8 days Blue City Sahara Tour

Your 8 days Blue City Sahara "Cities, Souks & the Silent Sahara" Tour starts when we pick you up at the Marrakesh airport. From there we’ll drive directly to Casablanca to see the impressive Hassan II Mosque which sits at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The mosque is the one of the largest in the world and exhibits breathtaking examples of Moroccan Islamic architecture, beautifully crafted tiles, & intricate plaster carving – even on the outside! This is the only mosque in Morocco that is open to non-Muslims. (If you wish to go inside, let us know early so that we can check the mosque's tour schedule and adjust your itinerary before it is finalised.)

Afterwards, we’ll drive about 1 hour north to Rabat, the capital of Morocco and its current Imperial City. You’ll check into your hotel and have some time to rest and freshen up before having a welcome dinner in a nearby local restaurant.

After breakfast, we’ll visit the 12th century Hassan Tower and mosque. The tower was restored a few years ago, and you can walk in the large open-air square that contains ruins of walls & pillars from the original unfinished mosque.

Across from the tower is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, built for the king, who died in 1961. His son and successor, Hassan II, who died in 1999, is also entombed here. Here you’ll find more stunning examples of intricate Moroccan carving & zelig tilework. It may be possible to visit inside the Mausoleum, depending on the time and date (Moroccan & Islamic holidays may affect the hours). It’s generally open 7 days a week and there is no charge for entry.

Later on we’ll drive north through some beautiful scenery to reach Chefchaouen at the foot of the Rif Mountains. Chefchaouen is known as Morocco's "Blue City", and you'll immediately see why. All the buildings are painted in shades of blue!

We’ll take you to check in to your riad, and you can enjoy some free time to wander through the small but lively main square. The shops around the main square are open in the evenings.

You may wish to walk up the mountainside above Chefchaouen to the Grand Mosque for a panoramic view of the city & mountains at sunset – a spectacular view!

After breakfast in your riad on Day 3 of your 8 days
Blue City Sahara Tour, you’ll have the the morning free to further explore Chefchaouen’s winding blue streets. This lovely little city has many fascinating arts and crafts shops, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. It was once occupied by Spain; you’ll see the Spanish and Moorish influences in the older architecture, some of which dates back to the 15th century.

After lunch, we’ll head south to the magnificent Roman ruins at Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There, you’ll see stunning partially-excavated mosaics, buildings, arches, and columns. You’ll explore the ruins with a local guide.

After touring the ruins, we'll head a short way east to Fes, the oldest of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities. You’ll check in to your riad, then we’ll enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal at a restaurant in the medina.

In the morning of Day 4 of your 8-day "Cities, Souks & the Silent Sahara" Tour, a local guide will take you on a tour of the narrow winding alleys of the Fes medina. It's like stepping back in time. Fes was established in the middle ages and in many ways still functions as a medieval city today. Around every corner there’s something fascinating to see. You'll visit the famous tanneries of Fes where centuries-old natural methods are still used to cure and dye leather, which is then fashioned by local craftspeople into world-renowned leather clothing and accessories in every colour of the rainbow.

You'll have lunch in the medina with your guide.

After the tour, we'll go outside the medina to visit a pottery co-operative. There you’ll learn how Morocco's colourful pottery & intricate zelig tile mosaics are made by skilled artisans. Even the clay is made completely by hand! Although it makes for a long day, this stop is fascinating and not to be missed.

You'll have time to relax before dinner and you'll spend a second night at the riad.

After breakfast, your 8 days Blue City Sahara Tour continues, as we start our drive towards the Sahara Desert. You’ll see the amazing changes in the landscape as we travel through the Middle Atlas Mountains.

On the way, we’ll pass through Ifrane, a popular ski resort town known as the "Switzerland of Morocco", with its steeply-peaked rooves designed to shed show easily. Further along, we’ll stop in Azrou to see the Barbary apes that live in the mountain forests.

Lunch will be in Midelt, the “apple capital” of Morocco. This region contains thousands of hectares of apple trees, producing over half of Morocco’s apples.

After lunch, we’ll drive alongside the meandering Ziz Valley. The impressive palm-filled Ziz Oasis stretches for hundreds of kilometres along the valley floor. We’ll stop en route so you can take panoramic pictures from a lookout point beside the road.

