Lourdes Benet Yoga Tour

9 Day Tour: March 30 ~ April 7, 2024
13 Day Tour: March 30 ~ April 11, 2024
(Yoga will be offered each day, but is not mandatory to join this tour.)

YOGA TOUR WITH YOGI, LOURDES BENET

Lourdes Benet has been teaching yoga professionally for 14 years, and has had eight years of training in the Iyengar Modality of Yoga. She has a BA in graphic design/art, and speaks Spanish and French in addition to English. Lourdes is a state certified Spanish Interpreter who serves the medical community, DSHS, conferences and the courts. Lourdes has led successful and very fun tours to Chiapas and Tulum in Mexico, and three women’s retreats to Orcas Island in Washington’s fabled San Juan Islands.

Yoga to me is a way of living,  a continuous awareness of my surroundings and the possibility of transformation. Yoga is my anchor for optimal health. The ailments and injuries of  my early youth have now been healed through Yoga. In the breath, my mental health is enhanced and my spirit is uplifted as I marvel at the amazing vessel that is our body. To me, yoga is a treasure worth holding on to.

Prices starting at $3850 USD

   Click on the tour map for a larger view.

Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca

Upon arrival you will be picked up at the airport in an air conditioned vehicle with driver and professional guide and translator.  They will transport you to your lodging. You’ll have an opportunity to tour the Hassan II Mosque with its amazing architecture and mosaics, stroll or drive along La Corniche (the waterfront) either this afternoon or the next morning depending on your arrival time.

Lourdes will offer a stretching yoga session, and you will have a pool to swim and relax in. Dinner will be provided nearby.

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Day 2: Marrakech

After a pleasant scenic drive to Marrakech you will get settled into your lodging and have the opportunity for yoga. You’ll then be offered immersion into the nighttime magic of the medina (Jemaa el-Fna Square), a Unesco World Heritage Site. The medina is alive with a carnival of locals and vendors, scents of the delectable Moroccan cuisine, monkeys, snake charmers, entertainment, and the exotic images you imagine Morocco to be.

Day 3: Marrakech

Today you will have the option of visiting several beautiful and historical sites including the 19th century Bahia Palace; the Saadian Tombs*, built in the 16th Century; and Jardin Majorelle*, restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge, featuring plants from all over the world, a Berber Museum, and the Yves Saint Laurent costume and antique collection.

Saadian Tombs (16th Century)   

 Jardin Majorelle

Day 4: Ait Ben Haddou/Ouarzazate

Ait Ben Haddou is a ksar (fortified village) and Unesco World Heritage Site that has been the backdrop to many movies. We can enter the village and hike up to the top if anyone wants to or just see it from the outside.  You will stay nearby and also visit the Atlas Movie Studios, where movies like Cleopatra, Gladiator, Jewel of the Nile and the series Game of Thrones have been filmed.

Day 5: Travel to the Sahara Desert

On this drive you will travel to the fabulous tent camp in the Sahara Desert and arrive in time for an opportunity to ride on camels at sunset as you experience the surreal and mesmerizing changing colors over the dunes of sand.  You will be offered a delicious dinner, and then enjoy music and dancing around a fire under the incredible starry night. *If you choose not to ride a camel, we will transport you by 4 x 4 vehicle to the camp.

Day 6: Skoura (Ksar El Kabbaba)

You will have the opportunity for the profound experience of doing yoga at sunrise in the Sahara before we transfer to the oasis village of Skoura, while passing through the Todra Gorges, and the Valley of Roses.  There will be time for yoga and perhaps a traditional hammam or massage before dinner. Another option in Skoura is taking a tour of the nearby Kasbah Amridil, seen in the movie Lawrence of Arabia and considered to be among the most impressive kasbahs of its time in Morocco. You will be staying at the amazing Ksar El Kabbaba (or similar).

Day 7: Travel to Marrakech 

Today’s drive takes us over the incredibly beautiful High Atlas Mountains. After arriving in the afternoon, spend some time relaxing, shopping or yoga before dinner.

Day 8: Marrakech and the High Atlas Mountains

Today you’ll visit Imlil Falls in the High Atlas Mountains. We will engage with some of the local Berber people and have an opportunity to learn about their unique way of life in this enchanting part of the world.

Day 9: End of 9-day tour

If you are on the 9 day tour you will be leaving us at this point. If you depart from Marrakech, transportation to airport is included in the cost of your tour. If you depart from Casablanca, we will offer you transportation for an add-on fee. Please make plans for an early departure as the rest of us need the vehicle, driver and guide for traveling that day.

Day 9: Travel to Essaouira

Today you will have a lovely 3-hour drive to Essaouira, passing by vineyards and argan trees filled with goats. Essaouira is considered an outstanding example of a fortified town of the mid-18th century. It is an international seaport. Here you’ll have an opportunity to tour and make purchases at an argan production business run entirely by women. As you enter this beautiful town, with its chill vibe, you’ll undoubtedly see kite surfers on the Atlantic Ocean Beach. We will check into lodging, have opportunity for yoga, then enjoy dinner in the village.

Day 10: Essaouira

After yoga and breakfast you will have the day to explore this charming town with its art galleries, Thuya wood carvers, retail shops. Stroll along the revetment with its old cannons, and see the beautiful and iconic blue boats. The fishermen come in with their catch-of-the-day and cook it right on the pier. There are many restaurants in the town as well, so you can decide which option you prefer.

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Add-On Option: Moroccan cooking class. 

Morocco has the perfect climate for growing wine grapes and produces millions of bottles a year. You would have a chance to sample some and see a beautiful estate near Essaouira while enjoying lunch in the vineyard. If everyone on the tour wanted this option, we could add it on the way to Marrakech.

Add-On Option: Lunch, wine tasting and vineyard tour.

Day 11: Travel to Casablanca

After this scenic 6-hour drive through the countryside, we will have time for yoga, dinner, and relaxing.

Day 12: Casablanca

This will be a fun-filled free day that could include a stroll along la Corniche, touring the Hassan II Mosque (if you didn’t opt for that tour on the first day), and you can have *dinner and/or drinks at Rick’s Cafe* from the movie Casablanca. The ambience is exactly like the movie, including the iconic music and bar.

Day 13: Depart from Casablanca

*Add-on cost. Please inquire for customization options via the provided form.