If you’ve ever tried to plan a retreat from scratch, you know that a lot can go wrong, and there’s a thin line between “perfectly timed” and “why are we all so tired by day two?”
Too much structure and it feels like office work in disguise. Too little, and people start asking what’s happening, over breakfast, on day one…
This guide is here to help you hit the perfect balance. We’re laying out clear schedules for a retreat which raises your teams to new heights.
What’s the best way to plan a retreat agenda?
There’s no perfect agenda that works for every team, which is why guessing your way through it rarely ends well. To cut through the guesswork, we did the homework for you.
We analysed 20 real retreat agendas from teams across different industries, sizes and goals. Some were heavy on strategy, while others leaned more into activities for bonding. All agendas were carefully reviewed by our senior retreat planner, Romane Lebrec-Foulatier.
The research helped us find clear patterns for what fits in well with every type of retreat. Then, we narrowed the list down into eight distinct types that teams benefited from the most, each one built around different priorities and constraints.
Typical day-to-day flow for a retreat agenda
In our analysis of the ideal retreat agenda, we noticed patterns in the structuring each day:
The first day: arrival, grounding and connection
- Staggered arrivals and check-ins
- Welcome activity or shared dinner to break the ice
- Less demanding tasks after travel fatigue
The second and middle days: momentum and depth
- Clear split between work time and activities
- Some retreats focus on full work days, others on work mornings with activity-led afternoons
- One main activity per day
- Evenings kept relaxed or reserved for a standout social or party moment
The final day: departures only
- No meetings or alignment sessions scheduled
- Wrap-ups and next steps are completed the day before
- Flexible departures or optional free time
8 Corporate retreat types, and when to use them
So after our comprehensive analysis of 20 retreat types, these are the final 8 that stood out the most:
1. The work-first retreat (with breathing room)
At a glance:
- Best for: Teams with concrete goals or big decisions to make
- Typical group size: 80 - 300 people
- Main objective: Meeting work goals and aligning teams
- Ideal length: 3 - 4 days
- Energy level: Focused, calm, intentional
This is the staple retreat type for work teams to meet their objectives while on the retreat, without having to turn the whole thing into a marathon of meetings. A work-first retreat gives teams dedicated time to think clearly and move projects forward in a way that isn’t easily achieved back in the office.
Yet one of the most critical parts of a work-first retreat is the breathing room. Instead of making sessions back-to-back, this schedule is designed with pauses built in.
This format works especially well in work retreats where the outcome is equally as important as the experience. Expect your teams to leave with a level of focus that works wonders back at the office.
Patterns found:
- Meetings start between 09:00 and 09:30
- The strongest work blocks were from mid-morning to early afternoon
- Teambuilding activities should start after 15:00, once focus-heavy work is done
- One full work-focused day is often followed by a lighter day
- Evenings stay relaxed, with dinners from 19:00 to 21:00
Example agenda
Day 1 – Arrival
- 14:00–18:00 Arrival & check-in
- 19:00–21:00 Welcome dinner (no formal sessions)
Day 2 – Core work day
- 09:00–10:30 Plenary session
- 10:30–11:00 Coffee break
- 11:00–12:30 Team breakouts
- 12:30–13:30 Lunch
- 14:00–15:30 Workshops
- 15:30–16:00 Break
- 16:00–17:00 Deep work / decision-making
- Evening free or informal dinners
Day 3 – Light work + activities
- 09:30–11:00 Alignment & next steps
- 11:00–13:00 Free time
- 14:30–18:00 Optional activity
- 20:00–23:00 Celebration or wow dinner
Day 4 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Flexible departures
2. The balanced retreat: Work, connection and downtime
At a glance:
- Best for: Teams striking a balance between productivity and connection
- Typical group size: 30 - 70 people
- Main objective: Sustainable work paired with team bonding
- Ideal length: 4 - 5 days
- Energy level: Steady, social, thoughtfully paced
This retreat style is designed for teams striving to make progress without burning themselves out. It blends focused sessions with genuine connection and proper downtime, so no one leaves feeling like they’ve just survived a very scenic conference room.
Work blocks are meaningful but not dragged out, conversations have enough room to breathe, and downtime isn’t left as an afterthought. This format respects the amount of energy your teams spend working, and feels like a renewal of their motivation levels.
This balanced retreat reinforces long-term momentum. It’s a format often seen in company retreats where energy management matters just as much as the actual output.
