10 Days in Morocco Itinerary – Desert, Imperial Cities & the North

Today we’ll have a guided tour of Marrakech. You'll explore the main attractions and monuments of the city including the world famous Jemma el Fna square, 800 year old Koutoubia mosque, the souks, palaces, and museums. We’ll also explore parts of the city such as French Colonial Gueliz, and the Menara Gardens. Another highlight is the Majorelle Gardens, house and museum. Owned until his death and then preserved, Yves Saint Laurent lived here and escaped the pressures of the world. After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll get the chance to explore this incredibly vibrant city at your leisure.

Today your tour kicks off as we drive through the Atlas Mountains and snake through the Tizi-n-Tichka pass to the Unesco World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou. Famous on the big screen for movies like the Gladiator and the famous HBO series, Game of Thrones, we continue to Ouarzazate to visit the Atlas Film Studios and a Kasbah located in the city. We’ll continue our tour towards the Valley of 1001 Kasbahs, also famous for its annual Rose Festival before we drive to the Dades Gorge and spend the night in our hotel/Riad.

Here, we’ll continue our tour to visit Todra Gorge, a colorful, awe inspiring narrow canyon. We’ll continue through the Ziz Valley to reach Erfoud, an oasis town known as the gate to the Sahara desert and recognized for its unique fossils. There we can visit a local factory which produces artisanal, hand crafted house decor made from fossils. There is also a local shop where you may purchase such items as souvenirs if you wish.

Then, we’ll drive towards Rissani, where we’ll visit the local souk and then drive towards the edge of the desert to reach Merzouga. On arrival there is time to prepare yourself at a guest house ready for our camel ride into the desert dunes. Accompanied by experienced camel caravan guides we arrive at the Merzouga Desert Camp where we’ll stay overnight in luxurious, en suite tents. This spectacular night will be rendered unforgettable with a unique and traditional Berber dinner topped off by tribal music around a starlit desert campfire.

Watching the sun rise amongst the dunes is a magical experience, and not to be missed. Your breakfast will be waiting for you upon your return, after which you will have the opportunity to visit the nomadic communities around Merzouga, stopping for tea in the souks, and enjoying the traditional Gnawa music. As the mid-day sun wanes, we will ride a 4X4 and trek into the pink sands of the Moroccan Sahara; here, we will have ample free time for you to explore and take in the beauty and vastness of the desert dunes. Once the sun sets, a Moroccan dinner will be served alongside live music around the campfire, after which you are free to explore again - this time in the company of a million stars exploding against the pitch-black sky, and the all-encompassing silence of the Sahara at night.