Highlights
- Explore the “Royal Cities” of Marrakech and Fes
- Stay in beautiful traditional hotels known as riads and two nights in a luxury tent camp in the Sahara desert
- See the UNESCO World Heritage ancient fortress of Ait Ben Haddou
- Drive through spectacular scenery as we cross the Atlas Mountains
- Travel in comfortable 4×4 vehicles and get to know your drivers, many of whom were raised as nomads in the desert
- Enjoy tajines, couscous, honeyed desserts, and more Moroccan specialities
- Ride a camel through the golden sands of the Sahara desert
- Hike through a dramatic gorge with spectacular rock formations
- See the colorful “Blue City” of Chefchaouen
- Tour astounding fortresses that used to control trade through the area
- Visit local producers of carpets, textiles, ceramics, and other crafts
- End your tour in the Mediterranean seaport of Tangier, which lies just across from Spain and the Rock of Gibraltar
Trip price includes
- 14 nights accommodation: 12 in comfortable riads & 2 in a luxury tent camp
- 14 breakfasts, 11 dinners and 3 lunches (two home-cooked meals and one cooking experience)
- all visits and transfers as per itinerary
- tips for all included activities (city guides, camel guides, included meals)
- bilingual guide/drivers to accompany you throughout the week in 4×4 vehicles
Not included
- 3 dinners and 10 lunches
- drinks other than water at meals
- tips for tour drivers who stay with us throughout the trip
- airfare to and from Morocco
- anything not listed in the inclusions
ITINERARY
Days 1-2: The Royal City of Marrakech
We start our tour in the wonderful city of Marrakech, with a rich history, colorful narrow streets, markets and souks, and fabulous hotels and restaurants. Many people come a day or two earlier to explore more of the gardens and opulent palaces of this former capital city.
2 nights Marrakech.
Days 3-7: The Kasbahs and Gorges of the Atlas Mountains
Head south and cross one of the highest mountain passes in North Africa for a week in the High Atlas Mountains. Comfortable 4-wheel drive vehicles take you through remote and spectacular scenery, where you’ll see ancient Kasbahs and Ksars (castle and fortresses) and travel along the palm-lined Draa Valley. The rich history and dramatic landscapes will have you dreaming of desert caravans and Medieval walled cities. See UNESCO World Heritage sites like Ait Ben-Haddou, learn the secrets of homemade couscous, hike through the dramatic “Monkey Fingers” canyon, and stay in comfortable hotels and riads.
5 nights in small towns in the Atlas Mountains.
Days 8-10: Three Days in the Sahara Desert
The adventure ramps up as we explore the Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes. Get into the spirit by trying on some colorful kaftans and djellabas, and see how they wrap the amazing turbans out of 2 meters (over 6 ft) of fabric! Enjoy a cooking lesson and then test your rhythm at a local music demonstration. Your first night is at a beautiful 4* hotel followed by two nights at a luxury tent camp, where each sturdy tent has its own en suite bathroom and shower, as well as air-con. Just before sunset, go out to meet your camel for a fun (and short) ride into the dunes. Watch the shadows grow long as the sun sets and then return to your comfortable tent before dinner.
3 nights in the Desert (one in a 4* hotel and 2 nights in a luxury tent camp).
Days 11-15: Fes, Chefchaouen & Tangier
The last part of the trip takes you to the Royal City of Fes, with a marvelous tapestry of streets, alleyways and markets inside its walls. From there we spend a night in the charming “blue city” of Chefchaouen. Our final night is in the colorful port town of Tangier, once a favorite of artists and travelers looking for an “exotic” escape.
4 nights in the cities of Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier.
CONTACT US FOR A MORE DETAILED ITINERARY
If you want more adventure in far-off lands, you might like our Istanbul & the Turkish Coast tour!
Prices indicated are usually for a minimum of 6 people (some tours may be different, see each tour page for specifics) and are for our basic itinerary based on double occupancy. A "single supplement" covers hotel prices only, we apply no extra fees. Departures with fewer people or with upgraded hotels will have a higher price. We can organize private departures for any number of people but prices vary depending on number of participants. Please contact us for details!
