The Top-Ranked Global Wellness Hotspots

Over the past several years, wellness tourism has experienced a rise in popularity. As we’ve become increasingly concerned with our well-being due to high levels of daily stress, holidaymakers are beginning to swap sunny beaches and city breaks for more health-conscious activities. 

From relaxing spa breaks to dinners at healthy restaurants, we’re seeing a greater focus placed on wellness during travel, rather than simply going to new places to see the top-rated attractions and landmarks. 

To research this trend further, we’ve compiled an index to rank the top healthy travel destinations around the world. We ranked more than 35 countries based on the quality of their spas, yoga retreats, healthy cuisine, and meditation centres, all to identify the top global wellness hotspots in 2025. 

Each country on our list was assigned a star rating out of five in each category, as well as an overall star rating, which we calculated by averaging its scores. So, if you’re looking for the best destinations for a healthy getaway, or just curious to see where your country ranked, read on for our list of the best countries for wellness travel. 

The best countries for wellness, ranked

When it comes to our overall index, European countries dominated the top of the list, with countries in Oceania and South America also ranking well. Many countries shared the same average rating across each category, making our top ten more of a top twelve! 

Here are the top global wellness rankings according to our data: 

1. Australia

With an overall score of 4.82 stars out of five, Australia is our #1 global health tourism hotspot. With high scores across every category we investigated, it narrowly beats tough competition from many of our other highest-ranking countries. 

However, it dominates the field when it comes to spas and saunas, with an average rating of 4.84 stars, giving it a considerable lead over every other country in this category.

2. Estonia

Estonia is the highest-ranking European country on our list (of which there are many!), and it only misses out on our global wellness tourism index’s top spot by just 0.01 of a star! 

It has the second-highest-rated healthy eateries in the world and ranks as one of the top ten countries for meditation centre quality. However, the average rating of its saunas, spas, and yoga facilities is slightly lower, resulting in an overall rating of 4.81 stars. 

3. Lithuania

Scoring an impressive 4.80 stars overall on our list, Lithuania earns a bronze medal placement in our global wellness rankings. The country boasts the second-highest ranked meditation centres in the world, as well as a top ten finish in our list of the countries with the highest-rated healthy eateries overall. 

4. The United Kingdom and Switzerland

Tied at an average of 4.78 stars each overall, the United Kingdom and Switzerland both narrowly miss out on podium finishes in our wellness index. 

Both countries specialise in similar categories, with Switzerland taking the lead in meditation centre quality (4.94 vs 4.86), while the UK pulls ahead with its sauna and spa ratings (4.73 vs 4.63). 

However, both fall slightly behind the curve when it comes to the ratings of their healthy eateries (4.57 for the UK and 4.58 for Switzerland), hence their lower position overall. 

5. Portugal, Slovenia, and Poland

Another tie sees Portugal, Slovenia, and Poland all miss out on the top five, but their overall ratings of 4.77 stars are still highly respectable. 

Slovenia comes out on top for its meditation centres and yoga classes (4.91 and 4.88, respectively), while Poland’s saunas and spas are rated higher than those of the other countries tied at #6 (4.75). Portugal takes the win in the most categories, however, with both its healthy eateries (4.70) and yoga centres (4.91) helping it tie with Slovenia and Poland. 

6. Colombia, Malta, Brazil, and New Zealand

We round out our list of the best global wellness hotspots with a four-way tie! Colombia Malta, Brazil, and New Zealand all finished in our rankings with an average of 4.76 stars overall, meaning they share the #9 spot between them! 

Malta stands out for its meditation (a perfect 5.00) and yoga centres (4.96), which both tie with Croatia as the best in the world. New Zealand is the best in the pack for its spas and saunas (4.77), while Colombia has the best eateries (4.74).  

Standout categories: Wellness by strength

While our overall rankings reflect the best countries for wellness tourism across the board, many holiday destinations specialise in specific areas. Here are the countries which came out on top in our individual categories: 

Best country for healthy eating: France

Famous around the world for its cuisine and five-star restaurants, it should come as no surprise that France has the highest-rated healthy eateries of any country in our data. 

Boasting an average rating of 4.83 stars, it narrowly beats Estonia and Croatia to take the top spot, while also scoring relatively well in other categories. However, its average sauna and spa rating of 4.30 is among the lowest in our index, bringing its overall score down to 4.69. 

Best countries for yoga and meditation: Croatia and Malta

Not only do Croatia and Malta specialise in the same categories, but they also tie for the top spot in both! 

Sharing a perfect 5.00 average in meditation centres, as well as a 4.96 average rating for yoga classes, they both offer excellent opportunities to escape the chaos of daily life and practice mindfulness. 

Croatia also ranks as the country with the third-highest rated healthy eateries (4.90), but its saunas and spas are the lowest-ranked on our list (4.15), resulting in an overall score of 4.73. 

Best country for spas and saunas: Australia

In addition to ranking as the best global wellness hotspot in our overall rankings, Australia also dominates in our data for spas and saunas. With an average rating of 4.84 for its services, it easily beats competition from New Zealand (4.77) and Norway (4.76). This puts it more than half a star ahead of our lowest-ranked countries for sauna and spa quality: Croatia, France, and Singapore. 

Find the perfect travel insurance for your wellness getaway

Wellness tourism can be a great way to practice healthy living and mindfulness while taking in the sights of a new country. Our data shows that while many countries provide excellent services across the board, others are more specialised to suit different interests. Hence, it’s essential to research your options before you travel.