7-Nights Moroccan Adventure: Kasbahs, Oases & Deserts - Private Guided Experiences from $2,835

Day 1: Arrive in Marrakech

Upon arrival in Marrakech, please proceed through customs and immigration formalities. Collect your baggage and proceed outside of the Arrival Terminal where our representative will be waiting for you holding a sign under your name. Drive to your hotel for dinner and overnight. Approx. drive time: 20 min.

Hotel: Grand Plaza Hotel Marrakech (4 Star Rating)

Ideally located across from the train station and the Royal Theatre, Grand Plaza welcomes you for a stay in the heart of Marrakech. Just 5 minutes from the Medina and 10 minutes from the airport, the hotel also offers underground parking for its residents.

Meal(s): Dinner

After breakfast, enjoy the city tour of Marrakesh, the “Red City”, a majestic place filled with palaces, gardens, markets, and mosques. Upon arrival, you will first stand by the Koutoubia Mosque with its 282 ft minaret, an architectural landmark dating back to the late 12th century. You will continue to the 19th century stunning Bahia Palace and discover the intricate work done by the local artisans to decorate this splendid home built by a powerful Vizir for his harem. The building includes one hundred and fifty rooms, countless courtyards and interior gardens, a veritable labyrinth of corridors, a Koranic school, hammams, a harem, stables. From there we will start exploring artisan quarters and the colorful souks to interact with the real life of Marrakech people. Continue to Dar El Bacha Museum of Confluences, built in 1910 and was the residence of Thami El Glaoui, named Pasha of Marrakech by Sultan Moulay Youssef in 1912. It is one of the medina's finest examples of Riad architecture, dripping with Moroccan Zellige (colorful geometric tilework), intricate white plasterwork and heavy carved cedar-wood lintels. Before sunset we will be strolling in the square of which the city is so famed, Jemaa El Fna. Located at the entrance of the Medina, this triangular square is surrounded by restaurants, stands and public buildings, and provides everyday commercial activities and various forms of entertainment. It is a magical circus where fortune tellers, henna artists, fire eaters, snake charmers, dancing wild costumed monkeys, story tellers, hypnotic medicine-men, cross dressers, tooth pullers, musicians including real Gnaoua, and acrobats gather in a cacophonic feast. After the tour, head to your hotel to freshen up. When you are ready, transfer to a local restaurant to enjoy your dinner. Back to your hotel for overnight.

Hotel: Grand Plaza Hotel Marrakech (4 Star Rating)

Ideally located across from the train station and the Royal Theatre, Grand Plaza welcomes you for a stay in the heart of Marrakech. Just 5 minutes from the Medina and 10 minutes from the airport, the hotel also offers underground parking for its residents.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

As you leave Marrakech, the distant haze begins to resolve itself into a jagged mountain range, the High Atlas Mountains, jutting abruptly from the plain. Our route follows the same route that caravans used centuries ago, to bring into Marrakech gold and precious wood from the other side of the Sahara. Beautiful scenery and small villages built in tiers succeed among oak trees, walnut groves, and snow patches before arriving at the Tizin Tichka pass, 2,260m high. Once over the pass a totally different scenery is unveiled: the lunar landscape of the Anti-Atlas. Later, skirt past Ouarzazate and stop for a lunch (own expense). Past Ouarzazate, our trip tour reaches another lush area, nested between the deserted crest and the desolate plateaus: Skoura Palm Grove. Then, we reach Kelaa des Mgouna, famous for the nearby Valley of Roses and its Rose Festival, where at the end of a 3-day celebration usually held in May, a local girl is crowned Rose Queen. The most looked after product is eau-de-rose and two factories in the area distil and export the product. The process uses approximately three thousand kilograms of rose petals to extract a liter of rose oil. Further on, Boumalne Dades follows, the starting point to explore the spectacular Gorges of Dades, a luxuriant carpet set against the massive rocks and quite popular among those who like trekking. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Approx. drive time: 6 hours.

Hotel: Hotel Xaluca Dades (4 Star Rating)

Hotel Xaluca Dades is a charming hotel nestled in the heart of the Dades Valley in Morocco, offering a unique blend of traditional Berber architecture and modern comfort. Surrounded by dramatic red rock formations and lush palm groves, the hotel features spacious, warmly decorated rooms, a relaxing spa, outdoor pool, and panoramic terraces with breathtaking views of the valley. Ideal for travelers exploring the Atlas Mountains and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, Hotel Xaluca Dades provides a welcoming and authentic Moroccan experience.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

