Morocco Desert Tour from Agadir

Day 1: Agadir – Essaouira

The Tour starts from Agadir when your driver picks you up from your hotel or the Agadir-Al Massia Airport and visit the Port Marina where you will see the traditional craftsmanship used to build wooden fishing boats for many hundreds of years. You will visit the ruins of the Agadir Oufella Kasbah, destroyed in the earthquake of 1960. The Kasbah is located at the top of a mountain that gives you a birds-eye view of the whole city. Here is where you can look out for the largest sardine fishing port in the world. This port is full of traders that barter for fresh fish in the daily auctions. You will visit the old quarter, Talborjt, and the center for the production of Argan oil. Your visit to Agadir will end with a trip to the colorful walled souk that houses Agadir’s bustling local market. After that, you will travel towards Essaouira.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Riad el Khansa or similar.

Day 2: Essaouira – Marrakech

After your morning breakfast in the riad/hotel, you will tour Essaouira before arriving in Marrakech. Essaouira has become the most popular coastal town in Morocco, Also is known for its fishing port and its blue fleet of wooden fishing boats. There are lots of great dining options for lunch (we’ll give you a map showing you our favorites). Close to the port, there are tables set up where you can choose your lunch from the fish or seafood that has literally just been pulled out of the water. There are several “must-sees” in Essaouira – the Skala du Port, the Wood Souk below the ramparts where local artisans produce amazing wood products made from the beautiful Thuya wood local to Essaouira, the ramparts with the cannons still in place from the Portuguese era, the labyrinth of streets with the wonderful blue front doors, the Jewish Synagogue, the beach and so on. The Medina of Essaouira is one of the best-maintained medinas in Morocco. Its numerous craft shops and art galleries attract visitors from all over the world. The city is proud to count artists like Orson Welles and Jimi Hendrix among its biggest fans. Welles shot several scenes of his film Othello in Essaouira. If you chose to visit in late June, you’ll be joining a big crowd who travel to Essaouira every year to attend the world-renowned Gnaoua Music Festival.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Riad Dar Nadwa or similar.

Day 3: Marrakech – Casablanca

After your morning breakfast in your hotel, we will depart from Marrakech to travel to Casablanca. This will be a day of travel. Casablanca: Once we arrive in Casablanca you will have free time to explore the city on your own.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Campanile Casablanca Centre Ville or similar.

Day 4: Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen

After breakfast in your hotel, we will tour Casablanca before traveling on to Rabat. Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and one of the largest financial centers on the continent. It is considered the economic and business center of Morocco. It hosts the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy. We will take a panoramic tour of the city and visit the exterior of the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in North Africa, and the 13th largest in the world. Rabat: Once we arrive in Rabat, we will take you to see the Royal Palace located at the end of the mechouar (a large parade ground). This palace dates back to 1864 and is the principal residence of the King of Morocco. You will also visit the fortified Oudayas Kasbah. Meknes: After you will travel on to Meknes where you will visit the famous El Hedim Square, the Mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, and the Old Medina. You will also view the Bab Mansour Laleuj, an iconic gateway known for its geometric ornamentation, devotional inscriptions, and marble columns. While in Meknes, we will stop for lunch before leaving to travel to Volubilis.Volubilis: In our route, we will stop to visit the Roman Ruins of Volubilis. The ruins remained substantially intact until an earthquake devastated the area in the mid-18th century.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Ras El Maa or similar.

Day 5: Chefchaouen – Fez

After breakfast in your hotel, you will tour Chefchaouen before traveling towards Fez. Chefchaouen: “Chefchaouen”, meaning, “watch the horns” or Chaouen, as Moroccans often call it, refers to the shape of the mountaintops that look like the horns (chaoua) of a goat. Chefchaouen is referred to as the City of Blue Doors, as well as blue walls. There are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue. One popular theory is that the blue keeps mosquitos away; another is that Jews introduced the blue when they took refuge from Hitler in the 1930s. The blue is said to symbolize the sky and heaven and serve as a reminder to lead a spiritual life. Chefchaouen is a popular shopping destination as well, as it offers many unique handicrafts that are not available anywhere else in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. While here you will visit the Caves of Hercules.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Riad La Perle De La Médina or similar.

Day 6: Fez City Tour

After breakfast, at your riad/hotel, a local guide will take you to visit the most remarkable places in the oldest Imperial City. Fez: You will visit the Mellah, the Medina, and the exterior of the Kairaouine Mosque. The Kairaouine Mosque, the holiest and second-largest mosque in Morocco. You will also visit the University of al-Karaouine, the oldest existing and continually operating university in the world as well as the BouInania Madrasa, the most famous quoraniq school in Morocco. Lastly, you will visit the Chouara Tannery.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Riad La Perle De La Médina or similar.

