Desert, sea, mountain and big city. All of this has a place in this tour from Marrakech through the deserts of Zagora and Merzouga, with the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs and Essaouira. It’s 9 days in total, ideal for disconnecting from daily stress but also for discovering places of enormous beauty and getting to know the distant south of Morocco better. And if you want to enjoy it in the company of your loved ones, book it as a private tour, without sharing an expedition with anyone you don’t know.
The Sahara Desert is one, and it is spread across many countries in Africa. But within this immense desert, there are different sectors, which receive different names according to the reference location. In Morocco there are several, and in this tour we will discover two of the most unique. On the one hand, that of Zagora , a transit point on the famous Marrakech – Timbuktu caravan route. And on the other, that of Merzouga, with its spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi.
In addition, on the way to and from these deserts we will travel through different valleys that harbor oases and form the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs: its name leaves no room for doubt and it is named for the numerous Berber castles that are on the road. Some of them are preserved in very good condition, as we can see during the route, as is the case of Ait Ben Haddou.
On this 9-day tour there is also time to get to know two interesting cities, especially their medinas: Marrakech and Essaouira. The first is the beginning and end of the tour and, above all, a city full of history and monuments for its past as the capital of the kingdom, in the times of the Almoravid, Almohad and Saadi dynasties. In addition, we will visit its most emblematic places with the company and explanations of an official guide.
And the second, Essaouira, is a charming destination on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, with a fortress built by the Portuguese that inspires many film producers. You can discover its culture and history freely, for example in its Jewish quarter, but you can also let yourself be carried away by its beaches or its water activities to put a relaxing or exciting epilogue to this 9-day tour, according to your preferences.
Great circular tour, with start and end in Marrakech, for a total of 9 days and 8 nights. All this in a comfortable vehicle, with the only exception of the journey through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, where dromedaries will be used (or all-terrain vehicles, if desired). This is the complete program:
Our travel package begins at Menara Airport – Marrakech, as our staff will be waiting for you at the airport terminal to make the private transfer to the riad, located in the center of Marrakech. Therefore, after checking in, you can make a first exploration of the city, if there is enough free time for it. In any case, you should know that the last days of the tour also take place in Marrakech, so this first day would only be a brief introduction to this destination.
On the second day of the program we hit the road to make an exciting route, unusual in the rest of the tour of our catalog: the final goal is Zagora and to get there we will pass through places of enormous interest.
In the first section of the route we will have to cross the mountains of the High Atlas, through the Tizi n’Tichka pass: its views are impressive, as it cannot be otherwise, as it is located at 2,260 meters of altitude, so it is a privileged viewpoint towards the highest peaks in the country.
After the descent, we will pass through Ait Ben Haddou, one of the most spectacular and best preserved Berber villages: it extends over an elevation of the terrain, surrounded by high adobe walls and made up of a hamlet of the same material, so characteristic in this culture. Like the great cities of this tour (Marrakech and Essaouira), it is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
We will continue through Ouarzazate and, from there, we will take the road to the Draa Valley, now crossing the mountains of the Anti Atlas, lower and more arid than those of the High Atlas, but very characteristic in the eyes of a foreigner. Upon arriving at the Draa Valley we will be in the middle of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs: it is perhaps the greenest section of the entire route, as the Draa Valley is considered the largest oasis in North Africa, full of palm trees that form an authentic climate refuge.
The final goal of the day is Zagora, at the foot of the Draa Valley but also in the vicinity of the purest desert. This town, full of genuine adobe constructions, is famous for having been an obligatory passage on the Marrakech – Timbuktu caravan route, as a sign reminds us that indicates the distance between this point and the Malian city: 52 days, at dromedary speed. And it will be here, in Zagora, where the riad will be where you will sleep and rest for the night.
After our first contact with the desert in Zagora, on this third day of the route we will continue discovering other corners of the region, passing through other charming towns.
The road will lead us through places like Alnif until we reach Rissani, a small city with a special essence, especially on market days thanks to the popular atmosphere that is formed, with donkey parking included. The rest of the days of the week, walking through its historic medina is also an interesting plan.
From Rissani we will move to Merzouga and its desert, which in this case is characterized by its soft sand dunes, called Erg Chebbi. To be able to travel through them it is necessary to change the means of transport: the ideal and most traditional is the dromedary (one per person), but there is also the possibility of using all-terrain vehicles.
After a journey of approximately two hours, in an atmosphere marked by the warm lights of the sunset, we will arrive at the jaimas camp where they will be waiting for us for a welcome with tea. The canvas tents are arranged around a bonfire, and in this cozy space you will have dinner and sleep, in the company of the luminous constellations of the sky.
