home to the second-largest Van Gogh collection (after the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam), as well as works by Monet, Seurat, Picasso, Mondrian, and more.

The Rembrandt House Museum is a nice departure from Amsterdam's more conventional museums and the long lines you'll face at nearly every one. The museum building, which was the home and studio of artist Rembrandt van Rijn from 1606 to 1669, underwent extremely sophisticated restoration work in the 1990s so that would it could continue to look and feel like a house from the 17th-century. Here, you'll see many of Rembrandt's etchings, graphical pieces, and paintings. There are also demonstrations daily that are fun for the kids—either the etching printing process or a behind-the-scenes look at how paint was made in Rembrandt's day.

The Rijksmuseum is the Louvre of the Netherlands—meaning you won't see it all in one go, and it's worth returning to again and again. The Rijks first opened in 1800 under a different name but it's been in its current building since 1855. It underwent a ten-year long rebuilding and renovation process, which was completed in 2013. The heart of the museum is Dutch art from the Middle Ages all the way through the 20th-century. Not surprisingly, it's best to buy a ticket online so you don't have to wait in line at the ticket office. And like other Amsterdam museums, the Rijks is generally more quiet before 10am and after 3pm.

Although the breadth of the Rijksmuseum is impressive, there's something pretty incredible about being able to see the work of a single artist curated in great depth in one place. You'll see many of Vincent Van Gogh's most famous paintings (Sunflowers, Irises, The Potato Eaters) in the museum's permanent collection, as well as fascinating, lesser-known works in the evolving exhibition wing. There are also pieces by Van Gogh's contemporaries (e.g., Émile Bernard, Paul Gaugin, Maurice Denis) on display, which adds an interesting layer of context. All together, the museum tells a thorough story of Van Gogh's life and legacy, both of which are often shrouded in myth. Buy tickets online if you can. Also, depending on what time of year you're in Amsterdam, the museum may have extended hours, and the evenings tend to be less crowded times to visit.

This long, narrow park, which is easily accessible from most parts of the city, is one of the best places to get a feel for the city—you’ll find locals everywhere with strollers, dogs on leashes, and some drool-worthy picnics. From the gate entrance around the walking path loop and back is about 2.5 miles, so it’s also a nice option for runners.

Walking is great and all, but the undisputed best way to get around Amsterdam is by bike. What Yellow Backie does is allow visitors to essentially hitch a ride on the back of a local’s bike. While it’s clearly aimed at the adventurous types, hailing a Backie is a lot like hailing a cab: spot a yellow bike rack (volunteers are given them for free), yell out “Backie,” and hop on. For the traditionalists, Yellow Bike, which initiated this hitchhiking experiment, facilitates daily bike rentals and group bike tours, too.

The purpose of The City Street spa is to provide all the services one might look for in a traditional spa, but in an urban setting with busy schedules in mind. The treatment menu includes massages, facials, waxing, eyebrow shaping, and mani/pedis—all performed in a tranquil, minimalist environment. For the guys, there's face-mapping, manicures, and pedicures.

New Yorkers make the pilgrimage across the George Washington bridge into the New Jersey Palisades for this 24-hour spa, and with good reason: With several floors offering a variety of spa and sauna options, from men- and women-only whirlpools, to a traditional Korean Hwangtoh (yellow mud) Room, to an infrared sauna accommodating several people at a time, it’s the mother of all spa complexes. The Korean noodle bar and over-the-top kitschy decor—fake palms included—are the icing on the cake.

This mini-chain of mega spas offers something called Sauna Valley: You’ll find every conceivable temple—gold, Himalayan Salt, infrared, far infrared, color therapy—and an equal number of pools to match. The Texas outpost is open twenty-four hours a day, while the Queens location is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, making this a fun pilgrimage (and a good girls-day activity). There’s an on-site cafeteria and even a kiddie pool.

Dr. Ilan Bohm is our man and the founder of OIM, which advocates looking beyond—while still using—Western medicine for well-being. Keeping in mind that every patient is unique and not one-treatment-fits-all, Dr. Bohm sees patients on an individual level and aims to prevent rather than just treat illness by incorporating acupuncture, nutritional therapy, and chiropractic into any healthcare routine. They facilitate detoxes, and also offer hydrocolonic therapy.

