Morocco GD tour - 8D Kasbahs WEB

4x4 kasbahs and fairytales.
Tour designer: Fatima Lahricha
Telephone: +00 212 5 28 829 000
Email: lahricha@destinationservices.com
MOROCCO | 8DAYS / 7NIGHTS
Route: Round-trip from and to Marrakech
Type of tour: Culture
Departure days: Sunday
1
TOUR OVERVIEW
Explore the fairytale kasbahs of magical Morocco with this dramatic and exhilarating adventure in a 4x4 vehicle. Travel
across the barren highlands Atlas Mountains and the dramatic landscapes of the Draa Valley and visit the most legendary
kasbahs and oases in the country. Hop on a camel and make the trek to the desert to spend a night in a tented camp in
the heartland of Berber culture. This unforgettable tour ends on a high with three days in majestic Marrakech, the city
whose very name conjures the mystery and mystique of north Africa’s last kingdom.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Ourzazate: Discover the kasbahs at Telouet and Ait
Benhaddou en route to this bustling town, which is itself
home to the Taourirt kasbahl
Zagora: Explore the Draa Valley and tour Tamegroute
town during the day before heading out on a camel to
spend a night in a tented camp in the desert just outside
this bustling Berber market town
Oulad Berhil: Cross the desert and visit the remote oasis
towns of Foum Zguid and Taliouine before spending the
night in a restored riad palace
Marrakech: Enjoy three free days to explore the city at
your own pace or avail of some of our optional activities
DON'T MISS
Mark of Marrakech: Devour a delicious
kefta sandwich while having a henna
tattoo drawn on your hand or foot at
the city’s legendary Henna Café
Ceramic scene: Tamagroute is famed
for its green pottery, which can be
picked up – after some haggling, of
course – in many shops in the town
Scented infusion: The remote oasis of
Taliouine is renowned for its speciality
of mint tea with saffron, the ‘red gold’
which is its most famous product
DAY BY DAY
DAY 1 | ARRIVAL MARRAKECH
Check-in at hotel on arrival followed by dinner and lodging.
 Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a half-board basis.
DAY 2 | MARRAKECH – TELOUET – AIT BENHADDOU – OUARZAZATE (250km – 4 hrs)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before hopping into the 4x4 vehicle and climbing into the Atlas Mountains, passing through
the barren badlands of the Tizi N’tichka pass (2,260 metres above sea level) en route to Telouet. This remote highland
town was the bastion of a powerful pasha, who ruled from his imposing kasbah, which now lies in semi-ruin – a haunting
reminder of the Telouet’s former glories. Visit the crumbling kasbah and admire faded grandeur of this vast fortress
overlooking the town. Most rooms have lost even their ceilings and are at the mercies of the elements but the reception
rooms have remarkably survived in a more-or-less intact form and give an indication of the stunning stuccos and tiles with
2
which the kasbah was decorated. Enjoy lunch in Telouet before taking to the road again, following an ancient caravan
route, with extraordinary vistas, and which passes through Berber villages before arriving at Ait Benhaddou, which is
home to one of the most famous kasbahs of all and has been used as a location for of dozens of Hollywood movies. For
centuries, this oasis on the banks of the River Oued Ounila was a hub on the trans-Saharan trade route and that legacy is
writ large on the weather-beaten walls of the kasbah, which is crowned by the ruins of a fortified granary. Wander
through this beguiling UNESCO World Heritage Site and admire its timelessness before continuing to Ouarzazate for
check-in and dinner at the hotel.
 Overnight in hotel in Ouarzazate on a half-board basis.
