Description
“Before Marrakech, everything was black. This city taught me colour, and I embraced its light, its insolent mixes, and ardent inventions.”“
Yves Saint Laurent
From Marrakech to Merzouga Desert
Yves Saint Laurent perfectly described Marrakech, one of the four imperial cities of Morocco. It’s impossible not to be fascinated by the blue of its sky, the pink of its city wall, the thousands of colors of its souks brimming with beautiful and unique handicrafts. Visiting its palaces, enjoying its museums, letting ourselves be overwhelmed by the daily evolution of Jemaa El Fna square (inserted in the UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage), getting lost in the medina’s narrow streets (UNESCO World Heritage Site)…it’s all something to do at least once in a lifetime.
Once the explosions of sounds and colors of this wonderful city are left behind, you can enjoy, even just for one night, the peace and tranquility of the desert: Merzouga awaits you.
Before reaching the desert, we’ll spend 3 days exploring the nature and the history of this wild and fascinating part of Morocco. From Marrakech, we’ll get to the High Atlas mountain range and after crossing the Tizi n’Tichka pass, we’ll go down towards Ouarzazate, we’ll stop to visit the Kasbah of Telouet, perched in the Atlas mountains range and the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The stop in Ouarzazate – built by the French in the 1920s as a French Foreign Legion’s outpost toward the Sahara desert on the crossroads of the Draa and Dadès valleys– will allow us to visit the kasbah of Taourirt and the Atlas Studios; Ouarzazate and its surroundings are often used as film locations for movies set not only in Morocco but in other places as well.
While on our way to the Dadès gorges, we’ll visit the Kasbah of Amridil a Skoura and we’ll cross the Roses Valley. Those who decide to do this trip in springtime will be lucky enough to see the blossom of the beautiful roses that grow in the surroundings of Kelaat M’Gouna which, between the end of May and the beginning of June, hosts an entire festival dedicated to this flower.
Another stop to admire the scenic Todgha Gorges and we’ll reach Merzouga, a small town on the edge of Erg Chebbi, a stretch of high dunes where you’ll finally meet the sand of the Sahara desert.
On the edge of which, we’ll leave the car to reach by dromedary riding the campsite where you’ll spend the night, after relishing the sunset on the desert.
The following day will be dedicated to the exploration of the desert, its world and its inhabitants. You’ll be welcomed by a nomadic family and you’ll savor the Berber cuisine and enjoy life in the desert.
Leaving the desert behind, the way back will start with the visit of the Ksar M’Aadid near Erfoud to continue through the Ziz gorges until Midelt, where we’ll spend the night.
We will continue North toward Volubilis, one of the most famous archeological sites of Roman Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an extraordinary example of the Roman presence beyond the Mediterranean sea’s shores. The triumphal arch, the basilica remnants with two opposing apses, the aqueduct, the Roman bath and a series of beautiful polychrome mosaics are all well-preserved.
A few kilometers from Volubilis, there’s the holy city of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun: every August, it’s a place of pilgrimage of thousands of Muslims because 5 pilgrimages to this city correspond to a trip to Mecca. The Mausoleum of Idriss I, a descendant of Muhammad, is the main monument of the town, but unfortunately, the non-Muslims will only be able to see it through the entrance door of the first courtyard or from, if they are willing to “climb” to, the panoramic terraces on top of the town. Worth mentioning is the Minaret, green-decorated and the only one in Morocco with a circular base.
We’ll spend the night in Meknes, the smallest of the Imperial cities, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. After visiting the town which boasts monuments of unique grandeur and the longest and tallest city wall of Morocco with richly decorated majestic gates of access, we’ll reach Fez, the final stop of our tour.
“Our Medina streets were narrow, dark, and serpentine-filled with so many twists and turns that cars could not enter, and foreigners could not find their way out if they ever dared to come in.”
Fatema Mern
With these words, the Moroccan writer describes Fez’s Medina in her book “Dreams of Trespass,” a true labyrinth of narrow streets that haven’t lost their original charm with their wooden balconies, old buildings, mosques, madrasas (religious schools) and the famous tanneries. The Medina of Fez – the biggest one in the world with 9000 narrow streets – was the first site of Morocco to be recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The tour, with a few itinerary changes, can also start from Fez to and in Marrakech.
The Tour Includes
The Tour Does Not Include
Write and tell us what you have in mind, we will suggest the perfect itinerary for you based on the dates of your trip!
