Women’s Pilgrimage to the Saharan Sea of Sand Dunes

A sacred journey from Marrakesh into the Atlas, the Draa Valley, the deep dunes of Erg Chigaga, and the timeless earthen beauty of Ait Ben Haddou.

8 days and 7 nights in Morocco, from Marrakesh through the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara, and returning through Ait Ben Haddou to Marrakesh.

March 24 to 31, 2027

INVITATION- Returning home to yourself

Your spirit resides in a gown of Divine light - eternally present to guide and protect you.

This pilgrimage is a gentle summons away from the hum of family, work, and screens, and back into the inner sanctuary where you remember yourself as you truly are.

As our bodies move through the Sahara, our spirits soften into the ancient rhythms of the desert.

Along the way, embodied and contemplative practices will support an exploration of harmonizing the inner masculine and feminine, the seen and unseen worlds, and being “earth” in your own body as a station of holy self-care.

JOURNEY ARC

From imperial city to sea of sand

The pilgrimage begins in Marrakesh, whose medina was founded in 1070–72 by the Almoravids and remains one of Morocco’s great historic urban centers. From there, the route turns south through the High Atlas and into the Draa Valley, a long oasis corridor known for caravan movement, palm groves, and historic fortified settlements.

The desert days unfold in the Erg Chigaga region, a landscape shaped less by permanent towns than by nomadic movement, seasonal routes, wells, and the memory of caravan paths. The closing night in Ait Ben Haddou brings the journey back into the built world through one of southern Morocco’s most celebrated earthen ksars.

This pilgrimage is for women who long for:

An intimate encounter with the silence, beauty, and vastness of the Sahara.
Space and time to ease into the beauty of your spirit
A journey that weaves spiritual practice with history, land, and culture.
A physically meaningful adventure held with care and beauty.

The trekking portion is approximately 5–6 hours per day, but you do not need to walk the whole time. If you prefer, you may ride a camel for part or all of the desert journey instead.

Your Guide:
Julia Sumaya Considine Pierce

Julia is a Sufi teacher and health educator devoted to women’s health, sacred self-care, and spiritual transformation. She began her studies of Shadhiliyya Sufism and Sufi healing in 1998 and has spent over two decades supporting women in deepening their connection to their bodies, spirits, and inner knowing.

After dreaming of Morocco for 15 years, she first traveled there in 2022 and has since returned multiple times. After being deeply nourished by journeys with her Sufi teacher, Fawzia Al-Rawi, she felt called to offer her own.

She is the author of My Body Is Sacred and now guides women who feel called to step away from the noise of daily life and into the vast, healing presence of the desert.

DAY BY DAY Itinerary

Day 1

March 24 · Arrive in Marrakesh

Airport pick-up from RAK and arrival at Riad Tasneem. We gather for a traditional Moroccan dinner and opens the sacred container of the journey together.

History & culture: Marrakesh was founded in 1070–72 by the Almoravids, and its medina is UNESCO-listed for its role as a major political, economic, and cultural center of the western Muslim world.

Day 2

March 25 · Marrakesh to Agdz

Travel south through the Atlas Mountains and the Draa Valley to Kasbah Azul, Agdz. Driving time is approximately 5 hours

History & culture: Agdz and the Draa Valley developed as an important corridor of oasis settlement, trade, and fortified architecture, with places such as Tamnougalt reflecting the region’s agricultural and caravan history.

Day 3

March 26 · To M’hamid and Trekking Day 1

Early departure toward M’hamid, then begin the desert trek with the aim of reaching Erg Chigaga on foot on the third trekking day. In the desert, we will be guided and held by Berber nomads, whose steady presence offers a grounded, protective expression of the masculine as they lead us safely and beautifully across the land. Overnight wild camping. Driving time before the trek is approximately 3 hours.

History & culture: The Erg Chigaga region is deeply associated with Amazigh nomadic movement, caravan memory, seasonal travel, and routes shaped by wells, stars, and inherited knowledge of land.

Day 4

March 27 · Trekking Day 2

Continue on foot deeper into the dunes and spend a second night wild camping beneath the desert sky.

History & culture: These sands echo older networks that once linked Morocco to Saharan and Sahelian trade, with temporary camps and oral guidance shaping how communities moved through the land.

Day 5

March 28 · Trekking Day 3 to fixed camp

Complete the third day of trekking and arrive at Camp Al Koutban for a more settled desert camp experience.

History & culture: Today’s camps draw on nomadic hospitality—tea, music, firelight, and gathering beneath the same skies that have guided travelers for centuries.

Day 6

March 29 · Full day in the dunes

Spend a full day enjoying the desert and the spaciousness it offers, with a second night at the fixed camp.

This day allows the pilgrimage to deepen into contemplation, silence, and rest—an immersion in desert time beyond ordinary schedules.

Day 7

March 30 · 4x4 transfer to Ait Ben Haddou

After breakfast among the high dunes, transfer by 4x4 via Lake Iriqui, Foum Zguid, and Tazenakht, then continue to Riad Caravane in Ait Ben Haddou. Driving time is about 3 hours off-road plus 2.5 hours on paved road.

History & culture: The Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major example of southern Moroccan earthen architecture on the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh.

Day 8

March 31 · Visit Ait Ben Haddou and return to Marrakesh

Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site before the onward transfer to Marrakesh. Driving time is approximately 3.5 hours.

Ait Ben Haddou’s earthen towers, shared granaries, caravan past, and later film history make it a powerful closing threshold between ancient and modern Morocco.

Ait Ben Haddou is one of Morocco’s most iconic ksars, recognized by UNESCO as an outstanding example of pre-Saharan earthen construction and a fortified settlement along the historic caravan route between Marrakesh and the Sahara. Its compact architecture once included communal and sacred spaces such as a mosque, public square, granaries, and cemeteries, giving a vivid sense of how desert-edge communities organized collective life.

It is also widely known as a film location, but its deeper power lies in how it gathers together architecture, memory, landscape, and trade history in one place

Booking

What’s included:

Airport pick-up in Marrakesh (RAK) on or before March 24th, 2027
All accommodations and meals from March 24th for dinner through March 30th for breakfast. Accommodations include three riads, simple desert camping during the trek, and fixed camping at the sand dunes, which is a beautiful traditional Moroccan tent
Desert trekking support, including guides and camels
Your bags and all that is needed for the trek will be transported for you through the desert by Berber nomads
Ground transfers throughout the group journey
Practices offered during the journey: contemplative practices will support an exploration of harmonizing the inner masculine and feminine, the seen and unseen worlds, and of being “earth” in your own body as a station of holy self-care.
You will also receive two guided meditation recordings. The first arrives before our journey, offering gentle support to prepare your body, mind, and spirit for this sacred time together. The second will come after, inviting you to integrate what you discovered—and what you released in the desert—so its wisdom can continue to unfold in your life.