Dr. Richard Ash, who tragically passed away in 2015, has set up an enduring integrative medicine center in New York City, where you'll be shepherded through an extensive series of tests. After they'll create a totally customized, preventative, and restorative roadmap to optimum health. While it's not necessarily about detoxing, their steps to a healthier lifestyle often involve just that.

As its name implies, Gravity East Village specializes in gravity-based colonics, which means that the in-flow and out-flow of water is simultaneous. Gravity also has a far infrared sauna, which is a nice complement for a full detox.

While hydrotherapy colonics are the specialty here, SanaVita also offers lymphatic massage, acupuncture, and Reiki. They even have an on-staff astrologer.

Beyond the extensive list of yoga classes offered by husband and wife Stephan Kolbert and Ingrid Marcroft and their team, UWS Yoga offers meditation classes and sessions in their infrared sauna. You have to pre-book, so try and snag an appointment right before or after a yoga or meditation session for an extra detox boost.

Founder Tracy Piper brings more than twenty years of experience in Chinese herbology and colon hydrotherapy, which she believes can aid in everything from digestion to skin health in her one-stop cleansing center. For those in need of a recharge, there's also dry-skin brushing, a lymphatic draining detox wrap, and infrared sauna sessions.

WeWork—the round-the-world network of comfy, breezy (decidedly un-corporate) workspaces rented out to people and businesses—has always been an ideal HQ with its meditation rooms, retreats, and fitness class offerings. And now with Rise by We, its new holistic wellness club in NYC's financial district (more locations to roll out down the line), the brand’s dreamed up a respite from the swivel chair where you can get up and move in any number of workout classes (from kickboxing to yoga to personal training sessions), as well as stoke some serious relaxation vibes at their Superspa. There are steam and sauna rooms, amazing massages, a circulation-rousing cold water plunge, and a communal—and coed—hammam area. The spa’s café makes killer juices—and come evening, healthy-ish cocktails. And if you can’t commit to a full-on membership, Rise’s $100 four-class access pass option is a solid option.

Perhaps the chicest yoga studio in NYC, Sky Ting was designed in part by Courtney Applebaum—who collaborated with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on The Row's Melrose Place store—and has an airy, effortlessly cool aesthetic. The foundation of their signature Sky Ting class is pulled from Vinyasa, Katonah, Iyengar, Kundalini, and Hatha yoga traditions—but each instructor brings their own perspective, so no two sessions feel the same. They also offer specialty classes including infrared-heated and candlelit sessions. The studio also has an on-site spa, featuring two infrared saunas, a cold plunge, and a relaxing lounge with three day beds.

Whether you need to recover from a tough workout or detox after an especially indulgent weekend, there are a variety of high-tech treatments to try alone or build into a package. Try combining a CVAC session, where you sit inside a hyperbaric chamber while the barometric pressure is adjusted to reportedly support circulation and detoxification, with a nap using the NuCalm device, which claims to be a miraculously restorative 30-minute snooze. Finish with a session inside the Sunlighten mPulse Sauna, where you can customize the ratio of near, mid, and far infrared rays.

The duplex spa is enormous and luxurious, with high ceilings, plush couches, and a posh aesthetic that manages to be both modern and comfortable. There’s a hair salon, nail studio, and fourteen treatment rooms where you can get a variety of skin-perfecting therapies like the Fix-It-All facial, an over-the-top combination of micro-current, microdermabrasion, LED therapy, and more to lift, tighten, and smooth. A facial with founder/skin-whisperer Danuta Mieloch is transformative—her touch is exquisite, and you emerge looking beyond glowy.

There are tons of treatment options at this wellness hideout inside the penthouse on a particularly hectic block of Midtown. From a targeted acupuncture and cupping session with founder Joel Granik to a float inside a sensory deprivation tank (that's thought to mimic the body’s experience in the womb) to Reiki healing and yoga classes taught in a gorgeous white room with a glass ceiling, everything here aims to balance and restore the body’s chi. There’s an infrared sauna and a salt cave; the walls of the latter are made from hundreds of pounds of Himalayan salt bricks, which infuse the air with negative ions while you relax on a massage bed.

