Marrakech was founded in 1062 under the reign of the Almoravid king Yusuf ibn Tashfin. Quickly many mosques and madrassas were built and the city became a major center for traffic between the western Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa.
Many palaces were built using Andalusian craftsmen from Córdoba and Seville, who brought the Umayyad style characterized by carved and lobed arched domes.
In 1122 the city was fortified by walls by the son of Youssef Ibn Tachfine Ali Ben Youssef.
In 1147 the Almoravid lost the city to the Almohad and almost all the monuments and palaces were destroyed by the Almohads as they considered the Almoravid to be heretics. In 1184 they built the impressive Koutoubia Mosque on the ruins of an Almoravid Palace.
In the sixteenth century, Marrakesh became the capital of the Saadian Empire and the city was embellished and restored during the reign of Ahmed Al-Mansur Ad Dhahbi (‘the golden’ in Arabic) who brought more than half a ton of gold from Timbuktu (Mali). This gold was partly used to build the sumptuous El Badi Palace.
After the end of the Saadi Dynasty in 1659, the Alaouite dynasty took control over Morocco and Meknes became the new capital of the Empire.
Your Accommodation / Airport, Train-Bus Station or wherever you want
30 Minutes Before Departure
Upon your arrival at MENARA airport in MARRAKECH where you will be welcomed by a member of our team, and then you will be transferred to your accommodation. The driver will provide a brief review of your tour. Dinner & night at the hotel.
Departure in the morning heading east toward Ouarzazate via Tizi N’tichka Pass up through the high Atlas Mountains stopping to take scenic photos along the way. You will visit the Ait Ben Haddou village to see an ancient Kasbah ranked by the UNESCO organization, it is one of the world’s top touristic attractions. Many famous movies were filmed there.
You will continue to Ouarzazate where are the largest movie studios or the so-called the Hollywood of Africa, it where you can stop for lunch (optional). Set off through the Skoura which is an extensive Oases of palm groves where a beautiful Kasbah is located called kasbah Amrhydil.
Then via Roses valley, it is where the roses festival is held every May of each year, in this town you’ll change the direction as you’ll take an off-the-beaten-track through which you’ll appreciate the tranquility of the mountains populated by the nomads of the Atlas. On the way, you’ll keep your eyes open to see a host of mud and bricks constructed in Berber villages. Check into your accommodation at the bottom of the gorges. dinner and Overnight in Dades hotel
After you have your breakfast, we start our day with a drive towards a kind of Gorges it is Todra Canyons ( 300 m up narrowest point ) where many rock-climbers come to enjoy their favorite sport. Later we continue our journey, following the ancient Bedouin trading routes parallel with the Middle Atlas, passing a series of fortified villages with outstanding pre-Saharian architecture. The route to Erfoud is one of the most pleasing of all the Southern routes.
The town is in a dry red built of desert and was built by the French as a central administration town. It is known for its rich black fossils and marble. The stone is sculpted to bring the fossils into relief on everything from ashtrays to washbasins and more. We head down to the spectacular Merzouga dunes where sand dunes signify the start of the mighty Sahara Desert. We leave our vehicle and take a camel ride into the desert to a Berber camp.
To seal this as an experience of a lifetime, why not surf the Sahara Desert and attempt sand dunes Boarding! After dinner, we gather around the fire and enjoy the desert night with traditional Berber music.
They will wake you up early to watch the magical sunrise from the huge Dunes of the Sahara Desert. Return to the hotel by camels. Shower and breakfast. Then take the road to Rissani and visit the town considered the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty which mainly emphasizes its market considered the most important in the south, where many subsaharians come to trade.
We will leave the desert and cross the arid fascinating landscapes up to the Draa Valley where we will make several stops to enjoy the valley as the longest in Morocco. Continue our journey towards Zagora, the current administrative center of the area and from where once caravans journeyed to Timbuktu on a long trip that lasted 52 days, from here all the Draa Valley and Oasis bearing the same name is mastered, considered the largest in Morocco and the richest in the production of dates. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
After having a good rest, We take the road to Tamgerout to visit the famous Koran Library and subterranean Kasbah, and the Manufacture of pottery. Then, continue towards M’hamid for lunch in the place. In the afternoon, optional camel ride before we take an off-road which carries out through the rocky desert scenery to the sand dunes of Chigaga that spread over 40 km. Welcome drink. Then you enjoy the sunset. Overnight in a desert camp or under a sky full of stars with evening meal and breakfast included.
Wake up early to have the opportunity to watch the charming sunrise from another side of the Moroccan desert and climb the dunes of the Sahara Desert for fantastic photo opportunities. After breakfast in the camp, we will take the desert road toward the dried lake of Iriki, and then to Foum Zguid. Lunch on-site, then we will head to Taznakht for an optional stop to visit the Berber carpets homemade , then before entering Ouarzazate, we will enjoy a visit to the famous Atlas Studio as a beautiful place which is used for shooting great movies. Dinner and night at the hotel.
After having sightseeing Ouarzazate, the desert door as the Subsaharan calls it. Ouarzazate means “without noise” in the Berber language. Walk in the Taourirt Kasbah, an impressive structure that was built to house hundreds of people. taking the road between mountains to discover a huge mine of salt was used by local people,
Finally, You will visit one of the jewels of Morocco which is Kasbah of Telouat- the true treasures must be searched out and discovered… usually off the beaten path. After lunch, we travel to Marrakesh via the highest road point in Morocco, the Tichka Pass, offering an impressive landscape in the heart of the Atlas Mountain chain. Overnight and dinner at Riad in Marrakech
After having a great time and enjoying different roads and places in Morocco with us, Your driver will take you from your accommodation to Menara Airport depend on your flight time, hoping to see you soon
