13 Days Morocco Excursion From Marrakech

Day 1: Marrakech

13 Days Morocco Excursion From Marrakech. We will welcome you at Marrakech airport. Transfer to the riad or to the hotel. Depending on arrival time, the rest of the day will be at leisure. Our driver will be available for an orientation drive of Marrakech. And overnight accommodation at riad or hotel.

Day 2:  Sightseeing of Marrakech

On this day, you will accompany a knowledgeable official guide from your accommodation to explore the most famous and exciting imperial city. Marrakech is the fourth largest Moroccan city and one of the four imperial cities of the kingdom. Marrakech had founded by the Almoravid Empire in 1070. Its founder was Emir Abu Bakr Ibn Umar, and Marrakech is known as Red City because various buildings had constructed in red sandstone official guide will show the most sites of the red city starting with the old medina (Old part of Marrakech), in this part, you will visit Bahia Palace built by Alaouite leaders, it was a palace of grand vizier of Alaouite’s leader, today it is considered as a historical monument and attraction site, where tourists visiting in. Besides, your coming site is El Badi Palace, a ruined palace commissioned by Sultan Ahmad Al Mansour in the Saadian period. The palace was neglected after the death of the Sultan, and eventually, it turned out to the ruined.
The journey continues by visiting Saadian Tombs are located in the Kasbah area of the Marrakech Old Medina, the tombs consider nowadays as a historic royal necropolis. Later on, you will visit the second oldest medina after Fes Medina, walking through small streets where you have time to discover the lifestyle of local people. In Addition, during your visit to the old medina and souk (Market), you will visit also the Tanneries of Marrakech, and the leather workers and the metalwork in the shape of countless lamps, carpets, and Berber rugs. The sightseeing of the old part will finish with a talking lunch on the famous square here in Marrakech, Djemma El Fna is a place where you find local food, juice stalls, dried fruit, and nut stalls, storytellers, snake charmers, and women applying henna.
The rest of Marrakech sightseeing will be in the new parts of the city by car. Our driver will meet you next to the Djemma El Fna Square after your lunch, and driving to the Majorelle Garden had been designed by French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in 1980. The garden contains a psychedelic desert mirage of 300 plant species from five continents. In recent years, the garden has become a popular tourist attraction. The site each year receives around 900,000 visitors. Finally, the last site will be Kutubiyya Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech. It was founded in 1147 by Almohad Caliph Abd Al Mumin and later rebuilt by a caliph. The mosque is known with Marrakech’s iconic landmark and could see towering over the city. The journey of the Marrakech sightseeing tour ends as your driver accompanies you to the Riad/Hotel.

Day 3: Marrakech – Ourika Valley – Marrakech

Today’s excursion will be to the beautiful Ourika valley nestled on the main road in Ait Ourir. The Ourika valley is a delightfully charming, hospitable Berber village where we can take a short hike in the cool mountain air. We will discover isolated villages clinging to hillsides with terraces of cultivated land lying along the river valley. Then we return to Marrakech. Have an overnight stay in a riad or at the hotel in Marrakech.

Day 4: Marrakech – Ouarzazate

Our day starts by leaving Marrakech which is considered as the fourth largest city in Morocco, and it’s one of the imperial cities and was a capital of the Almoravid empire, and it’s known as Red City, we are going to drive by a crossing the high atlas mountains, also it is our first spot to explore in our first journey of 13 Days Morocco Excursion From Marrakech, through passing Tizi N’Tuchka is known as second highest in Morocco (2260m), where we have a stop for taking a break and for enjoying the landscapes of high atlas mountains. Later on, we continue our journey to the next spot called Telouet which is famous for its mud-brick Kasbah and with a history of lavishness and traitor ship, the Kasbah was built by Thami El Glaoui in 1860, he was one of the most Pashas of the 20th Century and Lord of the Atlas because he controlled Kasbah by imposing taxes and keeping order for those caravans who wanted to cross the High Atlas Mountains in order to reach Marrakech, thus sometimes called Kasbah as the palace of Glaoui, nowadays the Kasbah is a spot for those who want to visit it.