This urban sweat lodge has three locations in the city and one in East Hampton, all with the spa’s signature infrared sauna wraps. After putting on the provided uniform—a light cotton top and pants—you’ll be snugly bundled inside an infrared blanket (the material it’s made of feels similar to the bib you wear for x-rays at the dentist) and left to watch Netflix while you seriously sweat. The far infrared waves gently warm the body, increasing the core temperature. You emerge from the cocoon 55 minutes later completely drenched. If that isn’t enough, schedule a consecutive lymphatic drainage session, where you’re wrapped in a full body suit that applies targeted pressure to points on the arms, legs, and waist to encourage circulation and detoxification.

This spa inside the swank 11 Howard hotel has somehow managed to make sweating in an infrared sauna sexy. You get an entire hotel room to yourself, with a spacious personal sauna kitted out with music and even chromatherapy (everybody looks better in a red-tinted light) that combines near-, mid-, and far-infrared waves to heat the body from the inside out, resulting in a major detoxification sweat. The rooms have private bathrooms, so you can rinse off in the shower and start (or end) the day feeling utterly renewed.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Infrared saunas are an incredible way to get a great sweat. At Breedlove Beauty Lab, each sauna is customizable, so you are in complete control of your experience. We love sweating it out in the Sunlighten 3-in-1 mPulse infrared saunas, and Breedlove has three of these. There is also chromotherapy—or light therapy—which draws on the hypothesis that color affects how we feel. Before you leave, check out the bright and airy apothecary—it stocks plenty of aromatherapy, beauty, and wellness products.

For thirty-odd years, this Santa Monica institution has been focused almost singularly on colon hydrotherapy (to the extent that they train and certify practitioners). There is also an on-site infrared sauna.

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into this sauna studio is how spotless it is. Impeccable, in fact. That can be said of the décor, as well: A streamlined, all-white aesthetic reigns—up until you enter one of the sauna suites. Here, you can choose to cast a colored light based on your mood (we chose orange for its mood-elevating, stimulating, feel-good effect) during your sweat. Then you sit back and do just that—sweat—for forty-five minutes. Each suite comes with an iPod and a vitamin C–infused rain shower. Given the potential benefits of using an infrared sauna, there are plenty of reasons to come here. But what keeps us hooked is simple: We always leave feeling calmer, clearer, and just all-around better. (An added perk: HotBox just started carrying goopglow.)

You can book infrared sauna sessions at this Mar Vista studio in either thirty-minute or one-hour increments–we like the full hour, so you can take advantage of the in-room shower. The private-room lighting can be adjusted to pitch black, and the saunas themselves are high-tech enough to connect to a playlist on your phone via Bluetooth. Also cool: The main event here are the “float pods," which are personal sensory deprivation tanks you can book for an hour at a time. There’s a small parking lot in the back, plus really easy street parking at night.

Deenie Leon Robbins's locale is a well-kept secret among members of LA's serious cleansing scene. A drive out to Tarzana proves worthwhile for a session in her high-tech infrared dome—it looks like an MRI scanner—which fans somtimes complement with a colonic or lymphatic massage. Those wanting to take it to the next level might consider her twenty-one-day cleanse in combination with a series of treatments.

This spot is famous for its custom-made infrared saunas. In the personal pods, which look super futuristic, you lie on a bed of jade stones while your body is bathed in red infrared light. Your head is outside of the pod during the entire the forty-minute session, and the surrounding air is diffused with a custom blend of aromatherapeutic oils. The lymphatic compression massage and unique Magnesphere machine, which aims to improve your balance and sleep by way of deep relaxation, are so very worth exploring.

This spa is fairly no-frills, yet totally transportive once you walk through its Santa Monica doors. There’s amazing Reiki, traditional Thai massage, and they have a small infrared sauna you can use before or after your treatment. Everyone who works here is kind and accommodating: They’ll offer you tea, dates, or apple wedges if you want to stay and relax for a bit before heading out.

