Muskoka Cottage Weekend With Friends: Girls' Trips and More
For a girls' weekend, milestone birthday or a long weekend with friends, choose the cottage for its bathrooms and its evenings, not just its bedrooms: look for a sauna or hot tub, a games room, and about one bathroom for every three or four guests. The Mara near Huntsville has a sauna and a hot tub; Sunrise Lakehouse has four bathrooms for 10.
Call 705-996-6799 Muskoka cottage rentals hub
A quiet weekend away with your friends, yes; a party, no. Our house rules are below, along with how to split costs, a 2-night plan, games and a packing list. Browse the full Muskoka cottage rentals collection any time.
Pick the right cottage for your group
| Cottage | Sleeps | Bd / Ba | For the evenings | Pets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mara, Huntsville | 8 | 3 / 2 | Finnish sauna, hot tub, private theatre, game room | By approval |
| Good Times, Gravenhurst | 12 | 6 / 3 | Hot tub, arcade, foosball, air hockey, two kitchens | By approval |
| Bayside, Midland | 12 | 4 / 2 | Coffee and cocktail bar, giant indoor games, gas fireplace | By approval |
| Hemlock Retreat, Parry Sound | 10 | 4 / 3.5 | Hot tub, pool table, arcade | By approval |
| Sunrise Lakehouse, Innisfil | 10 | 4 / 4 | Game room, coffee bar, wine fridge, fire pit | By approval |
| Blue Bird Lakehouse, Orillia | 8 | 4 / 3.5 | Indoor sauna, wood-burning fireplace | No pets |
| Sunrise Vista, Port Carling | 8 | 4 / 3 | Games room with pool table and foosball, wood-burning stove | By approval |
| Summer Haze, Bala | 8 | 4 / 3.5 | Sauna, screened Muskoka room, walk to Bala | By approval |
| Hemlock Hideaway, Parry Sound | 7 | 3 / 2 | Hot tub, games room, wood-burning fireplace | By approval |
| Over the Moon, Bala | 7 | 3 / 2 | Electric barrel sauna, stone fireplace | By approval |
| Muskoka Elements, near Bala | 6 | 3 / 2 | Cedar barrel sauna, dock gazebo | By approval |
Sleeps, bedrooms and bathrooms from our Hospitable listings, checked October 5, 2026. Pets: small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets only, with approval; larger dogs share weight and breed for approval.
Watch the bathroom count. Winding Way (sleeps 8), Sunny Shores (sleeps 8), The Joseph (sleeps 8) and The Menominee (sleeps 6) each have one bathroom. Lovely for a family, tight for a group of adults getting ready at the same time.
Our favourite cottages for a weekend with friends
The Mara Pets by approval
3 bedrooms · 2 bathrooms · sleeps 8 · Balsam Chutes, Huntsville · pets by approval
Built for slow evenings: a wellness room with a Finnish sauna, a hot tub and a hanging hammock behind floor-to-ceiling glass doors to the water, plus a private theatre with a 75 inch screen and a games room with a pool table, air hockey, darts and a poker table.
Good Times Pets by approval
6 bedrooms · 3 bathrooms · sleeps 12 · Morrison Lake, Gravenhurst · about 1.5 hours from Toronto · small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets by approval
For a bigger crew: a hot tub by the lake, two waterfront decks, two kitchens, an arcade, PS5, foosball and air hockey, plus kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and a paddle boat for Saturday morning.
Hemlock Hideaway Pets by approval
3 bedrooms · 2 bathrooms · sleeps 7 · Parry Sound · pets by approval
A private dock and beach, a hot tub with lake views, a games room with a pool table and arcade games, a wood-burning fireplace and the Big Red canoe. Need room for 10? Book Hemlock Retreat, which adds the four-season bunkie.
Bayside Pets by approval
4 bedrooms · 2 bathrooms · sleeps 12 · Georgian Bay, Midland · about 1.5 hours from Toronto · pets by approval
Georgian Bay beach access, a coffee and cocktail bar, giant indoor games, a gas fireplace and a covered lakeview BBQ patio. With 11 beds, nobody draws the short straw.
