Explore Morocco in a different way. This adventure not only explores the Imperial Cities, it also takes you to the spectacular Todra and Dades Gorges, the Kasbahs of the south, palm groves and whipped sand dunes. Along with spending a night in your own private camp in the desert you'll also experience the country by foot, camel, bike and four-wheel drive. Get a taste of the lush villages nestled among the cedar forest in the Middle Atlas mountains with a traditionnal bush lunch. Discover the atmospheric old city of Fes wandering with your local guide through the colorful stalls of the markets and visiting artisans workshops where metal and leatherwork are still practised by master craftsmen. Round off this trip with an authentic stay in the middle of the dramatic snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. Located just 45 minutes outside of Marrakech it's the perfect end to this incredible journey.

Fès is the most ancient and impressive of the imperial cities. Built in the eighth century, it has more history and mystery than anywhere else in Morocco. The medina (market) in Fès El Bali is one of the largest in the world and is also on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It is a huge maze of winding streets and covered bazaars where you can buy almost anything. It is particularly good for carpets, rugs and ornate metalwork.

A private vehicle with English speaking vehicle will provide a transfer from Casablanca to Fes.  The approximate travel time is 4 hours.

Explore the cultural and spiritual center of Morocco during this full day tour of Fes. Also known as Fes el Bali, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century, and is home to the world's oldest university. The city of Fes reached its true economic and cultural height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Merinids, when it replaced Marrakech as the capital of the kingdom.   Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fes has retained its status as the country's Artisan centre. Artisan workshops in the medina are as active today as they were 100 years ago, and strongly contribute to the city’s industrial economy. Trades such as blacksmithing, leather working, ceramics, silk, tapestries, and sculpting are still practiced in these workshops today. The original ramparts still protect this ancient city and its estimated 9000 narrow passageways and bustling streets.

Riad Laaroussa is a gorgeous riad in the heart of Fez medina. Riad Laaroussa offers a haven of peace by a team invaluable care and efficient services, making your stay unique.

Overnight at Riad Laaroussa.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day.

After breakfast, your local chef will meet you at your hotel with your private car and driver. You will drive southwards towards the foothills of the Middle Atlas to spend the day near to the town of Azrou, nestled amongst the cedar forests for which Morocco is renowned.   You will help your chef to prepare a traditional Berber bbq in the forests; this is designed to be a fun, interactive experience after which you will enjoy lunch of your morning’s culinary efforts. After the lesson you will have the chance to explore the forests and the town of Ifrane. Mechwi is an important part of ceremonies in Berber villages. It is the main course at weddings or in ceremonies honoring an important guest. In villages where every family has a herd of sheep and goats, it is deemed an honour if a family slaughters one from his herd. Mechwi may be cooked either over a pit or in an oven under the ground, depending on the region. Ceremonies usually take place at night and while the meat is roasting, the celebration commences. Guests gather around the pit and play drums, sing, dance and talk.

Overnight at Riad Laaroussa.

The dunes of Erg Chebbi are a spectacular natural formation, the highest dunes in the country rising up to 300 meters at their highest point and best appreciated for watching the sun rise or set. They are approximately 28 kilometers in length and stretching away from the dunes, east and south towards Algeria, is a vast expanse of barren, rocky plains known locally as ‘hammada’.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer between Fes and Erfoud. Travel through the scenic cedar forest and across the Middle Atlas Mountain range to Midelt, where a lunch break is scheduled.  Continue onwards towards Erfoud through the Ziz Gorge passing en-route the ancient, holy city of Rissani and the ruins of Sijilmassa, a once capital stopping locale for the old caravan routings of the 8th century. The approximate travel time is 7 hours.

Enjoy a traditional Moroccan lunch at the hotel Taddarte in Midelt.

A 4x4 vehicle will be waiting for you to continue your adventure by heading towards the dunes of Erg Chebbi, possibly the largest dunes in the Sahara desert. The dunes of Erg Chebbi are a strikingly strange natural formation. On the top of the flattest area you could imagine, suddenly a long mountain of sand rises. This mountain is surrounded by flat and desolate nature on all sides, and you could end up wondering if it really is real. But so it is, even if its existence is so weird that it has given rise to legends and myths among the locals. Upon arrival at the camp you will witness the sunset from over the desert dunes and be astounded by the peace and calm as well as the changing colours of the landscape. If you're up to it you can also ride a camel!

