Morocco Expedition from Tangier to Dakhla

Upon your arrival at Tangier or Casablanca Airport, our guide will warmly welcome you and transfer you to the Solazure Hotel, a haven of comfort and relaxation. The morning is yours to unwind, and in the afternoon, we'll take you on a cultural exploration of the enchanting city of Tangier. Visit the Kasbah and El Grand Soco, interact with the locals, and learn about their way of life. After a day of discovery, you can look forward to a restful night at the Solazure Hotel, a place that ensures your comfort and prepares you for the next day's adventures.

Today, we invite you to discover the picturesque city of Tetouan, known for its white towns and traditional fishing ports. As we journey through the evergreen red cedar forests of the Rif Mountains, you'll be captivated by the unique charm of the Berber villages that dot this undiscovered region. These villages, with their traditional architecture and warm hospitality, offer a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of Morocco. Our day will culminate in the enchanting mountain town of Chefchaouen, where you'll be immersed in its vibrant aura of beauty and charm. The town's blue-painted streets and buildings, set against the backdrop of the Rif Mountains, create a truly unique and picturesque setting. Explore the city's monuments and market, and then retreat to your hotel, where you can reflect on the day's natural wonders and relax in the midst of breathtaking scenery.

Today, your driver will take you on a day trip to visit historic sites and interesting towns on the road to Fez. You'll have the opportunity to explore the highlights of Meknes, a city that embodies much of Morocco's early history. From the Roman provincial capital of Volubilis to the creation of the country's first Arab dynasty in Moulay Idris, this excursion is a journey through time. Continue on to Fez, where you'll be treated to a delicious dinner and a comfortable stay at Hotel Merinides, a perfect way to end a day of cultural immersion.

The most ancient of imperial capitals and the most complete medieval city of the Islamic world, Fez is undeniably unique. Culturally and spiritually stimulating with its haunting and beautiful sounds, infinite visual details, and unfiltered odors, Fez seems to exist suspended in time somewhere between the Middle Ages and modern times. Besides its electricity, it owes absolutely nothing to the West. As a spectacle, this is an entirely satisfying experience and a learning process about the sophistication of the Moroccan artisan. In the morning, we visit historical sites such as the Bouinania Medersa, the Moulay Idris Mausoleum, the Karaouiyine Mosque, the Attarine Medersa, and the Nejjarine Museum. Lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant and continue exploring the Medina in the afternoon. Dinner and accommodation are at the Hotel.

The first hills you see of the Middle Atlas seem oddly un-Moroccan. Evergreen pines, tall cedar trees on the peaks, and poplars stand copiously on the foothills, laced with flowing streams. The road across is almost ceremonial. Azrou, the first real town of the Middle Atlas, stands at a significant junction of routes. It's an important market center and has long held a strategic role in controlling the Berbers of the mountains. The Middle Atlas ceases at Midelt, where suddenly, through the haze, the much greater peaks of the High Atlas formidably rise behind the town to reach a massive range, the Dgebel Ayashi at over 12,000 ft. The drama of this sight, tremendous in the apparent, calm noon, is the most compelling reason to stop over for lunch. Erfoud is one of the most pleasing southern routes: a dry, red belt of desert, and then suddenly, a drop into the valley filled with date palm groves. Dinner accommodations are at camp with the Tuaregs over the dunes of Merzouga. You can ride your camel to camp or hop in our Land Rover to cruise these gigantesque dunes.

We will start the day with an excursion to the ancient city of Sefrou. The town that thrived in Phoenician and Roman times was an outpost that linked Africa to Europe for trade. Caravans used to meet there to exchange goods and Vehicles from camel to mule. An old trade outpost of sub-Saharan origin, it is also a three-thousand-year-old spiritual center with many Judaic roots. Shrines and notable places around the city are pilgrimage sites to Moroccan Jews today. After hiking a little Middle Atlas to explore these landscapes, we will visit Bhallil to visit the troglodyte dwellings that have existed since Neolithic times and still serve the purpose. Return to Fez for dinner and accommodation.

An experience not to be missed is watching the sunrise from the spectacular Merzouga dunes of the Sahara, which are so beautiful that no words can describe them. Breakfast with the Touaregs and continue to explore the holy ancient city of Rissani. You will be offered a special visit for the Grand Fossils quarrels and workshops. Explore the marvels of adobe villages in the Tafilalet Valley. Later in the day, you will visit the oases of El Kenz and natural sites. Dinner and accommodation are in Erfoud.

The highest and narrowest gorges in the region are Todras, only 15 km from Tineghir. Traveling through the Dades valley in spring, you will find the bloom of thousands of Persian roses filling up the air with an ethereal aroma certainly from heaven - cultivated as hedgerows dividing the different plots. Thousands of Kasbahs scattered surreally as sandcastles standing erect in the shadow of time along the Dades River. Dinner and accommodation at Hotel Bougafer in Tinghir.