We continue our journey to the next Kasbah Ait Ben Haddo via driving of a huge Berber village till we reach Ait Ben Haddo Kasbah is a site that declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, the Kasbah located on the top hill affords a view of Ounila River, and its houses linked together within a great wall for fortification also inclusive corner towers and gate and houses decorated with geometric motifs, Kasbah Ait Ben-Haddou is regarded as a stopping place for caravan coming from Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as having free time for lunch in town. Afterward, we will drive to Ouarzazate, identified the gate of the Sahara desert, which is a city of Draa-Tafilalet region too, it’s a Berber town which a majority of inhabitance speaking Tamazight “Berber” from its name in Berber which signifies “City Without Noise”. Furthermore, Ouarzazate is called “The Hollywood of Africa” because it is an elementary tourist destination and one of the favorite spots for filmmakers over the world, and if you are pretty interest we can visit the biggest cinema studios in the region that attract international companies to work in. Movies filmed are “The Man Who Be King” in 1975, “The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)”, “The Mummy (1999)”, Gladiator (2000), and “Hanna in 2011”, and so on. In addition, Our next site in Ouarzazate to visit is Kasbah Taourirt built on 17th by a dominant local family, good to know that Kasbah has an important position which controlling the junction of several river valleys because considered as Desert Sahara Trade Roads, in the 1990s registered as historical attractiveness in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Spend your night at Hotel/Riad including dinner and breakfast.

Day 5: Ouarzazate – Zagora

After breakfast, we will depart to Zagora passing the Tizi-in-Tiniffit pass at 1660m elevation. The road descends to the Draa Valley, where Moroccan Jewish families settled along this fertile valley and used to live in harmony with Berber tribes. We will lead to Agdz, situated at the foot of the extraordinary rock formation called Jbel Kissane. The road follows the Oued (river) Draa. Marvel at the date palms, laurel bushes, and numerous kasbahs and ksars. Continue to the Zagora oasis, the real “Gate of the desert”. In the end, you will have overnight at a riad or hotel.

Day 6: Zagora – Merzouga

We will leave Zagora toword Merzouga, after breakfast, we will drive via Tazarine, and Alnif. We will enjoy the sightseeing of the fascinating Draa Valley which has hundreds of Berber Kasbahs. We will stop by the famous Kasbah Tinzouline. The trip continues through Er Rissani, where we will stop for mint tea. After a break, we continue our journey to Merzouga Sahara by driving through the gorgeous Ziz Valley—where we have a stop for its marvelous panoramic views. The valley also has a huge oasis containing over six million palm trees, edged by many ksours (fortified villages) on the road to Erfoud. It is considered a principal source of dates here in Morocco. We will reach Merzouga before sunset as well, where you will have an overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 7: Sand dunes and Nomads

After breakfast, we’ll start exploring the area by visiting the village of black people, originally from Mali, to enjoy their music and the way they live. After that, we will drive to Miffis Mines to explore how they work over there before getting behind the dunes in a full desert with charming views. We will have sit for a warm cup of tea with the local Bedouins before returning to the hotel, the guide will teach you how to mount and dismount the camel and other handy camel-related safety tips. Then you begin exploring the mysterious sand-sea of the Erg-Chebbi and the golden Sahara planet with its magnificent views of sand dunes. When you are close to reaching the desert camp, you will have a stop for a sunset view on the top of the sand dune, and try sandboarding with the magnificent colors of the sun. This night will be one of the best highlights of your trip. After your dinner at a desert camp, you will have a chance to listen to and play local music.

Day 8: Merzouga – Er Rissani – Merzouga

Breakfast with the Bedouin family, and then we will trek back to the village of Merzouga appreciating the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi dunes – changing with the light as the day progresses. Continuing to the holy city of Er Rissani, a site where the Alawite Dynasty is buried in the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sheriff. We will explore the area; visit the ruins of Ksar Abbar, a kasbah that dates from the 17th century. Rissani is surrounded by 360 ksars (a fortified village with many towers) and it has a big open market held three times a week. Tour Er Rissani’s famed Palmera and enjoy a glimpse of life as it is lived on the fringe of the Sahara Desert. Stay overnight at the village of Merzouga in a hotel or riad.