Enjoy your special night under the stars at this beautiful Oasis in a premium tented camp. Experience a camel ride at sunset and sunrise from the top of the dunes. Your desert experience includes an authentic Moroccan dinner under the stars and breakfast in the morning.

Overnight at La Belle Etoile Bedouin Camp.

Boumalne lies at the entrance of the Dades Gorge. Dadès Gorges is a gorge that lies in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco.  Berbers built many kasbahs in vicinity of gorges with defence purposes. These many kasbahs with combination of natural beauty contributes to high tourist attractivity in recent years.

After breakfast, departure by private car to visit a local fossil extraction sites near the town of Erfoud, a short drive from Merzouga. The ‘hammada’ region is home to abundant findings of fossils and beautiful rock formations. With a sharp eye, it is quite possible to walk in this region and stumble across many unusual treasures within a few footsteps. You will end the tour with examples of which will be displayed in the Fossil Museum.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer between Erfoud and the Boumalne/Dades area.  The approximate travel time is 4 hours. 

Continue westwards to the date-palm oasis town of Tineghir, crossing the Jebel Sahro mountain range. Lunch will be taken here at a local home, the ideal opportunity to enjoy famed Berber hospitality and to gain an insight into a way of life far removed from the West’s. Expect to taste a rather special dish of Saharaoui stuffed bread.  Just beyond Tineghir, visit one of the most striking natural sights in Morocco, the Todra Gorge. Craggy and pink-coloured rock walls of up to 1,000 feet loom over a lush narrow valley dotted with oasis-like date palmeries and irrigated fields of grain. Walk to explore its depths; it is also a haven for rock-climbers.   Continue to overnight accommodation near to the town of Boumalne Dades.

At an altitude of 1612m, surrounded by majestic mountains at the very spine of the Atlas range, whose impressive ravines sketch out to the winds in the sky, the Xaluca Dades Hotel, enjoys a panoramic view of the Dades Valley, sprinkled with friendly Berber villages and snowy peaks.  Hotel Xaluca Dades offers 110 beautifully designed, welcoming rooms, exquisitely decorated with materials from different African countries.  It is a true paradise in the middle of the mountains.

Overnight at Xaluca Hotel.

The oasis of Skoura's claim to fame is its long line of kasbahs along two seasonal rivers. Its appearance may be deceptive to many, being so long, it may recall images of a forest more than a huge oasis. Still it is even larger, most of the oasis runs north from the road. The most impressive among the many attractive kasbahs is the Amerhidl, dating back to the 17th century. Its design and grand size made it fit to illustrate the back of the Moroccan 50 dirham note.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer from Boumalne/Dades to Skoura.  The approximate travel time is 2 hours.

Travel by a privately driven vehicle westwards to the date-palm oasis of Skoura, via the route of ‘1,000 Kasbahs’, to your overnight accommodation. En route, enjoy a short walk through the Dades river gorge, to the village of Ait Youl. Marvel at the natural beauty of the unusual rock shapes and colours that enclose the lush farmland on the banks of the river. View the ruined splendour of the abandoned Kasbahs perching on vantage points along the gorge.

Take a two hours exploration of the palm grove, or of the environs by horse, bike, or quad. The views of the High Atlas from here are simply wonderful.

Located at the entrance of Skoura when you arrive from Ouarzazate, the Kasbah Ait Ben Moro is 1 mile from Skoura and 23 miles from Ouarzazate. It is located at the edge of the palm grove near Skoura and faces the snowcapped mountains of the Atlas range. Opened 5 years ago, this XVIII century Kasbah welcome visitors in a moderate comfort. Moroccan lounges, terraces and patios allow you to relax.

Overnight at Kasbah Ait Ben Moro .

Marrakech, founded over 1,000 years ago, is also known as the ‘red city’, from the natural red-ochre pigment that colours its walls and buildings, and is perhaps the most famous city in Morocco. A combination of the old (the Medina) and the new (Guéliz), Marrakech is an exotic cocktail of sights and sounds. Its roots are Berber, rather than Arab, having developed as the metropolis of nomadic and Atlas tribes (from the plains and Sahara desert). Once upon a time, Marrakech was the marketplace for goods of all type (slaves, gold, ivory) brought by caravan from distant Southern empires, a commerce which shaped its souks and carnival way of life.

Travel today between Skoura and Marrakech in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver.

