Rose Festival Desert Yoga Retreat

Marrakech  Day 1, May 6: Transfer to the Hotel, Meet-N-Greet.

Pick up from the airport to your hotel. Get rested and refreshed, to gather at 7pm over dinner so we can introduce ourselves and give each of you the opportunity to meet and get to know each other. There will be no yoga on this day. 

Day 2, May 7: Marrakech City Guide Tour

At 7:15am we will start our day with a 90 minute energizing morning yoga session followed by breakfast at 9:00am. Your Guided City Tour will start with a pick up from your accommodation in Marrakech at 10AM. You will follow your official guide who will take you through the main point of interests in the bustling city. 

What You’ll Do: 

•    The Koutoubia Mosque, the symbolic landmark of Marrakech 

•    The Royal Saadian Tombs in the Kasbah 

•    The beautiful Palace of the Bahia 

•    The old Jewish town/Quatter "Mellah" 

•    The labyrinth Markets/Souks 

•    The Tanners 

•    The Jardin Majorelle garden tour, here you will have the option to see the Berber Museum which is not included

•    The amazing and lively Medina square Jamaa El-fna (w/snake charmers, magicians, musicians, performers ….)

Our day will end with a relaxing yoga session once back to the accommodation from the city tour. Dinner and rest.

DAY 3, May 8: Marrakech to Ouzoud Falls 

At 7:15am we will start our day with a 90 minute morning yoga session followed by breakfast at 9:00am.

This day we will journey east out of Marrakech, the travel time to the waterfalls is around 2.5 hours. You will be picked up from your hotel at 10am and we will be under way to the cascades where you will enjoy stunning views of the spectacular waterfalls in Ouzoud. We will pass several small towns and villages with a rustic feel about them and some of the most spectacular areas of outstanding natural beauty. Once we reach the waterfalls you will have a chance to be shown some of the best features of this area by our very own guide. At the falls you will see the monkeys and even greet them as they are not as shy and will happily take a snack from your hand. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants among the waterfalls where you can relax by the rock pools at the bottom of some of the cascades and rushing rivers. We will have lunch near the falls.

The day will finish with a restorative yoga practice once we arrive and get settled at our accommodation in Ouzoud where we will have dinner and overnight. 

DAY 4, May 9: Ouzoud to Rose Valley 

At 7:15am we will start our day with a 90 minute energizing morning yoga session followed by breakfast at 9:00am.

At 10am we will depart to drive 1.5 hrs to Imi n’ifri, to hike under the magnificent Imi n'ifri natural bridge formed 1.8 million years ago by the collapse of an underground cave system, which is currently also a local bird conservatory. Then We drive south to cross Amjgag Gorges and the High Atlas Mountains, passing by small villages such as Amskar. We will reach the altitude of 3000m, on the way we will make several stops for taking pictures of the breathtaking views and take our lunch. 

After lunch we will continue on to Rose Valley where we will overnight. The Annual Rose Festival will be happening on this weekend therfore to give time to explore there will be no yoga this night. We will have dinner and overnight in a local raid or hotel.

DAY 5, May 10: Rose Valley to Merzouga

At 7:15am we will start our day with a 90 minute  morning yoga session followed by breakfast at 9:00am.

We departure from the Rose Valley at 10am to visit Dades Gorges for a trek through an area known as Monkey Fingers, taking the road of 1000 kasbahs drive around the colorful Berber villages of the Dades Valley as we make our way to Tineghir with it's beautiful palm grove. We will continue to the Todgha Gorges , where we go on a trek along the canyons of about 300 m high, a preferred place of mountain climbers. After we arrive to the hotel on the edge of the desert we will take a break for tea before we we make our way to the desert camp by camel or quad bike taking in the sunset along the way. Once settled we will cap off our day with dinner and music. There will only be am yoga on this day. 

Day 6, May 11: Merzouga - Sunrise Yoga, Tour of the Dunes, Visit Nomads, Gnawa village

At 7:15am we will begin our day with a 90 minute sunrise yoga outside our hotel, as the sun comes up over the tops of the dunes for a splendid sight that will erase time. After yoga we will have breakfast at 9:00am. At 10am we will take a tour of the dunes by 4×4, where we have the opportunity to visit nomad people and see the way they live in the desert. Then we will pass a small part of the Paris Dakar Rally to visit Khamliya village, home of the blacks of sub-Saharan origin to watch (and join) dance as the Gnawa musicians share their talents. Afterwards we will visit a local restaurant for Pizza Berber a desert treat unique to the native Berber peoples. 

After lunch we will depart to Rissani, the oldest imperial city and an economic center for the area. We will visit the souk of artisanal spices and local goods. After we will will continue along to the Draa Valley known for it’s dates and being the largest valley of (250 km) of palm trees to arrive Ouarzazate known as the Hollywood of the Desert to overnight in a Riad.

Once arrived and settled we will indulge in a quiet yoga practice before taking our dinner and resting for the night. 

Day 7, May 12: Ouarzazate to Marrakech 

At 7:15am we will start our day with a 90 minute energizing morning yoga session followed by breakfast at 9:00am.

Today is our last day trip before we arrive back to Marrakech departing our Raid at 10am we will have the option to start with a visit to the Atlas Film Studio before moving on to the Kasbah Taourirt for beautiful views.  We continue along the stunningly beautiful road to Ait Ben Haddou where we have lunch. This is the most famous fortified Kasbah in Southern Morocco and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. After lunch, we visit will visit the Kasbah which has been used as the backdrop for many Hollywood films. The Kasbah is built on a hill and we will trek up to the top to experience the beautiful view. The Kasbah has been used many times as a film location for films such as Gladiator, Alexandra the Great and is a current filming site for Game of Thrones.

After exploring Ait Ben Haddou we will cross the Atlas Mountains as we travel back to Marrakech. Once we arrive and get settled in our accommodation for the night we will enjoy some yoga before dinner and rest. 

DAY 8, May 13: Transfer to Airport

Transfer from your accommodation to the Airport. Allow a minimum of 2 hours to arrive at the airport for your departing flight. There will be no yoga on this day. 

**A minimum of 6 participants must RSVP in order for this tour to proceed.** 

Once the minimum participants is met you will be notified and an invoice will be sent for payment. 

**RSVP for this tour will close on March 1, 2020.**

The price per person is  1300 Euro. 

This price includes:

• All Transportation from Arrival to Departure, in a comfortable Moroccan Tourism approved vehicle with AC/Heat 
• Professional Driver/Guide
• 7 Nights Dbl Accommodations in our partner Raids, Hotels, and Luxury Desert Camp 
• Daily Yoga (eleven 90min sessions ) 
• Breakfast and Dinner
• Tea, Coffee, Water During Meals 
• Certified City Guide 
• Camel Ride OR Quad Bike Ride in the Sahara Desert (please notifiy us of your preference when you RSVP) 
• Pizza Berber Lunch and Gnawa music (on day 6) 

This price does NOT include:

• Alcohol
• Lunch w/exception of Pizza Berber
• Extra Water beyond meals and an allotment during driving
• Plane Ticket 
• Shopping/Extras
• Entrance fees 
• Tips 

We can arrange single accommodations for an up-charge. Please let us know in advance so we can get you the appropriate price

Please notify us in advance if you have any special dietary requirements. 

Please contact us for ANY questions!