MOROCCO PRIVATE TOUR FROM MARRAKECH

Duration 15 Days/ 14 Nights

Find the best places to visit in Morocco with Luxury Desert tours: explore where to go, view itineraries and read about Marrakesh, desert, camel ride, hiking and tagines. Booking

Day 1: Marrakech

You set the pace for your first day in Marrakech: a city voted best destination by TripAdvisor, in 2015 with hotels consistently voted on the best hotels of the world list. After you arrive at your luxury accommodation, choose to relax with Moroccan Mint Tea or explore in the comfort of a horse-drawn buggy. Tonight, dine at your accommodation: Imagine aromatic tagines, cous cous, pastille, and the famous Moroccan Salad plates. If this is your first taste of Moroccan cuisine, you’re in for a real treat. Fill your senses with the perfumes of roses, in your room full of typical warm Moroccan colors. We promise a luxurious bed and a soft pillow to erase your jetlag.

Day 2 : Marrakech

After breakfast, your Marrakech adventures begin. We’ll get to know this ancient city that sits at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Imagine sublime architecture and enchanting souks, the magnificent Bahia Palace, the Saadain Tombs where Saadian Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour ed-Dahbi spared no expense, importing Italian Carrara marble and gilding honeycomb muqarnas (decorative plasterwork) with pure gold to make the Chamber of the 12 Pillars a suitably spectacular mausoleum. We’ll visit French fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent’s former home and gardens where you can wander among the exotic greenery and cacti and be bedazzled by the blues of the Jardin Majorelle. Next, the famous Koutoubia Mosque with its stunning minaret and gardens. Lunch at a typical Moroccan restaurant. Next, we enter the heart of Marrakech: its Medina. Surprises galore await you here. Smell spices, taste olives, buy local handicrafts and specialities. And of course the famous Jemaa El Fna Square, with its snake charmers, storytellers, jugglers and acrobats. After, explore the souks’. Tonight, dinner at a ‘Thousand and One Night’ show in an ancient Moroccan Palace at the heart of the Medina. Fall asleep on memories only possible in Marrakech. 

Day 3: Marrakech - Ouarzazate.

If the heart of Morocco lies in the Medina then the soul of this magnificent, diverse, country rests in its landscapes, snow-peaked mountains and flat plains. Today, be touched by Morocco’s soul as we travel through the High Atlas, and cross the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (2260M). Stopping at the Argan Oil Women’s Cooperative where you can taste an oil reputedly with some of the best health benefits of all the oils, and experience cosmetics and hair products using this famous oil, unique to Morocco. NOTE: Kim Kardashian is a devotee! Then, lunch at the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO and subject of numerous films, such as ‘Babel’ (with Brad Pitt) and ‘The Original’ (with John Claude Van Dam). Also, ‘Alexander’ and ‘The Gladiator’. A stop in Tinfoultoune Kasbah and a visit to the Kasbah of Taourirt before we pass through the doors of the desert at Ouarzazate. Here we shop for handicrafts, artefacts, jewellery, and rugs from the villages of the Berber and Jewish tribes at the famous location for caravans. Tonight you’ll take your rest at a luxury hotel with dinner. 

Day 4: Ouarzazate - Merzouga

After a hearty breakfast, depart towards Tineghir Plateau, Skoura and El Kelaa (area of the olive trees), and along the Dades Gorge and Todra Gorges. Berbers built many kasbahs in the vicinity of the gorges for defence purposes. The kasbahs, together with Mother Nature’s natural beauty will astound you. Here, we discover the area of palm trees and the Valley of Roses, irrigated by the Asif M'Goun River. Continuing on to Erfoud we stop at the factories of the famous natural fossils where you can purchase all kinds of quality products made from the fossils. NOTE: Your items can be shipped to any destination in the world. Next, we 4X4 towards Merzouga sand dunes where the landscape will surprise you as we adventure and explore over volcanic rock and flat desert to take tea with a Nomad family. Step back in time, with your hospitable hosts. Luxury accommodation in the desert. Watch the sun go down. Photograph the colors and the sand dunes as they are in a constant state of change right before your eyes. Embrace the silence. Reach out and touch the Milky Way (well nearly) and if you want, take a camel ride. Tonight, our dinner is under the stars.

Day 5: Merzouga - Fes 

Few moments in life compare to waking in the desert, just before the sun lights up the expanse of a desert sky. Coffee and cake will be served on your own private sand dune. Expect goose bumps. Departure to Er Rachidia along the magnificent Ziz Gorges that provide a rocky passage south through the Tunnel du Légionnaire (built by the French in 1928). To the south, the valley widens and features a dense canopy of palms wedged between ancient, striated cliffs, dating back to the Jurassic period. Onto Tizin-n- Tichka Talhemt Village. Lunch at Midelt. Continue to Fes via Ifrane (the quaint ‘Swiss/Moroccan Village’ in the mountains) stopping for coffee and delectable pastries. On through the Mid Atlas Mountains to arrive to Fes and settle into your luxury accommodation before enjoying a typical Moroccan dinner. 

