8 days Desert tour: Marrakech and Merzouga desert
Tour M7: Marrakech - ouarzazate - Merzouga - Fes
Medfouna, the Berber pizza
Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech
You’ll be carried from the airport to riad.
Day 2: Marrakech
After breakfast, we’ll initiate exploring Marrakech “the red city”. I will guide you through the most important historical and cultural sites of the city such as Majorelle garden, The Koutoubia Tower, Saadian Tombs, and The Bahia Palace. Afterward, we have lunch at a restaurant nearby. We’ll later have a walk through the traditional souks, and the rest of the day will be at your leisure. We are sure Marrakech will entertain you well, it never disappoints.
Day 3 : Marrakech – high Atlas – Ait Benhadou – Ouarzazate – Kalaat Magouna – Dades Valley
I will pick you up at 8:00 am. We will start our journey by traveling across Tizi-N-Tishka atlas pass (2260m) with amazing views across the mountains to visit the ¨Ait Ben Hadou Kasbah¨. A Kasbah is an ancient citadel that used to be the beating heart of the old civil communities and armed fortresses in the past. Our lunch will be served right at the spot, and you can surely seize the opportunity to take pictures with the UNESCO world heritage site (click to see pictures). The city of roses is our next destination: Kalaat Magouna is worldly known for its festival of roses and as one of the most important sources for rose water, a substance used for cooking and traditional scenting. We cross the rose valley and make a stop at roses cooperatives to witness the traditional distillery of roses and how artisanal products like shampoo, soap, and perfume are made (click for additional info). Moving on, we will continue to Dades Gorges where we spend the night in a riad/hotel.
Day 4 : Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzougua Desert
After breakfast, our journey will start at 8:00 am, Berber villages are scattered along the way. The first destination will be Todgha Gorges; it is a water canyon going through very high mountains and it’s the first destination for Moroccan mountaineering enthusiasts. Then we go to have lunch in Tinjdad, a nearby town. After lunch I take you to a traditional Berber shop, if you are a fan of handmade souvenirs that smell like history and feel like ancient Morocco, you will surely be interested in the items therein, even only for pictures for bragging purposes. Afterward, we go straight to the Sahara desert. Camels will be waiting to take you on an adventure in the sand dunes. the camel trek ends with the most desired event of everyday Sahara, the sunset. We will spend the night in an appropriately equipped camp where you can dine in the beauty of the desert. During the night, you may enjoy a traditional show of Berber drum music, videotaping is allowed if you’d like to take the dances home with you. then you rest as long as you can to wake up for the sunrise, an equally breathtaking view in case you missed the sunset.
Day 5 : Merzougua – Erg Chebbi – and camel trekking
The day starts with a thrilling 4×4 wheel ride. It first leads us to the tribal community quite near the big dunes. They are dark-skinned locals whose ancestors settled there coming from southern Africa ages ago and brought with them their exotic music and fabulous lifestyle. Then we go visit another local ethnicity, the nomad families who live in the desert for thousands of years. we see how they live from inside the tents and witness their unique ways of life and survival. for lunch, we will have the Berber Medfouna, a sort of thin bread filled with flavored meat and spices served right off the hands of a local. We may visit Rissani as well, the cradle of the currently ruling Alaouite dynasty. It is surrounded by about 360 ksars (fortified villages with walls and towers made originally to halt intruders) and has a big souk (an open market). if you please have a walk there, it is an interesting place with various things being sold in it. From Saharian outfits to copper cutlery to vegetables and even donkeys! We then drive back to Merzouga. By the evening, we will catch up with the camel raisers, probably have a chatter, and why not a funny picture of a camel eating from your hand? you do the pose and do as you please. You will be carried by camels to an immaculately equipped camp. The trek is an hour and a half long. When you get to your destination, you will find the sunset waiting. In addition to this, flirting with the golden dunes in a natural ritual that survived for a very long time. Dinner will be served in front of the tent where you’ll spend the night around a cozy fireplace. The sky of a thousand stars will put you in the mood for some traditional drum music played right there for the pleasure of your eyes.
Day 6 : Merzougua – Daraa Valley – Ouarzazate
The early worm gets to see the sunrise! And it is as magnificent as the sunset with a sligher coller breeze. Just what you need for a picture that will last with you forever. Camels will bring you back to the hotel, you will need your shower and breakfast by then. Then we continue our way to our next destination: Ouarzazate city by passing through Alnif, Tazzarine, Nkob and Daraa Valley. As for the night, you will spend it in a hotel/riad that includes dinner and breakfast.
Day 7 : Ouarzazate – High Atlas Mountains – Marrakech
After breakfast, we will set off for Marrakech, visiting the Atlas studio and High Atlas Mountains, I will then drop you at your riad in Marrakech.
Day 8 : (The departure day)
You’ll be transferred from the riad to the airport.
-Tour includes comfortable transportation, driver/guide who speaks your language, fuel. Hotel/ Riad/desert camp over-night stay.
-Not included: plane tickets, lunch, meals, drinks, and tickets for historical monuments