Relax as a private vehicle with English speaking driver provides a transfer to Marrakech, for a visit to the village of Ait Ben Haddou.  Located approximately 60 kilometers from Skoura this fortified village (or ksar) is ideally positioned along a once frequented, ancient caravan route linking the Sahara and Marrakech. Ait Ben Haddou has been used in numerous Hollywood film productions for its distinctive architecture. In 1987 this famed location was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Next, travel to the village of Telouet, located approximately 1 hour north of Ait Ben Haddou. Telouet hosts one of the area's most recognized structures, the palace of the 'Lord of the Atlas.'  This palace was the residence of the once Vizier of Marrakech, back in the early 20th Century. An evocative relic of the time when the Glaoui clan ruled over the Atlas and Marrakech, the palace was the family’s Headquarters and was situated in a dramatic location, on a broad mountain valley, providing sweeping views of the peaks on all sides. Continue from here back onto the main road back to Marrakech, crossing on the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka passage through the High Atlas Mountains range on the way. Whilst passing take time to notice the many beautifully-terraced valleys and adobe villages perched precipitously on the hillsides.

Riad Amina invites you to discover the welcoming atmosphere of an authentic aristocratic household. A veritable haven of peace and tranquility deep inside the vibrant old city of Marrakech, our luxury guesthouse keeps alive all the traditional, stylishness, warmth and comfort from which the great house's of Marrakech were once so famous for. True to its centuries of history, and in keeping with the way of life of the rich an noble families whom used to inhabit it, Riad Amina continues to marry modern luxury with a traditional atmosphere.

Overnight at Riad Amina.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day.

After breakfast you will be met at your hotel and taken on a full day guided tour of Marrakech. Your tour usually starts at the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque but you can discuss all of the options with your guide. The mosques beautiful minaret dominates the skyline of Marrakech and can be seen from almost every approach to the city thanks to a long-standing planning ordinance that forbids any other building in the old city to rise above the height of a palm tree. You will also visit the El-Bahia Palace, this 19th century palace is elaborate in its decoration and was built over a period seven years for Ba Ahmed, the son of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa, there are row after row of apartments—that once housed Ahmed's harem—a trapezoidal garden, a huge tiled courtyard, and many hidden treasures, both in the form of antique objects d'art and the palace's convergence of Andalusian and Moorish architecture. One of most visited sites in Morocco is the Saadian Tombs which were only accessible via the mosque next door. However, in 1917 they were opened to the public and can now be accessed via a narrow passage that leads to an enclosed garden watched over by two mausoleums that include more than one hundred mosaic decorated tombs. The Koranic School Medersa Ben Youssef which is a Theological college founded by the Merenid Sultan Abu Hassan in the 14th century, and restored in 1564 by the Saadians who made it the largest theological college in the Maghreb and a rival to the important Medersa Bou Inania in Fés.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Overnight at Riad Amina.

High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas Mountains, is a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa. Among the summits at 1600 m height lies the Kasbah of Télouet on the road to Marrakech. The canyons and ravines of the Dadès and the Todra are also impressive.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer between Marrakech and the High Atlas Mountain region.  The approximate travel time is 1 hour.

Enjoy a half day of canyon climbing around the High Atlas Mountain region today. This experience requires some strenuous movements but can be done even those with very little canyon climbing experience. All equipment, including footwear, is provided for. Begin this vertical tour as the team leader guides a downhill journey through the canyons and narrow streams, boasting some fantastic perspectives.

The Kasbah du Toubkal is an extraordinary venture, the product of an imaginative Berber and European partnership. There is a shared belief that the beauty of the Toubkal National Park should be accessible to all who respect it. To this end the Kasbah has been transformed using traditional methods, from the home of a Feudal Caid into an unprecedented haven; one that provides a variety of accommodation and event possibilities to meet differing requirements.

Overnight at Kasbah du Toubkal.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day.

After breakfast, you will be met at your accommodation by an English-speaking mountain guide and taken on a day’s trekking in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains and a stroll in the fields and orchards of apples, peaches, cherries and apricots. Visit the old hydraulic mill and village olive press (both still in use). Have lunch with local family. Visit Takherkhort Reserve and take you chance in spotting a Barbary sheep or one of the 150 species of birds native to the area. Enjoy another cup of refreshing mint tea and watch a presentation of how to make Berber bread. Fresh bread made Al fresco, locally produced organic olive oil, wild thyme and lavender organic honey for dipping your bread in (yum yum)! The trekking is not physically demanding and you will criss-cross a river valley and gentle slopes.

Overnight at Kasbah du Toubkal.

A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer from the High Atlas Mountain region to Casablanca.  The approximate travel time is 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Depart from Casablanca International airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.