Blue Bird Lakehouse
4 bedrooms · 3.5 bathrooms · sleeps 8 · Lake St. John, Orillia · about 146 km from downtown Toronto · no pets
A new build on Lake St. John with an indoor sauna, a wood-burning fireplace, a bright great room with lake views and a glass-railed deck, minutes from Orillia.
Sunrise Lakehouse Pets by approval
4 bedrooms · 4 bathrooms · sleeps 10 · Lake Simcoe, Innisfil · about 105 km from downtown Toronto · pets by approval
Four bathrooms for 10 guests, a chef's kitchen with a coffee bar and wine fridge, a game room, two kayaks and a fire pit, minutes from Friday Harbour.
Summer Haze Pets by approval
4 bedrooms · 3.5 bathrooms · sleeps 8 · Lake Muskoka, Bala · about 2 hours from Toronto · pets by approval
Walk into Bala for lunch, then come back to a sauna, a screened Muskoka room, a sandy beach, a dock slide and a dining table that seats 12.
Sunrise Vista Pets by approval
4 bedrooms · 3 bathrooms · sleeps 8 · Brandy Lake, Port Carling · about 2 hours from Toronto · pets by approval
A games room with a pool table and foosball, a wood-burning stove, a coffee and tea bar, a shallow-entry private beach, kayaks and a canoe on Brandy Lake.
More cottages with a hot tub or sauna: cottages with a hot tub or sauna. Bigger group? See large group cottage rentals.
House rules to know before you book
The short version
- No parties at any Homeseeker cottage. That includes bachelorette and birthday parties with extra guests.
- Events: thinking about any kind of event? Call 705-996-6799 and ask before you book.
- Day visitors must be registered with us ahead of time and approved. Friends can't just drop by.
- Guest count: the number of people staying can't go over the cottage's listed maximum.
- Check-in is from 4 p.m. and check-out is by 10 a.m. at every cottage on this page.
- Be a good neighbour. Sound carries a long way over water, so keep music low at night.
How to split the cost fairly
- Even split per person: simplest when the bedrooms are similar.
- Per bedroom: each room pays one share, and a couple sharing a room splits that share.
- Weighted: the primary bedroom with an ensuite pays a little more; the bunk room pays a little less.
- One person books. They are the primary guest; everyone else pays them back before the trip.
- Shared kitty: groceries, drinks and gas go into a split-expense app so nobody keeps receipts in their head.
Agree on the method in the group chat before anyone books, and settle up a week before you leave.
A 2-night cottage weekend with friends
Friday: leave the city early afternoon to beat the worst of the traffic. Check in from 4 p.m., unpack, and keep dinner easy (tacos or a lasagna made at home). End the night in the hot tub or sauna.
Saturday: slow breakfast, then a morning paddle; many of our cottages include kayaks or paddleboards. Lunch in town (Bala, Port Carling, Huntsville or Gravenhurst), then an afternoon at a brewery, roastery or winery from our Muskoka brewery, roastery and winery guide. Big dinner together, then games.
Sunday: check-out is by 10 a.m., so do an early coffee on the dock, pack up together, and take brunch in town on the drive home.
Birthday or bachelorette weekend? Bring decorations, matching robes for the sauna, a playlist and a cake. Keep it to the friends who are staying, within the guest maximum, and remember there are no parties.
Cottage games and activities for adults
- Poker or card night (The Mara has a poker table)
- Pool and foosball tournaments (Sunrise Vista, Hemlock Hideaway, Good Times)
- A murder mystery dinner with costumes
- Trivia about the group: who said what, and when
- Charades, Codenames and other party-style board games
- Movie night (The Mara's private theatre)
- A sunrise paddle for the early risers
- Stargazing from the dock on a clear night
- A cook-off: two teams, one secret ingredient
Packing list and group meal plan
Pack: swimsuits and a robe, water shoes or sandals for the dock, layers and a warm sweater for evenings, sunscreen and bug spray, a headlamp, board games and cards, a small speaker kept at a low volume, phone chargers and a reusable water bottle.
