How to prepare for your first learning retreat
What to pack, how to set intentions and why arriving tired is actually perfect...
Autumn 2026 • Tuscany • Bali • Joshua Tree
Learn deeply. Rest fully. Return changed.
Masterclass Retreat is not a conference. It is a 4-day immersive escape where 40 curious minds learn directly from world-class founders, artists and scientists — between olive groves, morning breathwork and long farmhouse dinners.
Live Masterclass • Today 10:00Storytelling with Maya Chen — 38 seats
Bali • Ubud Jungle — Sold out★★★★★ 212 reviews • Next: Mar 2027
STORYTELLING ✦ LEADERSHIP ✦ CREATIVITY ✦ WELLNESS ✦ DEEP WORK ✦ CRAFT ✦ COMMUNITY ✦ NATURE ✦STORYTELLING ✦ LEADERSHIP ✦ CREATIVITY ✦ WELLNESS ✦ DEEP WORK ✦ CRAFT ✦ COMMUNITY ✦ NATURE ✦
01 — About the retreat
A school without walls. A hotel with a soul.
We started Masterclass Retreat in 2019 with a simple frustration: online courses don't change lives. People do. Places do. Shared meals do. So we built a format where learning happens with your hands in the soil, your breath in the morning mist, and your ideas on a white wall at midnight.
Each retreat hosts only 36–42 guests. Mornings begin with movement and mindfulness. Days are built around 90-minute masterclasses, intimate labs of 8 people, and one-on-one mentor clinics. Evenings end with fire-side storytelling, live music and Tuscan wine — or Balinese gamelan under the stars.
✦ No lectures from a stage✦ Max 42 guests✦ 1:6 mentor ratio✦ Phone-free mornings
0Alumni
0% Rebook
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02 — Curriculum
Six tracks. One transformation.
Choose your focus track on arrival — or wander between all. Every guest receives a personal learning map and a 30-day integration plan.
Craft • Maya Chen
Storytelling & Public Voice
Find your narrative, own any room. Keynotes, camera work, TED-style coaching and nightly story slams.
Lead • Marcus Webb
Conscious Leadership
Decision-making under pressure, radical candor, team rituals. Includes 360 review + 1:1 clinic.
Create • Studio Atelier
Creativity & Art Practice
Plein-air painting, ceramics, photography walks and creative unblocking for non-artists too.
Taste • Chef Elena Rossi
Culinary Craft & Ritual
Pasta madre, fire cooking, wine tasting and mindful eating. Cook alongside Michelin chefs.
Restore • Dr. Amara Okafor
Wellness, Breath & Sleep
Neuroscience of rest, ice baths, yoga nidra, forest bathing. Leave with a personal energy protocol.
Build • Founders Lab
Ventures & Deep Work Sprint
Ship your project in 4 days: positioning, landing, pitch. Daily co-working in olive groves.
03 — Mentors
Learn from those who do.
No gurus on pedestals. Our mentors eat with you, hike with you, and review your work line by line.
Maya Chen
Storytelling • Ex-PixarEmmy-winning director. Coached 300+ founders to keynote.
Marcus Webb
Leadership • Stanford GSBBuilt 2 unicorns. Teaches calm leadership under fire.
Elena Rossi
Culinary • Osteria FrancescanaSlow food philosopher. Farm-to-table rituals & fire.
Jonas Lindqvist
Creativity • PhotographerNational Geographic eye. Daily dawn photo walks.
04 — A day inside
Rhythm, not schedule.
Structured enough to grow, spacious enough to breathe. Phones rest until noon. Minds open all day.
06:30 — Dawn practice
Breathwork, yoga or silent hike. Espresso at sunrise overlooking the valley.
09:00 — Masterclass I
90-min deep dive with head mentor. Live demos, no slides marathons.
11:30 — Lab (8 people)
Hands-on practice, personal feedback, hot seats. This is where breakthroughs happen.
