Morocco Yoga Retreat and Tour

Marrakech is a city with spirit and vitality. The old world comes brimming to life in the medina as if nothing has changed. Narrow lanes twist and turn into a maze of historic shops selling vibrant spices filling the air with an aroma of licorice or roses. Contemporary galleries hide behind alleyways between stores draped in hand-woven rugs and hand-cobbled shoes dangling from strings. Your private transfer greets you at the airport and escorts you to a remarkable riad, a historic mansion, located in the old city.

Once inside, you find the rush of the streets melts away. The elegant tile work forms traditional decorative zellij mosaics. A fountain in the central courtyard trickles with calming allure. Your host welcomes you with a soothing cup of mint green tea sweetened with honey. In the tranquil charms of your riad, at the heart of the historic city shimmering with rich culture, you can find it easy to settle in for the night.

In the morning, you stand on the rooftop of the riad with a view over the city’s antique streets. Some of the rooftops nearby have cushions and tables, decorated with Moorish teapots. Moroccan lamps add flickering light to the early morning. You roll out your mat, follow your host, and begin your first yoga session overlooking Marrakech. Once you reach Warrior Three, you feel revitalized in both body and spirit, with the thrill of the bustling streets stirring around you.

After breakfast, your guide takes you into the city for an official tour of the medina and the vibrant history around every corner. The colors of the souk are vivacious. In the Djemaa el Fna Square, entertainers juggle and tell tales taken from 1,001 Nights. You notice people on the rooftops sipping tea and watching the activity in the square. When you reach the Saadian Tombs, you find a spectacular site bathed in Carrara marble. Plasterwork honeycombs the walls encased in pure gold. The complex was erected in the 16th-century and contains an undeniable grandeur but also a subtle peace. The matriarch’s mausoleum in the courtyard is decorated with poetic blessings etched into the stones.

In the morning, you return to the rooftop for another yoga session where you can take in the enormity of the city’s size and cultural heritage. You can take your time today relishing the monuments of Marrakech’s 1,000-year history, or relax on the rooftops with a view of Djemaa El Fna Square. The Majorelle Garden combines the beauty of Moroccan culture with French colonial elements that remind visitors and locals of the country’s contemporary past.

Later in the day, you meet a local chef at your riad. The chef greets you with a comforting and refreshing tea with hints of orange zest before escorting you through the city to find the freshest ingredients for your evening meal. You follow the chef through the souk, finding new and exciting aromas emanating from spice stalls and produce stands. When you return to the riad, you find all the necessary instruments waiting for you, from knives to cutting boards. The chef instructs you on each ingredient, sharing the cultural connection to something as small as a zucchini to as large as the tagine bowl. In the end, the chef opens the lid of the tagine and the scent of fresh, simmering vegetables and couscous rises from the bowl.

In the mountains outside of Marrakech, you find the stunning waters of the Bin El Ouidane, an arched dam erected in the mid 20th-century. The serene waters reflect the encircling hills. Palm trees rise sporadically around the lake’s shores. Your private transfer brings you to a spa overlooking the water. The breeze casts gentle ripples across the lake’s surface. Kayaks and fishing boats venture across the lake. People hike in the hills in search of better panoramic views.

When sunset casts a shade over the lake, you meet your guide on the rooftop of the hotel. Your view of the water is unobstructed and pristine. The fading sunlight layers the opposite hillside with burning orange hues. You settle into Downward Dog and embrace the splendor.

You choose to enjoy your breakfast with the view, casting your gaze onto the sunlight glinting off the water. You find a subtle difference in the tea this morning, steeped with saffron instead of the mint or orange zest you are used to. The sweet and slightly smoky flavor is refreshing.

After breakfast, your guide leads you along the hiking paths. The rugged landscape changes to lush trees, intertwining rustic red rocks with verdant leaves. You reach Cascades d’Ouzoud and hear the trundling water splashing down the mountain.

An arched bridge connects the boulders in mostly encasing the pool. Mist rises from where the water splashes down into three tiers at a height of 330 feet. The water feeds into the green valleys and orchards alongside the El Abid River. Your guide leads you from the canyon bottom to the outcroppings at the top for an unparalleled view of the landscape and a tranquil yoga session accompanied by the soundtrack of the waterfall.

The landscape shifts dramatically from the tranquil lake and rushing cascades to the snowcapped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. The mountaintops appear through the haze rising to an altitude of 12,139 feet above sea level. In the town of Midelt, you can see the looming summit on the horizon. Midelt sits in the heart of apple country, near lush cedar forests. Cafes line Mohammed V, the single main street.

On the outskirts of town, under the canopy of cedar, Barbary apes linger in the shade. They are the only monkeys indigenous to North Africa. You can often spot a baby riding the back of its mother. After your stop in Midelt, you begin your descent from mountains to desert, having traversed the mountains, which act as a border between the coastal plain and the Sahara. You arrive in the town of Merzouga, known as the Gateway to the Desert.

In the morning, you set out to the border of Merzouga with your guide. You climb on a camel and follow your guide into the Sahara. It feels like you are on the ocean, swaying from side to side. Before you know it, you have reached an oasis lake, reflecting the sand dunes and pockets of greenery sprouting from the water’s edge. The camel kneels to let you down. You set up your mat near the edge of Merzouga Lake and listen to the sounds of warblers twittering. Near the edges of Erg Chebbi, an area of sand dunes stretching for nearly 31 miles, you relish your morning yoga session. You take the time to notice how the arid flat plain begins to roll upwards into tremendous sand dunes.

In the afternoon, when you settle into your camp, the sands have turned from gold to auburn. You can see the undulating dunes stretching to the horizon and sinking steeply, some descending as far as 492 feet. Your Berber hosts graciously welcome you to the campgrounds with the familiar aroma of mint tea. You lay our your mat, and in the vastness of the desert have an enlightening yoga session, taking in the dunes and the sky with an upward table pose.

Before sunrise, you wake up to recapture a moment you felt when you arrived in the desert. In the colors of sunset, you reveled in a peaceful moment with yoga. Today your guide leads you on a similar path, only, this time, you feel the brilliance of the sunlight rising over the sand dunes as you move into Tree Pose. The aroma of brewing tea drifts in the soft desert breeze. You can see the sand shifting with every breath you take. After sunrise, you return by camelback to Merzouga and continue your journey westward venturing back towards Marrakech.

En route, you stop at the camouflaged Kasbah of Ouarzazate. A modern garrison town sprung around the Kasbah in the 1920s continuing the traditional importance of the city that acted as a caravan stop between the Atlas Mountains and desert. The Taourirt Kasbah has a red sandstone color and look. Inside the walls is a maze-like village with sun-kissed buildings. Towers and turrets harken back to a previous era. Stairwells enter uniquely shaped quarters with floral patterns and white walls inside a palace with over 300 rooms. The majesty of the city is in its unique architecture and enduring culture.

In the morning, the sounds of the simmering city return with a familiar freshness. You take your morning tea on the rooftop and overlook the city. Steam rises from your cup, and you find the gentle, minty aroma of the tea.

Your private transfer will soon arrive at the riad to escort you to the Marrakech Menara Airport. Before your transfer arrives, you choose to indulge in one more yoga session basking in the view of the city. Near the end of your flow, you reach into Half Moon Pose, stretching your body to the left, and take one more absorbing look at Marrakech.

For additional trip ideas, please read the travel reviews of Morocco to see what other travelers experienced while on their custom vacation.