YOGA & HIKING ITINERANT JOURNEY
“From Atlas to Sahara”
Morocco | February 22nd – March 1st 2025
In the midst of this cold and dark European winter, treat yourself with a 1-week sweet escape in the mountains and desert of southern Morocco ! In collaboration with our local counterpart, Yogazaz has put together a tailored yoga retreat programme that will replenish you and restore your energy for the coming spring. Led by passionate teacher Elsa, this retreat is an opportunity to deepen your yoga practice for a week whilst enjoying some hiking and immersing fully in Morocco’s vibrant culture and natural landscapes.
Starting our retreat in Marrakech, Morocco’s former imperial city, we’ll then set off towards the Atlas mountain range for the first part of our retreat. For 2,5 days, we will hike below Mount Toubkal (4000m) along the picturesque mountain paths and villages, and enjoy stunning views of Atlas’ peaks while we practise yoga in the morning and evening. We will then depart toward the desert for the second part of our retreat, travelling through breathtaking landscapes, traditional villages, and ancient Palaces to finally arrive in the depths of the Saharan desert. Spending 2 nights in an ancestral Kasbah and 1 night in a bivouac in the middle of the desert, we will practice yoga and soak in the sunrise and sunset colours, march in the Sahara’s majestic dunes, and listen to traditional music concerts. And of course, this retreat would not be complete without the delicious traditional Moroccan food served to nourish your body and mind!
You will come back from this retreat feeling your body rejuvenated, your heart soothed and your mind cleared. It is a unique opportunity for you to disconnect and embrace the simplicity and depth of existence. This trip is a story that cannot be told but must be experienced!
PACKAGE PRICE: 990€/PERSON
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
Day 1 – Arrival at Marrakech airport and transfer to the hotel. Optional visit of the old town/Medina (depending on your arrival time). Overnight stay in Marrakech.
Day 2 – Breakfast and early morning departure to Imlil. First-day hike (12 km) through Atlas mountain valley with a picnic break, from Imi Oughlad to Ait Aïssa villages. Evening yoga with mountain view. Dinner and overnight stay in a mountain lodge in Ait Aïssa.
Day 3 – Morning yoga with mountain view, breakfast. Second-day hike (15 km) through Atlas mountain valley with a picnic break, from Ait Aïssa to Arumd villages. Evening yoga with mountain view. Dinner and overnight stay in a mountain lodge in Arumd.
Day 4 – Early morning yoga with mountain view, breakfast. If time allows, short walk in the village. Departure by car/bus for the desert/Tamnougalt (5-hour drive). On the road, visit of an Argan oil cooperative. Driving through Tizi n’ Tichka’s pass and Telouet valley with lunch break. Visit Aït Ben Haddou’s Kasbah (palace). Arrival in Tamnougalt, at the Caïd’s Kasbah (palace). Evening yoga with sunset view. Dinner and live music concert. Overnight stay in the Caïd’s Kasbah.
Day 5 – Morning yoga, breakfast. Visit of the Caïd’s Kasbah. Lunch. Free time/optional walk in the palm grove. Evening yoga with sunset view. Dinner. Overnight stay in the Caïd’s Kasbah.
Day 6 – Early morning yoga, breakfast. Departure by car/bus for M’Hamid El Ghizlane (2/3-hour drive). On the road, visit of a traditional pottery cooperative in Tamegroute. Arrival at Majhoub’s bivouac. Lunch and walk in the dunes (by foot or camel) followed by a sunset yoga practice in the dunes. Diner and traditional live nomadic music concert at the bivouac. Overnight stay in the bivouac.
Day 7 – Early morning yoga, breakfast. Departure by car/bus for Agadir (8-hour drive). On the road, visit of Taznakht village (tapestry cooperative), Taliouine village (safran cooperative) and lunch break. Evening arrival in Agadir and overnight stay in a hotel.
Day 8 – Breakfast and transfer from the hotel to the airport.
YOGA & HIKING DURING THE RETREAT
Yoga: This retreat is open to all levels of yoga practitioners, from beginners’ to advanced.