Meal plan: assign each meal to a pair. Keep breakfast as a help-yourself bar, make Saturday dinner the big group meal, and pack one snack bag for the drive. Shop the day you arrive at the nearest store: Bala Freshmart (1003 Mill St), Foodland Port Carling (10 Bruce Wilson Dr), Foodland Gravenhurst (1190 Muskoka Rd S), Harry's No Frills Parry Sound (60 Joseph St) or Paul's No Frills Midland (990 Jones Rd).
Shortest drives for a Friday arrival: Sunrise Lakehouse (about 105 km from downtown Toronto by road), Blue Bird Lakehouse (about 146 km) and Bayside (about 153 km).
Bringing a dog on a friends' trip
Some of our cottages accept pets: small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets only, and larger dogs share weight and breed for approval. A pet fee applies, and every other property is no pets. Pet-friendly picks with a hot tub or sauna include Good Times, The Mara, Hemlock Retreat, Hemlock Hideaway, Summer Haze, Over the Moon and Muskoka Elements. Always confirm your pet with us before booking: call 705-996-6799. See our pet-friendly cottage rentals and the dog-friendly cottages guide.
Picking a date? Our Ontario long weekends cottage planner lists every 2026 to 2027 long weekend, and our Muskoka winter cottage itinerary has a 2-day plan with sauna nights and the Arrowhead skating trail.
Planning for families instead? See cottages for 2 families or cottages for 3 families and family reunions.
Frequently asked questions
Which Muskoka cottage is best for a girls' weekend?
For eight friends, The Mara near Huntsville is the standout: a Finnish sauna and a hot tub in one glass-walled wellness room, a private theatre and a full game room. For a bigger group, Good Times near Gravenhurst sleeps 12 with a hot tub and an arcade.
Can we have a bachelorette or birthday party at the cottage?
No. There are no parties at any Homeseeker cottage. A weekend away with the friends who are staying, within the cottage's listed maximum, is welcome. If you are thinking about any kind of event, call 705-996-6799 to ask before you book.
Do any of your cottages have both a hot tub and a sauna?
Yes, The Mara near Huntsville has a Finnish sauna and a hot tub side by side in its wellness room. For a hot tub only, look at Good Times, Hemlock Retreat or Hemlock Hideaway; for a sauna, Blue Bird Lakehouse, Summer Haze, Over the Moon or Muskoka Elements.
How many bathrooms do we need for 8 friends?
Two is the minimum we would suggest for eight adults, and three or more makes mornings easy. Summer Haze and Blue Bird Lakehouse each have 3.5 bathrooms for 8 guests. Winding Way, Sunny Shores and The Joseph sleep 8 with a single bathroom.
How do we split the cost of a cottage with friends?
Pick one method before anyone books: split evenly per person, split per bedroom with couples sharing one share, or weight the share for the primary bedroom. One person books as the primary guest and everyone pays them back before the trip. Track groceries in a shared kitty.
What's the closest cottage to Toronto for a Friday night arrival?
Sunrise Lakehouse in Innisfil is about 105 km from downtown Toronto by road, Blue Bird Lakehouse in Orillia about 146 km and Bayside in Midland about 153 km. Check-in is from 4 p.m., so leaving the city early afternoon gets you there for dinner.
Can friends drop by for the day?
Only if they are registered with us ahead of time and approved. Day visitors are never automatic, and there are no parties at any of our cottages. Call 705-996-6799 with names and timing before your trip and we will let you know.
Can we bring a dog on a friends weekend?
At some cottages, yes, with approval: small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets only, and larger dogs share weight and breed for approval. Pet-friendly picks with a hot tub or sauna include Good Times, The Mara, Hemlock Retreat, Hemlock Hideaway, Summer Haze, Over the Moon and Muskoka Elements.
Own a cottage in Muskoka, Parry Sound, Georgian Bay or Lake Simcoe? Saunas, hot tubs and games rooms are what groups of friends search for. Homeseeker manages cottage rentals end to end, from pricing to cleaning. See how our cottage rental management works.
Planning a weekend with friends?
Tell us your dates, how many of you are coming and what matters most: hot tub, sauna, bathrooms or the shortest drive. We'll match you to the right cottage.
