10 Days Essence of Morocco

Arrival in Marrakech your private driver will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel. Free afternoon to spend it at your leisure. Depending on your arrival time it's possible to arrange a guided tour of Marrakech.

You will be picked up from your hotel at 09am, meet your guide and start your Guided city tour of Marrakech, visit The Bahia Palace, Medrassa Ben Youssef, Dar EL Bacha, see the Koutoubia Mosque from outside  Souks and Jamaa el Fna Square.

Your driver will pick you from your accommodation in Marrakech and  leave Marrakech behind and drive North-east admiring the high peaks of the Atlas and crossing the enchanting landscapes of rural Morocco. Arrive to The white Ouzoud falls thunder down to the bottom of a chasm of greenery, all around which are found flour mills, monkeys, pools lined with reeds.You’ll have some free time where you can have a nice lunch and enjoy guided walk. After lunch we travel on to the tranquil and lush valley of Ait Bougmez, the ‘Happy Valley’,  crosses the beautiful mountains of geopark Mgoun, Overnight in a traditional Guest house.

The Aït Bouguemez valley is a great place to hike through authentic Berber villages and their stunning surroundings. After breakfast we will walk to the top of a beautiful hill, through a mosaic of fields to reach sites where many trace and fossils of dinosaurs have been discovered, they are impressive in size and the number. We will take a moment for pictures and souvenirs before we drive to our next destination. We will leave the Green Valley and drive along the River then cross the Oak forest showing a great view on the Rocher Cathedral. Enjoy a walk in the area. Free afternoon to spend at your leisure. Dinner and night stay at the hostel next to the Cathedral.

We leave this unique rocky outcrop to address the pastoral world of the High Atlas. After a series of passes exceeding 2000 m. we emerge on the high pastures Zaimouzen (village Khaimas). Passage through the village of Tagleft then the descent to the plateau of the lakes named by locals Tislit and Isli: the legend tells that Isli (the married) love Tislit (the bride) very deeply, but their respective families were against their marriage. They wept so much so that two lakes were formed, they now bear their names. This legend is very important to the Berber tribes of the highlands: the Ait Izza and Ait Brahim. After arriving to Imilchil, we will discover two wonderful lakes, where the purity and clarity of the atmosphere along with the diversity of an ancestral culture will bring you enlightenment and inner peace.

After breakfast we will drive to Merzouga through the Ait Hdidou Valley; this is a very traditional and authentic region with distinctive clothing and landscapes, Berber villages and ways of life. Later on we will drive through Gorges of Amellago, with a amazing mountainous landscape and worthy of pictures . Stop for lunch before we continue your adventure to the Sahara Desert. Continue to Erfoud, a bustling market town known for its date festival and famous for its fossil mining and artisan factories (you may have already seen some fossils in the markets). En route, you can see hillside mines where large rocks are taken from the earth. While in town, stop at a local artisan collective where you can learn about the types of fossils found in the area and see the full process of how the fossil-rich rock is transformed into beautiful objects, large and small.

Wake up early to catch a spectacular desert sunrise and enjoy an open air breakfast in the camp before you leave the Merzouga region and dunes behind, stop in the market town of Rissani, entering through its impressive gate. Known for its livestock auction, it's worth your time finding the 'donkey parking lot' to delight your senses as well as take a walk around its traditional market. Continue to the Oasis town of Tinerhir,  which offers fantastic views of old berber villages hugging the length of the extensive river oasis (30 miles or 48 km of palm trees).  Next we will reach the 984 feet (300 m) deep Todra Gorge where you will have time to explore the gorge with a local guide and relax in the cool water of the shallow Todra River for lunch. Leave Tinghir behind and drive to today's final destination Dades Valley. Upon arrival to Boumalne Dades, we will deviate into a secondary road heading up to Dades gorges; the area is known for the stunning rock formation and the Kasbahs along the gorge. It's one of the most scenic drives in the world. Dinner and overnight in a Hotel.

After breakfast, we will take a short walk in the Gorges of Dades, then depart to Ait Boutaghrar via the off road. We may visit a nomad familly if they still there. Follow the spectacular M'goun Valley and arrive in Kelaa M'Gouna, known for its Festival of Roses; here you can see extensively cultivated farmland bordered with fragrant pink rose bushes. Continue driving toward Skoura via the road of 1000 Kasbahs. The town of Skoura houses a number of impressive kasbahs, we will visit the most imposing one, the 17th century Amridil Kasbah — a masterpiece that had been printed in the country's 50 Dirham note. Skoura is one of Morocco’s beautiful oases, we will visit the palmery gardens and enjoy the abundance of its nature. Arrive in Ouarzazate, nicknamed "Hollywood of Africa" a town located on the main road between the mountains and the desert, Ouarzazate is made popular by the film industry. For a century, hundreds of movies have been shot in this region, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Game of Thrones, kingdom of Heaven, and many more. It is possibile to join a studio tour so to discover how the nearby desert landscapes have been featured in many films. Have lunch in one of the local restaurants. After lunch, we will travel to the nearby town Ait Benhadou village. We will have time to explore this famous UNESCO World Heritage Site with a local guide, . Overnight in a beautiful kasbah with Dinner.

After breakfast we will drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley that is full of bends in the road and surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, gardens, Berber villages, as well as small Kasbahs until you reach the village of Telouet. Arrive at Telouet Kasbah, the main seat of the Glaoui family. The kasbah boasts some of the best andalusion architecture with engraved stuccowork, colourful zellij tilework, painted cedar ceilings and doors. Meet your guide and learn the fascinating history of this crumbling yet stunning village and its role in the struggle for Moroccan independence. Drive across the High Atlas Mountains the highest mountain range in North Africa. Along the way, soak in uninterrupted views of the High Atlas Mountains and its beautiful Berber villages. Near the top, stretch your legs for a great panoramic view of the mountains. We will continue to Marrakech where our adventure comes to an end. Around 3 pm you will be dropped off in your Riad/Hotel or at the nearest parking lot to it.

Complete any last-minute gift and souvenir shopping. Or depending on your departure details, you may wish to check out Majorelle Gardens, Anima Garden....Leave the quiet behind and bring with you your memories as you make your way home.