Itinerary
- Day 1
Marrakech
You'll arrive in Marrakech and start by getting your bearings around Jemaa el-Fna Square, which is always buzzing with activity. A calèche ride takes you through the medina so you can see the fondouks and check out the Koutoubia Mosque gardens. Later in the day, after the sun sets, you'll head back to the square to browse the food stalls, listen to musicians and storytellers, or find a rooftop café for views and tea.
- Start point
- Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco (Marrakesh)
Optional Activities
- Calèche (horse-drawn carriage) tour of the medina
- Visit Koutoubia Mosque and Gardens
- Explore fondouks (medieval inns converted to residences or shopping areas)
- Visit food stalls in Jemaa el-Fna Square
- Dine at rooftop cafés overlooking Jemaa el-Fna Square
Landmarks Jemaa el-Fna Square Koutoubia Mosque Koutoubia Gardens Saadian Tombs Bahia Palace El Badi Palace Majorelle Gardens 
- Day 2
Marrakech
Your guide takes you through the Ben Youssef Madrasa in the morning to see the 16th-century Islamic architecture with its carved cedar, sculpted plaster, and zellij tilework. Next you'll visit the Dar Di Said Museum to look at traditional Moroccan clothing, jewelry, and decorative arts. After that, you'll wander into the souks where spice markets, woodwork shops, and leather dyers fill the narrow passages.
Included Activities
- Half-day guided tour of Ben Youssef Madrasa
- Dar Di Said Museum (Museum of Moroccan Arts)
Optional Activities
- Explore Souk el Attarin for spices and goods
- Visit Souk Chouari for woodwork
- Visit Souk Smata for traditional babouche slippers
- Visit Souk des Teinturiers (dyers' souk) to see leather and cloth dyeing
Landmarks Ben Youssef Madrasa Dar Di Said Museum Souk el Attarin Souk Chouari Souk Smata Souk des Teinturiers 
- Day 3
Marrakech to Ouarzazate
You head east toward the desert, climbing through the High Atlas mountains and passing villages with traditional mud-brick buildings. Lunch happens in Taddert, then you'll stop at an Argan Oil Cooperative to watch how the oil gets extracted. Before reaching Ouarzazate, the route takes you over Tizi n'Tichka pass for panoramic views. In Ouarzazate, you can optionally tour a movie studio or the Cinema Museum to learn about the area's film history (70°F/21°C).
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in Taddert)
Included Activities
- Lunch in Taddert
- Tour of local Argan Oil Cooperative
Optional Activities
- Tour of movie studios in Ouarzazate
- Visit Musée du Cinema
Landmarks Mount Toubkal High Atlas Mountains Tizi n'Tichka Pass Ouarzazate - Day 4
Ouarzazate to Zagora
Your driver heads east across the Jebel Sarhro mountains through Tizi n'Tiniffifft pass and Agdz. The route follows the Draa River valley south through date palmeries with dense palm clusters before reaching Zagora. In the evening, you'll optionally take a camel trek into the desert, camp under the stars in a Bedouin-style tent, and enjoy traditional drumming and singing after dinner.
Included Activities
- Camel trek to desert campsite (optional)
- Sunset and evening meal at desert campsite (if camel trek taken)
Optional Activities
- Camel trek into the desert to campsite with traditional drumming and singing
Landmarks Jebel Sarhro Mountains Tizi n'Tiniffifft Pass Agdz Draa River Valley Zagora 
- Day 5
Zagora to Aït Benhaddou
After a dawn sunrise in the desert, you'll camel trek to your transfer point. A stop in Tamegroute lets you explore the Islamic Library with its nearly 50,000 volumes and visit one of the oldest family-run pottery workshops to see why Tamegroute pottery has its distinctive green color. From there, you continue north to Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-protected kasbah, and spend the night wandering empty alleys after tourists leave or climbing rooftops for surrounding views (65°F/18°C).
Included Activities
- Desert sunrise
- Stop in Tamegroute
- Visit Islamic Library in Tamegroute
- Visit family-run pottery workshop
Optional Activities
- Explore kasbahs in Aït Benhaddou
- Pay nominal fee to enter kasbahs and climb to rooftops for views
Landmarks Tamegroute Islamic Library of Tamegroute Aït Benhaddou Kasbah 
- Day 6
Aït Benhaddou to Marrakech
You explore Aït Benhaddou's narrow passages before dawn and the crowds arrive. Then you leave and head back to Marrakech, traveling north over the High Atlas through Tizi n'Tichka Pass. You'll notice how the climate and landscape shift dramatically as you descend the north-facing slopes. The afternoon moves at a slower pace back in Jemaa el-Fna, where you grab food from stalls and see the Koutoubia Mosque lit up in the evening.
Included Activities
- Explore Aït Benhaddou before crowds arrive
Optional Activities
- Visit Jemaa el-Fna Square and food stalls
- Evening stroll to admire floodlit Koutoubia Mosque
Landmarks Aït Benhaddou Kasbah High Atlas Mountains Tizi n'Tichka Pass Jemaa el-Fna Square Koutoubia Mosque - Day 7
Marrakech to Essaouira
After breakfast, you head west toward the Atlantic coast and Essaouira. The route crosses rolling plains and passes through argan forests where goats sometimes climb trees for the fruit (you can stop at a cooperative if interested). Once in laid-back Essaouira, you'll explore the 18th-century Skala de la Kasbah with its brass canons, the UNESCO-protected medina, the windswept beach, and enjoy fresh seafood for dinner (62°F/17°C).
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Stop at Argan Oil Cooperative
- Walk Skala de la Kasbah (18th-century seafront ramparts)
- Explore UNESCO-protected medina
- Walk along the windswept beach
- Visit Diabat to see location associated with Jimi Hendrix
- Dine on freshly caught seafood
Landmarks Argan Forest Essaouira Skala de la Kasbah Essaouira Medina Essaouira Beach Diabat - Day 8
Essaouira to Marrakech
Essaouira earns its 'Windy City' nickname from strong trade winds hitting the crescent beach, making it popular for kiteboarding. You'll watch windsurfers and kiteboarders in the morning or take an optional lesson. Then you return to Marrakech, and depending on your flight, you might visit the Saadian Tombs, El Badi Palace sunken gardens, the Mellah, Bahia Palace, the Almoravid Koubba, and the Marrakech Museum in the kasbah area south of Jemaa el-Fna.
- End point
- Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco (Marrakesh)
Optional Activities
- Watch windsurfers and kiteboarders in the morning
- Kiteboarding or windsurfing lesson
- Visit Saadian Tombs
- Visit El Badi Palace
- Walk through Mellah (Jewish quarter)
- Visit Bahia Palace
- Visit Almoravid Koubba
- Visit Marrakech Museum (Dar Mnebbi Palace)
Landmarks Essaouira Beach Saadian Tombs El Badi Palace Mellah Bahia Palace Almoravid Koubba Marrakech Museum
