Last updated: May 3, 2026 · By Joe Ghafari, CEO and Head Coach of Visiting Wrld
How to Prepare for a Gay Fitness Retreat
The short answer: Preparing for a gay fitness retreat is six steps. Apply, take a 30-minute discovery call, place a $500 deposit to lock your spot, handle passport and travel logistics, build a baseline fitness routine, and mentally prepare for a brotherhood-format week. Most first-time retreaters arrive with no prior international travel experience and no specific fitness routine. The retreat is built for that. This guide walks you through what to do at each step.
Step 1: Apply and take the discovery call
Time required: 5 minutes to apply. 30 minutes for the discovery call.
Every Visiting Wrld retreater starts with a short application form. The form asks the basics: who you are, which destination you are interested in, what you want from the retreat. Apply at visitingwrld.com/apply-now-costa-rica (the universal application page).
After you apply, Joe Ghafari (CEO and head coach) will hop on a 30-minute discovery call. The call is two-sided: we are confirming the retreat is a fit for you, and you are confirming it is a fit for us. We will walk through the format, the destinations, the fitness expectations, and your goals. Full retreat pricing is shared on the call. The call is not a sales push.
If both sides confirm fit, the next step is the deposit.
Step 2: Place the $500 deposit to lock your spot
Time required: 2 minutes. Cost: $500.
The $500 deposit secures your place in the cohort. Cohorts run 20 to 30 men per retreat, and spots fill in order of deposit. The deposit applies to the full retreat cost (which is confirmed on the discovery call).
Once the deposit lands, you are locked in. We send you the welcome packet, the orientation schedule, and the first set of pre-retreat materials.
Step 3: Handle passport and international travel logistics
Time required: 6 to 10 weeks if you do not have a passport. 1 hour if you do.
About 80% of Visiting Wrld retreaters arrive solo, and most are first-time international travelers. Passport anxiety is the #2 most common pre-retreat concern (price is #1, just barely).
What you need to do:
- If you don’t have a passport yet: apply at travel.state.gov. Standard processing is 6 to 8 weeks. Expedited is 2 to 3 weeks for an extra fee. Apply at least 8 weeks before your retreat to be safe.
- If you have a passport: verify it has at least 6 months of remaining validity beyond your retreat dates. Most countries require this. If yours expires within 6 months of the retreat end date, renew it.
- Visa requirements vary by destination. Costa Rica: no visa required for US citizens for stays under 180 days. Mexico: no visa required, FMM entry permit issued on arrival (180 days at officer discretion). Bali: 30-day Visa on Arrival at DPS airport. Thailand: 60-day visa exemption on arrival (effective July 2024). We send detailed visa instructions per destination 30 days before the retreat.
- Flights: Round-trip flights are included on the VIP package only. Shared and Private package retreaters book their own flights. We coordinate timing so the cohort arrives within a 4-hour window. Airport transportation is included for all packages.
- Travel insurance: we recommend it. Annual travel insurance is the cheapest path if you take more than one international trip a year.
Step 4: Build a baseline fitness routine before the retreat
Time required: 3 to 6 weeks. Cost: a gym membership or a few resistance bands.
The training at Visiting Wrld is daily coach-led resistance training at a private gym. The program scales to every starting fitness level, including complete beginners. You do not need to arrive in shape. But the retreat will be more enjoyable if your body has done structured training in the few weeks leading up to it.
Three things we recommend in the 3 to 6 weeks before the retreat:
- 2 to 3 strength sessions per week. Resistance training, full body, ~45 to 60 minutes each. Even bodyweight movements (push-ups, squats, lunges, rows with a band) are fine. The goal is to wake up your nervous system to the demands of training so the first few days at the retreat are productive instead of recovery.
- 10,000 steps a day. Cardio capacity is the most common gap. Daily walking gets your aerobic base ready for excursions like the waterfall hike (Costa Rica, Thailand) or the cultural day (Mexico’s Mayan ruins, Bali’s longer cultural format).
- One mobility session per week. 20 minutes of light stretching focused on hips, shoulders, and ankles. Reduces soreness in the first 2 days of training abroad.
If you have a coach already, share our pre-retreat brief with them. We can also coordinate with your coach directly if you want.
Step 5: Pack for a 6 to 9 day premium fitness retreat
Time required: 1 to 2 hours.
The packing list for a Visiting Wrld retreat is the same regardless of destination, with small adjustments per climate.
- Training: 4 to 6 sets of athletic clothing (tanks, shorts, training shirts), 1 to 2 pairs of training shoes, lifting gloves if you use them, headphones for solo lifts.
- Excursions: swim trunks, sandals or water shoes (yacht excursion, beach time), a quick-dry towel, sun protection (SPF 50+, sunglasses, brimmed hat), a daypack for hikes.
