Moroccan Mountains, Steppes & Sahara Discovery - Morocco Tours & Discoveries - Morocco

Moroccan Mountains, Steppes & Sahara Discovery

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16 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants

16 peopleMaximum group size

18 - 75 yearsAge range for participants

English, French, German, SpanishGuide language

Starts

Oujda, Morocco

Ends

Casablanca, Morocco

1 other person is considering this tour right now.

Highlights

Enjoy an overland expedition through Morocco (either by truck or off-road Land Cruiser)

Cover mountains, deserts and canyons of Morocco in 2 weeks. See the Moroccan Sahara

Hike over the dunes of Merzouga. See the beautiful African sky from your desert camp

Cross the Tizi-n-Test Pass located in the High Atlas Mountains

Itinerary

This 16-day, private, adventure trip is for those who like to rough it up a little. Traverse the diverse landscape of Morocco with experienced tour guides and see some of the best desert and mountain scenery the country has to offer.

Feel like an explorer as you set on an overland journey that takes you from the heights of Atlas Mountains to the plains and desert of Morocco. Take in the unparalleled natural beauty that this country has to offer while exploring the rural culture of this place and meeting members of different communities along the way.

Enjoy nights under the glittering African sky and hike trails mostly unknown to the outside world. Far away from the glitz and glam of cities, you will get the chance to experience the true culture of this country in Berber villages, tribal markets, humble homes and nomad camps.

Your journey starts from Oujda, a major Moroccan city near the northeastern border with Algeria. From there you will travel to the dunes of Merzouga and the Todra Gorges before crossing the Tizi-n-Test Pass, located in the High Atlas Mountains, to reach the Marrakech.

The trip comes to an end in Marrakech from where we will drive you to the airport in Casablanca. Please scroll down to go through the itinerary.

Note: Although this is a group tour that requires a minimum of four travelers to be carried out, we can organize it in a private format as well. Feel free to click on the "Make An Enquiry" button on the top right of this page to send us a query if you are interested.

day 1 - Oujda Airport arrival

Meet our representative on landing in Oujda Airport. A trip briefing at your hotel is followed by a sightseeing tour of Oujda's old city. See Bab El Ouahab, Saint Louis Cathedral, the Grand Mosque of Oujda and a clock tower.

Stay overnight in Oujda.

Duration:4 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel at Hotel Ibis

Meals:Dinner

day 2 - Oujda– Ain Beni Methar – Tendrara – Bou Arfa

Set off to explore one of the most remote corners in Morocco that is yet to appear on the Lonely Planet list of Morocco's trekking routes. Hop into off-road vehicles with your group and drive across the massif of Jebel Metsila, passing by typical Berber villages of Guenfouda and Jbel Bou Keltoum to reach the Jerada Pass.

Hike down to the lush steppes of Marija where we will stop for lunch after visiting the Rass el Ain springs and the cascades of Benimathar. The afternoon will be devoted traversing a desert where the only inhabitants are nomads who can cope with vastness, isolation and remoteness of the desert life.

Stop at Borj de Trarite Rhars-Allah where you can have mint tea with the locals. Then proceed to Tendrara and continue onward to Bouarfa, where we will set camps for two nights. Enjoy your dinner in Bouarfa town and spend the night in a desert camp.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 3 - Bou Arfa – Figuig and Zenaga oases – Bouarfa

Continue your hike to Figuig, which is located on the Morocco-Algeria border. A less-visited oasis absolutely under the tourist radar, Figuig is nevertheless a beautiful valley with palm groves where you can experience authentic Saharan life.

Leave your vehicles over a hill and hike down a footpath to the oasis of Zenaga, as well as Merires village and the town of Figuig itself, where adobe hamlets punctuate dense green palm groves. Lunch will be in a typical kasbah where a local family will offer you local staples unique to this region. Experience life in an oasis as you explore the trails and alleys of Saharan hamlets.

Hit the road back to your camp in Bouarfa late in the afternoon.

Duration:12 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 4 - Bouarfa – Boudnib – Meski Blue Springs

Continue your trek to Boudnib after breakfast. The next destination on today's itinerary is the lush oasis of Meski, where we will set up our camp and enjoy lunch.

Head out to the Ziz Valley and the canyons of El Kenz in the afternoon. Hike through the trails leading to Ksar Jdid Ait Amira. Explore Zaouia Jdida and Douirat oases by foot. Stop for tea at a local's home in Burj Yardi where your vehicle will be waiting to take you back to your camp at Meski.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 5 - Meski – Merzouga Dunes – Rissani – Erfoud – Meski

Your day starts early today. Travel to the dunes of Merzouga, one of Morocco's most popular highlights, and enjoy hiking over the dunes. See an amazing sunrise from the Sahara Desert. Then take a camel to Kasbah Leila, where you will enjoy your breakfast.

You are off to Rissani after that. Despite the advent of modernity, Rissani still retains its old-world charm and is a centre of trade in the sub-Saharan region. A local guide will show you around town. Learn more about life in a desert and tribes like Bedouins and Tuaregs who live here.

Have your lunch in Rissani then get into the vehicle for a return drive to Meski with a detour to Erfoud, where you will visit its souks. Have dinner while listening to Saharan music in Meski and get back to your camp for a good night's sleep.

Duration:10 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 6 - Meski – Tinghir – Todra Gorges

Time to leave Meski. Today, you will get the chance to behold one of the most popular natural landmarks of Morocco, the Todra Gorges.

Drive to Tinghir after breakfast and meet your local mountain guide who will take you on a sightseeing tour of terracotta villages and castles made with sun-baked bricks. Then head out to the Todra Valley which you will explore on foot during a hiking trip.