Day 9: Merzouga – Tineghir – Dades Gorge

The day will be started by dating with the sunrise in a panoramic view that is worth waking up for after your breakfast at camp you will have two options to drive back from your desert camp to Merzouga Sahara, which is to come back by camels or by Jeep 4X4. And then, we leave Merzouga after a great lifetime experience in the Sahara desert, driving toward Rissani is the ancient capital of Tafilalet which was a principal road of caravans, and considered as a commercial center in the region with a large market “Souk” where you will take a chance to connect and to interact with locals, then continue our journey to Erfoud “Fossils City” as well-known as filmmaker’s destination thanks to the beauty of the surrounding Desert Sahara and towns of oasis areas, movies had filmed here are March OR Die, The Mummy, and Prince Of Persia. After two hours of driving, we will reach one of the famous spots of the high atlas, called Todgha gorge located 16KM far away from Tinghier consists of several canyons and a large river.
This stunning area affords plenty of opportunities to walk between the gorgeous oasis palm trees, such as along the river through the garden or up the road on the other side of the gorge. Besides, the Todgha Gorge had deemed as a station for tourists and locals who are interested in climbing and hiking in its canyons and having a walk through the gorge, you will have lunch in a beautiful restaurant which is overlooking the river. In the afternoon, we carry on our journey to the Boumalne Dades is famous with lovely valley located in a desert plateau, 1500m high and is known as an old way of transhumance, and the valley has recognized as Figs Valley going through the Boumalne Dades region, we will have a short walk for exploring the charming of the valley and visiting Monkey Fingers, as well you will spend a night in that valley and dinner in your Riad/Hotel.

Day 10: Dades Gorge – Ouarzazate

We will start our day after your delicious breakfast at the accommodation, you can enjoy the stunning view of Dades valley from one strategic lookout in the high atlas mountains, then, later on, we continue our expedition to another valley called Valley of the Roses “Kalaat M’gouna” the city is the central district of many villages, and it has two special days for the local market, first day in Tuesday, it is only for livestock trade, and Wednesday is the second day is for food and other goods. Kalaat M’gouna is well-known for its rose products of beauty recognized as natural products, also used in Moroccan cuisine and the perfume industry, as well the city famous for a festival in early of May because there is no set date for the festival, it determines on the harvest season, during festival local Berber musicians playing traditional instrumentals and dancing.
The last day of a festival is a special day to choose Ms. Roses. You will stop enjoying and discovering the fascination of one thousand kasbahs road, you reach Ouarzazate, known as the gate of the Sahara desert, which is a city of the Draa-Tafilalet region too. Our first site to visit is Kasbah of Taourirt, built-in 17th by a dominant local family, the kasbah had a great position controlling the junction of several river valleys because considered as Desert Sahara Trade Roads, in the 1990s registered as historical attractiveness in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Furthermore, you have overnight in Riad/Hotel.

Day 11: Ouarzazate – Marrakech

After breakfast, we will depart for Marrakech through the famous Tizi–in-Tichka pass over the High Atlas Mountains. The range has snow on its peaks most of the year. Appreciate the beauty of the timeless landscapes on the twisted roads through Berber villages. Arriving Marrakech, check-in to the hotel or riad. We will have the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight accommodation will be at your riad or at the hotel.

Day 12: Marrakech – Essaouira

After incredible days in the Red City, we will leave Marrakech. When you finish your breakfast, it is time to go towards the Atlantic Ocean and Essaouira. It has long been considered one of the best anchorages on the Moroccan coast that is to be an escape site from the stress and busy life of Marrakech. So, we want to go to such a beautiful and silent town with a beautiful beach. The journey will take us through numerous villages scattered alongside the road, with beautiful scenery of Argan trees, and we will make a stop to see goats climbing the trees. Then later, we are going to visit a cooperative of one of the most famous and unique oils in the world, Argan Oil, also known as Liquid Gold or Moroccan Oil. You will visit a local ladies’ cooperative to learn how some fine cosmetic products which are locally had made out of the rich Argan oil. By the way, you can buy the oil and other products made from argan.
When we reach Essaouira, you will start your explorative journey of the city. The first site of the day is visiting the Skala Fortress; seeing Thuya wood carved by artisans; walking through the alleys of the medina, and viewing hundreds of handicrafts. Today you will have lunch the Moroccan way: freshly bought fish, cooked to order. In the afternoon, you will have some free time to wander around, go to the beach, and enjoy some time to yourself. Essaouira is known as the City of the Wind, and it attracts surfers from all over the world. Essaouira knew many civilizations–including the Portuguese occupation, which had affected much of its architecture. However, it remains a small village with much history. Because of its size, therefore, it has characteristic blue doors and washed walls are regarded as Morocco’s “Jewel of the Atlantic.” There is an annual festival of “Gnawa music,” where many musical groups come from different parts of Africa and the world. Usually, it starts in the second week of June. You have overnight at the riad.

Day 13: Essaouira – Marrakech

After an early breakfast, this day will be hard for us to say goodbye after greatness and an unforgettable experience. We pick you up from your accommodation and driving to Marrakech airport (RAK). The drive will take three hours to reach RAK airport. Our service of “13 Days Morocco Excursion From Marrakech” ends when we drop you off at the RAK airport.

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