Are you looking for a sacred retreat focused around Rumi's teachings to rejuvenate your heart & soul?
Join us & meet fellow seekers from around the world in the glorious city of Marrakech, Morocco.
November 23 - 28th, 2025!
What do you receive by coming on the Rumi Retreat?
Study the Path of Radical Love (Mazhab-e Eshq) that informs Rumi's teachings. See the deep grounding of Rumi's teachings in the Qur'an, the being of the Prophet, and the Sufi sages of the Path of Love.
In the serene setting of Morocco, rejuvenate your heart and soul. Take into your heart the wisdom and beauty of Rumi's masterpiece (the Masnavi) with someone who has spent 35 years studying Rumi's teachings.
We will go through some of the key moments of Rumi's life, and share some of the teachings that are particularly relevant for our lives today.
Rumi teaches us that the body and soul are not so separate from one another. As such, our retreat here will pay attention to nurturing your soul and your body. There will be spiritual offerings, and also yoga and sound bath. Bring your heart, bring your whole self, and meet Rumi-loving friends from around the world!
About our retreat site in Marrakech
This is our fourth year returning to this lovely Riad (authentic, indigenous Moroccan accommodation). The inner courtyard of the space with its central pool is an echo of paradise, which is also said to feature a celestial pool. Indeed, there is something heavenly about these courtyard, and it is in these settings that we will, insha'allah, open our hearts to Rumi's teachings.
Traveling to the 2025 Marrakech Rumi Retreat
There are two good options for coming to Marrakech. The Marrakech (RAK) airport is served by flights from USA, Paris, and other cities. You can also fly to Casablanca, and take a 2.5 hour shuttle/taxi to Marrakech.
Please coordinate your arrival into Marrakech with Hamid, the manager of Dar Sara. You can reach him at: [email protected]
Once we have everyone's travel information, we will be happy to put those arriving at approximately the same time in touch to help you share rides.
In the sacred landscape of Morocco, come and experience the teachings of Mawlana Rumi, who was called "The offspring of the Soul of the Prophet Muhammad. If your heart has been longing for a chance to experience the Path of Love, this is your opportunity to do so in a sacred context.
In "The Rumi Retreat" we will take you to the heart of Rumi poetry, by studying Rumi's Masnavi.
We ask you to come with these two books:
*Rumi's Masnavi, volume 1, Jawid Mojadeddi translation (Oxford).
*Omid Safi, Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition.
If at all possible, we ask you to come with paper copies of the above books, rather than screens. We do aim to be fully present to one another, and minimizing screens helps in that.
Why join this retreat with us?
Over the last twenty years, more than 2,000 friends from twenty countries have joined us in these journeys and retreats to Turkey, Morocco, Spain, United States, and Umrah. These gentle explorations of sacred cultures and teachings are designed to rejuvenate your heart and soul, engage the intellect, and refresh the spirit. Our Illuminated Tours, Courses, and retreats designed to be a gentle and deep immersion, far beyond touristic headlines and cliches. Our goal is nothing less than learning about the heart of this rich, ancient, and thriving sacred culture, and in the process, your own heart.
How is The Rumi Retreat in Marrakech different than our Morocco Tour?
The retreat is intentionally designed to have a more contemplative pace. Staying in one site gives us more time to dive into the teachings, dedicate more time for practices, incorporate yoga, and cultivate a sense of fellowship.
The other important factor is that we have had a lot of requests to offer programs that are more affordable, and thus accessible to a wider class of participants. The Rumi Retreat is well under half the cost of our Morocco tour.
Our Retreat Leaders:
Omid Safi
Omid is a Teacher in the Sufi tradition of Radical Love &
Founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours. He has been leading these tours and retreats to Turkey, Morocco, Spain, USA, Mecca&Medina, and Canada since 2002. We have been blessed to have over 2,000 friends from 25 countries on these journeys.
Omid’s passion for teaching has been recognized through the ten times that he has been nominated for professor of the year awards. He is a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought.
Omid has published extensively on the foundational sources of Islam and Sufism. His Memories of Muhammad is a biography of the Prophet Muhammad. His most recent book is Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition.
Omid often appears as an expert on Islam in the New York Times, Newsweek, Washington Post, PBS, NPR, NBC, BBC, CNN and other outlets. He has a podcast (“Sufi Heart”) at Be Here Now.
We are also contemplating adding a whirling component to this retreat. Stay tuned!
Our Yoga instructor
Aisha is an experienced Yoga instructor who is based in Marrakech.
Rumi emphasizes how the body and the soul are not separate from one another. So we will move forth and back between teachings, remembrance of the All-Merciful, and movement of the body through Yoga.
What will we study together?
We will begin our retreat with an overview of the Mazhab-e Eshq (Path of Radical Love), a zenith of Islamic spirituality that situates love as the supreme self-disclosure of God, and the primary path of illumination.
We will then study the first volume of Rumi's Masnavi in an English translation (Jawid Mojaddedi translation), followed by key episodes of Rumi's life, as well as sublime examples of Rumi's love poetry. You can rest assured that you are tapping into the real, authentic, verified sources of Rumi's life, poetry, and teachings insha'allah.
We are blessed to have movement through Yoga offerings of Aisha, a teacher based in Marrakech with 20 years of experience.