Back on the road, our first stop is Tinghir, with its extensive palm grove, ksour (fortified village) built into the rocky hills above and its mysterious decaying Jewish quarter. Tinghir has been for generations a stop for nomadic Berber tribes travelling from the northern mountains towards the desert. A rather inconspicuous hidden gem is the 19th century adobe mosque nested within the old crumbling ksour, a heaven for photography enthusiasts. The Gorges of Todra, lie only 15km from Tinghir, presenting a capturing scene with its crystal-clearriver emerging from it, its huge walls changing color walls, a magical effect as the day unfolds. Its 300m high walls are home to more than 150 bolted routes and at any time of day you can catch a glimpse of someone rock climbing his way up the gigantic walls. Before reaching Merzouga where the tarmac ends, we pass Erfoud and Rissani. In Erfoud we may stop for a visit at Musée des Oasis if time allows. Rissani used to serve as the last stop on the great caravan southern route. Gold and slave auctions were taking place there in the 1800s. Prior 1800,the caravan trade and the most important city in Morocco was Sijilmassa, the ruins of which lie opposite Rissani. From its gates, Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus left Morocco to embark on their illustrious journeys across the Sahara into African countries. Soon after we reach Merzouga and in the distance you glimpse the first leviathans of sand forming the Sahara: the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Surf the sandy sea on a powerful 4WD Land Rover to the desert camp. Dinner and overnight under a Berber tent. Approx. drive time: 4 hours.

Hotel: Madu Luxury Camp (4 Star Rating)

Madu Luxury Camp offers an unforgettable stay amid the spectacular dunes of the Sahara near Merzouga. The camp features traditionally styled luxury tents, each comfortably furnished with a private bathroom, heating and its own terrace. Moroccan rugs, lanterns and thoughtful touches create an atmospheric desert setting, while evenings bring traditional music and the opportunity to relax beneath the vast Saharan sky. A restaurant at the camp serves meals, completing this memorable desert experience.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a sunrise camel ride along the golden sand dunes in Merzouga. Return to your Riad for breakfast before transferring to Zagora via the Amazigh (Berber) villages of Alnif and Tazarine. The road to Tazzarine sees almost no traffic, providing a scenic link between Tafilalet and Draa Valley. Aside from the landscape, fossils and prehistoric rock carvings are this region’s main attraction. The scenery grows wilder as you approach Tazzarine, set in a grassy oasis surrounded by bare mountains. Continue to Zagora. Famous for its palms valley that is the largest in Morocco. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Approx. drive time: 4 hours.

Hotel: Kasbah Hnini (4 Star Rating)

Kasbah Hnini is an ancient restored kasbah that has been converted into a hotel and is set deep in the south of Morocco in the beautiful Draa River valley. From its prominent position, you can enjoy the fabulous infinity pool whilst gazing across the picturesque date palm oasis to the majestic mountains beyond. Come and stay in one of our eleven stunning rooms and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this magical region. Kasbah Hnini is also ideally positioned as a stopover for those making their way to and from the desert; it is a great place to relax and enjoy a spot of lunch en route.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, enjoy the tour of Zagora including some of the oldest villages of Morocco. Stop by Tamgroute to visit the village’s famous library, which houses ancient Koranic scripts dating back to the 12th century. Visit the pottery quarter of Tamgroute famous for its one-of-a-kind pottery' workshops, which have been passed down over generations. Its exquisite pottery's secret lies in its enamel and green colors. Then transfer to Ouarzazate along the Draa valley with a stop at Agdez for lunch (own expenses), then continue to Ouarzazate for dinner and overnight. Approx. drive time: 2.5 hours.

Hotel: Dar Chamaa (4 Star Rating)

Dar Chamaa is situated in the Ouarzazate Palm Grove with views of the Atlas Mountains. It has an outdoor swimming pool with a terrace area that is surrounded by sun loungers and palm trees. The hotel is 15 minutes from Ouarzazate Airport and 3 km to the city center. For guests arriving by car, free private parking is available on site.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

Begin the day by exploring Ouarzazate, a city originally built as a French garrison in the 1920s. Today, the city is a regional trade center, known for its pottery and carpets. Visit the Taourirt Kasbah, which now consists of simple clay houses and crenellated towers that are beautifully decorated with geometric motifs. On the way, optional visit of the Film Studios. Continue to elaborate ksar Ait Ben Haddou, listed as UNESCO World Heritage, and home of the region's most exotic Kasbahs, where all structures defy the laws of gravity as they perch upon a steep slope. Some of these buildings have been featured in films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones among others. Then you journey over the High Atlas Mountains, observing everyday life in remote rural towns, to the fascinating city of Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Approx. drive time: 3.5 hours.

Hotel: Grand Plaza Hotel Marrakech (4 Star Rating)

Ideally located across from the train station and the Royal Theatre, Grand Plaza welcomes you for a stay in the heart of Marrakech. Just 5 minutes from the Medina and 10 minutes from the airport, the hotel also offers underground parking for its residents.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we will assist you to Marrakech airport for your return flight.

Meal(s): Breakfast