Surya Spa is no joke—in fact, it's one of only a handful of Panchakarma spots in the States (now, up and running at the beautiful Proper Hotel in Santa Monica). That said, it takes a pretty intense level of commitment that's a bit out of reach unless you have the vacation time and budget: It requires three to four hours a day, for three, five, or seven days (we recommend the full week, though it's tough, as you have to abide by the very ascetic menu that they prescribe). The house-made organic food and authentic Panchakarma treatments reach far beyond what you'll find in a traditional wellness spa (people come here for help with parasites, for instance). The results—which can range from better skin to weight loss—speak for themselves. Beyond being a wonderful detox resource, mothers, babies, and mothers-to-be are in for a treat with Surya Spa's special approach to pregnancy and babies' first six weeks.

With full-on wood paneling throughout most of the space, this Hollywood spot has a hip sweat-lodge vibe. You can book the infrared saunas here solo, or with a friend (at a slightly cheaper rate). They also have hot (infrared) yoga classes—at varying levels of intensity.

Tikkun is the next level when it comes to Korean spas, combining high-tech far-infrared heat with traditional Korean sauna therapies. So if you want to lie down in a Himalayan-salt-brick-tiled sauna or sit in a Hwangto clay room, you get the added benefit of far-infrared heat. And in addition to the sauna rooms, there's a long menu of massages and kick-ass body scrubs to complement the sauna time. We're burying the lede though, because the real golden ticket here is the Mugworth V-Steam: You sit on what is essentially a mini throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam treats you to an energetic release. If you're in LA, you just might have to try it...

Veda's approach centers around the ancient healing modalities of Ayurveda and Panchakarma in space that evokes a modern and organic aesthetic. Appointments start with an in-depth consultation for Veda’s experienced practitioners to assess what treatment will best serve you. We loved experiencing Shirodhara—streams of warm oil pour onto the portion of the forehead known as the “third eye”, which is said to help stimulate an overall sense of calm. Conveniently there are post-treatment showers in the back, but, we like to keep the oil on for an added nourishing dose of calming aromatherapy.

It’s hot and dark, and it can get crowded—but honestly, because of the candlelight-only policy, plus the booming soundtrack of Drake and Cardi B, you can neither hear or see other yogis. It sounds a bit corny, but we’re saying it anyway: It’s incredibly fun. Between the beats and the wildly encouraging teachers, an hour flies by. Prepare for a serious sweat—the infrared heating system gets the room between 80 and 90 degrees—and stretch. Mats and towels are available for rent at the desk, the lockers are the combination kind (so you don’t need a lock), and there are showers (as well as deodorant, face wipes, and hair ties to freshen up) on the premises. Y7 now has a location in Silver Lake, too, as well as the original outposts throughout New York.

Fans of traditional Korean spas—kids included—tend to feel right at home here, with its clean, meditative "Jimjilbang" communal room, it's spacious, super hot saunas, and its no-nonsense massages and body scrubs. Head to the sauna, get a massage, and your nails done, too.

We were sad to see Triyoga's beautiful, Primrose Hill location go but are more than satisfied with its new airy, Camden replacement. Beyond the well-known yoga and Pilates classes—by far, some of the best the city has to offer—it's also worth checking out the infrared sauna sessions, craniosacral massage, intuitive readings, and nutritional, EFT, and CBT therapy (depending on what you're after).

The Grace is a boon to womankind as far as we're concerned: A private, women-only club in one of London's upper-crust neighborhoods, it's as great to hit for a business meeting as it is for a spa break, a green juice, a healthy lunch, or any number of holistic treatments with some of the city's most renowned healers. It's a one-stop shop for everything from colonics to IV infusions, and those who have the spare cash might consider the three- to five-day Intensive Cleanse, which includes a nutritional plan and everything from lymphatic drainage to Acqua Calda hammam treatments. It's a pretty great place to kick-start a health and wellness regimen.

