Otherworldly Nomadic Sahara Desert Morocco cultural tour
Otherworldly Nomadic Sahara Desert Morocco cultural tour
8 Days Starting and ending in Marrakesh, Morocco
Visiting: Marrakesh, Aït Benhaddou, Zagora, Tamegroute, MHAMID ELGHIZLANE, Erg Chigaga, Foum Zguid, Tazenakht, Taliouine, Medina
Tour operator:
Tour code:
MSIT003
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 4
Physical rating:
Medium, Low
Age range:
3-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Meat, Halal
Tour operated in:
English , French , SpanishTrip Styles:
Adventure Tours, Camping, Safari Tours, Walking Hiking and Trekking
Interests:
Cultural, Eco Conscious, Photography, Special Guest Tours, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Private Available:
Request A Private Tour
Tour Overview
On this incredible private tour of Morocco's beautiful deserts and mountains, you'll be stunned by the natural beauty of the High Atlas and the Sahara, and amazed at the warm hospitality you'll receive from your local hosts/ Nomads, who will ensure you see Morocco at its most authentic. This eight-day tour is essentially a loop both starting and ending at the buzzing imperial city of Marrakech. You’ll swoop through jaw-dropping mountain ranges, trek across endless, beautiful deserts, gaze at otherworldly fortress cities, and be fully immersed in native Moroccan culture, from rural and city life, to the cuisine, to the music. You’ll be able to cool off from hot, dusty days of sightseeing with a cool swim in the idyllic Ouarzazate dam, and relax from trekking in the Sahara by a crackling campfire under an endless shower of stars. Hustle your way through the vibrant, colourful spice markets and experience the hectic lifestyle in Zagora Market, after experiencing the fascinating culture of a traditional Berber camp, far from civilisation. From magical music performances to the greatest Kasbahs and incredible meals, as rich in spices as Morocco is diversity, this is an experience not to be missed.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival Day
Location: Marrakesh Menara Airport, Marrakesh
Accommodation: Hotel, Homestay
Meals Included: No Meals
Welcome to Morocco’s capital of tourism and most people’s first taste of the country. After you touch down to Marrakech a shuttle will be waiting for you at the airport, identifiable by a driver holding a card with your name on it.
You’ll be taken straight to your Hotel/Riad to settle in before we start our journey.
Day 2 : Road Out Of The Hustle And Bustle
Location: Marrakesh, Aït Benhaddou, Zagora
Accommodation: Hotel, Homestay, Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast
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 Benhaddou we drive over the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2260m/7400ft) to the splendid Glaoui Kasbah in Talouat and the lush green Ounilla Valley all the way to Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO-protected red mud-brick Ksar from the 11th century, where we offer a home-cooked meal experience with a local family. While the more scenic route takes you to «Ouallywood» film studio and the sprawling Taourirt Kasbah. You descend into the Drâa Valley, a 125km belt of palm trees oasis that eventually merges into the Sahara near M’hamid, At Agdez, a classic caravanserai oasis with a still-pristine palmeraie, 17th century ancient mud-brick Kasbah and a secret desert prison then you get to a star attraction of the Drâa valley, Tamnougalt a 16th century fortified Ksar that perched on a hill 6km south of Agdez. Arriving to Zagora.
Day 3 : Into The Sahara
Location: Zagora, Tamegroute, MHAMID ELGHIZLANE, Erg Chigaga
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, we head to Morocco’s wildest desert via Tamegroute, 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 4 : Camel Explorations In The Desert
Location: Erg Chigaga
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Riding a camel is by far and away the best way to live the nomad life, explore the desert and listen to the eerie wind whispering its way through the dunes.
Today you will have the chance to live a real desert experience with your camel guide, heading out to discover the fauna, flora and history of the desert.
Lunch will be served in what must be the definition of the middle of nowhere, set amongst in the 300 meter-high dunes offering endless views to the horizon.
Day 5 : Farewell To The Desert
Location: Erg Chigaga, Foum Zguid, Tazenakht, Taliouine
Accommodation: Hotel, Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
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 exit Erg Chigaga heading north to Taliouine via a rough-road out of the desert through the 80s km long dry lake bed of Lac Iriki that made well-known by the Paris-Dakar rally and through the Sahel and Reg to Foum Zguid and then 85km north to Taznakht, a handy stop for a quick bite coffee, petrol and, yes, carpet. 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 6 : The Other Hidden Side Of The High Atlas Mountains
Location: Taliouine, Marrakesh
Accommodation: Hotel, Homestay, Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast
From Taliouine to Marrakech via Taroudant that is considered to be one of the most elegant purely Berber towns of Morocco with its majestic, tawny-brown and honey-gold circuit of 7km walls. While you stroll and linger around, note the distinctive, highly beautiful blue veils that many of older local ladies put on. Later on you will be driven 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 7 : Walk And Talk Marrakech Medina Tour
Location: Medina
Accommodation: Hotel, Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast
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 8 : Departure Day
Location: Marrakesh Menara Airport
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today is not goodbye, it is merely “take care and see you sooner rather than later” for another adventure.
Your guide will drop you off directly at the airport when you have checked out of your riad, and your whirlwind adventure will come to an end.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Accommodation is organised at all stages of the tour, you'll have typical Moroccan Riads and a Berber style tent in the desert
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Airport Transfers at Destination
A shuttle will be waiting for you at the airport, identifiable by a driver holding a card with your name on it.
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All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)
Private transport (4WD) throughout the tour so that you can simply sit back and enjoy the journey.
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Free Wi-Fi at Accommodation
All Accommodations are equipped with Wi-Fi
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Fully Guided
Professional Driver/tour guide throughout the trip City Guide: Marrakech Medina city tour
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Local Taxes
Toll road fees, fuel charges and all taxes
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Meals – Half Board
- Daily Breakfast in the hotels/Riads - 4 dinner - 2 lunch
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Visit to women's cooperatives
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Camel ride at the desert
Roam the desert like a nomad on the camel hump
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Local Experience
- An opportunity to meet up with locals and live like them - 2 Home cooked meals with local family
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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Entrance Fees
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Anything not mentioned in "INCLUDED"
Check out our Q&As
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Are flights included in this tour?
No
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Absolutely YES
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Are vaccinations required for this tour?
No
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
No
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes, you will find your host holding a card with your name, waiting to drive you to your hotel to settle in before you start your journey.
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
Yes
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No, because of the countries citizens do need a visa to get into Morocco territory
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
Sure!
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
just let us know. check the polici
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
As Long as
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
Your MSITravels' Driver/ Tour Guide
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
You're going to receive the tour details with accommodation, your driver/tour guide's name. More information under request
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Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
Absolutely, The main idea behind creating this social business is to help vulnerable families and to contribute by creating sustainable development in some vulnerable areas that need more attention and care. For that, 15% of the yearly revenue will go directly to two associations
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Officially, more than 5 Years
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Check it up on the profile
Reviews from Travellers on this Tour
Want a private tour?
Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
MSITravels allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 60 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
MSITravels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform msitravels, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
MSITravels requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 20 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of msitravels charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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