Marrakech, Desert, and Seaside

10 Day Itinerary

This tour is ideal for those who want to see a lot of Moroccan culture, landscape, and history in a short time. Take in the sights in Marrakech, explore historic Ait Ben Haddou, journey across the splendour of the Sahara, and relax along the coast in Essaouira.

Overview

Day 1: Arrive in Marrakech

Day 2: Explore Marrakech

Day 3: Savour Marrakech

Day 4: Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou

Day 5: Ait Ben Haddou to M’Hamid

Day 6: M’Hamid to Erg Chegaga

Day 7: Erg Chegaga to Taroudant

Day 8: Taroudant to Essaouira

Day 9: Essaouira

Day 10: Marrakech, Until We Meet Again

Day 1

Arrive in Marrakech

We will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel. After you have time to relax and freshen up, we will show you a little bit of Marrakech and then take you for a nice “Welcome to Morocco” dinner.

Known as the Red City because of the colour of the walls that surround the old Kasbah, Marrakech has been a popular tourist destination since the 1960s. Its famous Djemaa el-Fnaa square is the busiest square in Africa with a colourful market and an unparalleled assortment of entertainers including fire-eaters, snake charmers, belly dancers, Amazigh acrobats, and astrologers.

Day 2

Explore Marrakech

In the morning, we will go on a guided tour of the Red City. Your guide will show you the sights and talk about the colourful history of this historic location.
In the afternoon, you have the option of experiencing a hamman – a traditional Moroccan spa. Take in the steamy and spice-infused atmosphere that awakens the senses. This unique experience has become cherished by visitors from around the world. Then relax and enjoy a massage.
In the evening, we will take you for a traditional Moroccan dinner with local entertainment.

Day 3

Savour Marrakech

In the morning, we will take you for a Moroccan cooking class. You will shop for the food in the market and then learn how to cook local favourites. This is a true cultural experience and a highlight for many visitors to Morocco.

The cooking class ends around 2:00 pm and you will have free time to go shopping, explore the medina, or relax at your hotel in the afternoon.

In the evening, we will take you for another nice dinner. You can help us choose what type of restaurant you’d like to enjoy.

Day 4

Marrakech to

Ait Ben Haddou

We will start our day early and drive through the beautiful countryside of the High Atlas mountains through the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260m in altitude). Along the way, we will stop for lunch at a Berber village before we continue on to Ait Ben Haddou, near Ouarzazate.

Located at the foothills of the High Atlas mountains, Ait Ben Haddou became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. It is an example of southern Moroccan architecture and one of the best preserved ksars (fortified villages) in Morocco. It is also the location for a number of movies including Lawrence of Arabia, Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, Gladiator, and more recently Game of Thrones. After we check into our riad, we will guide you through Ait Ben Haddou. Then we will have dinner and stay overnight in the area.

Day 5

Ait Ben Haddou to M’Hamid

After breakfast, we will drive south to M’Hamid, a small oasis town nuzzled against the dunes of the Sahara desert. On the way there near Agdz, we will take an offroad detour through the Palmerie with a picturesque viewpoint. Back on the main road, we will drive through Zagora and Tamgrout on the way to M’Hamid. M’Hamid is historically important as a gathering place for trade journeys to Timbuktu. After lunch, you will get a taste of nomadic life as you ride on camel (dromedary) for approximately 2 hours accompanied by a local guide to our desert camp at Erg L’Houdi. Here we will welcome you with “Berber Whisky” (traditional Moroccan mint tea), and pastries. In Erg L’Houdi you can explore the enchanting landscape of dunes and you can also have fun sandboarding.

After a delicious dinner, you will enjoy some authentic desert entertainment and then have the opportunity to enjoy the stars. In the desert, the constellations are brilliant and if you’re lucky you will be able to wish upon a shooting star.
You will spend the night at the tent camp. Each tent is equipped with beds. There are shared bathrooms at the camp that have flush toilets and showers (non-heated). And of course, our friendly staff in the camp will cater to your desires.

Day 6

M’Hamid to Erg Chegaga

After breakfast, we will drive through the vast stretches of the Sahara Desert, passing the stony desert (Hamada) interrupted by sand dunes. At the Oasis Sacre (Holy Oasis), we will have lunch waiting for us. Just in time for sunset, we will reach the sea of dunes at Erg Chegaga, the largest group of sand dunes in the region. They reach a height of 300 m and a width of 40 km. We will sleep here in nomad tents or under the glittery night sky, whichever you prefer. After dinner, we will spend the evening together with our traditional music.

Day 7

Erg Chegaga to Taroudant

Early in the morning you can climb the dunes to watch the sunrise, then the desert breakfast will taste twice as good. After breakfast, we will continue on Lake Iriki. Most of the time the lake is dry but sometimes heavy rains in the north bring torrential rains that flood everything. In Foum Zguid, the road begins again, and from there we go to Taznakht (back toward Ouarzazate) for lunch. After lunch, we will drive to Taroudant for the night. Taroudant is known as little Marrakech because of the familiar red walls around the medina.

Day 8

Taroudant to

Essaouira

After breakfast in Taroudant, we will drive to the coastal city of Essaouira. Essaouira has a laid-back pace, with a fishing village vibe. If you like seafood, you will enjoy eating in Essaouira. Surfing is also popular in this area. – Essaouira to Marrakech
We will enjoy dinner in Essaouira and stay in a lovely riad for the night.

Day 9

Essaouira

After breakfast, we will take you on a tour of the charming Essaouira medina, which is smaller and less hustle/bustle than Marrakech. You can spend time in the medina, walk along the seawall, and enjoying the relaxed pace of Essaouira in the afternoon.
We will have another delicious dinner in Essaouira and another night at the riad.

Day 10

Marrakech,
Until We Meet Again

We will drive from Essaouira back to Marrakech in plenty of time for your flight. The driving time is approximately 2 hours.

We believe that your vacation should be a magical experience, based on your desires. This itinerary is provided as a general guide and we are happy to customize it to ensure that you have a wonderful time in Morocco.

Other experiences that can be added to your trip include:

extended trips to the desert by camel
express trips from Zagora to the desert using helicopters
ATV/quad biking in the desert
surfing or kitesurfing on the coast
hiking in the mountains
motorcycle trips along the windy mountain roads
cycling in the mountains or any area of interest
an exploration of cooking and the spices of Morocco
a day trip to Tangier to see Spain (Gibraltar) from Morocco

We look forward to welcoming you to Morocco!