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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Check out the highlights from my first Morocco group trip here!

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Ait Ben Haddou:
Add This UNESCO World Heritage Site To Your Morocco Bucket List

Ait Ben Haddou is a historic ksar along the former caravan route perfectly situated between the Sahara Desert and Marrakech.

You may recognize this historic Moroccan city from a slew of Hollywood movies and TV shows like Game of Thrones or Gladiator.

This mini Hollywood of Morocco has hosted a large number of films, including:

• Sodom and Gomorrah (1963)
• Oedipus Rex (1967)
• The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
• The Message (1976)
• Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
• Time Bandits (1981)
• Marco Polo (1982)
• The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
• The Living Daylights (1987)
• The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
• The Sheltering Sky (1990)
• Kundun (1997)
• The Mummy (1999)
• Gladiator (2000) 
• Alexander (2004)
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
• Babel (2006)
• One Night with the King (2006)
• Prince of Persia (2010)
• Son of God (2014)
• Queen of the Desert (2015)
• A Life On Our Planet (2020) and more!

First View

As you arrive at this UNESCO World Heritage site from the Sahara Desert, you’ll be treated to a spectacular first view. From the vantage point, you can see the entirety of Ait Ben Haddou, the river bed below, the lush green palms and the landscape beyond.

Watch a recap of our trip to this amazing citadel here:

Local Artists in Ait Ben Haddou

As you begin the descent to Ait Ben Haddou on foot, you will pass through a winding pathway lined with artists, vendors and musicians. Take a moment and watch one of the presentations on how they create the art using sand, henna and lemon juice. The artwork is plentiful, beautiful and super affordable!

As you walk along the pathway, you’ll see beautiful views of Ait Ben Haddou as you progress.

Touring local homes in Ait Ben Haddou

While most of the locals have moved out of the historic ksar and into homes nearby with modern amenities, there are still a few locals who live within the walls. As you venture through the site, you can visit their homes for a small tip.

Sunset Viewpoint

As you begin to climb through the village, keep progressing to the highest point for sunset! You’ll have incredible views over the entire site.

Join a future group trip here.

We visited here in collaboration with Cynab Voyages, check them out here!

Check out the highlights from my first Morocco group trip here:

Shop my Morocco essentials:

Cut-Out Print Maxi Dress

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Hydro Flask

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Glamping in Morocco’s Sahara Desert at
Madu Luxury Desert Camp

Glamping in the Sahara Desert is a total bucket list experience while traveling around Morocco. And if you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my stories from our recent stay at Madu Luxury Desert Camp.

The accommodation was dreamy. The staff was incredible. The food was great.

I have nothing bad to say about this stunning place except perhaps pack a small fan. The desert can be hot at night depending what month you’re there. In winter months, they have heaters for nighttime.

Overall, we absolutely loved this camp. It was the perfect place to unwind and spend two days enjoying the Sahara Desert.

Join one of my group trips in the future!

Gorgeous accommodations with full shower and toilet in each tent

The tents are actually a more permanent structure with a full bathroom set up. It is so luxurious!

The showers are tiled with great water pressure and the tents are equipped with a full-flushing toilet. It’s definitely glamping, not camping!

Swim at the Madu Riad pool after lunch

When things get hot during the day, you can head over to the Madu Riad for lunch and a swim in their gorgeous pool. It’s the best way to beat the desert heat!

Arrive by camel at sunset

Arriving at camp is half the fun! You will transfer from your bus to a fleet of 4WD vehicles to go off roading in the desert. Once you’re into the desert, you’ll meet guides and camels which will take you the rest of the way to camp.

(Meanwhile, the 4WD vehicles will meet you at camp with all your luggage.)

The desert is quiet and beautiful and golden hour. It makes for a marvelous arrival into camp.

Nightly campfires at Madu Luxury Desert Camp

Each night we’d have dinner at camp then end the evening with a fire and live Berber music.

ATV Excursion & Sandboarding

A highlight of our entire trip to Morocco was the ATV excursion we did with Madu Luxury Desert Camp. It was a favorite for everyone!

