Meditation & Adventure in Amazing Marrakech With Sarah Larbi

Greetings, travelers, and welcome to Marrakech! The Red City, as it's known due to its iconic clay-brick buildings, will be your base of operations for the next week while you explore, meditate, and mine its vibrant culture. Arriving at Marrakech's RAK airport, we'll get you to your hotel by minibus, but don't worry — you'll get to travel by camel later. Once you've checked in and unpacked, you'll have some free time to get to check out your palace for the week before meeting your fellow adventurers. Some sunset yoga will be the mystical awakening you need to start your cultural quest this week, and there's no better way to do that than with Marrakech as your backdrop. Then you'll be free to explore the city — dine in style in a luxury restaurant, wander Jemaa el-Fna, or try the all-important Moroccan tea! Enjoy!

Stretch into another day of discovery with sunrise yoga and breakfast, perfect for limbering you up for today's hike. You'll be transferred to this iconic mountain range for a walk through the foothills of Mount Toubkal. Make sure to get lots of impressive shots of the range, and of Marrakech in the distance, before settling down for lunch in the home of a local. Discover authentic local living in a Berber village and try out some traditional food — a great cultural exchange and respite from your morning walk. More hiking will follow, and then it's time to get you back to your riad for sunset yoga. Tonight you'll have another opportunity to explore the city and seek out some culinary treasure, or chill at the hotel and dine in style there, in a cozy lounge or on a rooftop terrace with views of the city. A great way to end another night in Morocco.

Rise and shine, yogis! Your day of exploration will start with some sunrise yoga, preparing you for the excursion ahead. Then it's onto breakfast — you'll feel like a sultan of old as you tuck into your shakshouka eggs and traditional Moroccan fare. From there, you'll be guided on a full-day tour of the Medina, a labyrinth of covered markets, stalls, vendors, Hamman bathhouses and spas, and mystery. Down each of the crisscrossing cobbled lanes, you'll find something of intrigue — from exotic spices to craft workshops. Visit the Dar Bacha while you're there, a famous coffee house known for its impressive history. Enjoy some street entertainment, pick up a souvenir or two, perhaps try out some of the workshops (see add-ons), and then head back to the hotel for sunset yoga. Just like last night, you'll have the chance to reflect on your day while you look at that incomparable sunset over Marrakech. Then the night's yours again for food and festivities.

Today's excursion will take you into the Medina again for a culinary tour of some of Morocco's finest offerings. Try some of the best couscous you've ever tasted, a Moroccan stew and other lamb dishes, tagine, and — of course — tea, to wash it all down. You'll get the chance to cook and prepare food with a local chef, and then chow down on all of your hard work! Yum! The rest of the day will be free to explore by yourself. Perhaps check out some of the sights, like the historical Saadian Tombs or palaces, or head back to the hotel for some downtime. Swim a lap or two or just float around in the rooftop pool. Catch a tan on the rooftop terrace overlooking the city. Or even read up on your Moroccan legends and lore in the lounge. After sunset yoga, the city, or the hotel restaurant, is at your disposal.

Today’s quest will take you to the mighty Ozoud Falls in the Azilal province, around three hours from Marrakech. One of the highest waterfalls in North Africa, you’ll get to enjoy the landscape and the serene nature surrounding the falls as you hike down to its foot. Prepare to throw some peanuts to keep those pesky monkeys away, and then pose for pictures. A local tour guide will introduce you to the waterfall and help you get pictures with it — just keep your eyes peeled and your sunglasses secured to your head in case of monkey incursion. After a chance to stop for a spot of lunch in a local cafe (with a waterfall view), you’ll hike back up to the top of the Falls and finish your tour. We’ll head back to Marrakesh and reflect on your adventures at sunset yoga. Then the rest of the night is free for exploration, walks, and good food!

Your final morning in the city will begin with some yoga and breakfast, setting you up for the day. You'll have a free morning before our expedition, so perhaps get in some last-minute luxury in a Hamman bathhouse or spa, or just relax by the pool. Then you'll be picked up and transferred to the Agafay Desert, a dense landscape of rocks, canyons, and luxury camping tents. Put yourself into a famous adventurer's shoes and fedora hat as you travel by camel across the sand dunes, rocky outcrops, and breathtaking vistas. You'll be led to a campsite where you'll spend your final night being immersed in Moroccan culture, feasting on a fine banquet, dancing to live music, and meditating under the stars. Your sunset yoga will have an even more unforgettable backdrop tonight, with the solitude of the desert providing the best meditation. After all that camel-riding and partying, it's time to head to bed in your spacious, cozy tent. An unbeatable experience and the best way to end your adventure.

Your adventure in Morocco has come to an end. Say goodbye to your week with a sunrise session in the desert and enjoy a leisurely morning before you’re transported back across the desert — no, not by camel this time. We’ll get you to the airport in time for your next adventure. Hopefully, this week has been everything you've been searching for, and you feel relaxed, cultured, and full of great food! Say goodbye to your fellow adventurers for now, but perhaps you'll see them again soon for more Moroccan tea and unbeatable sunsets...