Morocco Group Trip Highlights:
Marrakech and the Sahara Desert
After a very successful first Moroccan group trip, I was so excited to welcome another 16 travelers to Marrakech! The previous week, we explored northern Morocco.
This week was all about the southern part of the country with highlights in Dades Gorges and the Sahara Desert!
Read: MOROCCO GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: CASABLANCA, BLUE CITY, FES & MARRAKECH
Day 1: Welcome to Morocco!
Everyone began arriving in Marrakech on our first day! Once we all checked into our hotel and dropped off our bags, we had a welcome dinner at the hotel.
We met our local guide, did introductions and talked over the week before heading to the Marrakech medina for drinks at my favorite jazz bar, La Pergola.
Day 2: Marrakech City Tour & Cooking Demonstration
We started our first full day with a tour around Marrakech. Our local guide Youseeff first brought us to Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech, with its minaret standing 230 feet tall.
Then we were off to the colorful and highly decorated Bahia Palace, said to be the first building in North Africa decorated with stained glass. Each room was more beautiful than the next!
After wandering the massive palace and taking plenty of photos, we headed to the Majorelle Garden, a 2.5 acre botanical garden, with a bright blue villa.
We walked along the winding alleyways of Marrakech until we reached the souks (marketplaces) and the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa Square.
That evening we attended a Moroccan cooking demonstration which was a highlight for everyone! Our host showed us his beautiful property and taught us all the basics of Moroccan cuisine.
We dined on some amazing food and plenty of local Moroccan wine.
Day 3: Drive to Dades Gorge
After breakfast at our hotel, we began to drive east to the gorges of the Dadès Valley, ‘The Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs’.
We stopped at viewpoints along the way until we finally checked into the stunning Riad Bahamou.
This is one of my favorite places I have ever stayed in all my travels.
The incredible staff truly treated us like family, often repeating this was our “second home.” And it really felt like that! Not to mention, the views and the property were SPECTACULAR.
If you’re visiting Dades Valley, I can’t recommend this place enough!
The food is amazing and there is nightly live music.
Day 4: Hiking & Enjoying our Riad in Dades Gorge
The next morning we had breakfast at our hotel before setting out for a challenging but super scenic hike! We climbed through narrow slot canyons, scenic valleys and historic villages.
During some moments of our hike, we found ourselves scrambling over enormous rock facades with the help of our expert guide. It was a blast!
After the hike, we came back to relax at our beautiful riad. We had an amazing lunch onsite then brought wine to the pool for an afternoon hangout.
After our mid day siesta, we headed to the best known viewpoint of Dades Valley, the winding twisting road that is famous on Instagram and tourism posters around Morocco.
That night, we had another scrumptious meal at Riad Bahamou with live entertainment and dancing.
Day 5: Sahara Desert & Sunset camel ride
In the morning, we departed for the Sahara Desert!
Our first stop was to visit a local nomadic family who has made the desert their home. They were so gracious and welcomed us for tea and fresh bread. It was a beautiful cultural exchange.
After our visit with the nomadic family, we had a scenic drive to the Sahara. The last 45 minutes, we transferred to 4×4 jeeps to off road over the dunes the rest of the way.
Once we arrived, we met our local guides and rode by camel to our beautiful camp. It was golden hour in the desert and truly spectacular.
When we arrived at camp, they served us welcome tea and treats before we settled into our tents.
Read: GLAMPING IN MOROCCO’S SAHARA DESERT AT MADU LUXURY DESERT CAMP
Madu Luxury Desert camp is exactly that…luxury! Each tent has large plush beds, an indoor toilet, seating area and full shower. Not to mention, the common areas are stunning!
That evening we had a fantastic dinner prepared onsite and ended the night with live music under the stars.
Day 6: ATV & Desert Glamping
Half our group woke up at sunrise for a second camel ride while the others slept in and enjoyed camp.
We had a leisurely breakfast and hung out at our site until about 11:00am when we went to a desert riad for a swim and lunch.
Afterwards, it was time for ATVing! This was another MAJOR highlight of the trip. Racing across the sand dunes and having the desert entirely to ourselves was an incredible feeling.
We then rode our ATV’s to a high peak and sandboarded down the steep desert slopes. Guides picked us up at the bottom and drove us to the top so we could ride down repeatedly without tiring. There were some hilarious wipeouts and lots of laughs!
That night we had dinner & more live music at the campsite. It was so dreamy!
Day 7: Morning Sahara Photoshoot & Ait Ben Haddou
We awoke early for an optional desert photoshoot that had to be moved from the night before due to high winds.
I had my camera out and helped capture photos of anyone who wanted some around camp. We took turns shooting photos on the dunes, with the tents and with each other while dining on breakfast and packing up.
Read: GLAMPING IN MOROCCO’S SAHARA DESERT AT MADU LUXURY DESERT CAMP
Ait Ben Haddou
After the photoshoot, we hopped back in the 4×4 vehicles to off road through the desert until we reached the main highway and could transfer to our normal bus.
We visited a Sahara fossil site and shop before continuing on with our drive to Ait Ben Haddou. It was a long drive but worth it once we finally reached this iconic location. You may recognize it from many movie & shows like Game of Thrones & Gladiator!
Read: AIT BEN HADDOU: ADD THIS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
TO YOUR MOROCCO BUCKET LIST
We then checked into the beautiful Riad Tamdakhte just in time to see sunset from their stunning rooftop.
Day 8: Shopping in Marrakech, Hammam Experience, Farewell Dinner
On our last full day, we drove to Marrakech and got there in time for lunch. After a bite to eat and some shopping, we checked into our hotel.
After that, we were off to our hammam experience! This traditional Moroccan bath is a huge part of the culture here and is both incredibly relaxing and slightly intimidating to tourists who aren’t used to bath houses.
That evening, we had our farewell dinner at a stunning Moroccan restaurant with a live show. The sunset from the rooftop was a beautiful way to end a truly fantastic trip. I’m so thankful for everyone in this group!!
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