10 Days Morocco Atlas & Sahara

General

Get ready for an adventure of a lifetime among Morocco’s scenic mountains and vast desert as we explore Morocco ‘off the beaten path’ and make our way through the Atlas mountains and the Sahara Desert by 4 wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle.

Explore the chaotic souks and get lost in the colors and smells of the enchanting mazelike markets. Visit amazing communes that are carved into the sides of mountains and cliffs. Spend two nights in a desert camp deep in the Sahara Desert. Visit women co-ops to learn all about the famed rose water, argan oil, and Berber rugs as well as support the local women who work to make these world renowned products. The adventures don’t stop there! Join us on this fantastic journey to discover the best of Morocco.

Day 1:

Marrakech Arrival

Welcome to Morocco!

Upon arrival, you will settle in at your hotel and have the first evening free to immerse yourself in the vibrant life of Marrakech. You can opt to haggle at the marketplace Jemaa el Fna which comes alive at night, get lost in the maze-like streets that twist through the medina, visit the seductive Majorelle Gardens, or just relax in your riad to get ready for your epic adventure tomorrow!


Included :


– Activities: Arrival; Free time

– Meals: None

– Accommodation: Riad

Day 2:

Telouet – Ait Ben Haddou via Tizi N’Tichka (Travel time approximately 4 hours not including stops)

After an early breakfast in the morning, we will hop in our 4 wheel drive, all terrain vehicles and be on our way to Ait Ben Haddou. On our journey, we will pass through Ouarzazate where several Hollywood movies have been filmed including Lawrence of Arabia and The Mummy. We will also transfer over the highest road winding through the Atlas Mountains, Tizi N’Tichka (2260m), to the Berber village of Telouet where we’ll have lunch and visit the stunning Kasbah of el Glaoui, the former Pasha of Marrakech.

Continuing on, we will drive along an ancient trade route, Tizi N’Telouet, to the World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou, a ksar (fortified village) that once stood on the route of the trans-Saharan caravans. It is also one of the best-preserved Kasbah (Citadel) in the Atlas region. In the evening, we will settle into our hotel, which offers spectacular views of the earthen clay architecture very highly associated with Morocco.


Included :


– Activities :

Transfer to Telouet & Ait Benhaddou; Kasbah of el Glaoui visit; Ait Benhaddou ksar visit

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Kasbah boutique hotel

Day 3:

Foum Zguid – Erg Chigaga (Travel time approximately 4.5

hours not including stops)

After a relaxing night in Ait Ben Haddou, we make our way towards the Sahara Desert on a dirt track to the elevated town of Foum Zguid where we will have a quick lunch. On the way to the desert, we will cross the dry lake of Iriki and be able to admire stunning landscapes with spectacular colors and various textures. Once we’ve reached the magical sand dunes of Erg Chigaga where we will get settled into our desert camp where you can explore the dunes as well as admire the beautiful surroundings before dinner. At night, we’ll sit around the campfire for a Berber drum and music performance while gazing at the infinite number of stars above us.


Included:


– Activities: Transfer to Foum Zguid & Erg Chigaga; Berber drum performance; Free time in the Sahara Desert

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Sahara desert camp

Day 4:

Erg Chigaga & Camel Trekking

Today you will have the option of spending a day relaxing at the pace of desert life, walking in the immediate dunes or exploring the area with your driver. For those of you who are interested, you can visit a family of nomads and learn how they survive in this harsh environment and afterward stop by a lush oasis isolated in the vast desert. Later in the day, you will meet your guide and head out on a camel trek or climb one of the nearby sand dunes in Erg Chigaga at sunset.


Included:


– Activities: Free time; Nomad family

visit; Oasis visit; Camel trekking (at your own expense); Dune climb

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Sahara desert camp

Day 5:

N’kob via Draa Valley (Travel time approximately 5 hours

not including stops)

After two magical nights in the desert, we will get back to civilization via a paved road through M’Hamid, which lies about 20 kilometers from the Algerian border. We’ll continue on through the Draa River Valley among verdant palm groves and Berber villages to N’kob where we will spend the night. On the way, we will stop in the village of Tamegroute, which used to serve as a center for religion and education from the 11th century. We’ll also stop at a local pottery cooperative to learn how Morocco’s famous tagines, bowls, and platters are made. Once we’ve arrived in N’Kob, we’ll have dinner together as a group and then you’ll have the night to relax and go for a dip in the pool if to cool off if you so desire.


Included:


– Activities: Transfer to N’Kob; Pottery cooperative visit; Free time

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Kasbah boutique hotel

Day 6:

Tinghir – Todgha Gorge via Tizi N’Tazazert (Travel time

approximately 2 hours not including stops)

Our transfer to the city of Tinghir will take us across one of the most fabulous off-road mountains passes in the mountainous Jebel Sarhro: the Tizi N’Tazazert, with far reaching views, stunning rock formations, Berber settlements and fertile valleys. Tinghir is an oasis and is nestled between the High and Lower Atlas Mountains. After lunch in Tinghir, we will take a short walk among the beautiful palm oases, refreshing rivers, and some traditional kasbahs. Thereafter, we will check into our accommodation near the Todgha Gorge, the highest gorge in Morocco, and have dinner and enjoy a relaxing night among the walls of the gorge and abundant palm trees.


Included:


– Activities: Transfer to Tinghir & Todgha Gorge; Walk in the green palm valley of Tinghir; Free time

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Kasbah boutique hotel

Day 7:

M’semrir – Tamtatouchte – Dades Gorge (Travel time approximately 5 hours not including stops)

After breakfast and a walk through Todgha Gorge in the morning, we will get back to the off-road piste towards M’semrir. In this Berber commune, we will witness the nomadic way of life as we pass through the rugged beauty of these mountains and stop to drink mint tea with a nomad family in their thick wool tent. At M’semrir, the tour will continue by road to the stunning Dades Gorge, which was at the bottom of the sea millions of years ago, but is now known for its bright green palm trees that line the Dades River which flows through the gorge. We’ll get settled into and spend the night in our hotel surrounded by the giant gorge walls.


Included:


– Activities: Transfer to M’semrir, Tamtatouchte & Dades Gorge; Nomad family visit and afternoon tea; Free time

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Kasbah boutique hotel

Day 8:

Kelaa M’gouna – Skoura – Tisselday Village (Travel time approximately 4.5 hours not including stops)

Via a road in Dades Valley and through a beautiful off-road circuit where we will see nomads on the move (if we’re lucky), we will pass through the capital of the Rose Valley: Kelâa M’gouna. It is here where a magical rose festival takes place at the beginning of every May. Here, we will visit a rose water cooperative to where heaps of rose petals are taken to the factory to extract their oil. To give you an idea of the scale of rose cultivation in the area, it takes about 22 pounds of rose petals to extract just 5 ml of rose oil! Next, we will pass back through Ouarzazate via Skoura where we will visit the Kasbah Amridil, which dates back to the 17th century and is a living museum showing kasbah life over the centuries. After that, we will head to Tisselday Village where we will stay the night in the peace and quiet of this small Berber village.


Included:


– Activities: Transfer to Kelâa M’gouna, Skoura, & Tisselday Village; Rose water cooperative visit; Kasbah Amridil visit

– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

– Accommodation: Kasbah boutique hotel

Day 9:

Marrakech (Travel time approximately 3 hours not including stops)

Today we will transfer back to Marrakech during which we will pass through the villages of Agouim and Ighrem as well as the Tizi N’Tichka pass again. We will arrive in Marrakech in time for a guided tour of the Madrasa Ben Youssef, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, and just a few of the hundreds of bustling souks. The contrast between the pace of life in the desert and Marrakech could not be more extreme, so why not take a day or two to explore before heading home?


Included:


– Activities: Transfer to Marrakech; Tour of Marrakech sites; Free time

– Meals: Breakfast

– Accommodation: Hotel

Day 10:

Marrakech Departure

Depending on your flight time, you will have free time on your own in Marrakech before heading back to your country.


Included :


– Activities: Free time; Departure

– Meals: Breakfast *Itinerary is subject to change.