Rose Harvest Retreat in Turkey
Date: 3rd to 9th June, 2027
(Journey starts from Istanbul)
Embark on a holistic wellness journey
Engage in a sensory-rich experience, harvesting roses right in the heart of Isparta, the “City of Roses”.
Learn all about roses, ways to use hydrosols, train your noses & make your own perfume.
Hydrosols Workshop
Learn how to incorporate hydrosols in your wellness journey.
Discover the uses of hydrosols; smell and compare hydrosols with ctyosols.
Learn when to use hydrosols vs serums.
Aromatics Workshop
Learn basic aromatherapy and how roses are used in skincare or for overall wellness.
Smell different rose oils and learn to differentiate real rose and synthetic compounds.
Make your own facial mask for your own skin type.
Perfume Workshop
Learn perfumery blending techniques & Aromatherapy blending techniques. Use these blends to …
Make your own facial oil.
Make your own solid perfume or spray perfume.
Day 1: Arrival & Welcome (Dinner provided)
- Meet at Istanbul airport at 2:30pm. Take domestic flight to Isparta.
- Arrival in Isparta at 4pm, & transfer to a charming countryside villa surrounded by rose fields.
- Welcome Dinner at Hotel, featuring local cuisine and an introduction to the history of Damask rose.
- Evening orientation on the week’s activties and the significance of roses in Turkish culture.
Day 2: Relaxing Day Exploring Countryside (Breakfast, Dinner provided)
- Breakfast at villa.
- Begin the day by exploring the incredible farm we stay. Mingle with the locals.
- Introduction to learning about distillation process.
- Lunch at nearby restaurant, and free time to explore the area. What can they see or do?
Day 3: Harvest & Distill Your Own Roses (Breakfast, Dinner provided)
- Breakfast at villa.
- Early morning walk through blooming rose fields to handpick fresh Damask roses at sunrise.
- Learn traditional harvesting techniques and the importance of timing for optimal fragrance and oil yield.
- Visit 2 local distilleries to witness the transformation of petals into rose essential oil and rose water. We will visit a mass produce rose factory in Guneykent & a small scale family business to see 2 different types of distillation.
Day 4: Rose Aromatic Workshop (Breakast/Dinner provided)
- Breakfast at villa
- Explore herbal & medicinal uses of rose and how it is used in Aromatherapy for women wellness.
- Learn about rose hydrosol and rose essential oil benefits in skincare, daily care.
- Smell and compare synthetic rose raw ingredients with real rose oil.
- Learn aromatherapy & natural perfumery making techniques. Make your own perfume blend.
- You will get a rose hydrating essence to take home.
Day 5: Historical and Archaelogical Tour (Breakfast/Dinner provided)
- Breakfast at villa
- Sightseeing in the region Saglassos ancient city (1:30hr drive). Well preserved remains from Roman era.
- Lunch at Saglassos
- Visit Burdur acheology museum.
- Turkish Dinner at local restaurant near our villa.
Day 6: Make Your Own Solid Perfume/Facial Mask Workshop (half-day)
Breakfast/Dinner provided
- Breakfast at villa
- Hands-on workshop to craft a rose solid perfume, blending natural waxes & essential oil.
- Learn how to make your own rose clay facial mask based on your own skin type.
Day 7: Farewell & Departure (only Breakfast provided)
- Farewell Breakfast at villa
- Check out from our villa.
- Free & Easy Shopping.
- Fly back to Istanbul at 3:30pm flight.
- For those who are keen, we can continue to Cappadocia with our local guide. Extra charges to be incurred.
In this retreat, you will ...
Discover the art of distillation:
Experience the entire process of rose distillation – from harvesting, to distilling, and turning them into beautiful bodycare products.
Move beyond the room diffuser:
Learn how to confidently incorporate essential oils into your daily self-care routine, skincare, and home remedies; and understand how aromatherapy can help improve your overall wellness.
Stop Wasting Precious “Oils” on Failed Experiments:
Master the art of perfumery blending so you can create professional-grade blends that rival store-bought skincare or perfumery products.