Patterns found:
- Meeting blocks are shorter than usual
- A clear break between work time and downtime
- Work often happens in the mornings, with activities or free time in the afternoons
- One shared activity each day to anchor connections
- One evening is typically reserved for a celebratory moment
Example agenda
Day 1
- 15:00 -18:00 Arrival & check-in
- 18:30 Welcome drinks
- 19:30 Dinner
Day 2 – Work + activity rhythm
- 09:30–11:00 Meetings
- 11:00–11:30 Break
- 11:30–12:30 Meetings
- 12:30–14:00 Lunch
- 15:00–18:00 Group activity
- Evening free
Day 3 – Lighter pace
- 09:30–11:00 Reflection or alignment session
- 11:00–14:00 Free time
- 15:00–18:00 Optional activity or downtime
- 19:30–23:00 Social or celebration dinner
Day 4 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
3. The teambuilding activities-led retreat
At a glance:
- Best for: Teams looking to strengthen trust and connection
- Typical group size: 40 - 150 people
- Main objective: Developing or strengthening culture through team-building
- Ideal length: 2 - 3 days
- Energy level: Upbeat, social and people-focused
Instead of measuring success through milestones, this retreat focuses on how your teams feel when they leave. These retreats are designed for groups who want to connect more deeply, so that they can tackle any problem back at the office as a single, solid unit.
Work still exists here, but it’s deliberately light. Short alignment sessions set the tone, but nothing feels dragged out, and no one is counting down to the end of a meeting block.
This style shows up often in teambuilding retreats where workplace culture is the main mission, and improving culture makes everything else easier back in the office.
Patterns found:
- One short meeting block works best
- Schedules avoid back-to-back sessions
- Group activities do the heavy lifting for bonding
- One evening is typically dedicated to a standout social or party experience
Example agenda
Day 1
- 15:00–18:00 Arrivals
- 18:30 Welcome drinks
- 19:30 Dinner & social evening
Day 2 – Light structure, heavy connection
- 10:00–11:30 Light all-hands session
- 11:30–12:30 Free time
- 12:30–13:30 Lunch
- 14:30–18:00 Back-to-back activities
- Evening free or informal social time
Day 3 – Signature experience
- Morning free
- 14:00–18:00 Main group activity or challenge
- 19:30–23:00 Wow evening with DJ, themed dinner or special venue
Day 4 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
4. An all-hands company retreat
At a glance:
- Best for: Bringing the entire company together around shared direction
- Typical group size: 100 - 500 plus people
- Main objective: Alignment, transparency and collective momentum
- Ideal length: 3 - 4 days
- Energy level: High, purposeful, socially charged
An all-hands retreat is where the whole company finally gets into the same room. Its main function is to remind everyone that they’re part of a bigger collective. An all-hands might be the first time they’re all in the same time zone, let alone the same facility.
Conducting company-wide discussions and sharing milestones with your teams is a priority. You’ll also find that a lot of value comes from what happens between each session. Informal bonding helps teams connect across departments that probably don’t interact on a day-to-day basis.
An all-hands retreat gets the team clearer on priorities and more connected to their leaders. This is why they’re often used in corporate retreats that want to take the experience that extra mile.
Patterns found:
- Mornings reserved for company-wide sessions
- Emphasis on timing across the board
- Lighter afternoons with light social activities
- One evening is typically dedicated to a large-scale company celebration
Example agenda
Day 1 – Arrival & kickoff
- 14:00–17:00 Arrival
- 18:00–19:00 All-hands kickoff
- 19:30 Dinner
Day 2 – Core alignment + celebration
- 09:00–10:30 Plenary
- 10:30–11:00 Break
- 11:00–12:30 Department or functional sessions
- 12:30–13:30 Lunch
- 14:30–16:30 Cross-team workshops
- 16:30–18:00 Free time
- 20:00–23:30 All-company party night
Day 3 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
5. Leadership retreats
At a glance:
- Best for: Senior leaders who need alignment and sharp decisions
- Typical group size: 15 - 30 people
- Main objective: Strategic alignment, trust-building and decision-making
- Ideal length: 3 - 4 days
- Energy level: Thoughtful, deliberate, mentally focused
This retreat format is built for teams developing future leaders and those who need space to think properly. When big decisions are on the table, rushing only creates noise, so this structure really helps to slow things down.
Sessions are fewer but longer, allowing leaders to stay with a topic until it’s fully unpacked. There’s also plenty of time for teambuilding activities that hone in on leadership skills.
Because the cognitive load is the main constraint here, the agenda should stay mostly light. This kind of structure is commonly used as the backbone of a leadership retreat, where clarity and trust matter more than filling every work hour.
Patterns found:
- Teams benefit from later starts (9:30)
- Longer but fewer sessions
- A shared activity every day
- Slower dinners and unwinding breaks
Example agenda
Day 1 – Arrival & framing
- 14:00–17:00 Arrival & check-in
- 17:00–18:30 Leadership alignment session
- 18:30–19:30 Informal chats / reset time
- 19:30–21:30 Group dinner
Day 2 – Deep work & trust
- 09:30–11:30 Strategic session
- 11:30–12:00 Break
- 12:00–13:30 Decision-focused discussion
- 13:30–15:00 Lunch
- 15:00–17:30 Shared leadership activity
- 18:30–19:30 Reset time
- 19:30 Dinner
Day 3 – Integration & closure
- 09:30–11:00 Reflection & commitments
- 11:00–11:30 Break
- 11:30–12:30 Ownership & next steps
- Afternoon free
- 19:30 Closing dinner
Day 4 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
6. Small, innovation-focused team retreat
At a glance:
- Best for: Small teams tackling big ideas and complex challenges
- Typical group size: 10 - 30 people
- Main objective: Deep thinking and innovation
- Ideal length: 3 - 4 days
- Energy level: Calm, focused, creatively charged
This smaller retreat format is built for teams that need space to think properly. Not quick brainstorms squeezed between meetings, but real, uninterrupted time to explore ideas.