Dr. Joshi's clinic is one of our first ports of (detox) call in London. In addition to colonics, Dr. Joshi also offers a pretty in-depth list of other wellness-centric services including personal training, massage, Endermologie, and his signature twenty-one-day nutritional plan, which are all designed to help detox. The clinic also offers a spectacular Moroccan riad retreat for the weary.

While you're pretty much guaranteed a solid facial at any of the Four Seasons, it's the Organic Pharmacy treatments at the Park Lane outpost that leave skin incredibly soft and glowing. Packed with anti-aging rose and diamonds, the products shine in particular during the signature Rose Diamond Anti-Age and Lifting facial, which starts with deep exfoliation from diamond powder and an enzyme peel and ends with an intensely lifting massage.

While the gym and restaurant are open to members only, the spa at Chelsea's KX is open to the (well-heeled) public who might visit for a wax or face sculpting. We would recommend heading there for a functional medicine consultation with Dr. Georges Mouton. If colonics are your thing, see Michelle Laud. The easy-to-use app makes it easy to book on the fly, too.

Though the hotel is located right in the center of the city overlooking Piccadilly, its subterranean spa feels miles away from the bustling streets above. The space itself is gorgeous, and spending a couple of hours between the sleek and modern gym, pool, and hammam facilities makes for a pretty spectacular spa day. When you book in with some of the expert healers—a resident Reiki master, nutritionist, etc.—the spa also doubles as the most luxurious practitioner's office ever.

While it's no surprise that one of London's swankiest hotels would have a bejeweled spa and gym to match, it's the treatments on offer that really make the Bulgari stand out. Cupping, Chinese Tui-Na, the Bowen Technique, osteopathy, and even emotional healing with a self-proclaimed "Modern Day Wizard" (price tag to match) are on offer here. In addition, the spa's Trend Room is home to the hottest pop-up wellness concepts and changes every few months.

Hands-down one of our favorite places to stay in London, the Connaught in Mayfair manages to strike a balance between charming and yet totally modern. The hotel's 5,000-square-foot spa (the only Aman Spa of its kind outside of the resort group), is just as incredible as you'd imagine swathed in floor-to-ceiling marble. At just five treatment rooms strong, there's a welcome intimacy here—all treatments start with an herbal infusion to help you unwind and then treatments take from Chinese, Indian, and Thai influences. (Each of the treatment rooms has its own private steam room.) During the week, the spa hosts a 20-minute lunch meditation at 1 p.m. that's free and open to the public.

The Corinthia in Covent Garden is one of those places that generally lives up to all the hype. As soon as you enter the space you immediately understand why: the interiors are dark, it's covered in Italian marble, and the vibe is moody but polished. The ESPA is one of the city's largest with twenty-nine treatment rooms and even a stainless steel swimming pool. Along with a robust roster of treatments—signature facials and massages—there's also a selection of customized treatments that focus on detox, sleep, and pregnancy. The best part? Their day spa offerings include access to everything from the gym and thermal floor to the sauna and steam rooms and relaxation areas.

Recently partnered with the renowned Lanserhof group—which runs exclusive medical retreats in Austria and Germany—expect a completely revamped experience from this longtime-favorite spa. They’ve brought in medical specialists, holistic practitioners, physiotherapists, nutritionists, and fitness experts. Just an hour outside London, it’s ideal for anyone looking for an intense holistic reset, or for those looking to get a glimpse of the state-of-the art Lanserhof methods. Their treatments range from traditional therapies—massages, facials, acupuncture and physiotherapy—to scrubs, floats, and hydrotherapy. We love the stress-busting “Detoxifying Envelopment” treatment.

We couldn’t be happier with this new addition to the KX brand, which combines a bare-bones, super-social gym with detoxifying wellness experiences. Down the street from the membership-only KX Life, KXU has pay-as-you-go group classes, including cycling, barre, and yoga. With the workout, you can add on fantastic infrared sauna or cryotherapy sessions, which can help with muscle soreness. We love the modern, darkly lit, neon-everywhere aesthetic, too.