The DIY Gap – Lack Proper Training :
You copy aromatherrapy blends from the Internet without fully understanding chemistry, aromatherapy, cosmetic formulation or know what is skin safety. Did you know how disastrous this can be?
Who is this retreat for:
Aromatherapy &
Herbalism Students:
- Ready to learn direct from the source?
- Compare different techniques to improve your skills – Aromatherapy blending vs Perfume blending.
Scent Lovers:
- Enchanted by the Damascena roses?
- Learn all about roses – from harvesting, to distilling, to turning them into end-products.
The Wellness Seeker:
- Eager to know what you put on your skin & body?
- Learn, smell, compare the differences between hydrosols, cytosols or even serums, and how they will benefit you.
Train Your Nose:
- Do you love to smell things, be it coffee or essential oils?
- Train your nose to smell, to compare, to have fun testing different essential oils, hydrosols, even aroma chemicals and learn to tell their differences.
This retreat offers a rare opportunity to engage all senses, learn ancient crafts, make your own products and reconnect with the rhythms of nature, in one of the world’s most enchanting floral landscapes.
The workshop in this retreat is conducted by Gladys Tan, a NAHA certified aromatherapist & cosmetic formulator who’s been formulating for more than 2 decades.
What will you bring home:
1 x Rose Hydrosol
- Of course you will bring home a 100ml rose hydrosol, to continue enjoying after you go home.
1x Osmanthus Hydrosol
- Strictly for Early Birds only (100ml)
1 x Rose Facial Mask
- Rose powder not only smells exquisite but can turn into amazing mask. Learn how to make it yourself.
1 x Facial Oil
- Whether it’s a 10ml rose oil, an osmanthus oil, or your favourite scents to treat your particular skin, it’s your choice!
1 x Solid Perfume or Perfume Spray
- You get to play with different floral waxes and make your 10-12g solid perfume.
- Or blend your own perfume in a 10ml spray bottle
Let’s be frank! Aromatherapy Blending, Skincare Forumulation or Perfumery Making requires different expertise and skillsets.
The same aromatic blend when formulated into a lotion, a body oil, a solid perfume or a spray-on perfume, can smell drastically different.
What are you waiting for?
Come join us and have fun. This is uniquely curated experience, a participatory adventure, in beautiful Isparta.
This retreat includes:
- Domestic Flight from Istanbul to Isparta, including transport from airport to hotel (both ways) – 25kg baggage allowance.
- Local Transport from Isparta to hotel, restaurants or rose plantation.
- Raw materials used within workshop – such as essential oils, hydrosols, cytosols, rose powder, aroma chemicals for nose training, & necessary equipments or tools.
- Hotel for 6 nights (SINGLE ROOM local boutique hotel, including Breakfast and Dinner). TWIN room sharing.
- Guiding fee for tour guide; tipping fee for driver/hotel; miscellaneous parking fees.
Contact us if you prefer to be in a SINGLE room (extra SGD500) or want to be in a Twin room with another friend.
This retreat excludes:
- International Flight from your home country (e.g. Singapore, London, or California) to Istanbul.
- Hotels at Istanbul not included (if you prefer to arrive early).
- Transport fees from city/hotel to Istanbul airport.
- Travel Insurance for your entire trip (we recommend you to buy this, even though local insurance is provided for local transport)
If you prefer to fly direct into Isparta by yourself, we will deduct this amount accordingly.
Early Bird Promo
Valid till 20th March 2027- Twin-sharing room is provided in a 2-storey villa. For single room, top up $500 per pax.
- Travel Dates: 3rd to 9th June, 2027
- Deposit : $300 (read FAQ for details)
- Full payment by 20th March, 2027
- Other than bringing home products made in class, you will get one EXTRA bottle of 100ml Osmanthus Hydrosol.
Usual Price
Valid till 8th April, 2027- Twin-sharing room is provided in a 2-storey villa. For single room, top up $500 per pax.