Continuing our journey, we’ll pass through Erfoud, famous for its Date Festival each October and known for its fossils & fossil products. Later, we’ll turn off the highway, driving off-road across flat rocky desert towards the magnificent sand dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Saharan region of Merzouga. Erg Chebbi has the highest dunes in North Africa, and the sight of them rising suddenly out of the desert floor never fails to impress!

Near the big dunes, your camels will be waiting. You’ll leave civilization behind as you camel-trek into the high dunes, seeing the sands change colour as the late afternoon sun sinks over the sands. You’ll have time to explore, take pictures, and watch the sunset before camel-trekking back out of the big dunes.

At the desert tent camp amid the small dunes, you’ll enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal for dinner. Afterwards, you’ll be entertained with African music – drumming & singing & dancing – around a campfire. You’ll spend the night in nomad-style tents under the vast starry sky of the Sahara, falling asleep to the soft sound of the desert breeze.

Day 6 features a full day of camel-trekking. After breakfast, you’ll ride your camels back into the big dunes. You’ll trek for about 3 hours, surrounded by nothing but sand, sky, and silence. You’ll stop at a small oasis for lunch. Your guide will prepare a traditional Moroccan meal and teach you how to prepare & serve Moroccan tea.

After lunch, you’ll trek back to your desert camp via a different zig-zag route. Maybe your guide will explain how he is able to navigate in this sea of sand when there are no landmarks visible!

Back at the hotel you’ll be able to shower, change, and have some refreshing tea while you rest and enjoy the sunset.

Dinner will be at the hotel. You’ll spend your last night in a tent near the hotel, or in a room in the hotel – your choice.

The next day after breakfast, we’ll leave the dunes behind and drive to the town of Rissani to visit the souk (market). Here, in the jumble of small stalls & shops, local residents buy everything from vegetables to clothing to household items – even livestock! On Tuesdays, the travelling market arrives, and people flock from nearby villages to do their shopping.

After visiting the souk, we’ll continue on our way to the town of Tinghir and the Todra Gorge. You’ll hardly believe you started the day in the Saharan dunes when you see the lush green oasis full of palm trees and farmers’ crops. The steep walls of the Todra Gorge are 300 metres high, making this is a popular spot for rock climbers. After lunch at a nearby restaurant, you’ll have a chance to walk along the river.

Winding our way into the Atlas Mountains, we’ll follow the Dades Valley to the beautiful Dades Gorge, where you’ll spend the night in a guesthouse overlooking the gorge. Nearby you’ll see the spectacular, other-worldly rock formation known as “Monkey Toes”.

On the final day of your 8-day Marrakesh desert tour, we’ll start heading back towards Marrakesh.

Before leaving Dades Gorge, you’ll have time for a walk to enjoy this beautiful area. Our journey continues to Kalaat M’Gouna, the “Valley of the Roses”, where millions of rose petals are harvested each year to produce a wide variety of rose-infused cooking & cosmetic products. The harvest is celebrated in May with the annual Rose Festival. We'll make a stop here so that you can see, smell, and, if you wish, purchase some products made from local roses.

From there we’ll head to Skoura to visit the picturesque Kasbah Amridil. The 17th century fortified village (ksar) along the river is mostly in ruins now, but the Kasbah (fortified mansion) on the south end was built in the late 19th century and is one of the most impressive kasbahs in Morocco. It is still owned and maintained by the same family today.

After visiting the kasbah, we’ll resume our drive, passing through Ouarzazate, known as the "Hollywood of Morocco". Ouarzazate is home to several film studios, both Moroccan and international. The surrounding landscape is a popular on-location site and has been used to portray everything from the Egyptian desert to the surface of Mars.

From there it’s a short drive to Ait Ben Haddou, the oldest Kasbah in the south of Morocco, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the village was originally built in the 17th century, people still live and work there today. Their homes are built right into the rock or with mud bricks, which are made locally using the same methods as in ancient times. Ait Ben Haddou has been used in many films, including The Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven.

After lunch in the village, you’ll have time to explore the Kasbah. It’s a gentle climb through winding streets to the top, where you can see spectacular views in all directions.

From there, we'll head into the High Atlas Mountains, crossing over Morocco’s highest road pass – the Tizi-n-Tichka pass at 2260m. We’ll stop at the top of the pass for refreshment and to take pictures of the stunning views before descending towards Marrakesh.

We’ll reach Marrakesh in the evening and drop you off at your hotel/riad, bringing your 8 days Blue City Sahara "Cities, Souks & the Silent Sahara" Tour to an end.