Let us explore these sacred teachings together, rejuvenate your soul & make lifelong friends.
Our sacred retreat - A Word about the "adab" (refinement) of spiritual companionship
Some of you are veterans of traveling in a group context, for others this is a new experience. Our programs are by intention intimate, designed to foster a sense of community and collective seeking. Most of our travelers have never traveled in a group before, and you may not have either. But together we can undertake this journey, and insha'Allah make life-long friendships.
It is admittedly an unusual experience, where for a few days you will spend many hours in the company of new friends. Many people, I dare say most, find it extraordinary how friendships can form and deepen in such a short amount of time, and you may well come away with friends for a life-time. Others may become mindful of how they need a few hours each day for private reflection and solitude. There is no one right way, and we will honor each others' needs.
It is the qualities of our journey (openness to shared exploration, spiritual seeking, and refinement of community) that have attracted our participants. Those common qualities often serve to form meaningful friendships.
We ask all of us to treat our group as a community, and to look out for the welfare of all. These simple acts of kindness go a long way towards making a happier experience for everyone.
One of the "best practices" of retreats like this is to keep in mind that each of us, all of us, are on our journey. We each walk our own path, and our starting points may look different. We are not here to police each other's journey, or to offer uninvited "advice" or guidance. Our task is to walk our own path, and accompany one another on our journey.
No one is the "guide", the "guru", the "healer." We come as a caravan of friends, insha'allah bathed in the light of God, the Chosen One (blessed Prophet SAWS), and the illuminated sages of this path like Mawlana Rumi.
Cost & Registration
We are honored you read all the way until here. If this journey sounds like a good fit for you,
we would love to have you email us using the link below to answer any lingering questions and help your get registered.
Cost of the Retreat November 23-28th
$ 1,750
The registration fee is non-refundable.
This fee includes accommodations at the Riad which we have reserved in exclusivity. also included are breakfasts, and Moroccan tea. Also included are all the teachings, Yoga workshops, musical offerings, and dhikr sessions. We will also undertake a shared pilgrimage to the Seven Saints shrines of Marrakech, probably visiting Abu 'l-'Abbas al-Sibti and Imam Jazuli.
Rooms at the riad are usually in a double or triple capacity, and each feature a private bathroom.
Couples and friends are welcome to request a double occupancy room, which are available on a first-register basis.
There may be a very limited number of single rooms, which would be available with a $500 supplement. We will not know about availability of rooms until well into the registration process.
We are committed to making a donation from every registration to humanitarian relief efforts in Palestine as well as Morocco.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions, send us an email at [email protected]
You are ready to sign up?
Secure your spot
Who can come on these retreats?
Do I need to have any reading material?
What background do I need to have?
What’s the language of this retreat?
I'm not Muslim. Can I still take part?
What if I am coming alone? Will I be alone?
Can children come?
Refund policy
Steps for registering
What is, and is not, included
Clothing recommendation
Testimonials from past Participants
Over the last twenty years, about a thousand friends from twenty countries have joined us in these journeys to Turkey and Morocco. Here are just a couple of feedbacks from past participants:
Gol Joya J.
"Dr. Omid Safi's Educational Program and Tour was immensely rewarding for me. I had the opportunity to see and do things which would not have been possible otherwise: visits with Sufi scholars, trips to little known mosques and shrines; and learned things I would not have found in a guidebook: insights into historical sites and monuments. Dr. Safi's poetic and mystical commentary brought a whole new meaning to seemingly lifeless objects in museums. In addition to all this, I met a wonderful group of people of all ages, from whom I learned, but also had a really fun trip."
Michael A.
"Luckily, after my initial day of acclimation, Illuminated Tours welcomed me and diverse travelers with open arms. From get-to-know-you orientations, to readings of and about Sufism, to shared family-style Moroccan meals inspired by faith and freshly picked food, our group became like a family over 10 days. Our visits to the shrines of Marrakech and Fes were purposely slow and prayerful, as our guides elaborated the history and religious context for each shrine. We were privileged to share in prayers with several local Islamic communities. And our riads served as serene places for reflection, refreshment, and respite with new friends. Omid and Courtney (...) are patient, kind, generous, inspired, experienced, and knowledgeable -- perfect for such an excursion. (..) Courtney Erwin is a longtime resident of Morocco with degrees and 20 years of experience in international law, Islamic studies, human rights, and interfaith relations. I counted on her for many practical details of my journey, as well as her love of Moroccan culture in all its idiosyncrasies. Thanks to them, I am not only determined to explore Istanbul with Illuminated Tours in the future, but also to explore Morocco again and reinforce the spiritual and cultural lessons of my first trip."
Prof. Tehseen T.
"Prof. Safi considers it a privilege to share his immense knowledge of the aesthetic and historic aspects of the many, many places you experience and people you get to know in these weeks. He has a gift for teaching through stories full of rich anecdotes and much humor. Along with this careful guidance he makes sure that everyone has the space to be their own guide. I learnt so much, from everyone. The entire trip is impeccably organized with the utmost care given to detail."
Jeff G.
“This tour was merely the beginning of a lifelong journey of understanding and reflection, I can’t think of a better guide on the path than Omid and Illuminated Tours.”