Sessions tend to run longer, letting teams stay in the same mental lane instead of hopping between topics. Their minds need time to get in the right zone, so later starts can help.
Activities can be focused on maintaining the same energy level across the retreat schedule, including meal times. Longer lunch discussions and relaxed dinners really can unlock better ideas than meeting rooms can., as clarity rises over the noise.
Patterns found:
- Later starts to support deeper focus
- Longer sessions with fewer interruptions
- Activities paired with meals to keep ideas flowing
- Fewer total sessions, spread across multiple days
Example agenda
Day 1 – Arrival & immersion
- 15:00–18:00 Arrival
- 18:30–20:00 Strategy or framing session
- 20:00 Dinner
Day 2 – Deep exploration
- 09:30–12:00 Deep work session
- 12:00–14:00 Lunch & informal discussion
- 14:30–17:30 Creative group work
- 18:30 Dinner
Day 3 – Shaping ideas
- 09:30–11:30 Synthesis or decision session
- 11:30–15:00 Free time or informal conversations
- 19:30 Closing dinner
Day 4 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
7. Activity-driven retreat
At a glance:
- Best for: Teams that bond best by doing challenges together
- Typical group size: 30 - 60 people
- Main objective: Strengthening connection through shared challenges
- Ideal length: 3 - 5 days
- Energy level: High, playful, physically engaging
Having a team retreat focused primarily on team-building activities can suit teams that connect more naturally when they’re out of their seats, doing something active. The activities they take part in become the glue that brings them together, providing lasting memories and moments that carry them back to work positively buzzing.
Work still has its place here, but it takes more of a supporting role. Focusing on activities means you’re likely to create a fun corporate retreat where teams really get into the flow together.
Patterns found:
- Work sessions tend to happen in the mornings
- Activities can run in repeated blocks, rather than one-off events
- Evenings stay relaxed so that teams can fully recharge
- One final activity or tournament often leads into a celebration night
Example agenda
Day 1 – Arrival & warm-up
- 14:00–17:00 Arrival
- 19:30 Dinner
Day 2 – Core activity day
- 09:00–11:00 Light meetings or alignment
- 11:00–12:30 Free time
- 12:30 Lunch
- 14:30–17:30 Main tournament or team challenge
- 19:30–23:00 Celebration dinner or party night
Day 3 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
8. Minimal logistics or on-site retreat
At a glance:
- Best for: Teams looking for connection without travel complexity
- Typical group size: 30 - 80 people
- Main objective: Bonding with minimal disruption
- Ideal length: 2 - 3 days
- Energy level: Low-pressure, flexible
This retreat format is built for teams that want the benefits of a group retreat without the complexity of arranging everyone at a new location. No flights to coordinate and no jet lag to get over. Your teams stay close to home, freeing up more energy for teambuilding connections.
Shared spaces can be used with greater intention and people can dip in and out without feeling like they’re missing something crucial. It suits teams with varied schedules or those who only have limited time away from the office.
With fewer moving parts and no travel costs, budgets stretch further, which is why you can fit these events into your retreat budget planner with ease.
Example agenda
Day 1
- Arrival
- 18:00 Welcome drinks
- 19:30 Dinner
Day 2 – Light structure, flexible flow
- 09:30–11:30 Meetings
- 12:30 Lunch
- 14:30–17:00 Optional on-site activity
- Free time
- 19:30 BBQ or casual party evening
Day 3 – Departures
- Breakfast
- Departures
Bring your retreat to life with Surf Office
Balancing energy levels, group dynamics, logistics and expectations takes more than a good spreadsheet and crossed fingers.
That’s where Surf Office comes in. We help you turn retreat ideas into smooth, well-paced experiences. We have experience with every aspect of teambuilding retreats, from choosing the right location to sorting accommodation, activities, transport and shaping an agenda that runs like clockwork. Not overly packed. Not awkwardly empty. Just right.
Here’s what we offer:
- Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
- Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
- Engaging team-building activities?Our specialty ✅
- Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
- Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
- On-site support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅
Not only this, but we also have access to 200+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.
Whichever retreat type you choose, we’ll make sure it feels intentional, enjoyable and effortless on the day. Get in touch with us, because spaces fill up fast!
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