Sahara desert tour from Marrakech and finish in Fes

Explore Sahara desert in popular 4x4 private tour from Marrakech to Merzouga. We visit Unesco Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou ,then Dades and Merzouga. Tour finish in Fes.

 DAY 1: TRAVEL FROM MARRAKECH TO AIT BENHADDOU KASBAH AND OUARZAZATE STUDIOS TOWARDS DADES VALLEY

The private driver for your Marrakech to desert tour will pick up from your riad and travel through the High Atlas Mountains via the Ticha Pass (2260 m), the highest road pass in Morocco. Offering panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains and their magnificent landscapes, we visit several Kasbah along the way - including Tamnougalte and Ait Benhaddou. The Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou is a 16th century UNESCO site - one of the best preserved and most spectacular Kasbah in Morocco. Scenes from the blockbuster hit movie of 2000 - Gladiator - were filmed in Ait Benhaddou. Lunch in Ourzazate. Along the way we'll enjoy the landscapes of Berber villages before arriving to Dades Gorges. Overnight in Dades.

 DAY 2: TRANSPORT FROM DADES GORGES TO ERG CHEBBI NEAR MERZOUGA AND CAMEL RIDE TO CAMP 

 After breakfast, we leave to Merzouga; where the highest sand dunes of Morocco are located. Top Desert team is ready to stop anywhere you want to take a photo or walk for sometime. After 2 hours driving, we'll arrive to the Tafilalet oasis, which is famous for its dates in Morocco. Passing through small Berber villages, before arriving the Merzouga / erg Chebbi, where we'll find the camels waiting for us to explore the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, where we'll spend the night in a Berber desert camp with dinner and Berber local music.

 DAY 3: TRAVEL FROM ERG CHEBBI DESERT TO FES VIA MIDELT 

 An early morning wake up is recommended to assist sunrise from the top of the Chebbi sand dunes. Then you will camel trek to the Kasbah where you will take a shower and enjoy a Berber and delicious breakfast served by friendly Berber people. After breakfast, you will leave to Fez by 4x4 vehicles via the High Atlas mountains. On the way, we'll pass through Rissani, Erfoud, Errachidia and Medilt. We'll stop for lunch and pictures of wild monkeys on the Cedar forests of Azrou before arriving to Fez, where we'll leave you at your riad or Hotel.

Our Morocco tours ( 9 days from Casablanca as an example )

 Book our private tour from Casablanca to explore Merzouga and Marrakech in 9 days. Enjoy travel over Middle Atlas mountains and have fan on camel ride before u spend night in desert camp.

DAY 1: CASABLANCA AIRPORT TO MARRAKECH.

You will be welcomed by an English speaking driver at airport of Mohamed 5 in Casablanca then drive to Casablanca city . You will go to visit the Hassan 2 mosque , king Hassan 2 wanted to build a mosque at the most westerly point in the Muslim world . He was assured that this great building would ,symbolically speaking , be the North African equivalent of the Statue of Liberty . And after that , drive through the Cornichie which is bordered by an uninterrupted sweep of beaches ,swimming pools , cafes ,hotels and restaurants .Casablancans come here to take an evening stroll , have a drink and breathe the air .After the break , you will drive straight to Marrakech and the drive is like 3 Hours . When you arrive Marrakech you will be dropped off at your Hotel /riad in the old city .

DAY 2:MARRAKECH TOUR GUIDE WITH A LOCAL GUIDE TO VISIT THE ATTRACTIONS

After breakfast at your riad /Hotel , you will start the visit to Marrakech attractions . First , you will start with the Famous place of Jemaa el-Fnaa ,the traditional meeting place for peasants and merchants from the Sous region , the High Atlas and the South , has become the heart of Marrakech. In the mornings this vast square ,located on the edge of the souk district and bordered by shops and workshops ,is crowded with fruit and spice sellers In the afternoon come the Gnaoua , dancers descended from former Guinean ,slaves ,musicians ,story-tellers ,snake charmers and entertainers .And after that go to the Bahia palace where you will see the carved wood ,plaster and the stucco of the facade are continued on the interior decoration . Then to the Bad Agnaou ( gate of the Hornless Ram )is one of the oldest and most impressive of the entrance to the Kasabah . And after that go to the most beautiful buildings in Marrakech , the 14th century Ben youssef Medrasa , In about 1565 it was entirely rebuilt on the instructions of the sultan Moulay Abdellah and developed into the largest Koranic university in the Maghrib . Its architecture and the subtle use of decoration ,achieved through a balanced combination of stucco and mosaic ,marble and cedar wood , were influenced by styles of Moorish Spain . Lunch in a local restaurant . And after lunch you will drive to the Majorelle Garden to see the delightful gardens ,planted not only with bougainvillea ,coconut palms and banana trees ,but also with bamboo and palm trees . After the visit , you will go to make a tour in Gueliz , the new city of Marrakech.