Allyu (pronounced eye-you) is the Quechua word for community, and this Riverwalk-neighborhood spa's commitment to community spreads far beyond its clients. Sustainability manifests itself in nontoxic beauty products, cabinets made from reclaimed barn wood, and locally made soaps for sale. Besides a range of more traditional services, the incredible facials incorporate healing grape stem cells, rose-quartz massage, and smoothing enzyme masks, plus an amazing chakra balancing treatment.

This British import, located inside the Soho House in Chicago's buzzy West Loop, offers extraordinarily comfy treatment chairs and farmhouse vibes. It's particularly popular for its indulgent manis and pedis (60 and 75 minutes, respectively): Each of the chairs features its own TV and freshly brewed tea served in a teapot is available upon request. There are only five treatment rooms, but they'll do everything from facials (some with SkinCeuticals products) to body wraps, scrubs, and deep tissue massages.

The Peninsula’s ESPA spa is perched high above the city on the 19th and 20th floors of the hotel, and as can be expected from ESPA, the products and services are top-notch. And, since it’s the Peninsula, you won’t be disappointed by the amenities either—there's a eucalyptus steam room and a relaxation room where you can curl up next to a working fireplace. The facials can absolutely stand alone (ask for Sunny), but if you're splurging, invest in one of the famous half- or full-day spa journeys.

The sleek subterranean spa beneath the the Joule hotel offers both traditional and experimental spa treatments in a relaxing environment. Many of the facials use Tata Harper products; body treatments include Swedish massage, cupping therapy, and Thai table massage; and there are brow treatments from threading to microblading by local brow expert Rula Sharkawi. There’s a steam room with a giant amethyst shining in the corner (thought to encourage tranquility), a sauna, showers, and the Vitality Pool, a body-temperature pool with jets that gently massage the skin. Book a 50-minute or longer service and get a free spin, kickboxing, or yoga class at the neighboring Vital Fitness Studio.

This sprawling spa complex operates out of the Hotel Crescent Court, so a full day is well spent here: They offer private yoga and Pilates classes, a health-centric café, and treatments that range from the basic (manis and pedis) to the intense (hardcore lymphatic-draining treatments). We love that the spa is open to kids, too, with a full menu of kid-friendly treatments (and snacks in the café).

This mini chain of mega spas offer something called Sauna Valley: You'll find every conceivable temple—gold, Himalayan Salt, infrared, far infrared, color therapy—and an equal number of pools to match. The Texas outpost is open twenty-four hours a day, while the Queens location is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, making this a fun pilgrimage (and a good girls activity). There's an on-site cafeteria, and even a kiddie pool.

Lisa Breitenwischer opened her yoga studio in 2012. There, she teaches highly individualized classes and runs a program of personalized holistic treatments and nutritional counseling. Among the treatments available at her intimate studio is a new IR sauna, which is gratifying before or after a yoga class. (It's also relatively affordable here.)

This studio takes its mantra of “yoga for all” very seriously. There are ten types of classes, at all different levels, as well as options for kids and teens. Some of the best: deep stretching, an energizing vinyasa flow set to rock music, and sculpt classes warmed with an infrared sauna. There’s even a class for families to take together, where kids sing “Row Your Boat” while parents hold the boat pose.

B-12 shot happy hours, lymphatic massage, rolfing, structural integration, acupuncture, cupping, dry brushing, craniosacral therapy...the treatment menu at this sprawling San Francisco institution reads like a detox how-to. They also offer a host of other options, including facials, waxing, and peels.

Nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate bridge, Fort Baker is spread out over acres of prime Sausalito real estate, which up until recently has been left at the mercy of the elements. Then in 2008 a hospitality group stepped in and teamed up with the National Park Service to completely restore and preserve the area. The resulting 142-room lodge, healing arts center, and spa, are spread out over a cluster of Colonial buildings that meet and exceed all of LEED's sustainability requirement.

(Note: Revel & Rose is currently closed but reportedly opening back up soon.) We think the concept behind this one-stop-shop for beauty and wellness is genius: If you're booking in for colon hydrotherapy or an infrared heat session, why not get your nails done, too? The salon offers everything from waxes to spray tans to intuitive readings, which make memberships here extremely worthwhile, whether you're beautifying, detoxing, or both.