13:00 — Long lunch
Farm-to-table, family style. Chefs explain each dish. No laptops.
15:00 — Masterclass II + Siesta
Second craft block, then hammock time, massage or journaling in the grove.
17:30 — Excursion / Creation
Olive oil tasting, village walk, painting hour or deep-work sprint.
20:00 — Fireside dinner & stories
Three-course dinner, guest stories, live strings. Stargazing to close.
05 — Venues
Places that teach.
We scout for a year to find each venue: silence, beauty, soulful hosts and room to wander.
Tuscany • Oct 9-13 2026
Villa Cetinale Hills
17th-century villa, cypress alleys, infinity olive view.
Bali • Mar 18-22 2027
Ubud Jungle Sanctuary
Bamboo shalas, river pools, temple mornings.
Joshua Tree • May 6-10 2027
Desert Sky Lodge
Stargazing domes, cacti labs, Joshua sunrises.
06 — Alumni love
They came tired. Left lit.
4.98 average from 890 verified reviews. 96% say it was life-changing.
"I pitched my startup on day 3 and cried on day 4 — in a good way. I found my voice and my co-founder at the same dinner table."
Sarah KleinFounder, Berlin → Tuscany '25"No Zoom course ever gave me this. Maya rewrote my keynote line by line. Two months later I closed a $2M round with that story."
David OseiCEO, London → Bali '25"As a burned-out surgeon, I came for sleep. I left with a painting practice, 12 friends, and a completely new rhythm of life."
Dr. Lina ParkPhysician, NYC → Joshua Tree '2607 — Dates & passes
Choose your season.
All-inclusive: stay, food, classes, wellness, excursions. Flights excluded. Payment plans available.
Daylight Pass
Tuscany • Shared Casa
$1,950
- 4-day all masterclasses
- Shared twin room (2 guests)
- All meals farm-to-table
- Morning wellness
- Community access 12 mo
Most loved • 78% choose
Retreat Full
Tuscany • Private Room
$2,450
- Everything in Daylight
- Private ensuite room
- 1:1 mentor clinic (45 min)
- Massage + photo portrait
- 30-day integration coach
- Alumni reunion invite
Vision Circle
All 3 retreats • Suite
$6,900
- All retreats 2026-2027
- Private suite always
- Quarterly online labs
- Founders dinner access
- Bring-a-friend -20%
08 — Questions
Everything, answered.
Still unsure? Write to us — a human (Elena, our host) replies within a day.
What is Masterclass Retreat, exactly? +
A 4-day, small-group immersive learning vacation. Think masterclasses by day, wellness and great food throughout, and deep community always. No big halls, no name badges.
Do I need experience to join? +
No. Tracks are designed for beginners to advanced. Labs are split by level, and mentors adapt to you. Curiosity matters more than CV.
What's included in the price? +
Boutique accommodation, all masterclasses and materials, 3 farm-to-table meals daily, wellness sessions, excursions, airport transfers from the hub city, and 12-month community access.
Can I come solo? +
78% come solo — and leave with friends for life. We seat you intentionally, pair you for labs, and host a welcome circle on day one.
What is the refund policy? +
Full refund up to 60 days before, 50% up to 30 days, or free transfer to another date anytime. If we cancel, you get 100% + $200 credit.
09 — Journal
Notes from the grove.
Methods, mentor essays, venue diaries and alumni stories. New drops every week.
The 3-act storytelling method we teach in Tuscany
Maya Chen's simple framework that turns rambling into riveting in 20 minutes...
Why we ban phones until noon (and what happens)
Neuroscience of morning silence + 3 rituals our alumni still keep a year later...
Your seat under the olives awaits.
October Tuscany is 82% full. Bali opens soon. Tell us where you want to grow — we'll hold a 48h courtesy option, no card needed.
✦ 4.98 rated • 2400+ alumni • Small cohorts only ✦