Go ahead and carve out some 'me time" on your next visit to Hamilton, Ontario with our guide to a self-care getaway focused on wellness and sustainability.
Choose from nature-based wellness experiences, eco-friendly spa treatments, and sustainable, farm-fresh dining.
HEALING WATERS
Fun fact: being near or in water is scientifically proven to work wonders on the body. Try it for yourself at these water therapy stops in Hamilton.
Zee Float
Let your worries float away at this popular Float and Contrast Therapy Spa close to downtown.â¯Spacious, soundproof, float tanks, heated and filled with Epsom salt let you float and let go to the max.
Float Pool Spa
Whether you're looking for relief from muscle pain or seeking relaxation, this spa is worth checking out. You'll float weightlessly in your own pool in the dark or with light - your choice. A post-soak meditation room helps keep the calming vibes going.
Hamilton Waterfalls
Hamilton’s many famous waterfalls are a treat for the senses. Some local favourites include Sherman Falls, a terraced waterfall on a hiking route, Albion Falls with its cascading steps, and Tiffany Falls, at the end of the pretty trail in Ancaster.
SALT CAVES
Salt caves are not a new thing, but they're certainly trending, thanks to their touted benefits, like increasing oxygen levels in the blood and releasing serotonin.
Dundas Healing Salt Cave
This Dundas facility promises a session here will help with breathing, skin conditions and boost your immune system. If nothing else, it certainly is relaxing.
Healing Salt Cave Hamilton
The salt cave here is a man-made, re-creation of one in Poland. Follow with a massage or facial, if you wish.
CONNECT TO NATURE
The restorative power of nature is well documented. And you'll have no trouble finding lots of nature therapy in Hamilton, packed with nature trail, waterfronts and colourful gardens.
Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG)
Whether you love to photograph gorgeous blooms or adore interesting plants, you'll find something that connects with you here. Watch for special programming, like yoga classes and birding workshops.
Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse
There's something magical about being surrounded by subtropical plants, palm trees and unique species, including the rare corpse flower. Find it all inside this 14,000 square ft greenhouse in the middle of historic Gage Park.
Hiking Trails
Hamilton's vast trail network winds through forests, along waterfronts, and across the edge of the striking Niagara Escarpment. Try the Confederation Park Trail, along Lake Ontario, or visit Dundas Valley to wander through the Carolinian forest, see dramatic geological formations and catch glimpses of wildlife.
FOREST BATHING
Forest bathing has become the pursuit of many nature lovers thanks to it mental and physical health benefits.
Treetop Trekking
Head into the woods with a certified forest therapy guide to help you get the maximum benefits from your forest experience. Or, if you crave more action, try their adventure course including rope bridges and ziplines.
Hamilton Conservation Authority Parks
Love to fish or swim? Then Fifty Point Conservation Area is the spot for you. Intrigued by underground caves? Spend the day exploring Eramosa Karst, considered a natural gem for its streams, meadows, and forested areas. Like dramatic views? Spencer Gorge boasts one of the region's best at Dundas Peak lookout with two famous waterfalls nearby Tew and Webster Falls.
YOGA CLASSES
For mind and body, yoga can be a wellness booster. Find your perfect drop-in class in Hamilton.
Drop In Yoga Studios
If you're not sure what type of yoga to try, try a drop in studio with plenty of classes to choose from like De La Sol Yoga Studios close to downtown or Yoga Shala Wellness Centre in Waterdown. Classes here include beginner, hot and hatha.
Yoga in the Gardens
Take the benefits of a great yoga class and add in a stunning backdrop like Royal Botanical Gardens' Rock Garden - a National Historic Site - and you've got the makings of an unforgettable experience.
WELLNESS GETAWAY
The High Acre
Book a wellness getaway at this chic Dundas B&B, once a farmhouse from 1867. Its four suites come with health-boosting spa amenities, like an infrared sauna, hammam steam shower with aromatherapy and soaker tub. Enjoy a gorgeous outdoor pool experience when visiting in the summer.
NOURISHING FOOD
Hamilton is filled with healthy food and drink options from farmers markets to restaurants that will nourish your body and mind.
Apothecary Kitchen
Grab a healthy meal at this popular spot in the Hamilton Farmers' Market downtown. Everything it prepares, from soups to salads to stews, is plant-based, made with whole foods and chock full of nutrition.
Democracy on Locke
You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy the food at this popular neighbourhood spot. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, tasty, plant-based dishes are always on the menu. Regular customers love the rice and garden bowls, and the brunch smash burger.
Ancaster Mill
For a more high-end dining experience, visit the city's iconic Ancaster Mill where chefs look to the season's harvest for their earth to table menu, even foraging the restaurant's grounds for fresh herbs and produce.
Farmers' Markets
Eat and shop where fresh rules - a local farmers' markets. You can grab-and-go or sit and eat at the city's oldest and grandest markets, the Hamilton Farmers' Market. Or explore the Ottawa Street Farmers' Market, held each Saturday from April to December.
RETAIL THERAPY
Need a little pick-me-up? Shop for something that can boost your wellness, mind, body, and spirit while supporting a local small business.
Apotheka
Essential oils can help give you more energy, improve your mental clarity, or ease your stress. This cute new boutique has plenty to choose from, plus herbal teas, and non-toxic candles, and an on-site clinical aromatherapist.
Pale Blue Dot
Swing by this family-run store, focused on earth-friendly goods, chosen with sustainability, low-waste and ethically living in mind. Shop vintage items, stationary, cards, glassware, kitchen basics, clothing, and accessories.
sariKnotSari
This unique downtown clothing shop embraces sustainable fashion with a conscience, featuring garments made from upcycled silk and other fabrics.
Weir’s Lavender & Apiary
This lovely smelling shop sells products made from quality lavender grown at their own farm, as well as bee-related items. Don't leave without some lavender-infused honey and a pillow spray.
BACK TO THE LAND
Agritourism helps connect visitors with the land, with nature and the simpler things in life. Farm-based experiences are both fun and therapeutic.
Triple C Farm
Book ahead to meet some of the farm's furry friends, take an alpaca for a walk, or take a private yoga class with goats and cuddle a baby animal.
Pick Your Own Farms
Hamilton has plenty of fertile farmland, so it's no surprise that you can get some incredibly fresh produce. A few favourites include: Carluke Orchards in Ancaster for apples and pumpkins, Dyments Pumpkin Patch, or Binbrook's Paradise Fields Organic Farm, specializing in apples.
Farm Crawl
Hosted on different weekends during the summer, this self-guided farm tour gives visitors a behind-the scenes look at popular working farms with everything from flower fields and cideries to vegetable gardens and sheep farms.
TRAVEL LIGHT
Considering your travel footprint? Hamilton offers some sustainable travel options for getting to and around the city.
- Plan your route, including how to skip the pump with all-day GO Train service into Hamilton.
- Once you're here, explore on two wheels by renting a SoBi Bike or e-Scooter, hop on a local HSR bus.