Day 6: Fes 

Fes, the holy city of the Cherifian Kingdom, is the most imperial of all the imperial cities of Morocco. The origins of the city stretch back to the era of the first dynasty of Morocco. We begin our visit of the spiritual capital at the best vantage point for panoramic view over the Medina at the Borj Sud (South Tower), then off to discover the pottery factories on foot; the souk, the dyers and the tanneries, the square and the Nejjarine Fountain, and outdoor views of the Karaouyine Mosque in heart of Medina. The narrow streets are busy and you’ll need to watch out for the donkeys. Lunch will be in an ancient palace in the Medina. In the afternoon, an outdoor visit of the Royal Palace, also the Jewish Quarter and its houses with forged iron balconies. The highlight of your day in Fes is a traditional dinner beginning with the famous Moroccan Salad taken at the famous Palais Faraj. Share the stories of your day while you dine and take in one of the most spectacular night views overlooking the world’s oldest Medina. Sleep well on your memories. Perhaps Fez will be your favourite of all!

Day 7: Fes -Meknes -Fes

Today we visit Meknes. Nicknamed the Versailles of Morocco. We stop by the famous doors of El Mansour and El Khamis. Lunch at Meknes before stopping to discover Volubilis, the ancient roman city of the 3rd century. The ruins remained substantially intact until devastated by an earthquake in the mid-18th century and subsequently looted by Moroccan rulers seeking stone for building Meknes. During and after the period of French rule over Morocco, about half of the site was excavated, revealing many fine mosaics, and some of the more prominent public buildings and high-status houses were restored or reconstructed. Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Fes. Relax before diner.

Day 8: Fes - Tangier 

On our way to Tangier we visit the ‘blue’ village of Chefchaouen, nestled in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. If it’s the season, we’ll stop along the way for pomegranates, roadside, and indulge on the delicious pink fruit. The powder-blue buildings in the village of Chefchaouen mirror a cloudless Moroccan sky - but it’s for religious reasons the houses are blue. Jewish teachings suggest that by dyeing thread with tekhelel (an ancient natural dye) and weaving it into prayer shawls, people would be reminded of God’s power. The memory of this tradition lives on in the regularly repainted blue buildings. The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. It’s a popular shopping destination offering many native handicrafts not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese, native to the area, is popular too. We’ll lunch in the village before heading to Tetouan, visiting its Medina that dates back to the 13th century, and then onto Tangier via the coastal road. Luxury accommodation and diner at your hotel.

Day 9 : Tangier

You’ll start with a tour through the Moroccan port of Tangier. In good weather, we can observe the Algeciras, the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar. The first half of the day is dedicated to the small and big souks, and the kasbah. We’ll lunch and continue towards Cap Spartel, a promontory in Morocco about 1,000 feet above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. Below the Cape are the Caves of Hercules. Return to our hotel. Relax, Hamman and spa or follow the paths walked by famous writers, drawn to Tangier, like Paul Bowles (‘The Sheltering Sky’) and William Burroughs (‘The Naked Lunch’), and stop off at one of their favorite cafes, Café Baba, Café de Paris, or Café Halfa. Head to the local Museum and track down the odyssey of Tangier’s famous son, Ibn Battuta. Dinner at our luxury accommodation. 

Day 10: Tangier - Rabat

 Today we explore Rabat: the administrative and political capital. You’ll tour the Hassan Tower; Mohamed V Mausoleum which is decorated with marble, also gold and onyx leaf, the Oudayas Kasbah and the King Palace. Relax at your luxury accommodation, hamman and spa.

Day 11: Rabat - Essaouira 

Departure to Casablanca, a guided visit to Hassan II Mosque, religious and cultural site which is erected on the sea and dominated by its minaret with a height of 210M ; which is the highest one in the world. Stop at popular Ricks Café for lunch before traveling the coastal road which offers beautiful views over the sea and lagoons. Stop in El Jadida, the Moroccan ‘Deauville’. Two hours outside Essaouria, visit the Old Portuguese water tank. A walk around Oualidia, a small resort and fishing port. Panoramic tour in Safi (place of ceramics and sardines). From that time, there remains an ocean castle, the fortress of the 16th century, a chapel, the remains of a cathedral and Kechla. And on toward Essaouira (Old Mogador). Luxury accommodation in the famous walled city by the sea. Diner at your hotel. 

Day 12 : Essaouira

Morning dedicated to the ancient, walled city, former Portuguese batteries, the port, the city walls, souks and artisans’ quarter, marketers. We lunch at the fish stalls by the sea. Free afternoon for personal discovery. Hamman and spa. Dinner in a local restaurant with lively local music.

 

Day 13 : Essaouira - Agadir

Today, we travel the way of the rugged coast road towards the biggest resort of Morocco: Agadir. We capture the sublime views from the hilltop kasbah that survived the 1960 earthquake. Built in 1541 and restored in the 1740s, the kasbah once provided housing for nearly 300 people. We overview the city and the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, known worldwide for rolling waves and wide stretches of soft sand. One of the best surf spots in the world, Agadir’s climate is temperate all year. We’ll Lunch along the way, visiting the small coastal village of Inezgane and its souks. You’ll fall in love with your luxury accommodation and a Moroccan meal to remember. 

Day 14: Agadir - Marrakech

Departure to the rich Souss Valley of Argan trees. Lots of farms, oranges, and vegetables along the way. A visit to Taroudant (Capital of Souss), and its luxurious gardens and fascinating crafts. Lunch in Taroudant then we continue to Marrakech. Luxury accommodation and dinner at one of Marrakech’s top restaurants, belly dancers, and a surprise location last night drinks watching the sun go down on Marrakech.

Day 15: Marrakech

Depending on your flight schedules, we’ll transfer you to the Airport of Marrakech and help you with registration formalities and special flight requirements before your departure. 

Booking