If sleeping is a real pleasure in Erg Chebbi, waking up is no less so. Especially for those who get up early and manage to see the first lights of dawn, as they acquire an intensity and color without equal in the soft undulations of the dunes.
After breakfast, we will proceed to return to Merzouga, by dromedary or all-terrain vehicle. Before or after that moment, you will have time for a refreshing shower: in the jaimas camp or in a arranged hotel, depending on the package contracted.
Back on the asphalt, the route will now take us through Erfoud, famous among Moroccans for its dates, and among foreigners for its fossils and minerals. Its numerous shops and workshops give good account of it.
The next thing will be to enter the Dades Valley, the other large sector of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs. It is here where a small adjacent valley is located, that of the Todra, famous for its rocky Gorges that have nothing to envy from other canyons in the world. Here, the walls exceed 100 meters in many points and only the most experienced climbers dare with them. In our case, a pleasant walk will be enough to admire its uniqueness.
Back to the Dades Valley and kilometers later, we will stop our route to have dinner and rest in a charming riad.
In the first bars of the fifth day of the tour we will get to know the Valley of the Roses, so called because the rose bushes carpet the ground and give color all year round: its damascenes provide different shades in spring, while green is continuous the rest of the seasons.
But the main stop of the day will be in Ouarzazate: this city has two great attractions, which we can visit if desired. The first, the kasbah of Taourirt, one of the most spectacular for having been the residence and fortress of the Glaoui. Its exterior is unmistakably Berber, with adobe and crenellated walls, decorated in chiaroscuro; and its interior is more refined and colorful, as Islamic art usually is, with ceramics and wood. The second attraction is the cinematographic enclosure Atlas Studios, where films of the stature of Lawrence of Arabia have been shot.
After lunch, our route heads west until arriving, about 250 km later, to Taroudant. Getting to know this city will surely be one of the surprises of the tour: despite not being as famous and visited as others, it has a rich heritage in which its walls stand out. Its nickname of ‘the little Marrakech’ leaves no room for doubt. And it will be here where the riad will be where you will have dinner and spend the night.
From Taroudant, the sea is a stone’s throw away. And that will be our great travel companion from the moment the route passes through Agadir: from this tourist city we will head north, in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, to get to the beautiful city of Essaouira as soon as possible.
Known as ‘the pearl of the Atlantic’, it combines constructions of Portuguese origin (who called it Mogador) and others of Islamic character, thanks above all to an important period of growth since the 18th century. Your free walk can take you through charming corners of the medina and its surroundings, such as its Jewish quarter, its Skala fortress or its small fishing port.
To sleep, you will enjoy a new charming riad in the historic center, which will make the main attractions of the city very close, including the beaches and bathing areas.
The seventh day will also give you a lot of freedom because, after having breakfast and checking out of the riad in Essaouira, we will travel to Marrakech on a journey that does not reach 200 km. The road will cross immense fields of argan, where cooperatives have settled that cultivate this national tree to extract its precious oil.
From the moment you check in at the riad, you will have free time to use at your leisure in the so-called ‘Red City’. Among the proposals are the purchase of handicrafts in its souks, gastronomic experiences, museum visits… and a long etcetera of possibilities offered by this city, which combines the traditional of its medina with the modernity of its extramural neighborhoods, which also delight tourists.
If until now you had only been impregnated with the beauty and atmosphere of Marrakech, on the eighth day it is time to understand its history and day to day, as well as admire corners hidden from plain sight. The reason: the guided tour that is scheduled for the morning, by an official guide.
On this tour, the monuments to discover will be very varied, to choose depending on the availability of each case and the preferences of the group. The Bahia Palace is one of the most luxurious residences in the medina, as it was the home of the grand vizier Abu Bou Ahmed in the late nineteenth century. The Ben Youssef madrasa is one of the jewels of the Saadian era, for its architecture and decoration. And the same goes for the great mausoleum of that local dynasty.
Other characteristic corners such as the Jemaa el-Fna square or the exteriors of the Koutoubia mosque (‘cousin’ of the Giralda of Seville) can also be part of the tour or the plan for the afternoon, which will be free and will allow you to go to the places that you could not visit the day before: the Majorelle Garden, the Gueliz neighborhood, the El Badi Palace… and much more, before returning at night to sleep in your riad.
Arriving on the ninth day, this great tour ends with Marrakech, the deserts, the kasbahs and Essaouira as great claims, and with quality services that you will have enjoyed in a personalized way. Like the transfer to the airport , which will take place at the agreed time from the hotel in a private chauffeured vehicle. Once at the airport, it will be time to say goodbye with gratitude on our part and wishes for a future reunion.
To ensure that this 9-day tour is carried out with complete comfort and safety, the following services are included, which we will take care of booking:
The services indicated below are not included, so the client must book and/or pay for them separately:
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