Day 1
Sightseeing in Marrakech
Start your Sahara desert tour from Marrakech with Local
Morocco Tours, your private desert tour company. After a
transfer from Marrakech International Airport to your riad,
our guide takes you around the major sights of the city. We
see the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Gardens and the
Koutoubia minaret. We then explore the medina, including the
Bahia Palace, the souks and the famous Jemaa el-Fna square.
Overnight in a riad in Marrakech.
Day 2
Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou and Dades Valley
After breakfast we leave Marrakech and cross the High Atlas
via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), with panoramic stops
along the way. We descend to Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed
fortified kasbah that has starred in films from Lawrence of
Arabia to Gladiator, and explore its earthen alleys with a
local guide. After lunch we continue through Ouarzazate, the
"Hollywood of Morocco", and follow the Road of a Thousand
Kasbahs to the Dades Valley, where almond groves and rose
fields line the riverbed. Overnight in a hotel in the
Dades Gorges.
Day 3
Dades Gorges, Todra Gorge, Erfoud and Merzouga
After breakfast, we leave the Dades Valley and head to the
Todra Gorges, well known among rock climbers. We then follow
the historic caravan routes connecting the Middle Atlas,
passing through walled villages with striking pre-Saharan
architecture. The road on to Merzouga is one of the most
beautiful drives in the region. In the heart of a red desert,
Erfoud is famous for its black petrified marble, carved with
fossil reliefs and used for ashtrays, washbasins and other
pieces. On arrival in Merzouga, we ride camels into the Erg
Chebbi dunes. Overnight in a Sahara desert tent.
Day 4
Merzouga, Erfoud, Ziz Valley, Midelt and Fes
We rise at 6 a.m. to watch the sunrise over the dunes, then
ride the camels back to the hotel for breakfast and a
shower. We then drive through the Ziz Gorges, carved into
towering rock walls that hint at the rise of the High Atlas
to the west. The road climbs over the Tizi n'Talghemt pass
and enters Midelt, where we stop for lunch at a small
restaurant. From there, the long journey into the Middle
Atlas begins, passing through holm oak and ancient cedar
forests — keep an eye out for the Barbary macaques in the
branches. We continue on to Ifrane, a Moroccan town with
tiled rooftops and a distinctly European feel, before
arriving in Fes, where your driver drops you at your riad or
hotel in the medina.
Day 5
Fes medina guided tour
Fes was Morocco's first imperial city and remains an important
intellectual, cultural and religious hub. After breakfast, you
will be taken on a guided tour of the Royal Palace gates with
their famous brass doors. We then visit the Mellah — Fes's
Jewish quarter — where the wealthiest houses still have
wooden balconies and windows painted yellow or blue. The day
continues into the old medina of Fes el-Bali, where we walk
through the Attarine and Nejjarine souks, see the famous
Chouara tanneries from a leather-shop terrace, and pass the
gates of the Al-Qarawiyyin university — founded in 859 and
considered the oldest continually operating university in
the world. Overnight in a riad in Fes.
Day 6
Fes to Chefchaouen via Volubilis and Meknes
After breakfast we leave Fes for the Roman ruins of Volubilis,
a UNESCO World Heritage site set among olive groves on the
slopes of the Zerhoun. A local guide walks us through the
triumphal arch, the basilica and the remarkable in-situ
mosaics. We continue to the imperial city of Meknes for a
short visit of Bab Mansour and the mausoleum of Moulay
Ismail, then drive north through the Rif Mountains to
Chefchaouen, the famous blue-and-white city. Overnight in a
guesthouse in the medina.
Day 7
Chefchaouen and onward to Casablanca
The morning is free to wander the blue lanes of Chefchaouen
at your own pace — the Place Outa el-Hammam, the kasbah
museum and the Spanish mosque viewpoint above the town are
all worth the climb. After lunch we leave the Rif and head
back south along the Atlantic coast towards Casablanca,
stopping in Rabat — Morocco's modern capital — to see the
Hassan Tower and the mausoleum of Mohammed V. We arrive in
Casablanca in the evening. Overnight in a hotel in
Casablanca.
Day 8
Casablanca and departure
After breakfast we visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest
mosque in Africa and one of the only mosques in Morocco that
non-Muslim visitors can enter (subject to prayer times). We
then drive along the Corniche and through the art-deco
quarter before your private transfer to Casablanca
Mohammed V Airport — or, if you prefer, back to Marrakech
or your next destination. End of our services.