Travel in the morning to Zagora, exploring the marvels of the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the beauty of the Draa Valley oases and Kasbahs. Stop in Agdez and other sun-baked mud hamlets of small villages among this world's largest belt of continuous oases—dinner and lodging at the Tinsouline Hotel.

This is an exciting full-day excursion to the natural gateway of the Moroccan Saharan Desert. We will drive through the lowlands and then along the mountain passes to Tamegroute. There, we will stop to visit the famous Moorish Koranic Library, which has rare books and documents, some written on gazelle hide from the 13th century. We will return to Zagora.

Travel between the Sahara and the Atlas Mountains across some of the most remote and breathtaking landscapes in the Sahara Desert to reach the Oasis of Foum Zguid, where the horizons stretch the imagination to a feeling of vastness and isolation of the Sahara Desert. After lunch, we will cruise to Tata, where we will enjoy a night in a typical Kasbah raised from the ground to challenge the tallest palm trees.

Travel from the stark desert to the High Atlas Mountains lush plateaus, where this ancient village is nestled among almond groves. The afternoon will be devoted to the natural sites and Neolithic rock carvings this region is known for. A natural library scattered over these slopes has rich archives of humankind's ancient history. Dinner and Lodging are at the Hotel Les Amadiers.

We will travel across great Berber villages known for their distinguished beauty, primarily Through Ait Baha, which overlooks a valley with unique rock formations. Reach the walled medieval city of Taroudant at the gate of the rich valley of Souss. Dinner and accommodation are at a dignitary dwelling converted in our days to an atmospheric and intimate guesthouse, Riad Ennakhil.

Explore the city surrounded by regal, red-ochre walls, often called “Little Marrakech.” With its authenticity and conservative style, Taroudant today surpasses Marrakech's charm and beauty in the eyes of many discoverers, making it a day to enjoy the colorful pallets of a typical Moroccan city.

Depart to Imlil via Asni and Tizi n Test pass at 11,000 ft. in an impressive site dividing these mountains in two distinct aspects. One side acts as a shield to protect the hinterland from the Sahara's harsh and dry expansion; the other side collects the moisture of the Gherbi winds from the Atlantic Ocean, soft and evergreen. Such is the life of the Berber dwellers, a day of mountain hiking through the high peaks and deep valleys. This is an experience to treasure for a lifetime. Overnight and dinner will be at a guesthouse.

The morning will be devoted to trekking in the Toubkal plateau. After lunch, we will proceed to Marrakech to visit cliff-hanging villages and wards like Asni and Tahnaout. Arrived in Marrakech, the "Morocco City," as the early travelers called it, for it has always been a pleasure city, a marketplace where the southern tribesmen and Berber villagers bring in their goods, spend their money, and find entertainment. For tourists, it's an enduring fantasy - a city of immense beauty, low, pink, and tent-like before a great shaft of mountains, and immediately exciting—visit the famous Jemaa El Fna square. Dinner will be in a typical Marrakesh restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

The morning was devoted to discovering the historical sites, visiting the Menara irrigation pools, Bab Agnaw Gate, the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace, the Badia Palace, and the Dar Si Said Museum. In the afternoon, explore the vibrant souks of Marrakech. Dinner Fantasia will be reserved for you at a typical festivity of neighboring tribal dances and spectacular displays of horsemanship. Overnight will be at the Hotel.

Travel to Essaouira (Mogador), apart from the immediate impact of sea air and the friendly animation of the town, the predominant images of Essaouira are of the Atlantic - of the ragged coast and offshore islands, the vast expanse of empty sands trailing back along the peninsula to the south, and the almost Gothic scenery of the eighteen-century fortifications. Lunch will be at Chalet de la Mer restaurant overlooking the ocean. Dinner and accommodation are at Hotel des Iles.

In the morning, travel along the coastal Atlantic Berber villages and towns, visiting cultural and natural landscapes. We will stop for lunch at Agadir Port to enjoy the day's catch. The afternoon will be spent at the lagoon of Massa Bird Sanctuary to view natural wildlife, especially the Ibis habitat. We will camp naturally tonight at the beach of Algzira. Dinner will be around a campfire with local fishermen.

Travel for a full day along the Atlantic coast, with the Sahara Desert landscapes on your left and the Atlantic Ocean promontory on your right. Stop at some natural sites and local Bedouin markets to discover trans-Saharan daily life. We will overnight at Laayoune Camping.

Day 21: Laayoune – Dakhla After breakfast, we will travel overland to the Marvelous city of Dakhla. We will take off-road detours to visit desert nomad encampments and other natural landmarks. Dinner and accommodation will be at the Dakhla campground.

Enjoy a relaxing day visiting Dakhla's highlights and the natural stretched beaches. Dinner and accommodation will be at the Dakhla Campground.

Morning Departure to Dakhla Airport, then Mohamed V Airport to connect to your flight back home