Name: Sacred Music Tour in Morocco
Start: 2023-05-03T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Morocco

The Lila Series

Email address verified

7 reviews

May 3 - 13, 2023

Group size: 1 - 28

Sacred Music Tour in Morocco

Morocco

Select

Ask A Question

The Lila Series

Email address verified

7 reviews

May 3 - 13, 2023

Group size: 1 - 28

Join Gnawa musician Samir Langus and Omar Aena for an 11 day tour through Morocco as we explore Gnawa & other sacred music traditions from throughout the land.

We will travel to 5 different cities, meeting with musicians, artists and other masters of these deep & rich traditions. We will have private concerts, musical ceremonies and other experiences that will immerse us into the spirit of Morocco.

If you are interested but have questions, feel free to e-mail us at lilatheseries@gmail.com.

Day 1-2
Day 1-2
Agadir
Welcome to Morocco!

We will start our tour in the coastal town of Agadir, located in the south & the hometown of your co-host, Samir Langus. Fly into Agadir on May 3rd. One airport shuttle will be available to take people to the hotel at 2PM.

Day 1 - Upon arrival to the hotel, you'll meet the group and team for check-in, starting at 3PM. Once everyone arrives, we'll meet for our first dinner together & opening night.

Day 2 - After breakfast we will visit the 16th-century kasbah, perched on a hilltop just outside of town. From there we will take a tram from the top of the hill that will give us panoramic views of Agadir.

We’ll stroll the historic medina and the atmospheric Talbourjt quarter & admire various landmarks throughout the city.

The rest of the afternoon can be spent enjoying Agadir’s sandy beaches.

After dinner, we will get our first musical immersion with a group of authentic Moroccan folk & Gnawa musicians at Jazzawiya.
Read more
Day 3-4
Day 3-4
Essaouira
Day 3 - After breakfast, we will begin our journey north to the city of Essaouira, home to the Gnawa Music Festival.

After check-in, we'll enjoy an authentic local dinner together.

Day 4 - After breakfast, we'll take in the city with a walking tour starting at 'Bab Sbaa', the main gate to the medina, closest to the beach to the Essaouira fishing port.

Use the free time in the afternoon to hang at the beach, explore the medina, shop, or rest.

After dinner we will meet with a local Gnawa maestro/”maalem” who will curate a night of music especially for us at an intimate venue.
Read more
Day 5-6
Day 5-6
Marrakech
Day 5 - From Essaouira, we will make our way over to the cultural capital of Morocco, the city of Marrakech. Once we arrive in Marrakech, we'll settle in at our hotel before going out for a delicious dinner in the main square, followed by walking around the souk before calling it an early evening.

Day 6 - After breakfast, we will embark on an eye-opening tour of the wonders of Marrakech.

After lunch, we will head to Jamaa el Fna square - where we’ll experience the bustling souks of vendors selling various handmade artisanal crafts.

We’ll have free time in the late afternoon followed by an evening of music with an all female musical group.
Read more
Day 7-8
Day 7-8
Atlas Mountains
Day 7 - From Marrakech, we will drive 2 hours to the village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains.

Our starting point will be the Toubkal Summit, the highest point in all of North Africa at 4167m above sea level.

We'll arrive to our hotel in the afternoon and enjoy the beauty surrounding us, touring the village. After dinner at our hotel, we will enjoy a calm evening together.

Day 8 - A full day exploring the villages surrounding Imlil in the Atlas Mountains.

At night, we'll have a night of music with the local Amazigh people of the neihgboring villages.
Read more
Day 9-10
Day 9-10
Rabat
Here our journey culminates with a ‘Lila’ ceremony with one of the most revered Gnawa musicians in Morocco.

Day 9 - We will begin our journey back to the coast and will stop in Casablanca for a visit of the Hassan II Mosque. We will continue driving up the coast where we will end up in the city of Rabat.

Our first day will be arriving at our hotel and exploring the nearby neighborhood. We'll have dinner in the area before going back to our hotel for some jamming on the rooftop.

Day 10 - Today, we prepare ourselves for the Lila gathering with a local Gnawa maestro and his community.
Read more
Day 11
Day 11
Departure from Casablanca
Drive from Rabat to Casablanca in the morning to go straight to the airport for departure.

*Note - we suggest not booking any flights earlier than 3PM.

If your flight leaves earlier, you can arrange your own private transport from Rabat to the airport at your own cost.
Read more

Day 1-2

Agadir

Welcome to Morocco!

