12Â Days Desert Tour From Casablanca
Private air conditioned vehicle at disposal.
Private English Speaking driver throughout your Journey.
Day 1 : Arrival to Casablanca - Transfer to the hotel.
Welcome to Morocco! Arrival to Med V airport in Casablanca where you will meet your driver. The driver will provide a brief review of your tour. Dinner & night at the hotel.
Day 2 : Casablanca - Marrakech
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up by your English speaking driver at 09:00 AM to start your tour by visiting the Central Market, the Habous district, the Royal Palace from outside, the Mohamed V square, the residential area of Anfa and the gorgeous Mosque of Hassan II. After lunch in Casablanca , we head to second Imperial city of Morocco, Marrakech. Upon arrival, you will check in a luxury Riad. Night with dinner.
Day 3 : Marrakech City Tour
After breakfast you will Enjoy the guided city tour of Marrakech. The morning begins with a visit to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque as the landmark of Marrakech which has inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat. Your next stop is the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs. The Saadian tombs in Marrakech date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. The tombs were discovered in 1917 and were restored by the Beaux-arts service. The mausoleum comprises the interments of about sixty members of the Saadian Dynasty that originated from the valley of the Draa River. After lunch break, You Continue to the world-famous Jemaa el Fna Square, which houses an array of food, snake charmers, local musicians, and fortune-tellers. There’s nowhere on Earth like the Jemaa el Fna, the square at the heart of old Marrakesh. You will also walk through the souks and view hundreds of handicrafts. Night with breakfast at the luxury Riad.
Day 4 : Marrakech - Ait benhadou Kasbah - Rose valley - Dades gorges
After breakfast, we leave Marrakech venturing through the magnificent Atlas Mountains and the pass of Tichka (2260 m), offering an impressive landscape in the heart of the Atlas Mountain chain to Ouarzazate where many famous movies have been shot such Alexander the Great, The Mummy, The jewel of the Nile, Kingdom of heaven Etc...The scenery is absolutely stunning. We stop in the kasbah of Ait Benhaddou one of the most spectacular fortresses in the South of Morocco and a UNESCO world heritage site. Lunch in Ouarzazate as "The Hollywood of Africa". We continue our journey to the valley of Roses known for its annual festival during the roses harvest in May. Spend the night with dinner in Dades valley.
Day 5 : Dades gorges - Todra gorges - Erfoud - Merzouga - Erg Chebbi dunes
After breakfast, we start our day with a drive towards the Todra Gorges where many of rock climbers come to enjoy their preferred sport. Later we continue our journey, following the ancient Bedouin trading routes parallel with the Middle Atlas, passing a series of the fortified villages with outstanding pre-Saharian architecture. The route to Erfoud is one of the most pleasing of all the Southern routes. The town is in a dry red built of desert and was built by the French as a central administration town. It is known for its rich black fossils marble. The stone is sculpted to bring the fossils into relief on everything from ashtrays to washbasins and more. We head down to the spectacular Merzouga dunes where sand dunes signify the start of the mighty Sahara Desert. We leave our vehicle and take a camel ride into the luxury desert camp with hot showers and king bed. To seal this as an experience of a life time, why not surf the Sahara Desert and try sand Dunes Boarding! After dinner we gather round the fire and enjoy the desert night perhaps with traditional Berber drums.
Day 6 : Erg Chebbi - Tazarine- Nkob - Draa valley - Ouarzazate
Early wake up before dawn to enjoy the sunrise from the Great Dune of Sahara Desert. Return to the hotel in dromedaries. Shower and breakfast. Then departure to Rissani and visit the town considered the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty which mainly emphasizes its market considered the most important in the south, where many nomads come to shop. We will leave the desert and cross the arid fascinating landscapes up to the Draa Valley where we will make several stops to enjoy the valley as the longest in Morocco and where once caravans journeyed to Timbuktu on a long trip that lasted 52 days, from here all the Draa Valley and Oasis bearing the same name is mastered, considered the largest in Morocco and the richest in the production of dates. Arrival to Ouarzazate for the night with dinner.
Day 7 : Ouarzazate - Ait benhadou Kasbah - High Atlas Mountains
Today you will enjoy a city tour of Ouarzazate, a desert city at the gates of the Sahara. Its strange name means "without noise" in the Berber language. Walk in the Taourirt Kasbah, an impressive structure that was built to house hundreds of people. Finally, You will visit one of the jewels of Morocco which is Kasbah of Telouat - the true treasures must be searched out and discovered… usually off the beaten path. After lunch, we travel to Imlil Berber village via the highest road point in Morocco, the Tichka Pass, offering an impressive landscape in the heart of the Atlas Mountain chain. Dinner and night in a luxury Kasbah Hotel.
Day 8 : Atlas Mountains Explore
After breakfast, enjoy the sunshine on the flourished valleys & the marvelous typical Berber villages, You leave Imlil for a real discovery of the surroundings Berber villages and local people meeting. After few hours hiking, Stop for our field picnic lunch under walnut groves and relax near the river. The walking tour goes further with a spectacular view over Imlil valley & Toubkal Summit. Dinner and night in the typical Berber style house.
Day 9 : High Atlas Mountains - Essaouira
After breakfast we’ll head for Essaouira. En route, you will see many Argan trees, important to the region both economically and ecologically. You may also see local goats perched in the trees feeding on the fruit and leaves. At the women's Co-operative of Argan Oil, there will be an opportunity to learn about the wide ranging applications of the oil from cosmetics to medicines. After several stops to take photographs, you will continue your travel to Essaouira. You’ll visit the Skala Fortress, the port, the souks and see Thuya wood carved by artisans, walking through the alleys of the medina and past the hundreds of handicrafts. Today you will have lunch in a Moroccan way, bought fishes ‘cooked to order’. The afternoon is free to walk and explore by yourself. Overnight accommodation with dinner at the Riad/Hotel.
Day 10 : Essaouira Relaxing day
Today is at leisure to explore the medina. You will have the opportunity to see the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter and The Medina as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful arts and crafts to be found, including objects carved out of local Thuya wood. You will enjoy a mint tea in one of the local cafés and explore the Atlantic-facing sandy beach. Night with breakfast at the Riad/Hotel.
Day 11 : Essaouira - Casablanca
After breakfast, departure to Casablanca via the picturesque coastal road, stopping in Oualidia for a fish lunch in a local restaurant with sea view. Continue to El Jadida, sightseeing in the town includes the famous citadel, built under the Portuguese occupation in the 16th century. Arrival to Casablanca late afternoon. A night with breakfast at the hotel.
Day 12 : Casablanca - Back Home
Transfer to Casablanca Mohammed V International airport for your return flight with plenty of tales of Arabian and Berber days and nights.