Truly one of the best ways to see the Sahara, the ATVs allow you to get off the beaten path and see the untouched beauty of the desert. Sweeping desert views and no one around…it can’t be beat!

Check out the highlights from my other Morocco group trip here:

Shop my Morocco favorites here:

Cut-Out Print Maxi Dress

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Hydro Flask

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Long Sleeve Boho Suit

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Hi-Low Midi Dress

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Read more: MOROCCO GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
CASABLANCA, BLUE CITY, FES & MARRAKECH

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Morocco Group Trip Highlights:
Casablanca, Blue City, Fes & Marrakech

In the month of May, I was joined by 10 amazing travelers for a bucket list trip around Morocco.

We explored this fascinating culture, ate tons of Moroccan cuisine, shopped in market places and had an incredible time getting to know one another.

Here are a few highlights from our amazing week together!

Watch the full recap of our trip here:

Day 1

Everyone arrived in Casablanca and we kicked things off with a welcome meeting and group dinner of Moroccan cuisine!

Shop my dress here.

After dinner, I made reservations at the famous Rick’s Cafe (you might recognize the name from the movie Casablanca!) for live music and drinks.

Day 2

We departed early for a road trip day with stops that included the beautiful Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the capital of Rabat.

We continued on to the famous Blue City just in time for sunset, Chefchaouen!

Our accommodation, Hotel Ziryab, was absolutely stunning! We walked through the winding blue streets to the main square for dinner where a henna artist gave us all beautiful and intricate designs.

Day 3

The next morning, some of us headed into the Rif Mountain countryside. We drove to the trailhead for a stunning but fairly moderate 6-7 mile hike to reach both the upper and lower Akchour Falls.

In the evening, we wandered the streets of Chefchaouen taking pictures and soaking in the views.

Day 4

On the way to Fes, we stopped at Volubilis, the most well-preserved archaeological site in Morocco. Centered within a fertile plain, the ruined Roman city of Volubilis has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1997.

That night we saw a wonderful cultural show in Fes, nearly all of us got pulled up onstage to dance! It was a highlight of the trip for many.

Day 5

In the morning, we headed out on a full-day tour of Fes and the Old Medina. This city totally captured my heart and is one of my favorite places in Morocco! We visited historic riads, handicraft workshops, wandered the tight and winding streets of the market and stopped by the famous Fes tannery. It was a full day of shopping, history and immersive culture.

That night we went to a stunning rooftop bar for drinks over looking Fes at sunset. It was truly spectacular!

Day 6

After an amazing two days in Fes, we hit the road towards Bin el Ouidane. This small rural town with a tranquil oasis of water couldn’t be more different than the hustle and bustle of Fes.

After a long drive through the mountains, we surprised the group with a sunset boat ride! The views were spectacular.

Our hotel that evening was a highlight for everyone.

Day 7

That morning our wonderful guide Lahcen, invited us for tea and cookies in his village with his family. It was such an honor to be welcomed into his home!

On our way to Marrakech, we stopped at the stunning Ouzoud Falls.

Here some very confident wild monkeys jumped on us for snacks. It was quite the shock, ha!

That night we joined a fantastic food tour that took us all around Marrakech. This was another major highlight for the group!

Day 8

For our final full day, we started with a sunrise hot air balloon over the Atlas Mountains.

It was truly a sight to see!

That afternoon we did a luxury hammam experience, complete with a one hour massage!

At night, we had free time for shopping before our farewell dinner. The evening ended with drinks overlooking Jemaa el-Fnaa, the main plaza in Marrakech.

Day 9

We said our goodbyes that morning as half the group flew back home!

Those of us who stayed a few extra days went for dinner in the desert that night.

Thank you to everyone who made this trip so memorable!

Our fantastic local guide has his own business leading trips, so check out Lahcen Morocco Tours for your next trip to Morocco. I highly recommend Lahcen!

To join a future group trip with me, check out the Travel With Me page!

Shop my Morocco favorites:

Cut-Out Print Maxi Dress

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