We will start our tour in the coastal town of Agadir, located in the south & the hometown of your co-host, Samir Langus. Fly into Agadir on May 3rd. One airport shuttle will be available to take people to the hotel at 2PM.

Day 1 - Upon arrival to the hotel, you'll meet the group and team for check-in, starting at 3PM. Once everyone arrives, we'll meet for our first dinner together & opening night.

Day 2 - After breakfast we will visit the 16th-century kasbah, perched on a hilltop just outside of town. From there we will take a tram from the top of the hill that will give us panoramic views of Agadir.

We’ll stroll the historic medina and the atmospheric Talbourjt quarter & admire various landmarks throughout the city.

The rest of the afternoon can be spent enjoying Agadir’s sandy beaches.

After dinner, we will get our first musical immersion with a group of authentic Moroccan folk & Gnawa musicians at Jazzawiya.

Omar and Amira and the team in Turkey did a wonderful job. The community of open-hearted people that journeyed together to Turkey made the trip amazing for me. It gave me a sense of being beyond time and place, which is perhaps the goal of all spiritual experience, connecting to eternity. The semah in cappadocia under the moonlight, the joining a dhikr meditation in Konya with a community that has been doing dhikr together there for decades, these are the experiences that were grounding , spiritually elevating, shaking the dust off of the eyes of my heart as Mevlana might say. The trip was amazing. 10/10 stars. (Note : Not sure why the wetravel site deletes the entire text I've typed when I clicked to accept cookies - looks like someone else had the same issue, just a note to Omar! )

By Yousef Z for Sufi Tour & Retreat in Turkey on Jan 18, 2024

Omar and Amira, I have come to a conclusion. Magical. The trip was magic. All around us, with us in every way. Magic that awakened dormant seeds and brought to life love, laughter and deep connection. I know I was deeply touched and I believe everyone was deeply touched in some way. Thank you for making this happen. On the practical: Proubably an on going debate about the bus or train or plane. The bus was really long and yet one of my highlights was eating at the bus stop, shopping , then going across the street to the historic Site known as a stop for travelers on the Silk Road. Amaizing place. It was there I practiced whirling my first time. The place was beautiful. And…Bus. Long long days. Food was over all fine. The Retreat center food really good. Group dynamics- really good. Leadership: Omar- excellent. You are Amaizing Teachers/ cultural exposure: every one and more: Haleh, Chem Baba, Shamstick (forgetting his name) the talk about Sufi hats and all the beautiful felt, exposure attending evening events Rumi’s birthday, semma gatherings, everything informed each other when developing a stronger picture of a Sufi culture and practice while recognizing how much more there is to learn. Group schedule: could be improved. More clarity so folks could slip out for personal needs and or space for options of things to do. Beside schedule need for clarity I also wonder if personal time was consumed by 3 days of bus time. Overall: Amaizing. Thank you! thank you! I send love and gratitude.

By Kelley J for Sufi Tour & Retreat in Turkey on Oct 17, 2023

There are no words to describe how nourishing and expanding this Journey with Lila Series Tours was. Firstly the accommodations, food , and travel provided were all exceptional. Most amazingly this was a journey of the heart, of participants and experiencers , not of tourists and intellectual accumulators. We became an international family of joyous participation from whatever varied levels of exposure we had had previously to Sufi culture. I am deeply grateful and astoundingly enriched by this journey. I will never be the same. Thank you , Mahalo, Tesekkur ederim!

By sarah m for Sufi Tour & Retreat in Turkey on Oct 16, 2023

Very well organized, nice, safe space for a large group. Plenty of adventures off the beaten path, and the big tourist attractions too. Highly recommend.

By Leslie Z for Sufi Tour & Retreat in Turkey on Oct 06, 2023

Oh No!! Just spent 30 minutes writing a Glowing Review of this Amazing Tour, part of the Lila Series, and just now lost my internet connection, so my entire review is in the Ozone layer somewhere.... No time to redo it now. Rating: 10 Stars!! The absolute best group tour I have ever experienced in my 67 years of International Travel. Hands down!! Or rather, Hands on Drums.... Kudos to Omar Aena, Samir Langus and Yana Chudnaya for curating and organizing and gently herding all 30 of us on the most intimate, life transforming, immersive, Friends for Life Journey and Adventure! So much more than just a "mere" group tour.... I plan to go on every Lila Series Tour available in the future.... So, Just Do It!! Just sign up and GO, already.... From the Back Of The Bus.... Grandmere Deborah Dragonfly, the Matriarch of this Tour and Damn Proud Of It!! May 23, 2023