9 Day Tour
Marrakech to the Sahara Desert
This tour is for visitors who want to see and experience as much as they can, but they only have nine days to do it. During the tour you will ride a camel, camp in the desert, have tea with nomads, see most of Morocco's imperial cities, visit ancient Roman ruins, and see too many beautiful panoramas to count.
9 Days, 8 Nights.
Marrakech to Sahara Desert.
Marrakech-Dades Valley-Todra Gorges-Merzouga Desert-Dunes of Erg Chebb-Ziz Valley-MiddleAtlas-Fès -Volubilis-Meknes-Rabat Casablanca-Marrakech.
Distance: 1,580 km / 982 miles.
Start: Marrakech.
End: Marrakech.
Trip Highlights.
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Visit Ait Ben Haddou, Telouet Kasbah, and Todra Gorge
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Ride a camel over the dunes of the Sahara to a luxury campsite
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Explore the desert and learn Berber customs from local families.
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City tour of Fes.
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Explore the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis.
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Visit the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat.
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Visit the Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca, the largest mosque in the country!
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Experience Jemaa el Fna square in Marrakech.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Marrakech.
We will meet you at the airport if you are just arriving and drive you to your hotel. After letting you settle in a bit, we will meet you in time to go to the city’s main square for Jemaa el Fna, the nightly festival with storytellers, snake charmers, vendors, and more.
Day 2: Marrakech - Telouet Kasbah - Ait Ben Haddou - Boumalne Dades.
After breakfast we will drive over the High Atlas Mountains, through the winding Tizi n’Tichka pass, toward the desert, stopping for pictures and breaks. In Ouarzazate we will stop to see Kasbah Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou, two beautiful examples of traditional Berber architecture and history.
Day 3: Boumalne Dades - Todra Gorge - Merzouga.
Todra Gorge will be one of the first stops today. It is nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of Morocco, and when you see the height of the steep canyon walls you will understand why! From there we will drive past miles of date palm trees intertwined with traditional villages until we reach Merzouga. There, you will have some time to walk in the sand dunes and relax before enjoying a nice dinner at your hotel.
Day 4: Explore Merzouga.
There is a lot to do today! We will visit Khamlia Village to enjoy a performance of Gnawa music and dance. We will visit a nomadic Berber family to share some Moroccan mint tea, admire the desert scenery, and learn about their life. Later we will visit a more typical Berber family to learn some of their customs. We will return to the hotel by late afternoon to prepare for a camel ride over the dunes to a luxury campsite where you will enjoy a delicious meal, musical entertainment, and a peaceful night in your private tent.
Day 5: Merzouga - Rissani - Midelt - Azrou Forest - Fes.
Early risers will enjoy a spectacular sunrise over the dunes this morning. After breakfast we will return to the hotel then drive to Rissani to shop in an authentic souk. From there we will drive along Ziz Valley with its seemingly endless river of date palms to Midelt where we will have lunch. From there we will continue to drive to the cedar forest in Azrou where, if we are lucky, we will see some Barbary macaques. The last stop today will be Fes.
Day 6: Explore Fes.
This entire day will be devoted to touring the important cultural and historic sites with the help of a local guide. You will see the Royal Palace and visit several different districts in the city. You will also see craftsmen preparing items for sale in the souks using the same tools and techniques they have used for generations. We will spend this night in Fes.
Day 7: Fes - Meknes - Volubilis - Rabat.
The imperial city of Meknes is home to the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Those ruins were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. After touring them, we will have lunch then drive to Rabat, the City of Gardens and the current capital of Morocco, to tour the Mausoleum of Mohammed V which is in the courtyard of Hassan Tower. We will stay in a hotel here.
Day 8: Fes - Casablanca - Marrakech.
We will drive from Fes to Casablanca after breakfast to visit the Mosque of Hassan II. It is one of the largest mosques in the world, and is a stunning site for pictures. From there we will drive to Marrakech where we will spend the night. If we have the time and energy, we can visit the square one last time for Jemaa el Fna, or we can choose to spend the night resting.
Day 9: Departure.
If you have a flight today, we will meet you at your hotel or riad at the appropriate time to take you to the airport.