Tuesday 19 April 2022

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 .