- Travel Dates: 3rd to 9th June, 2027
- Deposit : $300 (read FAQ for details)
- Full payment by 8th April, 2027
- EXTRA bottle of 100ml Hydrosol is available for Early Bird signup only. Grab it now.
Testimonials from our Clients
Born with eczema, sensitive & easily irritated skin used to be a struggle, but Gladys is more than an aromatherapy consultant – she’s my dedicated skincare guide.
Whether I need a soothing, hydrating hydrosol, a nourishing face cream, or holistic body care, her expertise in aromatherapy is unmatched.
She doesn’t just sell products; she provides a personalized skincare education for my complex skin issues, coupled with training in TCM, it works!
I’ve gained invaluable aromatherapy training from her, and I cannot wait for the rose harvest journey – to see the sustainable sourcing and passion behind my rose , lavender, or osmanthus hydrosols.
I highly recommend her gentle skin care & hair-care line for anyone who values efficacy and pure ingredients. She pours her heart into everything she makes, including sourcing for ethical and best ingredients to ensure her clients get consistently high-quality products.
I’ve used everything from Gladys’ soaps to her custom aromatherapy oil blends, and the quality is always top-tier.
Being in the skincare distribution industry myself, I recognize true talent when I see it—which is why I trust Gladys to train my own team. Her knowledge goes far beyond the surface; she seamlessly combines distillation, perfumery, aromatherapy and TCM, to create products that really work.
If you want someone who understands the science and the soul behind skincare, Gladys is the best in the business.
As a healthcare professional, I am incredibly discerning about the products I use. Gladys is far more than a cosmetics formulator or an aromatherapist.
What sets her apart is her holistic approach—she integrated TCM principles to address my scalp imbalances rather than just selling me a quick fix.
My hair was falling, but her expert guidance and personalized formulations have made a remarkable difference. I highly recommend her for anyone seeking professional, science-backed care and training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the group size for this retreat?
This is an intimate event, and we will keep the group size to 10 – 16 people maximum.
I am prefer to be in a single room. Are there extra charges?
Our prices are based on twin rooms (One double bed) in a 2-storey individual villa. There is a surcharge of SGD500 per single room and this means you get 2-storey all to yourself. These are individual villas, and there are 10 villas available, overlooking rose field. Each villa has a double bed on 2nd floor, and 1st floor is the sofa area, which can also be pulled out as a sofa bed, if you prefer one person per bed in a twin sharing concept.
What hotels are we staying at?
We will stay at a villa, that has a rose field right in the middle, and hotels in City similar to Hilton.
Is airport pickup available if I choose to fly in to Isparta directly?
If you choose to fly in directly, we can arrange drop-off via public airport shuttle or a private taxi transfer – these charges will be borne by the guest.
This retreat includes the domestic flight from Istanbul to Isparta. If you prefer to arrange for your own flights at different timing, we will deduct this portion accordingly.
Is travel insurance provided?
We encourage you to buy your own travel insurance from your home country to Turkey, for the entire journey.
Local insurance is only provided during transportation within this travel itinerary. Any outside travels that you partake on your own will not be covered.
How many materials are we working with in this retreat?
We will be working with various materials –
– About 8-10 hydrosols & cytosols
– Around 4 different floral waxes
– Approx 20-30 essential oils, aromatic compounds
– We will work with with real, dried Damascena rose powder. Depending on time, we may include other floral powders.
How many retreats do you have a year?
This is a one a year event. In June 2027, you get to harvest Damascena roses.
In July 2027, you get to harvest lavender. If you prefer July dates, let us know. You might get to see the ends of rose harvest and beginning of lavender harvest.
While this rose harvest retreat is planned for 3rd June 2027, we might postpone or have another one in July if take-up rate is overwhelming. Courses and itinerary will be identical. Instead of rose field, you get to experience lavender field.
Does this include Air Ticket ?
The costs shown for this retreat starts from Istanbul. You have to buy your own international ticket (e.g. London to Istanbul, California to Istanbul, or Singapore to Istanbul).
You also have to buy your own travel insurance for the entire duration for this trip.
