Erg Chigaga, Morocco
Sahara
Vast. Silent. Still.
The retreat
Erg Chigaga.
Sahara, Morocco.
One of the Sahara's most remote dune systems. Far from any road, any town, any noise. A silence retreat in the truest sense: calm and silence so absolute it becomes physical. Accessible only by 4×4 from Zagora or Ouarzazate, or by helicopter. Eight days here changes something.
8 to 14 guests. One group at a time, and no one else. Mornings that begin before the sun. Evenings that end under a sky you have never seen before.
Apply for Sahara →The experience
What awaits you
Stargazing
Far from any light. A sky so clear it becomes your ceiling.
Sunrise movement
Pilates and mobility at first light. The desert floor as your studio.
Nomad 4×4
Into the dunes with local guides. Wild and entirely yours.
Campfire evenings
Slow dinners under open sky. The kind you remember for decades.
Included
Included
- 8 days, 7 nights private desert camp accommodation
- All meals, water, teas
- Airport transfers (from Ouarzazate or Zagora)
- A programme built around your group, not a fixed itinerary
- On-ground facilitation team
- Drone and photography documentation
- Guided visit on the film road, Aït Ben Haddou included
- The Umnya kit: hand-woven fouta, engraved flask, and the piece made for this retreat
Getting there
How to arrive
Fly into Ouarzazate (OZZ) or Zagora. We arrange private 4×4 transfers from the airport, approximately 4–5 hours through dramatic desert landscapes. Helicopter transfers available on request.
International connections via Marrakech (RAK) or Casablanca (CMN). We coordinate all airport logistics once your place is confirmed.
These weeks run with a partner
This retreat is not on open sale. We build it with a studio, a club or a clinic that brings its own group, and we open a date around their season rather than ours. Tell us who you would bring and when, and we will come back with a week.
Design this together→Those who arrived
@u.m.n.y.a ↗“Sahara Dream. Best bed in Africa.”
Johanna A.
New York
“I've done wellness retreats on four continents. Nothing comes close to what Umnya built in that desert. The silence alone is worth everything.”
Marcus T.
London
“Eight days outside of time. Watching the Milky Way from a dune at 3am while your body has never felt more awake. I came back different.”
Camille R.
Paris
Continue exploring
Related at Umnya.
Retreat
Salt & Stars
Six nights from Atlantic surf at Tamraght to the silence of Erg Chigaga. November 2026.
Edition
Sahara Spring 2027
Our annual signature edition in the Erg Chigaga, the longest spring stay of the year.
Calendar
All Sahara dates
Every desert window across the year, by month, by city, by theme.
2027 Season
Receive the full programme
8 days · 8 to 14 guests · Morocco. We send the itinerary, dates and availability by return.
No newsletters. One email with the programme, nothing more.
Prefer a private commission on your own dates? Private commissions
Where you stay
Superior accommodation, chosen on the ground by our own experts.
Nothing on this site was booked from a catalogue. Every riad, camp, kasbah and guesthouse was found, visited and slept in by one of our experts before it was ever offered to a guest. The standard is superior throughout, and the reason is practical: after a day of walking, surfing or altitude, comfort is not a luxury, it is what makes the next day possible.
Visited before it is offered
Our team travels the country year-round. If one of us has not slept there, it does not go into a programme.
Original, never generic
Private riads, our own exclusive-use camp in the dunes, restored family kasbahs, guesthouses in Berber villages. Places you cannot book from a screen.
Comfort as a working tool
Real beds, hot water, quiet rooms, proper food. Recovery is part of the programme, not an afterthought.
Groups & circles
Coming as a group?
Six of you or more, and the whole retreat can be arranged around your circle. Tell us the size and the dates, and we prepare a proposal for you.
Request a group proposal→A departure for your circle alone
A private date set aside for your group, at the pace and in the season that suit you.
One group at a time, never mixed
You are never placed among strangers. The camp, the table and the guides are yours.
Group rate and privatisation on request
For six guests or more we prepare a tailored proposal. Simply ask.
Frequently asked questions
- What is included in the Umnya Sahara retreat?
- The Umnya Sahara retreat includes 8 days in a private desert camp at Erg Chebbi, all meals prepared by a Moroccan chef, daily movement and recovery sessions, guided Sahara excursions, stargazing evenings, and airport transfers from Marrakech. Everything is included except flights.
- How many people join the Sahara retreat?
- The Sahara retreat accommodates 8 to 14 guests maximum. The camp is fully private — no other retreat groups share the space.
- What time of year is best for the Sahara retreat?
- October to April is the ideal season for the Sahara. Temperatures are comfortable during the day and cold at night. Summer months (June to August) reach 45 degrees and are not suitable for retreat activity.
- How far is Erg Chebbi from Marrakech?
- Erg Chebbi near Merzouga is approximately 550 km from Marrakech, around 7 to 8 hours by road or 1 hour by small charter flight. Umnya organises transfers from Marrakech for all retreat guests.