Veterinary Wellness Retreats: CE That Refills Your Cup
By Bethany Weinheimer, DVM · Updated October 20, 2026 · 4 min read
A veterinary wellness retreat is continuing education designed so you come home with more energy than you left with. You still earn CE hours for your license, but the schedule leaves room for rest, movement, good food and time outdoors.
How it's different from a conference
Conferences pack the day with sessions and the evenings with receptions. A retreat keeps CE to the mornings, in a small group with one specialist, and gives you the afternoon. That pace is what makes the learning stick and the time away worth it.
What to look for
- Real CE: RACE-approved sessions with a qualified specialist, not just a wellness weekend
- Built-in wellness: yoga, massage or spa time, and unscheduled hours, included in the price
- A small group: small enough that you actually connect with the people around you
- Animals done right: experiences centered on welfare and conservation
- Room for everyone: vets, techs, assistants and practice managers, plus partners who skip the CE
How Vet Passport does it
Every Vet Passport trip is both a CE trip and a wellness retreat. In South Africa, for example, mornings are wildlife and exotics CE, with daily yoga, two massages, rhino conservation experiences and free afternoons by the pool or on the padel court. Groups are capped at 18.
Not sure where to go? Take the quiz and we'll match you to the trip that fits how you want to feel.
Frequently asked questions
What is a veterinary wellness retreat?
A trip that combines continuing education for veterinary professionals with built-in rest and wellness, such as yoga, massage, nature and free time, usually in a small group.
Do veterinary wellness retreats count for CE?
They do if the sessions are RACE-approved or otherwise accepted by your state board. Check for RACE program numbers before you book.
Who can attend a Vet Passport retreat?
Veterinary professionals, including vets, techs, assistants and practice managers, on the CE Traveler ticket, plus partners and friends on the Explorer ticket.
Get first pick of 2027 trips
Join the free waitlist. No payment, and you'll hear first when booking opens.
Keep reading
- International Veterinary CE in 2027: How to Choose a CE Trip
- How to Get Your Practice to Pay for CE Travel
- Is Veterinary CE Travel Tax Deductible?
- The 2027 international veterinary CE calendar
About the author. Bethany Weinheimer, DVM. Founder, Vet Passport and The Evolved Vets. Career emergency veterinarian. More about Vet Passport.