DAY 3: MARRAKECH TO THE DADES VALLEY VIA HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS , AIT BENHADDOU KASBAH ,OURZAZAT AND THE ROSE VALLEY .

You will start the trip to the Dades valley from Marrakech around 8:30 a.m. . First , you will drive through the High Atlas mountains and pass the pise buildings of the fortified villages are of different shapes and sizes . You will stop for pictures and breaks alon the way and stop in the Tizi n'Tichka at an altitude of 7415 feet .It links Marrakech with the pre-Saharan regions ,where all roads pass through Ourzazat .On the southern side of the Tizi -n-Tichka there is a magnificent view across the peaks of the the central High Atlas . The road passes a number of Kasabahs and crosses Igherm N-ogdal before reaching Ait Benhaddou Kasabah .You will got to visit the fortified villages of Ait Benhaddou which has been classified by UNESCO as one of the world's cultural treasures . Many famous movies were shot in the Kasbah like Gladiator , mession imopossible , .. you will go for a walk inisde the Kasabah , its studded with crenelated towers and its building decorated with lozenged motifs and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages of its kind in Morocco .Lunch in a local restaurant . And after lunch , you will drive to the Moroccan Hollywood of Ourzazat where you will go in one of the cenima studios . Many movies were shot in Ourzazat as well like the mummy , Kingdom of heaven , Lawrence of Arabia and many others . And after that , you will continue the trip to the rose valley where you will have a coffe break to see the rose , in case its the seasion , if not you will stop to see a rose cooperative .Then continue to the valley of 1000 Ksour and Kasabahs , at first the road is bordered by a series of Ksour and Kasbahs , including the Kasbah of Ait Arbi , built at the foot of volcanic rocks ,and Tamnlt as the '' valley of humman bodies ''where rocks on one of the cliff faces have been eroded into what loos like the soles of humman feet !. Overnight in a Hotel in the Dades gorge .

DAY 4: THE DADES VALLEY TO THE SAHARA DESERT VIA TODGHA GORGE , ERFOUD AND RISSANI

You will start you trip to the desert around 8:30 a.m. . First , you will drive to Tinghir which was a former military outpost . From Tinghir you will take a detour to the Todgha Gorge , the road through the Todgha gorge follows the right bank of the river ,which is covered with palm trees . you will drive up the narrowest and most spectacular section of the gorges ,where for a distance of 110 yards the narrow carridor between the sheer ,towering walls of rock (985)is only 65 feet wide .And after that drive to the main road through Tinjdad . Lunch in a local restaurant then drive through the Tafilalet .From early times Tafilate has owed its prosperity to gold brought back from Africa by the caravans and to the cultivation of date palms , the main source of income for the Filali .You will also drive through Erfoud which is the largest oasis in Morocco . A date festival is held here in October .Erfoud also is known wit fossils so you will stop by a fossil musume. And after that drive straight to the Sahara desert which is like 50 Km away from Erfoud through Rissani .Less than two hours 'journey from Erfoud ,the oasis of Merzouga and the dunes of the Erg Chebbi (some rise 820 feet) give a foretaste of the breathtaking beauty of the desert. Cmael ride start just like 30 minutes after your arrival to the desert towards your camp in the middle of the sand dunes . Overnight in camp in the middle of the sand dunes .

