Claire’s first Moroccan multi-destination adventure exceeded everyones wildest dreams .. so lets make it happen once again, but this time with some new additions to our itinerary!   Claire’s first retreat to Morocco in 2019 led her to explore this incredible country from top to bottom, east to west and out of these travels we are creating extraordinary opportunities to blend a bespoke, customized tour with yoga to deliver a real taste of the diversity and stunning beauty of this magical Kingdom.

 

Our guide, Omar, has been taking people all over Morocco for over 20 years and is beloved wherever he goes.  He has a permanent smile on his face and knows the entire country like the back of his hand.  Wherever he goes he is welcomed as a beloved friend and creates truly unique and charmed experiences that transform his guests into his vast circle of friends.  He will pick us up at Casablanca airport in as many Toyota Land Cruisers as we need and guide us until he drops us off 10 days later with a lifetimes worth of memories to take home and cherish.

 

Each day we will take breakfast and dinner at our Riad, while keeping lunch open to enjoy as we explore.  We’ll practice yoga mostly in the morning, but may shift some yoga practices to the afternoon if our itinerary dictates.  However, when we are in the Sahara Desert at the amazing luxury camp at Erg Chigaga for 2 nights, we will drop way down into retreat mode and get to practice yoga twice daily as we well as meditate in the dunes at sunrise (!).

 

THE DETAILS

And so, our adventure begins when we are picked up in Casablanca!  From here we will drive to Fés and settle in to the beautiful and friendly Riad Dar Tafilalet which is located inside the Medina, for 2 nights.  After a spacious yoga practice and delicious breakfast we’ll spend the entire next day exploring the ancient walled medina, Fes El Bali, visit the main tanneries and a foundry to see how the traditional mosaic tile artisanal goods are made before our second night in this Imperial city.  Next morning we’ll take the spectacular drive south across the Anti (or low) Atlas Mountains passing many small villages, stopping for lunch at an authentic Moroccan spot before arriving for the night at Todra Gorge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing the following morning, we’ll journey through the Anti-Atlas, passing the magnificent Ikniouen Mountain with beautiful sweeping views, onto Nkob and the beginning of the Draa Valley (which literally translates as the breast, the giver of life) the largest oasis in all of Morocco where we will have lunch. Then we continue driving through the Draa Valley passing by many small villages and Kasbahs, getting a real taste of truly authentic Morocco, arriving in Zagora at our beautiful hotel for the night, Riad Lamane, where we will enjoy a relaxing yoga practice before dinner.

 

We’ll depart Riad Lamane after Yoga and Breakfast and continue on through the Draa Valley to our first stop, Tamegrout which dates back to the 11th Century as a religious center in Morocco and is the home of the oldest Koranic School as well as the famous authentic green Moroccan pottery. Continuing on through the Draa Valley, we travel through small villages and by Kasbahs until we reach Mhamid (the last village before we enter the Sahara Desert) where we’ll stop for lunch.  Following lunch we leave civilisation, and head into the Dunes of The Moroccan Sahara to drive to Erg Chigaga, the most remote dunes in the Moroccan Sahara, where we will spend the next 2 nights. We arrive late afternoon, in time for an unwinding yoga practice before sunset on the dunes and dinner. After dinner there’s some relaxing by the fire while we are treated to drumming and music under the Saharan stars before your first nights sleep at the luxury camp of Erg Chigaga.

 

The “tents” are truly luxurious, featuring their own complete private bathrooms with hot water showers and lots of space to spread out.  Each night in the Sahara we’ll have a campfire and music under the stars, sunrise meditation on the dunes, yoga each morning and afternoon and breakfast and dinner.  We’ll get to visit some nomad villages, enjoy a sunset camel trek and punctuate our tour with a spacious relaxed pause here for 2 nights before heading off to see more of what makes Morocco so very special.

 

 

After breakfast we’ll depart early leaving the camp and driving through the Sahara to Lake Iriki which is a dry lake and the largest of its kind in Southern Morocco, on our way to Foum Zguid, the first village after the Sahara for a brief stop. Then continuing on to Tazenakht where we will visit a Berber carpet cooperative (this is the region known for the best carpets) and have lunch there. Tazenakht is the most important place for traditional Berber carpet weaving in all of Morocco and we’ll have the opportunity to learn how this art has been passed down over the centuries and see the artisans at their craft. After lunch we travel through the High Atlas Mountains, passing by little villages, ancient kasbahs and dramatic scenery onto the Red City – Marrakech, where we will spend 3 nights at the exquisite Riad & Spa Nashira.  Following our first night in Marrakech, we’ll enjoy yoga and breakfast before meeting up with our guide for the day who will take us through the bustling medina of Marrakech, a great opportunity for shopping for authentic Moroccan artisanal goods, spices etc.  We’ll then return to our Riad for a spacious afternoon yoga before dinner and our second night. The next day we’ve kept unscheduled to give an opportunity for massage, hammam, more shopping (!), relaxing by the pool and enjoying our last day in Morocco before a wonderful last nights dinner together.  October 31st is departure day! The Royal Air Maroc to JFK usually departs Casablanca around 4p (approx) so our group transport will align with getting to Casablanca in plenty of time (usually leaving Marrakech around 9a (approx). For those traveling to different destinations we can arrange alternate transportation based upon your timing, needs etc.

 

 

ITINERARY

.  October 22nd ~ Arrive Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc AT201 (your responsibility to book your flight)

.   October 22nd & 23rd ~ Fés 2 nights at Riad Dar Tafilat

.  October 24th ~ Todra Gorge for 1 night

.  October 25th ~ Zagora – Riad Lamane for 1 night

.  October 26th & 27th ~ Erg Chigaga Sahara,  Luxury Camp for 2 nights

.  October 28th, 29th & 30th ~ Marrakech, Riad & Spa Nashira for 3 nights

.  October 31st ~ Departure!

 

YOUR INVESTMENT

$4200 per person based upon double occupancy (shared room)

$6000 private (single) occupancy

 

WHAT’S INCLUDED

.  All transportation in Morocco.

.  10 days with our delightful private tour guide Omar & his team

.  9 nights accommodation

.  Our local guides in the medinas of Fés and Marrakech

.  Breakfast and Dinner each day

.  All yoga & guided meditation

.  Optional Sunset Camel Trek

.  Optional Sandboarding in the Sahara (think snowboarding desert style)

.  Visiting several ancient Kasbahs

.  So much more!

$1000 deposit secures your spot and is non-refundable.  We expect this trip to fill very quickly and recommend you plan ahead!  WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND TRAVEL INSURANCE.  Unforseen circumstances do unfortunately occur and it is always good to be protected just in case, not least for peace of mind.  You are responsible for your flight to Casablanca and I will tell you which flight to book.  I strongly urge you to go with my recommendation so that we all arrive simultaneously as Omar and his drivers will be picking us up at the airport to head to Fés (a couple hours drive).  IF you prefer to take your own different flight option, you will be responsible for getting yourself to Fés to meet us. Claire has travelled extensively throughout Morocco and has spent a lot of time in each of the places we’ll visit so please email her with your questions at:  [email protected].  She is so looking forward to sharing some of this spellbinding country with you.