Learn more about the life of the people in the valley, specially he history of Judaism among the Berber tribes of Ait Atta. Your hiking continues after lunch before it is time to return to Tinghir for dinner.

Stay overnight at Kasbah Lamrani.

Duration:6 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel at Kasbah Lamrani

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 7 - Tinghir – Anif – Zagora

Leave Tinghir for Zagora in the morning. Enjoy beautiful scenery of the Anti-Atlas (also known as the Lesser Atlas) along with the Jbel Saghro along the way. The Jbel Saghro range is defined by unique rock formations and the austere beauty of a lunar landscape.

Hike through Berber villages at high elevation to reach the lush Draa Valley, where greenery prevails amid bone-dry, desert landscape thanks to the serpentine Draa River. Continue past Agdez and other hamlets with stops along the way. Your journey comes to an end on reaching Zagora, where you will stay at Tinsouline Hotel.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Guest house

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 8 - Zagora – Tamegroute – Tinfou – M'Hamid

A full-day hike awaits you today in Zagora, the gateway to the Moroccan Saharan. Drive through the lowlands and then along mountain passes to reach Tamegroute. Stop for a visit to a famous Moorish Koranic library, home to rare books and documents, some are written on gazelle hide and dating back to the 13th century.

Continue your journey through the sandy terrain all the way to the dunes of M’Hamid El Ghizlanes, located in the heart of the Moroccan Sahara. Tonight, you will camp near Iriki Lake. Do not forget to see the starry African sky before going to sleep.

Duration:6 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 9 - M'Hamid – Foum Zguid – Tata Oasis

Explore the trails between the Sahara and the Atlas by foot. Your journey today will take you through some of the most remote and breathtaking landscapes unique to this part of the world. Traverse an immense plateau to reach Foum Zguid Oasis, where the horizon forces your imagination to comprehend the vastness and isolation of the Sahara Desert.

Continue to the paved road in the direction of Tata Oasis, your final destination of the day. Spend the night in a typical kasbah.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Guest house

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 10 - Tata Oasis – Guelmime

After breakfast, we will continue our adventure discovering Bedouin caravan trails west to Guelmime, an ancient trading outpost, namely the exotic oasis of Guelimime. Caravans still gather in this oasis once in a year during a fair to buy, sell and barter goods brought from major sub-Saharan countries of the Sahel and West Africa and sometimes even from as far as East Africa.

Guelmime is, in fact, a bustling souk at the edge of the desert connecting North Africa to the sub-Saharan countries of the Sahel.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Homestay

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 11 - Gulemime – Tiznit – Tafrout

Leave Goulimine in the morning and travel to the jewel of southwestern Morocco, the magnificent Tiznit. Named after a woman who has left her mark in Moroccan myths and legends, Tiznit still lives up to the reputation of its founder. Here is where you will find the best silversmiths in Morocco working on beautiful Berber jewellery. Your lunch will be at one of the best eateries in the Berber region of Souss.

Continue with your adventure after lunch, traveling through the backroads as you head for the lush plateaus of Ait Baha in the High Atlas Mountains. Spend your afternoon hiking and exploring Neolithic rock carvings this region is known for.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Guest house

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 12 - Tafrout – Ait Baha villages – Taroudant

Travel across Berber villages known for their distinguished beauty and along the trails of Ait Baha. Stop for lunch at the exotic Tiout Oasis. Reach the walled medieval city of Taroudant, located at the entrance to the valley of Souss.

Explore the city surrounded by red-ochre walls, often referred to as 'little Marrakech' with your local guide. One can even argue that Taroudant surpasses the charm and beauty of Marrakech with its authenticity and traditional Berber style. You will stay in a riad tonight.

Duration:10 hours

Accommodation:Riad Other

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 13 - Taroudant – Tizi-n-Test Pass – Imlil

Proceed to Imlil via Asni and cross the Tizi-n-Test Pass, located at an elevation of 2,093 m. Today's hike involves the Atlas Mountains and deep valleys.

Duration:8 hours

Accommodation: Guest house

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 14 - Imlil – Asni – Marrakech

The morning will be spent exploring the Toubkal Plateau on foot. Leave for Marrakech after lunch. The centre of finance in Morocco now, Marrakech was earlier a marketplace where southern tribesmen and Berber villagers brought their wares and spent their money buying goods. Your dinner tonight will be at a typical Moroccan restaurant.

Duration:6 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel at Imilchil Hotel

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 15 - Marrakech city sightseeing tour

Go out on a walking tour of Marrakech with your local tour guide today. Discovering the historical highlights of the city in the morning. See the Menara Gardens, Bab Agnaw Gate, Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace. Explore the vibrant souks of Marrakech in the afternoon.

Tonight's dinner will be Sheherazade Restaurant.

Duration:6 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel at Hotel Imilchil

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

day 16 - Marrakech – Casablanca Airport

We will drive you to Mohammed V International Airport for your flight back home. We hope you have enjoyed every moment of this small-group overland tour. Please let us know if you would like to extend your Morocco stay.

Duration:3 hours

Meals:Breakfast

Moroccan Mountains, Steppes & Sahara Discovery

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What's Included

Meals: 15 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 14 dinnersAccommodation as per the itinerary, in hotels, homestays, camps and riadsPickup and drop-off transfers. Overland transport as per the itineraryExperienced, English-speaking local guidesHiking trips and sightseeing tours as per the itinerary

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a good tour as it is run by a trusted travel specialist who has received 2 reviews for other tours with an average 4.5rating.

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By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:

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Easy, secure booking process. Trip itinerary was laid out in detail and very specific. I’m a solo traveler and appreciated that it was clear to me exactly how much the single supplement was and not a problem for the tour.

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