Nomad life in the caves of the High Atlas mountains

This is a nomad cave in the foothills of the high atlas mountains in Morocco .This place is located in the north west of the Dades valley .You can go to this place by taking an off-road from the Mohdash Kasbah . This off-road is about 14 Km. And just as you cross 2 to 3 Km , you will drive through some caves .Some of them are lived and the others are left .The nomad life is not a kind of life which is stable but they keep moving from time to time searching for food ,for themselves and there animals .When you visit one of this caves , and it is posiible because those familes are really kind and very welcoming , you will see someting like on the picture above .There are three caves and it is not always three caves .It maybe more or less .And right next the cave there is like a small area surrounded by stones and that is the place to keep goats and shep at night .And for the caves , there is one used for cooking , the other one for sleeping and storing there stuff and the other one for eating and for guests as well .The nomad life is not an istolated life but they have a kind of social life of there own .And it is not the family which live in the cave who made the cave because the cave is not owned by anyone ,any family can use it once it is empty . No door for the cave and they do not use anyting to close them and they are open to the air like in the picture above .

This is inside on of the caves .At the very inside , they store barley and wheat and once a week they grain them to make bread which is one of the most important meal to eat in every meal time .It looks a bit black inside the cave because they make fire inside in winter to hit up .And there is  a carpet on the floor to sit once you go in .

This are some of the animals they have .There is a dog is a great guard of the cave .They do not bite people who get close to the gave but they keep barking harder and harder the more you get closer to the cave .They do that so as to warm the family that there is an oustide coming .And once a member of the nomad family talks to them they shut up and eat and treat the visitor like a member of the family as you see on the picture .There dogs are really great in terms that they know everything the family owns , he loves the chikens and they share life together .And the chikens are kept for having eggs and a source of food for the nomad family , very simple life .

To have a donkey is very important animal for nomads everywhere .This great ,helpful animal helps the family more than anything else .They use to bring drinking water and washing water from the closest river to the cave , that can be 3 hours ride .They also use to bring food from a weekly market that can be 8 hours far and through the mountains to reach the market place . The nomad life is really very simple and intersting in that it makes you feel that you have everything in this life and maybe it is good to visit such places to see how lucky you are .

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3 DAYS TOUR FROM AGADIR TO MERZOUGA DESERT

DAY 1: AGADIR TO OUARZAZATE VIA TAROUDANT , AOULOUZ ,TALIOUINE .

Greetings in the hotel /airport or where ever your accommodation is, then start the trip at 8:00 Am. The first day’s driving is about 373 Km which means the trip will takes from 8:00 Am to 5:00 Pm including stops to discover places, breaks and lunch. On the way you will enjoy seeing orange farms and the Argan trees till you get Troudant .You will stop to see the ‘rebel stronghold ‘ that was built in the 11th century when Taroudant was a small kingdom ,the Ramparts ,the place Assarag and around the medina. And after that, you will drive to Taliouine where the best Moroccan affron comes from.

It’s is harvested at the beginning of winter, and picked before sunrise so that the flowers do not wilt. And around Taliouine there many saffron cooperatives if you want the driver can take you to see one of them then continue the trip to Tazenakht. The town was described by Charles de Foucauld in 1883 as ‘the home of the Khenif (carpet), where the entire population is occupied in weaving and embroidery. Today Tazenakht is the headquarters of a large cooperative for carpets made in the surrounding mountain villages. Then continue to the Moroccan Hollywood, Ouarzazate to discover the studios or one of the cinema studios. Overnight in Hotel/riad  .

DAY 2: OUARZAZATE TO MERZOUGA VIA SKOURA , DADES VALLEY ,TODRA GORGES ,ERFOUD ,RISSANI

This day journey’s starts at 8:00 Am after breakfast. First, you will go to discover the former Glaoui residence, the Kasabah Taourirt, where a scene from Bernardo Bertoucci’s ‘the sheltering sky’,’ l Lawrence of Arabia ‘and many movies were shot. Then continue the driving via Skoura to the valley of thousand Kasbahs. You will stop in El Kelaa Mgouna where a festival of roses held is held in May to see a rose cooperative and get some explanations on how they harvest it and the way they distillate it then continue to Todra Gorges via the town of Boumaln Dades. On the way to the Gorges you will have many stops for pictures of the beautiful landscape and the palm grove .Also, when you will have some time to walk inside the Gorges to enjoy looking to the cliffs for around 20 minutes. And after that, you will drive to the desert via many small Berber towns and villages.  Stop somewhere in the way for lunch then travel through Erfoud and Rissani to Merzouga sand dunes. You will be welcomed with a meant tea and relax for 30 minutes to be ready to ride the camel to the middle of the sand dunes to spend the night in Berber tent in the middle of nowhere .overnight in a tent.

