Cities and Desert Camel Riding Tour

Detailed Itinerary

6 Day / 5 Night Tour

Day One

Arrival in Marrakech - a warm welcome awaiting you by your driver / guide at the Menara airport. Transfer to your hotel or Riad where you will be given time to settle in and freshen up overnight. The next day will be devoted to sightseeing in Marrakech, the second oldest Imperial City and definitely the “Pearl of the South”. Founded by the Almoravids at the end of the 11th century. Offers up mystery and magic sitting in a lush oasis nestling at the foot of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. You will visit the famous the 16th century Saadian Tombs, Menara Gardens, the majestic Koutoubia mosque, and the beautifully decorated Bahia Palace. Optional lunch, continue with sightseeing in the famous Jamaa El Fna square, the lively central square filled with acrobats, snake charmers, fortune tellers, and a parade of other entertainers, which by day is a great market place of handicraft shops but at night is a place of non-stop entertainment with a huge open-air restaurants, vibrant nightlife, sounds and colors. Overnight

Day Two

Departure takes place in front of your hotel in Marrakech towards Ouarzazate through the Tizi- N-Tichka pass (2260m) in the High Atlas Mountains. From Marrakech to Ouarzazate, you will enjoy a snaky road, beautiful landscapes with different colours and the Berber villages along the way between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, the doorway to the Sahara desert. The next destination is a UNESCO world heritage site called “Ait Benhaddou” classified since 1986, where few Berber families are still living in this fortified Kasbah and supported by UNESCO. Ait Benhaddou Kasbah is one of many locations served as a natural decoration for many movies which were shot in the area such as “Lawrence of Arabia and Jesus of Nazareth” Take a walk and cross the dried river with your guide to discover Ait Benhaddou and dominate the Kasbahs once you get to the top of the hill. Afterwards, you will head directly to Ouarzazate where you spend the first night in a Moroccan typical hotel. Dinner & overnight in Ouarzazate.

Day Three

After breakfast, departure from your hotel in Ouarzazate, taking the road of 1000 kasbahs, you first get to Skoura palm grove where most beautiful Kasbahs of  the southern Morocco are located (Amerhidil Kasbah, Ait Abbou Kasbah...). The next city is Kelaat Magouna, a Berber city that celebrates the festival of roses each year, every first week end of May is an opportunity for locals to meet and sell the rose water and other products made from the rose. You will continue along the valley of roses until Boumalne Dades, another Berber village on the road of 1000 kasbahs. 45 km further, you will get to Tinghir with its beautiful palm groves. You continue to the gorges of Todra. Free time for lunch and trek along the canyons of about 300 m high. Afterwards you will leave to Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga Sahara desert. Enjoy a camel ride with sunset to get to the oasis where the camp is located. Spend the night in the bivouac at Merzouga Sahara dunes under nomadic tents or outside under shooting stars. Play drums with the camels drivers. Dinner & overnight in Merzouga Sahara desert camp.

Day Four

After having breakfast, camel trek back to the hotel at the dune line for a quick shower.  We will drive on to the small town of Erfoud famous for its fossilized marbles where you will visit the workshop production of marble containing fossils… Via Errachidia and  the Ziz valley which is dotted with palm  trees, Continue  our journey  to Fez, we stop on the road to enjoy  the panoramic  views over the beautiful  Ziz valley  before  crossing  the High Atlas mountains. Optional lunch in a town called Midelt. Then we pass by Ifran, a charming ski resort town and Azrou, an important handicraft centre specialized in cedar wood work. We continue to the legendary city of Fez. By late evening, you will be dropped at the hotel.  Dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day Five

Enjoy a traditional Moroccan breakfast. Then the tour is off to explore the oldest cultural and spiritual imperial city of Morocco, one of the best examples of a preserved medieval city. Fes, founded in the 9th century, has been little unchanged since then. A certified guide is available to help you navigate the serpentine souks and its medieval medina, a Unesco world heritage site crammed with narrow, winding streets, tiny squares, colorful honeycomb vats of the tanneries and artisan workshops to observe various craftsmen performing their work reminiscent of ancient techniques. Admire Fez’s Royal Palace and 14th century Mellah (Jewish Quarter), the largest in Morocco. 
Optional lunch followed by the visit of the Qarawiyyin University the oldest in the world and the sumptuous Nejjarine square and its beautiful fountain before finishing our tour by climbing the Merenids Tombs, which open onto a stunning panorama of Fez. Then leave to Casablanca via Rabat. Dinner & overnight in Casablanca.

Day Six

After Breakfast, we start the highlights of the city which will include an inside visit of the Hassan II Great Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world, then we proceed with a visit of the popular Mohammed V square, the United Nations Place, the residential district of Anfa and the surroundings of the Royal Palace before strolling along the Corniche boulevard the night life of the city line up with private and public beaches. Followed lunch, departure to Marrakech. Stay overnight in Marrakech.  Provide assistance and transfer to airport the following day.

Packing List

Clothing
Windbreaker or light jacket TIP: The sun can be unbearable during the day but at night it can get a bit chilly.  Take a windbreaker or light jacket just in case.
Comfortable jeans TIP: Riding a camel will not be very enjoyable if you wear shorts!  The camel fur is rough and jeans will protect your legs.
Sneakers or hiking boots or sport sandals TIP: Don’t take a new pair of shoes, you’ll get sand all on them and inside of them.
A hat, visor, or headscarf TIP: A desert headscarf works wonders to block the sun and the dust.
Sunglasses TIP: Don’t sit on them.

Electronics
Digital Camera TIP: A strap will help make sure you don’t lose it while trying to take picture as you’re bouncing around on a camel.
Extra batteries TIP: Fully charge all your batteries at your hotel before you embark.  There are no facilities to charge your batteries in the desert!
Lens and camera brush TIP: Get one such as the Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System for dusting off all the dust that will get on your camera.  Your camera will love you.  It worked wonders on ours!
Tripod
Alarm clock TIP: You can use your phone, but take a little alarm clock just in case your phone runs out of battery!
TIP:  To save space in your luggage get a collapsible water bottle. We bought a Platypus PlusBottle, 1 Liter with Push-Pull Cap and loved how we could collapse it in our luggage when not needed.   In fact if you travel anywhere you need this bottle.Flashlights 
TIP: You’ll have candles but just try walking out with one in the middle of the night when you need to go.   A flashlight will at least stay on.

Food
Non-salty snacks 
TIP: Overly salty snacks will make you thirsty, stay away from those.

Medicines and Lotions
Pain medicine 
TIP: Just remember, any medical facility is miles of camel rides away.  It will take a while to get there.
TIP:  For headaches use Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
TIP:  For bites, scratches, anything that’s swollen, use Ibuprofen (Advil)
Band-aids 
TIP: No need for a big box, just a few strips is good.
Antibiotic cream
Anti-Diarrhea medicine
Antacids
Antibiotics
Allergy medicine