Hiking: The two hikes in the Atlas Mountains range from 12 to 15 km, with a maximum elevation gain of 300 metres, resulting in a total walking time of 4 to 7 hours per hike, depending on your hiking experience and fitness level. You can skip the hike or use a mule if you wish to avoid walking. In the desert, hikes will be shorter, lasting max. 1 to 2 hours, and camels can be used as an alternative to walking.
Based in Brussels, Elsa is a passionate yogi teaching different levels of yoga practitioners, emphasising inclusivity in her classes for all body types, genders, ages, and backgrounds. Certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Pre/postnatal and Menopause Yoga, she ensures a welcoming environment for all. Her teaching focuses on breathing, mindfulness, interoception, core strength, alignment, and joint mobility. She always encourages everyone to explore, celebrate and focus on their own practice.
MEALS
All meals are included in the package, apart from the first night’s dinner in Marrakech and the last evening’s dinner in Agadir.
Every meal will be composed of fresh local products, prepared on site according to local tradition, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. You will have the opportunity to taste local jams and honeys, simmered tagines, fragrant couscous and colourful salads, all accompanied by different types of traditional breads. Mint tea breaks with snacks, a real ritual in Morocco, will also be on the programme to quench your thirst and appetite.
ACCOMODATION
During this retreat, you will sleep in shared rooms (max. 4 people) in 4 different types of accommodation:
- In a in city hotel in Marrakech and Agadir : each shared room has its own bathroom
- In 2 different mountain lodges in the Atlas mountains: with shared toilets and bathroom
- In a renovated Kasbah/Palace in the desert: each shared room has its own bathroom
- In a 4-star desert bivouac: each shared room has its own bathroom
Booking a private room is possible upon availability and at an extra price (not included in the package). Please let us know in advance so that we can check with the hotels and make the booking for you.
PACKAGE PRICE & CONDITIONS → 990€/person
INCLUDED
- All accommodations on the 7 nights
- Daily yoga and meditation sessions
- Hiking sessions in the Atlas mountains and Sahara desert
- Local guides for hikes
- All meals except the 1st night’s dinner in Marrakech and the last evening’s dinner in Agadir
- Mineral water, tea breaks and snacks
- Transportation from places during the retreat (bus and 4×4 car hire in the desert)
- Transfer from/to airport-hotel on saturday 22/02 in Marrakech and on 01/03 in Agadir
- Tickets to visit monuments and cooperatives
NOT INCLUDED
- Optional booking of a private room
- Air fares from your country of residence to Morocco
- Transfers to/from your home to the airport in your country of residence
- Transfer from Marrakech airport to the hotel if you arrive another day than 22/02 and your transfer from the hotel to Agadir airport if you leave another day than 01/03 or leave from another airport in Morrocco.
- First night’s dinner in Marrakech and the last evening’s dinner in Agadir
- Travel insurance
- Personal travel expenses (souvenirs,…)
- Tips
WHAT TO BRING
- Your own toiletry + personal pharmacy
- A personal towel (i.e. light decathlon)
- Hiking shoes + flip flops
- Comfortable clothes for yoga and hiking
- Thermal underwear, a warm fleece, warm puffer jacket, bonnet, scarf, gloves, and several pairs of warm socks
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- A small backpack to store the things you will need during the day
HOW & WHEN TO GET THERE/LEAVE
- The fastest and easiest way to reach Morocco is by air, with several companies flying to Marrakech and Agadir.
- To enter Morocco, you will need to carry with you a valid passport. Most EU citizens are exempt from asking for a visa, but do check with the Moroccan authorities if it’s the case for your nationality by clicking here.
- We ask you to arrive in Marrakech latest on Saturday (22/2) evening. If you arrive on saturday 22/2, the airport pick-up from Marrakech airport to the booked hotel is included in the package. You can of course arrive earlier if you wish to at your own cost.
- The retreat ends in Agadir on saturday morning 01/03 after breakfast. If you leave on saturday 01/03, the airport pick-up from the hotel to Agadir airport is included in the package. You can of course decide to stay longer or fly from another airport (i.e. Marrakech) at your own cost.
BEFORE BOOKING, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS
