10 days tour from Marrakech

DAY 1 Marrakech.

Arrival at Marrakech Menara airport according to your flight schedule. Welcome and assistance from our staff and transfer to Riad. Free dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2: Marrakech.

Day at leisure to discover the city, accompanied by your guide, in inglesh, during the morning. Marrakech, “the Pearl of the South,” is one of Morocco’s most important imperial cities. Located at the foot of the Atlas peaks, like all Moroccan cities, it has two souls: the old city of the medina, surrounded by walls, and the more modern new city. In Marrakech you can breathe the true traditional soul of Morocco, conditioned by the mountains and the desert, rooted in the trades and customs of its inhabitants. A visit to the souk and Djemaa El Fna Square, the beating heart of the city, populated by storytellers, dancers, snake charmers and musicians, will be interesting. During the night the square transforms into a huge open-air restaurant. Noteworthy and worth a visit: the Bahia Palace, the el-Badi Palace, the Medersa Ben Youssef, the Sadian Tombs, the Koutoubia Mosque with a minaret that is striking in its elegance in decoration and balance of form, and the labyrinthine and colorful medina. Free dinner and overnight stay in Riad.

DAY 3: Marrakech | High Atlas | Tizi n’Tichka | Kasbah Ait Benhaddou | Ouarzazate | Valley of Roses | Dades Valley (km 310).

After breakfast depart for the south passing through the high Atlas Mountains on the Col du Tichka pass (2260 m), from where you can admire the spectacular landscapes of the High Atlas and the many nomadic Berber villages that populate the mountains. Continue on and visit the fortified village Ait Ben Haddou, whose Kasbah is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pisé complex is one of the oldest and most majestic in Morocco, dating back to the 11th century when it was an Almoravid caravanserai. Immortalized in the movies “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Babel” or “Indiana Jones,” this fortress stands like a diamond in the rough in the surrounding rock. You will continue in the direction of Ouarzazate, known as the “Hollywood of Africa,” home to major film studios and a spectacular setting in which such famous films as “Gladiator,” “Obelix,” or “The Jewel of the Nile” were filmed, where you will visit Atlas Studios. You will admire from the outside (and eventually visit) the Kasbah Taourirt located at the gates of Ouarzazate, with its huge crenellated towers and very well preserved. We will pass through the Valley of Roses, Kelaa M’Gouna, famous for the cultivation of roses, celebrated in a festival, where it will be possible to stop and buy rose or Argan products. Dinner and overnight stay in the Hotel/Riad in Boumalne Dades.

DAY 4: Dades Valley | Todra Gorges | Rissani |Merzouga | Camel trek in the dunes of Erg Chebbi (km 293).

We will leave immediately after breakfast to admire the striking morning lights that illuminate the Dades Valley, stopping at several viewpoints. The Dades Valley or “way of a thousand Kasbahs,” is known for the many mud and thatch buildings that served as defensive castles. We will continue in the direction of the Todra Gorges, bordering the Jebel Saghro mountain range to reach the canyons famous for climbing. We continue in the direction of Rissani, an ancient caravan route with sub-Saharan Africa, a town of great historical importance and a religious center, witness to the Alaouite dynasty. We will stop to visit its bustling local market (suq), the largest in southern Morocco and one of the most authentic and traditional markets. Brief visit to the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, founder of the Alaouite dynasty. Continue the journey until we reach Merzouga, a small village at the foot of the dunes. Upon arrival, we will leave the 4×4, sip tea, a symbol of an ancient way of life, and prepare for the approximately 1.5-hour trek by dromedary for a magnificent observation of the dunes at sunset. Return to camp, at the foot of the dunes, in private tents for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Tour of the desert region of Merzouga (km 60).

We will wake up early, appreciating the sunrise from the highest dune and, after a delicious breakfast, prepare for the day dedicated to discovering Merzouga and the Eastern Sahara. We will tour the Erg Chebbi desert, passing through some Berber villages and the Black Desert, (Hamada), an immense stony platform, passing Hassilabied and Tisserdmine. Continuing on, we will reach the village of Khamlia inhabited by descendants of ancient black slaves, originally from Mali, now famous Gnawa musicians, who will delight us with their traditional music and dances. Free time at leisure before dinner and overnight stay at the hotel at the foot of the dunes.

Day 6: Merzouga | Ziz Valley | Midelt (km 265).

After breakfast, depart for the Ziz Valley full of verdant palm groves and small villages that preserve the local Berber culture intact. Through ever-changing landscapes, we will arrive in Midelt in the Middle Atlas Mountains where we will stay overnight.

Day 7 Midelt | Azrou | Meknes (Km 200).

After breakfast, we will resume our journey, heading for Meknes, the least conspicuous of the imperial cities; yet, its architecture, palaces, immense gardens, warehouses and large stables, enclosed within ochre-colored walls, distinguish the physiognomy of this city, so much so that it justifies its inclusion in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. We will make a stop at Ifrane and reach Azrou, with its cedar forests, populated by numerous barbary macaques, clay plateaus and lakes that are home to extraordinary wildlife including bertuccas. Dinner and overnight stay in Riad.

Day 8 Meknes | Chefchaouen (km 195).

After breakfast you will begin, accompanied by your official guide, a visit to Meknes, famous for its walls, the Bab el-Mansour gate, the royal palace and stables, the Agdal basin, the medina and the Jewish quarter. In the afternoon, departure to Chefchaouen. Free dinner and overnight stay in Riad.

DAY 9 Chefchaouen | Fes (km 195).

After breakfast you will begin to explore Chefchaouen or Chaouen, a town perched between the Rif mountains. You will stroll through the small and quiet medina, made up of blue and white houses, in which you will discover the historical and cultural heritage, appreciating the light, the streets, the picturesque Uta el Hammam square and, of course, the colorful stores full of handicrafts. Afterwards, depart for Fes where you will meet your guide who will take you on a discovery tour of this enchanting city; you will visit the medina, dating from medieval times, the Mederse (ancient Islamic religious universities) Bounanaia and Attarine, the Karaouine Mosque and the famous Neijarine fountain. The city’s souks are among the most beautiful and lively markets in Morocco with dyers’, blacksmiths’ and potters’ quarters. Dinner and overnight stay in Riad.

Day 10: Fes.

Transfer to the airport according to your flight plan.