Every sober retreat I have ever heard about arrived the same way: a screenshot in a group chat. Someone’s friend went. Someone heard about it at a meeting. Someone found it three Instagram accounts deep at 11 p.m. and forwarded it with “THIS LOOKS AMAZING” in all caps.
That is not a booking system. That is a whisper network.
Isabel van Zuilen noticed the same thing, and instead of screenshotting one more retreat into the void, she built the thing sober travelers have been missing: an actual place to search. Her new company, Dry Tripping Travel, launched this month as a marketplace for alcohol-free retreats and group trips, all in one place, searchable by destination, host, and experience.
And here is the part that makes me want to stand on a chair: Isabel is one of our BACKSTAGE members. When someone from our own community launches a company that solves a problem this audience has been complaining about for years, we cover it. Loudly.
The Trips Exist. Finding Them Is the Problem.
Alcohol-free retreats and group trips are already out there. Surf weeks, hiking trips, city adventures, long weekends in Palm Springs, a full week in Lisbon. The problem is that they live scattered across individual retreat websites, social media posts, and tour operators who may or may not explain how alcohol fits into the itinerary.
Compare that to literally any other kind of travel. Want a luxury resort? A wine-country getaway? An adventure tour? There are entire platforms competing for your click. Want a social, alcohol-free trip? Good luck. Start scrolling.
Isabel knows this gap personally. She is an Amsterdam expat living in San Francisco who got sober in 2019 and went on to found Sobertopia, an alcohol-free community, along with its retreats. She kept hearing the same story from women in her community: they found an incredible trip, but only because someone happened to mention it.
“I didn’t set out to build a company,” she said in the launch announcement. “I kept seeing the same gap from inside a community that needed it filled, and eventually I couldn’t not build it.”
Same, Isabel. That is exactly how The Sober Curator started, minus the part where I hit publish by accident. #IYKYK
The Numbers Back Her Up
This is not a niche hunch. The drinking data has been moving in one direction for years, and it is not toward the swim-up bar.
In 2025, Gallup reported that 54% of U.S. adults drink alcohol, down from 67% in 2022 and the lowest number Gallup has recorded in nearly 90 years of tracking. Ninety years. That stat should be framed and hung in every beverage director’s office in America.
Travel is following. Hilton’s global research of 13,000 travelers across 13 countries found that one in four had reduced or stopped drinking within the previous year. Seven in ten said they enjoy being active while traveling, and more than one in five planned leisure travel around self-discovery or mental health.
Translation: a quarter of the traveling public is already drinking less or not at all, and the industry is still leading with the welcome cocktail.
Not a Lesser Vacation. A Better One.
What I like most about Dry Tripping Travel’s positioning is what it refuses to do. It does not treat alcohol-free travel as vacation-lite. There is no “sacrifice” framing, no wellness-retreat solemnity, no implication that you will spend five days journaling in silence while sipping cucumber water.
The platform is built for the whole spectrum: people in long-term recovery, the sober curious, the taking-a-break crowd, and anyone who simply does not want alcohol running the itinerary. You do not need a label or a backstory to book a trip. You need to want the sunrise hike more than the hangover.
“Nobody comes back from a trip talking about the drinks,” Isabel said. “They talk about the sunrise hike, the friend they made or the conversation that went way too long.”
If you have taken a sober trip, you already know she is right. The trips where I remember every conversation are the only trips I fully remember, period. My twenties are a highlight reel with missing footage. My sober travel memories are the director’s cut.
Why This Matters for Grown-Ass Sober Adults
Here is my honest take as someone twenty years into this life: boredom, not temptation, is the thing that sneaks up on long-term sobriety. The antidote is a life with things in it. Trips you are counting down to. Plans that make your group chat jealous.
That is why a searchable home for alcohol-free travel matters. It shrinks the distance between “I should do something” and “I booked something.” Every barrier you remove between a sober person and a great experience is a win, and the discovery barrier has been the biggest one in travel for years.
Isabel wants alcohol-free travel to become a category people know to look for, not a niche you stumble into through a lucky screenshot. I want that too. So go poke around, browse the trips, and if you book one, report back to Backstage. We want the full debrief, including what you wore.
Explore the marketplace at drytrippingtravel.com.
WHAT A TRIP! I’m Hosting My First Sober Retreat, and Yes, There’s a Costume Outing
You’re not new to this. You’re ready for what’s next.
And not everyone gets here.
You’ve done the hard part.
You’re sober. You’re clear.
You’ve built a life that no longer revolves around alcohol.
Now you’re ready for something more.
You want better conversations.
More connection.
More culture.
More expansion.
You’re not looking for another recovery meeting.
You’re looking for a room that reflects who you are now.
This is for you if this sounds like you:
- You’re sober and stable.
- You’ve outgrown. traditional recovery spaces.
- You want more than support — you want connection, culture, and momentum.
- You’re ready for what comes after survival.
That’s exactly what BACKSTAGE was built for. LEARN MORE AND JOIN US TODAY →
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SOBER RETREATS: with Senior Travel Sober Curator Contributor Teresa Bergen is your go-to space for alcohol-free travel tips, insider guides, and honest reviews from a sober perspective. Teresa blends her passions—animals, wildlife conservation, sustainability, geography, culture, outdoor adventure, and yoga—into enriching travel stories that inspire mindful exploration. From kayaking and hiking to visiting historic cemeteries and sacred spaces, she uncovers the beauty where history, art, and spirituality meet.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
What is Dry Tripping Travel? Dry Tripping Travel is a marketplace for discovering and booking alcohol-free retreats and group trips. Travelers can browse curated experiences by destination, host, and trip type, and review itineraries, accommodations, and inclusions before booking. Learn more at drytrippingtravel.com.
Who founded Dry Tripping Travel? Isabel van Zuilen, an Amsterdam expat based in San Francisco, founded Dry Tripping Travel in 2026. Sober since 2019, she also runs Sobertopia, an alcohol-free community and retreat series for women.
Do I have to be sober to book an alcohol-free trip? No. Dry Tripping Travel is designed for sober travelers, the sober curious, people taking a break from drinking, and anyone who wants a trip where alcohol is not the main event. No label required.
Is alcohol-free travel a growing trend? Yes. Gallup reported in 2025 that 54% of U.S. adults drink alcohol, the lowest rate in nearly 90 years of tracking. Hilton’s global research found one in four travelers reduced or stopped drinking in the previous year.
