Amazigh art and culture tour

Where: City Marrakesch, airport

Who: all ages

When: Marrakesch city pick-up, all seasons

What: History Roundtrip

Included: Driver, 4x4, guide, stay over night, half board

Not included: Flight, lunch, drinks, insurance, tip

Bring: Walking shoes, warm- and rain clothes, walking sticks, camera, sun-cream, -glasses,-hat, day bag, bottle of water

Discover spectacular landscapes, explore remote kasbah's, immerse yourself in Amazigh art and history with families over a cup of Moroccan tea and a tajine.

Marrakesch - Ouarzazate - Dades - Todgha Gorges - Erfoud - Merzouga desert - Nomad village - N’Kob - Tizi N’test - Setti Fadma - Marrakesch

8 days, 7 nights

Day 1 330km, 6h Marrakesch – Ouarzazate – Dades After breakfast we drive to Ouarzazate over the great Atlas passes - Tizin-Tichka (2260 m) and reach the village of Ait Ben Haddou, one of the most magnificent Kasbahs. It is a beautiful example of traditional Berber architecture and was seen in many Hollywood movies. Ouarzazate, fascinates with a diverse and contrasting landscape. Countless clay Kasbahs, mountains and dry plains alternate. Valleys and green oases, palm groves and villages of red-brown earth make up the charm of the region. So we follow the road of 1000 Kasbahs till we get to to the oasis town of El Kelaa of the Mgouna, famous for its rose oil. Continuation to the Dades valley where we have a nice dinner and a deep sleep.

Day 2: 260km, 3.5h Dades - Todgha Gorges - Erfoud - Merzouga desert
Today we will drive along the river to Todgha Gorges, where we will hike through the incredibly high rock walls (up to 300 meters).After this impressing natural monument we drive to the town of Erfoud, where we visit an amazing fossil factory and learn how to excavate, polish fossils into beautiful objects. Then we continue to Merzouga and get on the camels to ride into a Berber Camp at the foot of the dunes in the Sahara Desert. Later on you have some times to explore the dunes on foot till dinner. After a nice Tajine we enjoy the music of the berber under the starry night sky and sleep in peace after all.

Day 3: 260km, 5h Merzouga - Nomads village – Rissani – N’Kob After breakfast, we pack everything up and bring you to the sand-sea dunes near the Algerian border. We have the opportunity to meet a nomad family and learn about their lifestyle. Along our drive, you will be enchanted with the view of the lake at Ait Sareji, especially in springtime, when it attracts pink flamingos and many other birds. Then we hit direction of Rissani which was once an important market for caravans traveling through the sub-Saharan region, we will visit this impressive market and also the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, where the father of the founder of the Alawite dynasty is buried. After lunch in a family we will continue to N’Kob a impressing Kasbah where we stay over night.

Day 4: 240km, 3.5h N’Kob - Taznakht - Taliouin We leave towards Taroudant passing through the Anti Atlas mountains, where the landscape is not very desert and the mountains have different shapes. We cross the mountains of Sirwa and the village of Taznakhte, a well-known Berber town with its handmade Berber carpets; we continue to Taliouine who is famous for its production of saffron and is one of the main exporters of this spice worldwide, here we stay overnight.

Day 5: 260km, 5,5h Taliouin - Tizi N’test - Tinmal - Asni - Setti Fadma After breakfast, departure towards the High Atlas over the pass of Tizi N’test. It will take us some time to get up the winding road but you will have a incredible view on the top. We pass different Berber villages till we get to the mosque of Tinmal. The historically significant place, was the nucleus of the Almohad Empire. The partially restored mosque, which is also open to tourists, dates from the mid-12th century and is indescribably beautiful in its simplicity and clarity . After this impressing place we will drive in the direction Asni. If we are lucky, we have the chance to go to the market. After lunch, we will hit the road to the valley of Ourika, also called the green valley. Short before we reach Setti Fadma we cross the Ourika river and bring you to our family guesthouse.

Day 6: 1.5h walk ore 3h hike Amlougui - Setti Fadma In the morning you can decide for a visit to the waterfall of Setti Fadma and have lunch by the river. Ore hike up to Agouns where we see the shepherds with there goats. We have a pick nick and enjoy the pure nature. In the late afternoon you have the chance to visit our village, learn how to make berber bread ore cook with us a Tajine for dinner.

Day 7: 64km, 1,5h Amlougui - Marrakech Your breakfast will be a little earlier because we bring you to Marrakesch where you have a city tour. We will bring your luggage to you Riad in the meantime, your guide will take you to the most beautiful palaces and monuments of Marrakech. Like the 19th century Bahia Palace, the 16th century Saadian Tombs and the Koutoubia Mosque. If you need some silence, go to the secret garden and enjoy the green. In the Souks, they will sell everything from leather and carpets to spices and jewelry. Jemaa el-Fnaa is perhaps the most famous town square on earth. Today it will be our last dinner and we will share it in a typical moroccan restaurant.

Day 8: Marrakech - Airport Today is your last day. We bring you to the airport and hope we could make you happy and you had a unforgettable time with us here in morocco and you will come again.