Day 7: Fez – Ifrane – Cedar Forest – Erfoud – Merzouga

After breakfast at your hotel, will starts the journey to pick up you at your hotel and we leave Fez to Ifrane is The Little Switzerland of Morocco we will have a stop to discover this amazing city . After that Azrou this beautified cedar forest is home to the endangered Barbary Apes, which are actually monkeys.
Once you arrive. This will be a good opportunity to take pictures of the timberland in Morocco, the cedar forest, and wild monkeys in the Cedarwoods of Azrou. Your lunch will be in Midelt the city of apples and minerals in a typical restaurant. We continue our tour to Ziz valley where we will have a stop for taking pictures in Ziz valley in a panoramic view. Then Erfoud, you will visit the old market of dates and the fossils workers.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Azawad Desert Camp or similar.

Day 8: Merzouga – Khamlia – Rissani – Erg Chebbi

After your breakfast, you will tour the area of Erg Chebbi. Kamila: is a little village in the desert by the biggest dunes in Erg Chebbi where You will visit a Berber residence and listen to Gnawa music, which had originated in West Africa. After, Rissani: You will visit the small oasis town of Rissani which lies near the northwest edge of the Sahara. Also is the capital of Tafilalet. Rissani is well known for its market, or souk. You will visit the famous Market of Rissani where you can find jewelry, souvenirs, gifts, spices, art, and crafts. While in Rissani your lunch will be a traditional Moroccan pizza called “Medfouna”. After you will come back to the hotel in Merzouga and prepare for your journey to Erg Chebbi to take a camel ride back to the desert camp where you will enjoy a second night under the stars.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Azawad Desert Camp or similar.

Day 9: Merzouga – Jorf – Todgha Gorges – Dades Gorges

In the morning, after having a sunrise breakfast we will break camp and ride our camels out of the desert and back to our original point of departure. You will then travel back to the hotel so that you can shower, breakfast. Collect your luggage before starting on your way back towards Ouarzazate. We will visit the canal of irrigation in Jorf, After that, we continue our road to Todgha gorges where we will have a stop to visit the higher gorges in all of Morocco. Then we will cross the valley of roses, we will visit the cooperative of women where you can find all kinds of rose products and bio. Dades Valley: Your accommodations and dinner will in a hotel at Dades Valley.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Auberg Atlas De Dades or similar.

Day 10: Dades Gorges – Ouarzazete – Kasbah Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech

Dades Gorges: After breakfast in your riad/hotel, we will depart from Dades Gorges to travel towards Marrakech.Ouarzazate: In Ouarzazate, you will visit the cinema studios of Atlas & CLA Studios where many movies were produced thus being called “The Hollywood of Africa.” Atlas Studio & CLA Studios is home to many prestigious movies filmed from Lawrence of Arabia, Tea in Sahara, Black Hawk Down, Moses, Gladiator, Cleopatra, The Mummy 1 & 2, Alexander the Great, Kingdom of Heaven, Sahara, Troy, Hidalgo, Patton, The Hills has Eyes, The Way Back, Babel, Treasure Island, Jewel of the Nile, Gladiator, Ben-Hur, The Passions of Christ and even more. Also, you will visit the Kasbah Amridil, where you can observe the stunning view of the surrounding Skoura palm groves. Aït Benhaddou: Along the route, you will stop to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït Benhaddou, a spectacular fortified village (Ksar). While in Aït Benhaddou we will stop for lunch, which will be in a traditional restaurant, before traveling on to Marrakech by way of traveling the Tizi n’Tichka Pass.Tizi n’Tichka Pass: The Tizi n’Tichka is a mountain pass in Morocco, at an elevation of 2260 m (6,867 ft.) above sea level, linking the city of Ouarzazate to the southeast of Marrakesh through the High Atlas Mountains. It lies between the Gateway of the Sahara Desert and the great Marrakech Plains. This long winding road offers many breathtaking views and the scenery promises to be nothing short of spectacular. The natural backdrop of the enormous rocks reflects colors in every shade of orange, red, and brown imaginable while still visible in the deep valleys is the contrasting green from different types of cultivation of the local villagers.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Riad Dar Nadwa or similar.

Day 11: Visit Marrakech

Marrakech: After your morning breakfast at your hotel, our guide and driver will pick you up to explore the city of Marrakech; you will have the opportunity to discover the amazing old Medina. You will see the Majorelle Garden that host more than 15 bird species that are prevalent in North Africa, has many fountains and a remarkable collection of cacti. The garden was once owned by Yves Saint-
Laurent and Pierre Bergé, between 1980 and 2008. After Yves Saint Laurent’s death in 2008, his ashes were scattered about in the Majorelle Garden. You will visit Marrakech’s most visited monument the Saadian Tombs, the Koutoubia Mosque, and the New City of Marrakech – Gueliz. After we finish our tour of the city of Marrakesh, you will return to your hotel for the evening. Your dinner will be in your hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Riad Dar Nadwa or similar.

Day 12: Marrakech – Agadir

Marrakech: After your morning breakfast, we will depart from Marrakech to travel towards Agadir. Once you arrive in Agadir you will be dropped off at your hotel or the Agadir-Al Massia Airport then end of our services.