10 days from Marrakech

After breakfast, your guide will arrive at your accommodation and you will begin your tour of the important and notable sites around the medina. The 19th century Bahia Palace, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs, the Badi Palace and some very interesting museums are very popular. In the afternoon we can take a trip to the Majorelle Gardens, the Berber Museum and other places in the New Town. The souks and Jemaa el Fna square are also part of the program. Overnight stay in the medina.

Today you will drive deep into the heart of the High Atlas Mountains, where many valleys and villages hide among the mountains. The Ourika Valley is a fertile, green valley with crystal clear water flowing down from the mountains. Here you will learn about the Amazigh or Berber culture and traditions. In the afternoon you will return to your accommodation in the medina.

We leave the Red City and drive through the market of Asni and through the red clay landscape to Ouirgane. Along the Nfis River we drive through old Berber villages to the cradle of the Almohad dynasty, where we visit the 12th century mosque of Tinmal before continuing through Ijoukak to the pass of Tizi n’Test. Below, the landscape flattens out as we descend to the town of Taroudant.

Today, after breakfast, we explore this walled medina in the Anti-Atlas Mountains high above the Atlantic coast. It is nicknamed “Little Marrakesh” and in the souks you will find interesting Berber jewelry stores. Overnight stay in the medina.

This region is the main cultivation area for argan and a large part of it has been declared a national park to preserve this tree with its precious fruits. Moroccan gold is often referred to as argan oil, which is extracted by hand from the nuts of the argan tree. You can stop at one of the cooperatives to learn more about the processes and taste the products. We continue south and reach the almond capital of Tafraout deep in the Anti-Atlas Mountains, where you will spend the next 2 nights.

Today is a relaxing day to explore the town and surrounding landscapes. There are unusual rock formations here, painted by a Belgian artist. In the spring, there is the scent of almond blossoms and the bees come to drink the nectar. Shopping is very relaxed and the artisans of Tafraout make very nice shoes. Overnight stay in Tafraout.

After breakfast we leave for Tata. In this vast and remote landscape, you will see nomadic Berbers with their herds of goats and sheep and their tents near water sources. This trip can only be done by off-road vehicle and from here on you will see why. These are desert-like regions with mountains and stony desert. In the evening you will arrive in Tata, where we will spend the night.

You are now deep in the south of Morocco and this region is a mixture of mountains, rocky deserts, dry rivers, lakes and dunes. You will see all of this today as we reach the high dunes of Chegaga, where you will spend the night in a desert camp. Many Amazigh families live in this region and you will hear different dialects. Music is at the heart of Amazigh culture, and after dinner you will enjoy a live performance around the campfire.

Last night you may have experienced a sunset in the desert, but the best time is sunrise. You will be awakened in time to get up and greet the new day. We drive off road through the desert and reach Mhamid, the last town before the Sahara. We follow the Draa Valley as it winds through palm groves and formerly densely populated clay villages. In Tamegroute we stop to visit the pottery workshops with their unique green glazed ceramics and the Koran library. There are many kasbahs in this valley, and in Zagora there is an ancient ksar with many more hidden within its walls. In Zagora we will take a break for the night.