DAY 3: MERZOUGA DESERT TO MARRAKECH OR FES OR ESSAOUIRA

It’s so beautiful to see the sunrise while you are in the desert, so it is better if you get up 15 minutes before the sunrise and walk up one of the sand dunes to wait it rising and to take some pictures. And after the sun is up, your camel guide will bring you back to the hotel for breakfast and a shower to be ready for the next destination. This day depends on where you want to end up the tour. If you want you can finish it in Fes and drive through the high, the middle atlas, the cedar forest and Ifrane then Fes. Or if you want too you can finish it in Marrakech and you will drive back to Ouarzazate then drive through the windy road of the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2260 M altitude) to Marrakech. Thank you contactingTRAVEL WITHIN Morocco as your trusted travel operator for Agadir to Sahara tour.

5 DAYS TOUR FROM CASABLANCA TO DESERT AND MARRAKECH

DAY 1 :CASABLANCA AIRPORT TO FES

You will be welcomed by our English speaking driver in the airport of Mohamed 5 in Casablanca and head to Fes. If you will arrive in the morning you will go  to visit the most highlighted landmark in Casablanca, the Hassan 2 mosque. The work to build this mosque began in 1980 .its built right next to the Atlantic Ocean .the entire structure, which covers a total area of 24,000 square, is designed on a gigantic scale. the prayer hall accommodates 25,000 worshippers ,with space for a further 80,00 pilgrims to pray on the esplanade .a cultural centre ,with a library ,museum and Koranic school ,adjoins the main building .and after the visit of this vast construction you will drive to the Corniche which is bordered by uninterrupted sweep of beaches ,swimming pools, cafes ,hotels and restaurant .and after that you will drive straight to Fes. During the night in Fes you will have time to see the famous gate of Bab Boujloud to enjoy the ancient architecture of Fes. and to wonder around for a while. Over night in a riad in the medina.

DAY 2 :  FES  TO MERZOUGA VIA MIDELT ,ERRACHDIA,RISSANI THEN MERZOUGA

Early in the morning you will start the tour from Fes to Merzouga,the desert.you will have a stop in Ifrane ,the Moroccan Swiss style town,and via the cedar forest where you will have a stop to see the babery apes climbing the trees.and around 12 pm you will arrive Midelt ,the capital of apples, .lunch in a local restaurant.than, you continue the jouney to the Tizi-n-Tlghamt pass and through the Ziz valley with its fantastic gorges ,through the gorges you will stop for breaks and pictures.this valley too is well-known with its palm grove and the agriculture of different crops like Alfalfa,barely,etc.than you will get Erfoud with innumerable ‘ksars’,  small villages of individual houses. Also ,Erfoud is the place where the festival of dates is held on October every year and the one of fossils as well.and in the afternoon,you will arrive the unique sand dunes of merzouga.over night in a Berber tent in the middle of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes.

DAY 3: MERZOUGA TO DADES GORGES VIA TODRA GORGES THEN DADES VALLEY

Early in the morning,it would be nice to get up around 6 :00am for the sunrise.and after you watch you will come back to your hotel for breakfast and shower.than after that you will travel to the Dades valley through Rissani ,Erfoud ,also through many Berber towns and villages.but on the way you will go the Todra Gorges.its one of the most breathtaking place in Morocco. Todra Gorges is also a good place for hiking for few hours and see the nomads coming down the mountain to pick water from the Gorges.than you will have lunch in a local restaurant in or outside the Gorges so as to leave to the Dades valley.over night in a hotel in the Dades Gorges or in the rose valley.

