6-Day Salt Lake, Desert Safari & Yoga Escape in Siwa Oasis, Egypt

The retreat starts in Cairo, where Marina meets you at the airport and settles you into a hotel for the night. The next morning you drive roughly 750 kilometers to Siwa, passing through desert landscape that shifts from dusty highways to palm-lined oasis roads. The journey takes the better part of the day, and on arrival you're welcomed with a traditional Siwi dinner before an optional dip in a natural hot spring.

Days in Siwa follow a loose rhythm—mornings start with breakfast and a cultural or wellness activity, afternoons are for exploration, and evenings are anchored by sunset yoga sessions. One day you'll drive to the salt lakes, where the water is so dense you float without trying. Marina leads a pranayama session by the lakeshore, and later you'll swim at Cleopatra's Bath, a natural spring pool that locals have used for centuries. Another day is devoted to history: a climb through the ruins of Shali Fortress, a walk through the ancient burial sites on the Mountain of the Dead, and a guided tour of Siwa's downtown market.

The middle of the trip includes a session of Yoga Nidra inside a salt cave—a practice that's deeply relaxing in any setting but feels particularly profound when you're lying in a chamber carved from mineral-rich salt. The final full day is dedicated to the desert: a 4x4 safari into the Great Sand Sea, sandboarding down the dunes, and sunset yoga with the desert stretching out in every direction. Dinner that night is an Abu-Mandi feast, cooked underground in the sand, eaten around a campfire under the stars.

The retreat is small—Marina caps it at around 20 people, and often runs with fewer. It's suitable for beginners, as the yoga is gentle Hatha with a strong focus on breathwork. The most physically demanding part is the hiking at Shali Fortress and the Mountain of the Dead, but the pace is relaxed and there's no pressure to keep up. You'll leave with a real sense of having traveled somewhere unusual, not just having done yoga in a different location.

What's included

- Airport pickup & drop-off - 5 nights accommodation - Breakfast & dinner (half-board in Siwa, breakfast only in Cairo) - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Daily yoga classes - Daily pranayama classes - Transportation during the retreat - Wifi connection - Salt cave session - Desert safari with sandboarding - Traditional Abu-Mandi dinner - Local tours as per itinerary

What's not included

- Flights - Visa fees - Travel insurance - Additional treatments - Additional activities not in the itinerary - Tips - Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks - Entrance fees to sites (museum, temple, etc.) - Lunch