The Southern Oasis, Kasbahs & Desert Morocco Cultural Tour

The Southern Oasis, Kasbahs & Desert Morocco Cultural Tour
Do you want to spend a basic tour as many other people, or do you want to come with us to enjoy the extraordinary hidden corners and aspect of people and places in Morocco? I am sure this tour will make you change your stereotype about travelling just as your mood and your motivation as too.

Accordingly, this Southern Oasis, Kasbahs & Desert Morocco Cultural Tour will jump you off to some of the most fabulous places and sites of the southern east of Morocco and will make you live an unparalleled local experience . You will be driven via the spectacular piece of engineering Tizi n’Tichka and its pulse-racing series of switchbacks providing even more jaw-dropping views. Passing through the 1956 abandoned Glaoui Kasbah, Talouate the most magnificent sights of the Atlas, and the UNESCO-protected red mud-brick of Ait Benhaddou.

After this stopover point for lunch we will continue via a Thousands Kasbahs route to the gorgeous gorges of Dades and Todgha. Then, we set the compass for Morocco’s wildest desert of Erg Chigaga via Draa valley and a myriad of colors within the rolling hills and mountains. The landscape seems barren yet life finds a way to push its way through the rocky soil. Leaving the desert to the struggling village of Taliouine, the African center of l’orrouge (red gold) or saffron, the most expensive spice. Heading north to Marrakech via the other side of the high Atlas Mountain.

Itinerary day by day

Day 1 : Marrakech Airport Arrival

Welcome to the Capital of tourism and people’s first taste of Morocco. After you touch down to Marrakech our shuttle will be waiting for you at the airport with a card by your name.

Day 2 : Marrakech City Tour

Today, with your private Marrakech born and bred guide, you embark exploring the Red City from its old part with its Medina’s skinny lanes that leads to lavish sites, tombs and religious monuments decked out in marble. Bahia and El-Badii Palace and Saadien’s Tombs will be your targets. Afterward, you driver/Tour Guide will pick you up for the outside medina visit to explore the Majorelle garden, Museum Saint Laurent, Berber Museum. While in Marrakech you will surely encounter thousands of motorcyclists and horse-carts roaming in the city and some of them pull over next the vast square of Jemaa El-Fnaa where it’s carnival night every night and musicians, acrobats, storytellers and slapstick acting troupes tap into the Medina frenetic pulse.

Day 3 : Marrakech – Talouate – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Skoura

From Marrakech we jump-off to some of Morocco’s most stunning landscapes, set against the soaring peaks of the Atlas Mountains. We drive along craggy cliff tops to tiny Berber villages in the North Africa’s highest mountain range. As long as we drive towards Ait Benhadou we drive over the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2260m/7400ft) to the splendid Glaoui Kasbah in Talouate and the lush green Ounilla Valley all the way to Ait Benhadou, the UNESCO-protected red mud-brick Ksar from the 11th century, where we offer a local lunch experience with a family. While the more scenic route takes you via « Ouallywood » movie studio and the sprawling Taourirte Kasbah to Skoura with its historic mud-brick Kasbahs such as Amridil Kasbah the Morocco’s most 17th century coveted Kasbah.

Day 4 : Skoura – Dades Gorges

Via the valley of a thousand Kasbahs and 50km away of Skoura we cannot miss the bottles of local rosewater for sale in Kelaa M’gouna a small town that is famous for roses and daggers. After that we take off-road onto the Atlas and the M’goun Mountain to glimpse some best views along hidden livestock to the ancient rust-red and a series of crumbling Kasbahs & Ksour line the valley of Dades. While you are there you should not miss the Monkey toes, one of nature’s wonder. Here, is the best when and where to hike a couple of hours after you drop-off your luggage at the hotel and get dressed up.

Day 5 : Dades gorges – Todgha Gorges – N’kob

This morning we’ll head south when you’ll have the chance to see Todgha Gorges by day light with its gigantic rock walls changing color to magical effects as the day unfolds. Later on you leave Todgha gorges towards the rambling Ksar of N’kob with its prehistoric rock-carving sites and 45 mud-brick ksours make you stop by and stare. The name N’kob comes from a cave that once served as a lodging for nomads.

Day 6 : N’kob – Tamegroute – M’hamid El-Ghizlane – Erg Chigaga Desert

Today, we set the compass for southeast head to Morocco’s wildest desert via Draa valley, a 125km belt of palm trees oasis that eventually merges into the Sahara near M’hamid. We’ll stop in an unusual place that was once the most important settlement in the Valley of Draa with its green pottery. The Zawiya Naciria is still a site of pilgrimage and refuge for the mentally-ill and a working Quranic school with a library that was once the richest in Morocco of ancient illuminated texts containing 4000 books. Leave Temegroute through a dauntingly bleak landscape of sun-scorched rubble to the end of paved road of M’hamid El-Ghizlane to begin you off-road journey to Erg Chigaga where you’ll surely choose to drift off to sleep while watching the twinkling stars in mid of an awesome stretch of golden sand sea after dinner.

Day 7 : Erg Chigaga Desert – Zagora – Agdez – Taliouine

Wake by dawn to watch the sun starting its daily arc with a cool blue morning sky as it replaces the Sahara shadows just before becoming a glowing ball of fire. You will take the off-road out of the desert until M’hamid. About 100km along the road into Zagora we pass a mixture of modern houses and older Ksour edge the road with the palm groves along Draa valley to Agdez to traverse the brooding mountain of Saghro, a starkly beautiful jumble of volcanic peaks via Bougafer Mines in order to visit the dinosaur fossils and stopover for a while in Taznakht the Morocco’s capital of Carpet and rugs. Then we head to the struggling village of Taliouine and the African Centre of l’orrouge (red gold) or saffron, the most expensive spice.

Day 8 : Taliouine – Tizi n’Test – Marrakech

From Taliouine via the road that blasted through the high Atlas Mountain by the French in the late 1920s and famed by Tizi n’Test that offer one of the best panoramic drives in morocco. Heading north to Marrakech we will stop over for Tinmal village to visit the 1156-year mosque.

Day 9 : Marrakech departure 00:00

Airport Shuttle

Our Morocco Cultural Tour comes to an end today, we hope that you spent a good time with us. Pleae note three hours before your departing, your driver will pick you up to the Airport.

Map

Included:

⋎        Eng, Fr or Spanish-speaking professional driver/tour guide

⋎        Shuttle from and to the Airport

⋎        Accommodation: 8 nights

⋎        City Guide: Marrakech medina guided tours

⋎        Meals: 9 Breakfast, 5 Lunch with local families, 5 Dinner

⋎        Private Transportation: minivan or 4WD, camel

⋎        Air-conditioned vehicle

⋎        Visit to women’s cooperatives

⋎        Toll road fees, fuel charges and all taxes

⋎        Transport Insurance

Excluded

×        Flights

×        Travel Insurance

×        Gratuities

×        Entrance fees to historical monuments

×        Additional services

×        Drinks

×        Anything not mentioned in ‘included’