Morocco: Marrakech & The Sahara

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 2:30PM. Please plan for your flight to arrive at the airport in Marrakech no later than 12:30PM.

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.

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.

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.

Depart at any time.