11-Day Morocco Discovery Tour with Sahara Camp and Marrakech Medina

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Day 01

Arrival in Agadir

• Welcome to Morocco! Upon your arrival, you'll enjoy a comfortable private transfer from Agadir Al-Massira International Airport (AGA) to your accommodation, which takes about 30 minutes. Your driver will meet you at the airport and will be happy to recommend how to spend your time in Agadir.

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Day 02

Agadir to Tafraoute via Tizourgane

• From Agadir, you head south to Ida Ougnidif, a small fortified village. The Kasbah of Tizourgane was essentially a fortified town, enclosing 25 houses, a mosque, a granary, and a prison. Thick stone walls tower above the passages around the ancient structure.
• The kasbah has been rehabilitated thanks to extensive work undertaken by the owners, which continues today. It has been renovated while respecting the original construction techniques and materials. It has now become a guest house, allowing you to enjoy this magical place that you'll certainly love. In February, the argan and almond trees in bloom enhance the beauty of the place.
• About 65 km from here, we reach a village nestled in the gorgeous Ameln Valley, enclosed by muscular red-granite mountains and known for its rock carvings.
• Tafraoute, the stone-built village with around five thousand hardy souls, remains one of the country's must-see relaxed destinations. It is worth a walk around to see curious rock formations such as Napoleon's Hat or the Pierres Peintes, painted blue and pink by a Belgian artist.

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Day 03

Tafraoute to Taliouine

• On our third day, we'll head south to the village of Taliouine, the African centre of l'or rouge (red gold), or saffron, the most expensive spice in the world. Here, we'll have the opportunity to discover more about this red gold.
• We spend the night in the village before continuing our journey toward the rambling Ksar of N'kob, with its prehistoric rock-carving sites and 45 mud-brick ksour that make you stop and stare. The name N'kob comes from a cave that once served as lodging for nomads.

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Day 04

Taliouine to Agdz and N'kob

• About 173 km along the road to Agdz, we pass a mixture of modern houses and older ksour edging the road, with palm groves and small family farms along the way. We continue toward Agdz, traversing the brooding Saghro Mountains, a starkly beautiful jumble of volcanic peaks, via the Bougafer Mines to visit dinosaur fossils, and stop for a while in Taznakht, Morocco's capital of carpets and rugs.
• Then we head to Agdz, which means "Place of Rest"; it is certainly worth taking a break here.
• Just south of the village begins a beautiful palm grove in the Draa Valley. The first magnificent sign of the architecture to come, the Ksar at Tamnougalt, perched on a hill, is one of the oldest in Morocco and perhaps the most dramatic and extravagant in the area.
• Arrive at the rambling Ksar of N'kob to spend the night.

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Day 05

N'kob to Rissani and Merzouga Desert Camp

• Today, we set the compass for the southeast and head to one of Morocco's great sights via Rissani. This small town on the edge of the Sahara marks the end of the metalled road and the start of the tracks into the desert. From the 8th to the 14th centuries, this was the site of the first independent kingdom of the south, Sijilmassa, traces of which survive to the west of town. Much later, it became the first capital of the Tafilalt and served for centuries as the last stop on the great caravan routes.
• Arrive at the small Saharan oasis of Merzouga, famous for its location at the Erg Chebbi dunes. These photogenic dunes rise out of the stony, sandy desert, extend for 30 km, and reach a maximum height of 259 m. At sunrise or dusk, the half-light gives the sand a fascinating range of colours.
• Store any baggage while packing an overnight bag to bring along. You'll have the chance to be accompanied by a camel and a blue-turban-robed guide into the sandy seas.
• After an hour-long camel ride, you will be among the lucky few to watch the sunset over the Sahara dunes and spend the night in a Bedouin-style tent.

