Itinerary
Kasbahs & Oases starts in Marrakech on Saturdays.-
DAY 1, SAT
MARRAKECH
Upon arrival in Marrakech, proceed through customs and immigration formalities. Collect your luggage and proceed outside the Terminal where you will be met by our representative for transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.Dinner included -
DAY 2, SUN
MARRAKECH
This morning at 9AM, meet your local expert guide at the reception to discover the secrets of Marrakech, beginning in the Medina, the old walled section of town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This thousand-year-old city was long a political, economic, and cultural center. Marvel at its architectural jewels, including the soaring Koutoubia minaret. Continue to the Bahia Palace, and exemplary of privileged life in the 19th century. Your next stop is Dar el Bacha Museum of Confluences. This palace was built by Pasha Thami el Glaoui in 1910. Walk in its lovely gardens, admire the zellige mosaic tilework of this opulent palace, and enjoy exhibitions focused on Moroccan culture. Then visit Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech's main square, which is filled with orange juice stalls and vendors, along with fire-eaters, mime artists, snake-charmers, magicians, and street musicians performing at every turn. You may also take the opportunity to explore the city's fabled, labyrinthine souks, their bustling alleyways brimming with all manner of wares. Following your visit, return to your hotel. the remainder of the day is at leisure, a perfect opportunity to freshen up and get ready for a dinner in a local Moroccan restaurant (you have a reservation at 7:30 PM). Return to your hotel and overnight.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 3, MON
MARRAKECH / SKOURA / DADES
This morning at 8:30 AM, we leave Marrakech, and head into the High Atlas Mountains. Our route follows the same one caravans used centuries ago, to bring into Marrakech gold and precious wood from the other side of the Sahara. You will be crossing the Tizi n Tichka pass, at 2,260 meters high. Once over the pass, you'll get an amazing panoramic view of the Atlas Mountains and the houses of its ethnic villages. Continue to Ouarzazate and stop for lunch (at your own expense). Time to embark in another lush area, nested between the deserted crest and the desolate plateaus, the Skoura Palm Grove. Then, our trip reaches Kelaa des Mgouna, famous for the nearby Valley of Roses and Rose festival, where at the end of a 3-day celebration usually held in May, a local girl is crowned Rose Queen. The most looked after produce in this area is the eau-de-rose with its two factories that distill and export the product. Further on, Boulmane Dades follows, it is the starting point to explore the spectacular Gorges of Dades, a luxuriant carpet set against the massive rocks and quite popular among those interested in trekking. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAYS 4, TUE
DADES / TINGHIR / MERZOUGA
Back on the road, we leave the hotel at 9AM, our first stop is Tinghir, with its extensive palm grove, the ksours built into the rocky hills above it and its mysterious decaying Jewish quarter. Tinghir has been for generations, a stop for nomadic Berber tribes travelling from the northern mountains towards the desert during the winter months. A rather inconspicuous hidden gem is the 19th century adobe mosque nested within the old crumbling ksar, a heaven for photography enthusiasts. Todra Gorges, lie only 15km from Tinghir, presenting a striking spectacle with its crystal-clear river, its huge walls changing color to magical effect as the day unfolds. Its 300 meters high walls are home to more than 150 bolted routes, and, at any time of day, you can catch a glimpse of someone rock climbing his way up the gigantic walls. Before reaching Merzouga where the tarmac ends, we pass by Erfoud and Rissani. En route if time allows, we may stop at Musee des Oasis at Elkhorbat Ksar (own expenses). Stop at Rissani used to serve as last stop on the great South caravan route where gold and slave auctions were taking place until the 1800's. Before, the caravan trade and the most important city in Morocco was Sijilmassa, the ruins of which lie opposite Rissani. From its gates, Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus left Morocco to embark on their illustrious journeys across the Sahara into African countries. Soon after we reach Merzouga and in the distance you'll glimpse the first levianthans of sand forming the Sahara: the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 5, WED
MERZOUGA / ALNIEF / TAZARINE / ZAGORA
Enjoy and early morning sunrise camel ride along the golden sand dunes in Merzouga. Return to your hotel for breakfast before transferring to Zagora via the Amazigh (Berber) villages of Alnif and Tazarine. The road to Tazarine sees almost no traffic, providing a scenic link between Tafilalet and Draa Valley. Aside from the landscape, fossils and prehistoric rock carvings are this region's main attraction. The scenery grows wilder as you approach Tazzarine, set in a grassy oasis surrounded by bare mountains. Continue to Zagora. Famous for its large palm valley, one of the largest in Morocco. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 6, THU
ZAGORA / AGDEZ / OUARZAZATE
After breakfast a 9AM, enjoy the tour of Zagora including some of the oldest villages of Morocco. Stop by Tamgroute to visit the village's famous library, which houses ancient Koranic scripts dating back to the 12th century. Visit the pottery quarter of Tamgroute famous for its one-of-a-kind pottery workshops, which have been passed down over generations. Its exquisite pottery's secret lies in its enamel and green colors. Then transfer to Ouarzazate along the Draa valley with a stop at Agdez for lunch (own expenses), then continue to Ouarzazate for Dinner and overnight.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 7, FRI
OUARZAZATE / AIT BEN HADDOU / MARRAKECH
At 9AM start the day by exploring Quarzazate, a city originally built as a French garrison in the 1920s. Today, the city is an economic regional center known for its pottery and carpets. Visit Taourirt Kasbah, which now consists of simple clay houses and crenellated towers that are beautifully decorated with geometric motifs. On the way, optional visit to the Film Studios. Continue to elaborate Ait Ben Haddou, dubbed a UNESCO World Heritage site and home of the region's most exotic kasbahs, where structures defy the laws of gravity as they perch upon steep slopes. Some of these structures have been featured in films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Game of Thrones among others. Your journey continues over the High Atlas Mountains where you'll observe everyday life in remote rural towns, to the fascinating city of Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 8, SAT
MARRAKECH / CASABLANCA AIRPORT
After breakfast, we will assist you to the airport for your return flight.Breakfast included
