This adventure is designed to immerse you in the authentic and lesser-known gems of Morocco and the captivating Southeast region, offering a rich blend of culture, adventure, and relaxation. You’ll journey through the breathtaking High Atlas Mountains, where dramatic landscapes and traditional Berber villages provide a glimpse into a way of life steeped in history. Continuing onward, the tour takes you to the mesmerizing Sahara Desert, where you’ll experience the vastness of golden dunes and the tranquility of star-filled nights. Along the way, we prioritize staying in charming, locally-owned accommodations that reflect the warmth and hospitality of the region. You’ll have opportunities to engage with the Amazigh (indigenous) people, learning about their unique traditions, cuisine, and stories passed down through generations. A significant focus of the tour is giving back to the local communities we visit, ensuring that your journey contributes positively to the region’s preservation and growth. With a thoughtful balance of adventurous excursions, cultural exploration, and serene downtime, this experience promises memories that will stay with you forever.

We will pick you from Marrakech airport and take you to your locally owned riad in

the magical medina of Marrakech.

Founded in the 11th century and renowned for its treasure trove of mosques, palaces, and museums, Marrakesh is the most visited of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities. At its heart is the medina, the original walled settlement around which the rest of the city was built. A maze of narrow streets and magical souks, its cobblestone streets are traversed by pedestrians and donkey carts instead of cars, and have changed very little in the hundreds of years since they were first laid out. Feel like you have stepped back in time!

Depending on your arrival time, you may either wish to relax this afternoon on your

riad’s sundrenched terrace, enter the Majorelle Gardens for a self-guided tour, or wander around the souks and Jma al Fna this evening. Everything comes to life at nighttime in Marrakech!

Optional dinner on a terrace in the medina tonight with panoramic views over Jma al Fna square.

Get some rest before our real adventure starts tomorrow!

Full day in Marrakech: after a delicious traditional Moroccan breakfast in your riad, we will head out to our first NGO visit at Association Amal. We will visit Amal’s beautiful training center in Targa and take part in a 3-hour cooking class, where you will learn about Moroccan culture and cuisine as well as the work of the Nonprofit Organization. You will make your own Moroccan dish from scratch as well

as taking part in a traditional Moroccan tea ceremony before finally eating the

results of your hard work!

After lunch, we will enjoy a walking tour of some of Marrakech medina’s historical

and cultural sites with a guide, including the Koutoubia Minaret, the beautiful Palace

of Bahia and the Ben Youssef Quranic School.

This evening there are options: wander around the souks for a shopping experience

like no other, relax on your terrace, or go for a traditional Moroccan spa treatment

such as hammam or massage. 

Breakfast and Dinner included. 

Today is our community engagement day! We will leave the city to head up into the

High Atlas Mountains and explore parts of the beautiful countryside, discovering

the traditional Amazigh (Berber) way of life. This region was most impacted by the devastating earthquake of September 2023, and many communities are still working to recover from this life-changing event. Depending on group interests, skills, and community needs, activities today include organizing English-based lessons in a local primary school or participating in a youth activities day in a village where you can share your music, art, or sports skills.  There will also be time to enjoy a short hike in the village, take in the spectacular surroundings, visit a local family, and learn more about the way of life in these remote parts of the mountains.

Overnight in a locally owned mountain guest house, where you can enjoy the peace of the mountains. 

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included 

We will leave our accommodation in the mountains after breakfast and head

Southeast, going through the Tizi N Tichka pass with stops for panoramic views and

taking pictures of the small Amazigh villages that dot the landscape.

Then, we will continue south to the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou where

we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986).

After lunch, we will continue to Ouarzazate, also known as “The Gate of the Desert.”

In Ouarzazate, we will have two options for how to spend the afternoon: the chance to take a fun and interactive guided tour of the Atlas Studios, where famous films have been shot on this spectacular stage, including Gladiator and Game of Thrones OR, if you're feeling adventurous, embark on a journey through the desert on horseback, taking in the beautiful scenery. 

Breakfast and dinner included. 

After breakfast, we will depart for the Draa Valley, where you can see one of the

longest rivers in Morocco. On the way, we will make a few stops to enjoy the view of

the spectacular kasbahs that dot the road and the beauty of the Draa valley. We will have lunch in Nkob or Alnif and then continue driving to reach the wonderful Merzouga dunes. Here, we will swap our motorized transportation for a 4-legged one (camel!) to enter the heart of the desert. When we reach the camp, you will enjoy the sunset and then dinner before spending the night in the dunes, listening to traditional Amazigh music and stargazing. Our luxury desert camp has cozy beds, hot water, showers, and private bathrooms in each tent.

Breakfast and dinner included. 

To get the most out of your desert experience, we recommend waking up early in

the morning to watch the splendid sunrise over the Sahara dunes. After breakfast in

the camp, we will head out into the heart of the desert. This is a really magical day,

and a very unique experience.

We will stop in Ramlia, a sleepy desert village, and the end of the tourist trail. Along

our way today, your guide will stop to share with you his local knowledge of the

desert, from edible desert plants and tree sap to the signs left behind by desert

creatures moving at night. We will have a picnic lunch before continuing our

exploration of the surrounding settlements.

In the evening, we have a very special experience planned for you. You will spend the night in the sand in a traditional nomad tent made of goat hair, surrounded by

nothing but the desert. Unlike other accommodations, there are no other camps around – this is a truly authentic desert experience. You can learn more about the nomadic way of life, and how families survive out here in the desert. We will enjoy a candlelit dinner cooked over a wood fire outside, before spending the rest of the evening relaxing under the stars and soaking up the silence of the desert.

Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner included. 

After waking up to catch another splendid sunrise over the Sahara dunes, we will

head to Agdz off-road via the famous moto-rally road connecting Paris to Dakar.

In the afternoon, we will arrive in Agdz. With endless palm groves and beautiful

earthen clay architecture, the fortified ksour village of Agdz is located on the old

caravan route connecting Marrakech to Timbuktu and played an important role for

merchants carrying goods across the Sahara.

We will take a drive to visit the Tizgui Pools, a magnificent natural pool surrounded

by palm and fig trees, where you can take a dip if you are feeling brave! We will return to spend the evening in a beautiful lodge nestled in the palm groves, where you will enjoy dinner. There is also the option to have a traditional Moroccan hammam tonight at the lodge.

Breakfast and dinner included. 

After breakfast, we will make our way back to Marrakech through the stunning mountains. We will stop for lunch in Ighrem n’Ougdal, a spot high up in the mountains with stunning panoramic views. 

We arrive in Marrakech in the afternoon, and you'll have the option to go

shopping in the souks, take part in a traditional Moroccan painting activity led by a

local artisan, attend an outdoor yoga class, or simply spend the afternoon

relaxing at the riad. Tonight, we will stay in a beautiful, small, locally owned riad (hotel) with an outdoor pool, where they will host a special goodbye celebration meal with local live music before our departure tomorrow!

Breakfast and dinner included. 

Today, your amazing Morocco adventure with us ends! We will transfer to the Marrakech airport as a group after breakfast.