Michelle Bravo is a certified holistic massage therapist (HMT) and certified aromatherapist (CAT), two skills that she expertly combines in her signature treatments, which are all trademarked to her unique EOS technique. She's celebrated for a lymphatic massage that incorporates aromatherapy. Clients also love that Michelle is a kind, intuitive sounding board and love talking to her during their treatments—for the full experience, you can book her for a lifestyle coaching session.

The Tata Harper Spa in San Francisco (the only spa of its kind) is tucked into the back of Credo, a clean beauty shop in Pacific Heights. They offer a variety of treatments using Harper's signature products, including hydration therapy, and even back facials, and in true Tata style, you'll snuggle up under a vintage quilt that's reminiscent of her Vermont farm. There's just one tiny room in the back of the shop, so book ahead, though they will take walk-ins.

The great thing about Psoas is that founders Jennifer Lighthouse and Scott Schwartz bring so many different types of massage under the same roof; they offer everything from neurokinetic therapy to orthopedic massage. They're particularly great for sports massage (Jennifer is a former gymnast and diver) and pre-and post-natal bodywork.

Juliana does acupuncture, cupping, herbal work, and fantastic massage. She's also well known for her excellent bedside manner; she's kind, warm, and a pleasure to be around, which makes the entire experience all the more pleasant.

This minimalist, Korean-style communal bathhouse has two separate spa areas, one for men and one for women. Bathing suits are optional but you'll likely find that most guests opt not to wear them. For an affordable price, you can get a four-hour pass to Imperial's hot jacuzzi, dry and steam saunas, and cold plunge. Their wet spa body treatments focus on various purification scrubs, wraps, and oil massages, while their dry spa fixates on acupressure-focused massages. One great thing about Imperial is the spa stays open late (until 10 p.m., with the saunas shutting down at 9:45 p.m.), so you can head there after the office on days that warrant it.

TMI actually makes getting a colonic not so rough. (For more on the nuts and bolts of colonics, see this colonics Q&A with Dr. Alejandro Junger, and check in with your doctor to see if they're right for you.) In addition to colonic sessions, which is obviously what TMI is known for, they also offer infrared sauna sessions.

An all-inclusive hot yoga studio, Ritual gives you everything you need when you step through the door: mat, towel, yogitoes, water (as well as shampoo, razor, toothbrush, etc.). Ritual classes are choreographed to some pretty rad music—from 90's soul to hip-hop and pop remixes. And each session (50 minutes long) is run by two teachers—one leading the group, and then another providing one-on-one, hands-on adjustments and support throughout the session. Every week, a new "peak posture" move is introduced, so regular students continue to build up their yoga practices. What's even better: Sessions at Ritual end with a neck massage.

All the treatments at Roha are based on ancient Ayurveda practices to help restore energy, detoxify, release stress, and enhance wellness. The downtown San Francisco spot is all about full mind-body rejuvenation, with personalized protocols that include dietary adjustments, herbal remedies, and oil therapy treatments. If you’re not looking to make any lifestyle changes, the nourishing, warm-body-oil massage will leave you immediately relaxed and recharged.

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with beautiful hardwood floors and minimalist wooden lounge chairs set around the communal space. The facials, though, are decidedly unminimalist: There are nourishing masks; steamy, aromatic compresses to calm skin; layer upon layer of oils, creams, and hydrosols; detoxifying facial steams; and more. There’s a second location in Northeast Portland.