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Day 06

Merzouga to Todra Gorge and Boumalne Dades

• This morning, you'll wake up with the sun shining on your face to witness what we hope will be a glorious sunrise among the dunes. Watch the light creep slowly down the dunes and draw everyone out from their warm, heavy blankets for an early breakfast.
• After an hour-long camel ride out of the desert, you will depart and head for Erfoud, where you can marvel at the famous million-year-old fossils for which the area is known. Then, heading north for a sublime experience in the Todra Gorge, we'll find ourselves between gigantic rock walls.
• Arriving at Dades Gorge, you'll see rust-red and mauve mountains. A series of crumbling kasbahs and ksours line the valley in the Berber villages all the way to the Monkey Fingers Mountains. If we get there early and you still have the energy for a couple of hours of hiking, we will drop off our luggage at the hotel and get ready for the hike.

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Day 07

Boumalne Dades to Aït Benhaddou and Marrakech

• You leave Dades at 8:00 am, traversing the Valley of Roses and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs toward the 11th-century UNESCO-protected red mud-brick ksar of Aït Benhaddou, which has formed the backdrop for many Hollywood productions such as Lawrence of Arabia, Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus of Nazareth, Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and many others.
• You might also like to explore Ouarzazate, home to Taourirt Kasbah and the "Hollywood" studio. Then wind through the memorable Tizi n'Tichka Pass in the High Atlas Mountains, with Berber villages lining the road, before arriving in Marrakech. There, you will have a day-long adventure to explore the crazed cacophony of musicians, snake charmers, and vendors in the famous open-air Jemaa El-Fnaa square, along with other highly recommended sites with your guide.

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Day 08

Guided Walk Through Marrakech Medina

• With your local guide, you explore the Red City from its old quarter, where the medina's skinny lanes lead to lavish sites, tombs, and religious monuments decked out in marble. Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, and the Saadian Tombs will be your targets.
• Afterwards, your driver or tour guide will pick you up for a visit outside the medina to explore the Majorelle Garden, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, and the Berber Museum.
• While in Marrakech, you will surely encounter thousands of motorcyclists and horse carts roaming the city, some of them pulling over next to the vast square of Jemaa El-Fnaa, where it's carnival night every night and musicians, acrobats, storytellers, and slapstick acting troupes tap into the medina's frenetic pulse.

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Day 09

Marrakech to Essaouira

• After breakfast at the riad, you'll be picked up by your driver or tour guide around 8:00 am and head to Essaouira.
• Along the road, we'll have the chance to see the tree goats phenomenon before having enough time to explore Jimi Hendrix's town. You're free to roam the city that once was, and still remains, a haven for hippie backpackers and Gnawa musicians.
• You can book a local guide; if not, you can begin your visit at the ramparts, a series of forts built in the 15th century around the Medina of Mogador. Inside the medina, you'll have the chance to visit the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter, and Morocco's third fishing port, where you can enjoy a delicious fish meal. For sports-oriented travellers, Essaouira is also a place for fine windsurfing and kitesurfing schools.

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Day 10

Essaouira to Agadir Along the Atlantic Coast

• Around 8:00 am, you'll head south along the coastal road by the Atlantic Ocean to a city that spreads over a large area, both along the coast and inland from the vast stretch of beach. There are sandy coves every few kilometres, and welcoming eateries make it a good road to pause on from time to time.
• We start with the sleepy Berber village of Diabat, which was once a dope-smoking colony popular with hippies.
• A short distance from here lies the wild beach of Sidi Kaouki, a chilled escape from Essaouira and one of Morocco's top windsurfing and surfing spots. It's not for the faint-hearted.
• Later, we pass by Aourir and Taghazout, Morocco's number-one surfing resort. Another 12 km on, we return to Agadir, the city that was completely rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in 1960, with its busy port and beach resort sprawling beneath its kasbah.

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Day 11

Departure from Agadir

• Airport shuttle: You will be departing Morocco today. Pack your bags and make sure your Morocco tour pictures are safely saved. We hope you have taken some unique and beautiful photographs here in Morocco. Your driver or tour guide will be waiting to drive you to the airport in Agadir.