- Evenings: 3 to 5 casual outfits (chinos / shorts and a nice shirt). Resort dinners are usually casual. Bring one outfit you would wear to a beach club for the welcome dinner.
- Documents: passport, printed copies of flight reservations, retreat confirmation email, travel insurance card, any prescription medication with the original packaging.
- Tech: phone with international plan or local eSIM, laptop only if you need it for work, universal travel adapter (especially Bali / Thailand which use Type C and Type G plugs).
- Recovery: a foam roller is overkill for a 6 day trip; a lacrosse ball or massage gun mini fits in carry-on and handles 95% of recovery needs.
Skip: heavy supplements (we have what you need on site), full-size toiletries (resorts provide), formal clothing (none of our retreats require it).
Step 6: Prepare mentally for a brotherhood-format week
Time required: ongoing in the 2 weeks before the retreat.
This is the step most first-time retreaters underestimate. The fitness side is straightforward. The mental side is what makes Visiting Wrld different from a fitness vacation.
What to expect:
- You will spend 6 to 9 days with the same 20 to 30 men. Same villa. Same coach. Same meal table. Same daily rhythm. By day 3, the social compression has done most of its work and the cohort feels like a tight group.
- About 80% of retreaters arrive solo. If you are nervous about showing up alone, you are in the majority. The format is built for it. The cohort is the social safety net.
- The brotherhood framing is intentional. Visiting Wrld is built around a deeper bond than what you’d build at a casual social event. Most retreaters keep training and traveling with their cohort months after the retreat ends.
- You can disengage when needed. Private rooms (Private and VIP packages) give you a place to recharge. The schedule has built-in solo time. We do not force constant socializing. The structure makes connection easy when you want it and easy to opt out when you do not.
What to do in the 2 weeks before the retreat:
- Write down 3 things you want to leave the retreat with. Specific. Internal goals (more confidence, less drinking, more discipline) and external goals (5 lbs of muscle, X new contacts, a structured weekly training routine you actually keep).
- Tell at least one person at home what you are doing and why. Public commitment increases follow-through.
- Stop drinking 2 to 4 days before the flight. Travel on a clean body.
What happens at the retreat (so you know what to expect)
A typical Visiting Wrld day:
- Morning: coffee, group nutrition, daily check-in.
- Mid-morning: 60 to 90 minutes of coach-led resistance training at a private gym.
- Lunch: chef-prepared meal with the cohort.
- Afternoon: a wellness or mindset workshop, OR a curated excursion (private yacht with open bar and snorkeling, waterfall hike, cultural experience depending on destination).
- Evening: chef-prepared group dinner, optional free time, early sleep.
The schedule is structured. Predictable. There are no surprise activities. You always know what is next.
Frequently asked questions about preparing
How fit do I need to be?
Any starting level. Coaches scale every workout to your experience. Most retreaters arrive at a normal fitness level and leave with more capacity. The training is structured progression, not punishment.
What if I have an injury?
Bring it up on the discovery call and pre-retreat brief. Coaches can program around almost any common injury. We work with surgeons, recovering athletes, and first-time lifters in the same cohort.
What if I have a dietary restriction?
Tell us on the application. Chefs accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and most allergies. Strict restrictions can be discussed on the discovery call.
How much spending money do I need?
All meals, training, accommodations, airport transportation, and group excursions are included. You only pay for personal items: souvenirs, optional extras, drinks outside group dinners. $200 to $400 covers most retreaters comfortably for the week.
Do I need a coach back home before the retreat?
No. We provide a pre-retreat training brief with sample sessions you can run yourself. If you already have a coach, we coordinate with them.
Can I bring a partner?
Yes. Couples can book a Private Room or VIP package together. Most retreaters arrive solo, so the cohort is built for solo travelers as the default.
What if I’m worried about leaving the gay bar / drinking scene?
About 33% of our applicants explicitly mention this. The retreat works as a 6 to 9 day reset. Drinking is allowed (we are not a sober retreat) but the daily 6:30 AM training schedule means the cohort naturally winds down early. Most retreaters describe a noticeable shift in their relationship with bar nights for weeks after.
What if I am nervous about showing up alone?
About 80% of retreaters arrive solo. The brotherhood format is built for solo travelers. If you are worried about being alone in a room of strangers, you are exactly the prospect this format is designed for.
Apply for a Visiting Wrld retreat
Apply for any 2026 retreat here. Applications go to a 30-minute discovery call. A $500 deposit locks your spot. 2026 retreats:
- Costa Rica: July 17 to 22 (6 days, Playas del Coco)
- Bali: November 4 to 12 (9 days)
- Thailand: November 15 to 23 (9 days, Phuket)
- Mexico: December 2 to 7 (6 days, Playa del Carmen)