DAY 3 | OUARZAZATE – DRAA VALLEY – ZAGORA (200km – 4 hrs)
Depart Ouarzazate after breakfast at the hotel, heading in a south-easterly direction the Tizi-n-Tinififft pass towards the
town of Agdz. Divert at Tamnougalt and take the track from here through the oases, villages and rugged scenery of the
Draa Valley before arriving in Zagora. Enjoy lunch in this oasis town in the shadows of the ruins of a kasbah and
surrounded by palm groves before an afternoon excursion to Tamegroute. This historic town is home to a collection of
priceless Koranic manuscripts (visit if open) and a number of ceramic workshops. Return to Zagora and enjoy a camel
riding experience through the desert before reaching the tented camp that will be your overnight base. Dinner is in the
camp. In winter, warm clothing is recommended for the stay in the camp.
 Overnight in camp in Zagora, on a half-board basis.
DAY 4 | ZAGORA – FOUM ZGUID – TALIOUINE – OULAD BERHIL (390km – 5 hrs)
Bid farewell to the camp after breakfast, heading via a desert track to Foum Zguid, a remote Berber oasis, stopping for
lunch here. In the afternoon, continue to Taliouine, a busy oasis town dominated by the semi-ruined Glaoui kasbah.
Taliouine is renowned throughout Morocco for its saffron, the world’s most expensive spice by weight. Continue to Oulad
Berhil for check-in and dinner at the hotel, which is located in a wonderfully restored and beautifully decorated hotel.
 Overnight in hotel in Oulad Berhil on a half-board basis.
DAY 5 | OULAD BERHIL – IMLIL – MARRAKECH (210km – 4 hrs)
Take to the road after breakfast the hotel, heading for Marrakech via the Tizi-n-Test pass (the route may change in winter
due to potentially adverse weather conditions) at more than 2,000 metres above sea level and by the village of Asni.
Arrive at Imlil, a tiny hamlet nestling in the High Atlas, where you can relax on arrival with a mint tea. After lunch,
departure for a trekking excursion (either by foot or by mule) in the Imlil area. Continue to Marrakech with check-in and
dinner at the hotel on arrival.
 Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
DAY 6 | MARRAKECH
Full day free at leisure after breakfast at the hotel. A number of optional excursions are available. In the evening, there is
the option of a dinner in an old palace in the Medina with a feast of traditional Moroccan dishes being complemented by
a spectacular show.
 Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
DAY 7 | MARRAKECH
Full day free at leisure after breakfast at the hotel. There is the option of joining the Marrakech Discovery tour, which
includes lunch. In the evening, there is the option of a fantasia dinner show at Chez Ali, which features performances of
local folkloric traditions such as belly dancing and a ‘tbourida’ equestrian show.
 Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
3
DAY 8 | MARRAKECH
Check out after breakfast at the hotel.
END OF SERVICES
INCLUDED
TOUR GUIDE:
 Operated with English and French-speaking guide during the whole tour (from day 1 to day 5) and with Englishspeaking local guides
ACCOMMODATION:
 Four nights’ accommodation on a half-board basis and three nights on a bed-and-breakfast basis
MEALS:
 Breakfast, lunch and dinner during services starting with dinner on first day and ending with breakfast on the fifth
day
TRANSPORT:
 Transfers in a 4x4 air-conditioned vehicle
ENTRANCE FEES AND ACTIVITIES:
 Admission to all museums and monuments mentioned in the itinerary
NOT INCLUDED








Visas and international flights, and airport taxes (clients pay direct)
Driver-guide gratuities
Tips in hotels and restaurants from day 1 to day 5: 80 dirhams/ pax
Entrance fees to Telouet kasbah (20 dirhams/ pax) and Taourit kasbah in Ouarzazate (20 dirhams/ pax)
English-speaking local guides in Ait Benhaddou, Taourit kasbah in Ouarzazate and Tamegroute (150 dirhams/ group)
Personal travel, baggage and medical insurance
Telephone bill, laundry and any items of a personal nature such as drinks
Transfers from airport to hotel and vice versa
RECOMMENDATIONS
Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting religious or official buildings
in Morocco. Shoes should be removed before entering a mosque or private house. Sun protection, sun glasses, a hat and
mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay
4