Great South of Morocco – 8 Days

Arrival in Marrakech, you will check into your accommodation and then head off to the Jamaa el Fna, the center square of the medina. The famous Jemaa el-Fna, is one of the center attractions of Marrakech. Coming alive at night with the local storytellers, entertainers, and mouth-watering, the square is well worth a visit. A quiet cup of tea on the terrace of an adjacent café provides a spectacular aerial view of the bustling square. Dinner will be served at the Riad or hotel.

After breakfast, the group will have a private guide tour in Marrakech, the southern pearl of Morocco. You will discover the Palace of the Bahia, the Saadian Tombs, and many other hidden treasures. After lunch, you will continue with the tour on to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque and the famous Djemaa el-Fna, one of the center attractions of Marrakech and where life and activities of the city is concentrated : dancers , storytellers , jugglers , artisans , merchants, and snake charmers. The tour will conclude with an exploration of the souk (market) lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets and many other art objects of Morocco. Dinner will be served in riad or hotel.

After breakfast we will be driving to Ouarzazat through the dramatic Tizi ntichka pass (2260m height), over the High Atlas Mountains, appreciate the beauty of the landscape on the twisted road through the Berber villages. Get to the famous Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah where will get the lunch, the largest Kasbah in Morocco, a UNESCO matrimonial historical site and a house of many Glaoui family members. After will continue to Dades Gorge via Ouarzazat, “the Hollywood of Africa”. On, through the “Road of the thousand Kasbahs”- the fascinating “sand castles”. Stop at Kalaat Mgouna, “the rose’s city, and then continue to our hotel in Boumalen Dades.

After breakfast, we drive to the Sahara desert in Merzouga. We’ll explore Todra gorges, then we drive to Erfoud in which we may visit fossil factory and get the lunch. Afterwards, we leave for the desert of Merzouga via Rissani where your dromedaries will be awaiting you. You will be welcomed with a glass of mint tea and a turban (desert scarf as a gift) before you ride dromedary, guided by an experienced dromedary man, to explore within the mysterious sand-sea of the Erg-Chebbi. Here you will spend your night under the stars. Dinner and sleep in the desert KASBAH in Merzouga.

Today we explore Erg-Chebbi more deeply. We visit the village of Khamlia with Gnawa music, we discover small villages and houses inhabited in unexpected places, far from civilization. We also visit the nomads who are there, return to the KASBAH and stay free.

After breakfast, we leave in the direction of Fez by Errachidia along the magnificent Ziz Gorges carved through volcanic rock, and through the Tizi Ntalghamt Pass to Midelt. Stop in Zaida to enjoy a barbecue and refresh yourself with a glass of mint tea then continue our journey to Azrou, a Berber village in the middle Atlas Mountains, before we stop to see the monkies in the famous cedar forest . In Ifran “the Swiss village”, stop for photos or a drink and we continue our way to your accommodation in Fez. Dinner will be served in a riad or local hotel.

After breakfast you will start the city-tour with our local guide in order to discover the medina, one of the world’s largest old walled in cities. You will explore the narrow streets lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets and many other art objects of Morocco. A visit to the King’s Palace, the tanneries, and potters are just a few places you will experience. For lunch you will eat in traditional restaurant in the heart of the medina. After, you will complete the tour and return to your hotel for the evening. Dinner will be served in a local riad or hotel.

We will transfer to the airport.