DAY  4: DADES GORGES TO MARRAKECH VIA AIT BENHHADOU AND THE HIGH ALTAS

This day is dedicated to  begin your  journey towards Ouarzazate via the High Atlas Mountains. You will start with the rose valley .if its spring time you will enjoy the flowers and visit one of the places where they distilate it than Continue your trip  to  Skoura palm oasis. In Skoura you will see a 17 century kasbah,the ameridel kasbah,than continue to the Moroccan Hollywood,Ouarzazate . Here, you will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. In typical Moroccan fashion, the true treasures must be searched out and discovered… usually off the beaten path. In actuality, this setting has been used for more films than any other location in Morocco, gladiator , kingdom of heaven , and recently The games of thrown. In the afternoon, you will be dropped off at your riad/hotel.

DAY 5 : TRANSFER TO MARRAKECH AIRPORT OR CASABLANCA AIRPORT

Today we transfer you to the airport. Thank you contacting TRAVEL WITHIN Morocco as your trusted travel operator for Casablanca Morocco tour.

some geological history of Morocco

"Morocco is like a tree nourished by roots deep in the soil of Africa ,which breathes through floiage rustling to the winds of Europe" King Hassan 2 of Morocco.
In terms of the climate , it is a cold country with a hot sun . This is how Moroccan people describe their land .Because of its coastline ,which borders both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean ,and the high barriers formed by its mountain ranges ,Morocco has the widest range of climates of all the North African countries .Percipitation falls mainly in spring and autumn and the summers are hot and dry .
Although this subtropical climate is similar to that of the maritime regions of California and Southern Europe ,it varies considerably according to latitude and altitude ( sea level ,desert and high mountain ranges )and to the effects of winds and currents .
The geological history of Morocco can be summarized in three stages . More than two billion years ago the Anti Atlas and part of the southern morocco were formed .During the primary period the sea engulfed the land ,bringing about the apperarance of marine life .At the end of this period , the collision of the Aferican ,European and American plates resulted in the formation of the central plates and granite such as the Zaers . During the tertiary period the western and eastern Meseta , the High and Middel Atlas and the Rif Mountains werer formed .The legacy of this geological acitvity is a land rich in fossils and a wide variety of minerals .
The High Atlas ,which forms a frontier between the palearctic and tropical regions of Morocco ,is the highest mountain range in North Africa .These arid mountains consist of vast plateaux deep valleys ,almost bottomless canyons ,craggy peaks and mountaintops eroded by wind and rain . The northern slopes are mainly forsted with holm oaks ,thujas ,cedars and Aleppo pines growing at mid-altitude .

For more informations about our tours in Morocco ,visit www.travelwithinmorocco.com

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5/1/18

4 Photos - View album

Marrakech ,the City of Splendor

Nina Epton marveled at the colors of Marrakech and the many characters found wandering the city .

"As we approached Marrakech ,the earth turned salmon pink , deepening as it reached the walls of the town ,with its belt of majestic palm trees and the haughty Koutoubia Tower facing the snow -capped mountains .A city of splendour .The city of the oasis ,capital of the desert, spread out like a coral necklace offering at the feet of the Atlas , the door of the Sahara ,the domain of the Glaoui Pasha , known as the " King of the Sahara ", the richest ,most powerful and most mistrusted of the Pashas of Morocco ... . Wandering around the ruins of the domed sanctuaries of the local Holy men (or marabouts ), avoiding the swarms of grasshoppers at your feet ,you follow the peasant who is brining monkeys and camels to town ,or stand idly by women drawing water at the fountains .From the fresh ,green plantain trees ,ellipses of shadow fall like petals on the white cloaks of the travellers ,and you wander :" Have i been here before ? " Marrakech is different from Fez and from any other town in North Africa .It is more African . It possesses the magic of heathen incanatations in the beating of the nakkos ,the drumbeat which seems to echo the rhythm of life ,of pulse ,of creation itself .Marrakech has the savagery and the voluptuousness of a black mistress ,indifferent to the workings of the mind ,with littel use for the soul .Have i been here before ?The Chleuh girl dance ,the song of the flutes and the tambourines and the snake-charmers overcome you with an unaccountable intuition that you have reached the birthplace of the entire human race - a warm ,caressing birthplace ,far removed from the cold flints and caves and prehistoric sites of our northern skies"

NINA EPTON ,A JOURNEY UNDER THE CRESCENT MOON ,LONDON ,1949.

Picture 1 ( La koutobia mosque ).

Picture 2 (The famous square of Jamaa Lfna

picture 3 ( Musicians in the sqaure )