Private Desert Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech

Casablanca – Zagora – Tinghir – Marrakech

8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS

DAY 1 CASABLANCA

We meet your flight, welcoming you and helping you through our modern airport before

transferring to your hotel in Casablanca .  At night you will be thrilled by a visit to the wonderful

building that is Hassan II Mosque.  Built over the sea, it is illuminated at night with a laser which

projects towards Makkah from its lofty minaret. Tonight you will enjoy a traditional dinner in

Casablanca before settling into your hotel for the night.

DAY 2 CASABLANCA – MARRAKECH

Our adventure begins after breakfast this morning as we depart for a sightseeing trip of Casablanca.  

It is considered the economic capital of the world and as such you will notice the wealth and 

modernity of the Anfa Quarter.

We will be able to see the mosque of Hassan II in daylight as we visit the boulevard of the Corniche of

Casablanca.  This modern promenade is broad and green and offers a fresh escape from the busy city

and a great opportunity for us to take a walk, watching the huge waves crashing against the sea wall

whilst overhead the seabirds swoop and feed.  The vast range of cafés, restaurants and ice-cream

parlours give you a variety of places to take refreshments whilst relaxing and taking in the seascape.

We travel to Marrakech, Jemaa el Fna is like a welcoming party awaiting our arrival from Casablanca.

Beautiful lights hammered into brass and silver guide our way through the bustling streets as they

swing from their stalls reflecting on inlaid wooden furniture arranged beneath.  People of all ages

wander safely and comfortably through the medina at night enjoying the sounds of the Berber

music; the traditional games played by adults and children alike, the wonderful ice-cream and

milkshakes with new flavours to experience and countless stalls displaying traditional Moroccan

food.  Meanwhile street entertainers and performers keep everyone entertained.

Dinner tonight will be in Marrakech and your hotel will be a place of relaxation prior to one more day

in which to explore this enchanting city.

 DAY 3  MARRAKECH

In the morning we breakfast at the hotel before the city wakes us with its unique and unforgettable

 energy.   Jemaa el Fna has a different feeling during the day, lively of course, but now a vibrant

rainbow of colours which the dark of the evening conceals.  Strolling across the square we visit the

superb  Koutoubia Mosque with its classic Moroccan architecture.   The attractive minaret is

detailed in its design and is the best example of only three Almohad towers  worldwide, (the others

being in Seville and Rabat). Amongst other features the building is decorated with Kufic script,

Zellij tiling and interestingly shaped horseshoe arched windows. 

Next we pay a visit to Medersa Ben Yousef.  This Quranic School is so highly decorated as to

 astound anyone who enters.  The ceramic tiles are dazzling; the woodwork of outstanding quality

and the stucco is staggering.  One can’t help but wonder at the hours the craftsmen worked to create

such a spectacle!  Outside the breathtaking architecture continues as a series of highly decorated

arches and columns line a courtyard which radiates peace. You are now at liberty to take lunch at any

of the many restaurants before we regroup this afternoon. 

Having relaxed a little we make our way to Bahia Palace.  Be prepared to be  overwhelmed yet again

by the magnificence of the design.  The artisanship contrasts with that of the medersa but once more

you will find it absolutely incredible!

As we visit The Saadiens Tombs this afternoon we have many tales to tell about the history and

legends that pertain to the tombs but for now we keep you in suspense.

Our dinner tonight is in Marrakech where we also spend the night.

DAY 4 MARRAKECH – OUARZAZATE – ZAGORA

This morning we bid farewell to Marrakech as we make our way to the historic little town

of Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah.  This is a site to enthrall film buffs with so many scenes having been

 filmed here, including some from ‘The Sheltering Sky’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Babel’ as well as some scenes

in the more recent television series ‘Game of Thrones’.  Very few families now reside within the old

fortified village itself in its Moroccan clay houses, which in themselves are quite intriguing.  Ait Ben

Haddou listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.  You are free to lunch locally before we continue our

exploration heading across the Saharan landscape of the Draa valley.  The vastness of this

environment brings a realization of just how small we humans are in the world.  We arrive in the

small desert town of Zagora with its ancient Kasbah it sits close to a huge palmerie and in many

places its sandstone streets are fringed with overhanging palms. We take a camel ride.  The

 mesmeric swaying of these creatures as we travel the sweeping dunes gives us the impression that

we will encounter Lawrence of Arabia at any moment!   It is the ideal way to arrive at our Berber tent

accommodation for tonight.  We share a Berber meal and spend the evening absorbing the warmth

and generosity that is the custom of these desert people who live a world away from our own.