The Faena Hotel's Tierra Santa is a burst of color: A rainbow-striped rug runs through the spa’s lobby, which is outfitted with bright Juan Gatti artwork and floral-printed poufs. Inspired by an array of South American (and some South Asian) healing traditions, Tierra Santa has a gorgeous Turkish-style hammam and offers a full wet spa experience (waterfall shower, herbal steam room, wet scrub, sauna, and ice parlor); many of the treatments include ritualistic wellness aspects. The Hammam Rose Ritual is one highlight: During the treatment, as you lie on top of a warm marble slab, a therapist will scrub your entire body for what is likely to be the most thorough exfoliation of your life. Following this, you’ll be covered in ridiculously soft foam and then a soothing clay and later treated to a massage. The Tree of Life Vibrations treatment takes place on a heated sand bed and incorporates handmade Himalayan singing bowls into another supremely relaxing massage. Other massage options are more conventional, as are the facials—the Triple Lift Advanced Facial concludes with the Remodeling Face Machine from French brand Biologique Recherche. The Hyper-Customized Facial uses Naturopathica, one our favorite clean, nontoxic brands, and begins with facial steaming and gentle extractions, followed by lymphatic drainage, a congestion-soothing calendula mask, and a glycolic peel. The glow you leave with is...unreal. Led by two doctors, Tierra Santa also has a holistic, preventive medicine program that includes digestion-focused health therapies.

The only 100 percent organic spa in Boston (on pretty Newbury Street, no less), Balans specializes in plant-based treatments. This is a full-service outfit with an adjacent wellness center for nutrition, meditation, and exercise needs. The facials are customized entirely to your skin and accompanied by a complimentary nutrition and health consultation (if you like). Aside from the aesthetic treatments, Balans has a flotation tank to help fully relax the mind, the idea being to remove any kind of stimulant—unless you want to listen to music or a guided meditation. This water is Dead Sea–level salty by way of Epsom salts, to permeate the skin with essential minerals, so floating isn’t something you need to think about—it just happens. The massages can be boosted with body brushing, too.

This super authentic Ayurvedic spa and retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains is both rustic and luxe. Everything here, from the cooking classes to the yoga sessions, aligns with Ayurvedic principles. The beyond amazing, recently renovated spa has tons of different treatments, but we like the Signature Facial. All of the nourishing products are made on the premises and work to bring harmony to your doshas. Bonus: You can add on a warm-oil scalp massage to any treatment.

This spa's holistic energy approach combines traditional Japanese and Egyptian treatments with a little bit of Southern hospitality. The menu isn't so expansive that you'd lose valuable time picking a treatment, but if you need a real quickie, the thirty-minute massage is a revelation. (And it's the only place in Houston offering yoni steams, at least that we know of.) The seaweed wrap for dry, flaky skin cocoons the body in a layer of kombu, aloe, and green tea for some light exfoliation. And the Off-the-Menu facial customizes products to your skin type.

This onsen in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo sources its pristine waters daily from Naikazu in the Izu Peninsula. Pure soaking pools aside, there's an infrared sauna, as well as bedrock baths. The latter involve lying on beds made of rock salt, said to release energizing negative ions. The massages here are completely worth it, rigorous in a hurt-so-good kind of way.

Whether you’re lounging on the heated marble steps of the enormous, coed Turkish-style hammam, sipping fresh-pressed green juice while the ocean glitters before you, doing serious yoga or Pilates, or all three plus an astrology reading and a pedicure, a few hours here truly takes you out of the everyday. Located inside the Standard, the spa's sleekly modern ashram meets sybaritic retreat has everything. Within the hammam, there are shiny metal tubs for individual pretreatment baths; beyond that, there's a Roman-style waterfall hot tub, a mud lounge, a Finnish sauna, an infinity pool, and an arctic plunge. There’s every sort of massage and facial, plus goopier options, like crystal-infused masks, biopuncture, and workshops on hypnocoaching, sound healing, crystal healing, and more. The food couldn’t be healthier or more delicious, and the on-an-island setting is about as gorgeous as it gets. Photos: Adrian Gaut.

This gorgeous villa in the picturesque spa town of Baden-Baden has only fifteen suites and is the ultimate place to detox in private. The nine-day program starts with a medical examination, followed by a custom regimen of ninety-one treatments created by Dr. Harry Konig that range from bracing lymphatic massages and fitness classes to relaxing mud baths and meditations. If you’re interested in a less-immersive path, you can stay in town and instead purchase a day pass for spa treatments and, if you prefer, simply lounging on the perfectly manicured lawns.