This Moroccan tour is designed for those who want comfort and even a little luxury. It combines the best sites in the country for the ultimate mix and match: Imperial Cities, the Sahara Desert, plus a bit of mountains and beach. We will work with you to perfect it for your needs.
Day 1 – 2: Arrive Casablanca / Fes
You have two days to explore what this Imperial City has to offer, such as the Kairaouine Mosque, spice market, tannery and leather market, pottery quarter, henna market, woodcrafters, metal workers, and Quranic schools and old hotels. You’ll be staying in the medina, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest and still-thriving medieval cities in the world.
Day 3: Ifrane / Midelt / Errachidia
In the morning you’ll head towards Errachindia in the south of Morocco. Drive past the cedar forests of Ifrane and Midelt in the Middle Atlas Mountains. It will take us about six hours. We will enjoy dinner and the evening in our Kasbah-style hotel with swimming pool.
Day 4: Ziz Valley Oasis / Erfoud / Sahara Desert
Following breakfast your Ziz Valley guide will meet you and take you to his village located 25 km outside of town. Here you’ll explore his village to see the sustainable agricultural practices in the area. This jaunt takes about two hours. After the day hike you’ll enjoy lunch with his family in their humble home before heading off to Merzouga. The drive to the desert is about two hours. Once in Merzouga you can ride a camel to view the sunset and to stay in a Bedouin tent in the dunes.
Day 5: Dades Valley or Skoura
If you would like to rock climb or hike the Todra Gorge, you can stop here and spend the afternoon. Or, you could simply enjoy lunch in the gorge before heading to Dades or Skoura. An alternative lunch spot is in the Tinejdad ksar that houses one of the best cultural museums in Morocco. Spend the night in a hotel overlooking the Dades Valley or in a renovated 18th-century Kasbah that is now a guesthouse. This drive will take four to six hours.
Day 6: Ouarzazate / Ait Benhaddou / Marrakech
This morning you’ll be driving through Ouarzazate where you can visit the Taourirt Kasbah and the Atlas Movie Studio where blockbusters such as Cleopatra, Kundun, and the Mummy were filmed. Next you’ll stop by the UNESCO World Heritage site – the ksar in Ait Benhaddou where Gladiator was filmed. the drive from Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech will take four to five hours. Stay in a riad guesthouse in the medina, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and visit the lively Djemaa el’Fnaa Square to watch the circus-like performers and sample some tasty delights at the various stalls.
Day 7: Marrakech
Today you have the whole day in Marrakech, the Red City due to the salmon pink-washed buildings. You might visit the Koubba Baadiyn and the Ali ben Youssef Quranic School or the Badii & Bahia Palaces and the Saadian tombs. You might also opt to walk through the souk and peruse the wares and souvenirs. Be prepared to bargain for a good deal!
Day 8: High Atlas Mountains / Marrakech
After breakfast you can take a day trip to either the High Atlas Mountains or to the Ouirgane and Nfiss valleys at the foothills of the High Atlas. Have lunch in a Berber family’s home and take an afternoon hike, if desired. You can also venture farther through the Nfiss valley to the 12th-century Tin Mal Mosque. Choose this as a day trip or spend the night in either region.
Day 9 – 10: Essaouira
After coming down from the mountains or departing Marrakech, you can head straight west to Essaouira. The drive takes three hours. You will have today and tomorrow to relax in this small coastal town with lots of character. Walk along the ramparts, enjoy local seafood, stroll the beach, wander the whitewashed medina or ship for Thuya wood handicrafts. This is the Wind Capital of North Africa so try out kayaking, kite surfing, surfing and wind surfing. Horseback riding is also available.
Day 11: Return to Marrakech / Depart for home
Moroccan Sahara Tours 