Southern Morocco: The Sahara, The Coast & Marrakech

Arrival Day. Make your way to the joining hotel for a brief welcome meeting before driving to Ouarzazate for an overnight stay at our accommodations there. Please arrive at the hotel meeting point before 1:30PM. Please plan for your flight to arrive at the airport in Marrakech no later than 11:30AM.

In the morning before leaving the group will explore the famous atlas film studios in Ourzazate and learn a bit about the film making in Morocco. Drive to Zagora and then to Mhamid. From there head out into the Sahara desert for two nights of camping under the stars. The walk will take about two hours and we will arrive at the camp around sunset. Enjoy a cup of tea and watch the colors change in the sky as the sun slips below the horizon. From Ourzazate we drive to Zagora along rural roads. In Mhamid (Oulad Edriss) we meet the local crew and start the desert journey to Erg Lihoudi. Any luggage will be brought to camp by jeeps. Dinner will be served fireside. The camp is in Erg Lihoudi. Our camps will be comfortable, but still somewhat basic. You’ll see some spectacular night skies.

Wake up to a stunning sunrise, enjoy some breakfast at camp and then start the day. This is our second day of the Berber desert journey. Then you have a choice of walking or riding a camel to our lunch stop. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Sahara as you travel like people have for millenniums. After lunch we’ll enter the 21st century again and travel to the next desert camp by 4x4. Arrive at the oasis of Bertam to catch sunset before having dinner fireside with stories and music.

After another sunrise out in the desert and some breakfast at camp the group will travel to Zagora by 4x4. Enjoy some free time to shower, freshen up, and relax by the hotel pool after our Sahara adventure. After lunch continue on to Skoura. Explore this oasis city famed for its date palms. Have dinner as a group in Skoura.

Travel back to Marrakech and enjoy free morning to see the city. In the afternoon the group will attend a cooking demonstration and learn how to make tanjia, a different form of tagine. We'll make the dish and seal it in the clay pot to cook overnight in the hamman. Then, explore the various food vendors in the Medina with your CEO and learn about the different ingredients. End the day with evening tea on the rooftop terrace overlooking the main square of Jemaa El Fnaa.

• El Badi Palace: Visit the ruins of what was once the most ornate palace of the 16th-century. Its sunken gardens and pools give a glimpse into its former glory.
• Musée de Marrakech: Wander around the salons of the ornate Mnebhi Palace displaying various collections of Moroccan art forms.
• Marrakech Hammam Visit: Visit a hammam, a great way to get squeaky clean and soothe sore muscles. Enjoy a body scrub and massage in a traditional Moroccan bathhouse. Begin with a dry or hot room to prepare your skin and body, followed by a hot steam room. Then enjoy a body scrub and massage followed by a traditional mint tea.

Visit the important sites within the medina this morning with stops at Jardin Secret, Bahia Palace, and Ben Youssef Madrassa. End the morning adventure with a trip to the bakery to learn a brief introduction into Moroccan bread making, then have a taste. Collect your tanjia lunch on the way back to the Riad. Enjoy your own cooking as lunch on the terrace. The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore Marrakech on your own. Don't miss a chance to visit Jardins Majorelle with their vibrant blue garden houses and thriving plants.

• Musée de Marrakech: Wander around the salons of the ornate Mnebhi Palace displaying various collections of Moroccan art forms.
• Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Museum: One of Marrakech's most iconic sites, Jardin Majorelle was a masterpiece from French artist Jacques Majorelle and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Take in the beautifully designed botanical gardens, exotic plants, fountains, and the famous cobalt-blue architecture known as "Majorelle Blue". Next, visit the Yves Saint Laurent Museum located next to the striking gardens, dedicated to the life and work of Yves Saint Laurent. The museum showcases a rotating collection of the designer’s iconic creations, sketches, photographs, and personal archives, highlighting his connection to Morocco and his influence on fashion and art. **Please note - This activity cannot be purchased locally due to limited availability and must be confirmed in advance
• Djemaa El Fna Market Square Walk: Wander past fresh orange juice stalls and water sellers in colourful costumes reminiscent of an era past. See storytellers, magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines as the day progresses. When the sun sets, the square fills with dozens of food stalls, and is packed with locals, entertaining chefs, and waiters.
• Koubba Ba’adiyn: Visit one of the lasting relics preserved after the destructive Almohad rule - a 12th-century shrine displaying the sophistication of earlier Almoravid architecture and design.
• El Badi Palace: Visit the ruins of what was once the most ornate palace of the 16th-century. Its sunken gardens and pools give a glimpse into its former glory.

Enjoy a free day in Marrakech to explore the electric energy and timeless charm. Perhaps take in the Jardin Majorel and Yves Saint Laurent Museum before joining the group for an optional farewell dinner.

• Hot Air Balloon Marrakech: Get an early start and watch the sunrise over the red dust, palm groves, and majestic open landscapes of Marrakech from a hot air balloon. After soaking up the sights, refuel with an authentic Amazigh breakfast in a Moroccan tent.
• Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Museum: One of Marrakech's most iconic sites, Jardin Majorelle was a masterpiece from French artist Jacques Majorelle and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Take in the beautifully designed botanical gardens, exotic plants, fountains, and the famous cobalt-blue architecture known as "Majorelle Blue". Next, visit the Yves Saint Laurent Museum located next to the striking gardens, dedicated to the life and work of Yves Saint Laurent. The museum showcases a rotating collection of the designer’s iconic creations, sketches, photographs, and personal archives, highlighting his connection to Morocco and his influence on fashion and art. **Please note - This activity cannot be purchased locally due to limited availability and must be confirmed in advance

Set off to Essaouira after a free morning in Marrakech. Upon arrival, visit the port to learn from the local fishermen then set off on a guided walking tour of the city.

Today we go local. Drive to Sidi Kaouki then join a local family for lunch and a bread making demonstration. After lunch enjoy free time to stroll the beach or get your adrenaline pumping with a surf class, kite surfing, or a yoga session. Return to Essaouira and spend the remainder of your evening however you wish.

Travel to Agadir today with a few stops en route. First up is Tamri beach where views of the shoreline and rock formations will take your breath away before an exhilarating sandboarding experience on the nearby towering dunes. Continue on to Agadir to the Souk Lhed where your taste buds will be delighted on a walking food tour. Later, take in the sunset from cable car.

Enjoy a free day in Taghazout. Here the beach is beautiful and the vibe is a charming mix of local fishing village paired with an understated surfer's paradise. Choose to join your CEO at the Argan Museum, exploring the art of argan oil or explore the beach and local surf culture. Head back to Agadir for an optional farewell dinner in the Marina.

After breakfast transfer back to Marrakech, about four hours from Agadir, arriving around 12pm. The tour ends on arrival to the airport or at the Marrakech hotel for those have booked post-tour nights. Please do not book departing flights any earlier than 4PM.