Before the night sets tonight and early tomorrow morning be sure to settle yourself in a comfortable

placefrom which to view the desert sunset and later the sunrise across the windswept dunes.  The

changing colour as the sun sleeps and awakens is very special.  This is also the ideal place to watch

the clear night sky in all its perfection with little light pollution.

DAY 5 ZAGORA – TAZARINE – ERFOUD

This morning we leave Zagora for Tazarine, across a second desert.  You will be free to lunch in this

quaint but bustling desert town with its sandstone buildings and tented market, where you will find

the people are typically friendly and welcoming.  Check out the pretty little blue and white mosque

 which is striking amongst its sandstone surrounding. 

Our next stop is in Erfoud.  This charismatic oasis town where the landscape eerily resembles Mars, is

nestled amongst palm trees.  You will be intrigued by the spiral staircase leading down to the fresh

water well and the abundant fossils here.  Erfoud has been used as the backdrop to films including

the 2015 James Bond film ‘Spectre’.  Tonight we dine and sleep in Erfoud.

DAY 6 ERFOUD – TINGHIR – OUARZAZATE

After breakfast this morning it is time to leave for Tinghir.  This bustling desert town is the gateway

to a massive  fault in the plateau which has created an extraordinary gorge which gives the

impression that the earth has split in two.  People feel so small against the dramatic brown limestone

walls which rise 300 metres above the stream which flows all year.  A meander along the gorge is an

impressive stroll where we feel immediately connected to nature at its most fundamental level.

After our day gorge walking we head towards Ouarzazate across the Valley of the Roses which

stretches out across the desert of southern Morocco.  It is a pink paradise when in bloom, although

the valley is also known for its amazingly tasty apricots.  This route allows us to embrace the

fascinating Berber culture and of course to sample the infamous Moroccan mint tea at its best. 

We will see the huge Kasbah Taourirt in this small desert town whose ochre hues have been the

backdrop to many films.  Indeed this is often considered to be the gateway to Morocco’s

Hollywood.  Our evening meal will be in Ouarzazate where we will also spend the night in a hotel.

DAY 7 OUARZAZATE  –  MARRAKECH

This morning we awaken to breakfast in Ouarzazate before travelling the winding road that leads to

the delightful little town of Ait Ben Haddou. This is a site to enthrall film buffs with so many

scenes having been filmed here including some from ‘The Sheltering Sky’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Babel’ as

well as some scenes in the more recent television series ‘Game of Thrones’.  Only four families now

reside in the ancient fortified village within Moroccan clay houses, which in themselves are quite

intriguing.  With its impressive Kasbah, Ait Ben Haddou is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and

has plenty for us to explore.  You are free to lunch locally before we continue our journey, heading to

Marrakech.  Marrakech welcomes us home with its usual frenzy of sights, sounds and aromas and

tonight we dine and overnight here.

DAY 8  MARRAKECH

We transport you to Marrakech airport (or to Casablanca for an additional charge) for your departure

today.  Our time together will have passed very quickly and in true Moroccan style we will have

become friends by now.  We bid our farewells and hope to see you again very soon.

HIGHLIGHTS

CASABLANCA

• High Quarter of Anfa
• The Corniche Boulevard
• Hassan II Mosque (externally for non Muslims)

MARRAKECH

• Koutoubia Mosque
• Bahia Palace
• Medersa Ben Yousef
• Saadians Tombs
• Jemaa el Fna

OUARZAZATE

• Kasbah Taourirt
• UNESCO site Ait Ben Haddou

•  Film locations
• Valley of the Roses, El-Kelaa Mgouna

ZAGORA

• Draa Valley

• Kasbah
• Camel ride
• The Overnight Berber Tent Experience

TAZARINE

• Desert Market town

• Saharan landscape

ERFOUD

• Film sets
• Mid Atlas Mountains
• Valley of the Roses
• The Overnight Berber Tent Experience

TINGHIR

Todra Gorge