Payment & Cancellation Policy
Payment: A non-refundable deposit per person is requested when you sign up to reserve your place on the tour. Full payment is requested 90 days (sometimes 100 days) prior to departure.
Cancellation fees: Up to 90 (or 100) days before departure your full deposit will be retained or -- depending on the tour -- you can transfer it to another trip with us within a year of the date of cancellation.
After that the following fees apply:
89 - 60 days before departure: 33% of the trip price per person
59 - 31 days before departure: 50% of the trip price per person
30 - 15 days before departure: 75% of the trip price per person
15 - 0 days before departure: 100% of the trip price per person
Pam –
What an adventure! The Wild Sage trip “Morocco: Royal Cities and Desert Vistas” did not disappoint. Morocco is a fascinating country and this tour provided an opportunity to experience it to the fullest, from the bustling souks to a nomad’s cave. The accommodations were beautiful, the food delicious, and the sunset camel ride in the Sahara was the experience of a lifetime. The local guides/drivers were amazing. They made the time in the car educational and definitely entertaining!
Lynn Graham –
Thank you, Wild Sage! What an amazing trip. I’ve been fortunate to have had many wonderful trips but this is one of the all-time best. To be in Marrakech and explore the souks, have amazing local guides, go four-wheeling in the desert, eating dates directly from the palm trees. A camel ride – in the Sahara – at sunset. Really!?!?!? (True that Mother Nature was with us, providing clear skies for the beautiful sunset.) We visited with a nomad in his mountain cave where he served us tea. We had wonderful accommodations and food experiences. Manu and Claire of Wild Sage offered insight and information along the way.
As I continue to talk about this trip to anyone who will listen, I’ve been using the term “intimate.” The small group size lends itself to great conversations and the ability to get to know fellow travelers. Another aspect of the intimacy is that we had six drivers, locals – Berber, Bedouin, Arabic. We would mix and match fellow travelers and drivers on any given day. The chance to talk to the drivers about their lives, local life, customs, etc., is a rare opportunity in group travel. If you haven’t already noted this, I highly recommend this trip. Five stars all the way!
Gary P –
Wild Sage created a beautiful tour of Morocco, which has a variety of landscapes and friendly people. We toured souks, gardens, and visited artisans in Marrakech and visited towns on the coast and inland. In the Sahara, my favorite place, we spent two wonderful days seeing amazing sunrises and sunsets, learned how to bake Berber pizza and had a music lesson on cymbals and drum that was a lot of fun. Along the way, we visited women’s cooperatives which produced Argan oil and saffron and woven rugs. We even saw goats climbing trees. Yes, really. We saw the world’s oldest university in Fez. We stayed in Riads inside the mazes of the oldest part of each city, the Medina. Everywhere we went the food was great. There are too many highlights to mention and I’ve only scratched the surface. One highlight was the drivers who transported us everywhere. They answered all our questions and told us about their country. Each car had a driver and three passengers so we moved between vehicles each trip. I’m sure it was great fun for them to answer the same questions each time a new passenger was in their car! I’d recommend this trip to anyone who has ever considered traveling to Morocco. Thank you to everyone who helped make this a great trip!
Lynne and Marci –
We can’t stop thinking about our recent adventure to Morocco with Wild Sage. Manu and Claire were able to show us the wide diversity of geography and culture. Each day was a fabulous adventure with so much to see. The accommodations were beyond our expectations. Our local drivers were the icing on the cake, sharing their life experiences in Morocco. Claire and Manu provided excellent communication prior to the trip to make sure our travels went smoothly. Thank you Wild Sage for creating a trip of a lifetime.
Berkley Phillips –
I recently traveled to Morocco with Wild Sage and it was an incredible experience. The trip was diverse, with beautiful accommodations and carefully planned experiences. But what truly made it unforgettable were the guides, Manu and Claire! They are professional, knowledgeable, passionate, and so much fun to travel with. Their expertise and energy brought Morocco to life and made the trip seamless and enjoyable. Highly recommend Wild Sage for anyone looking for an authentic and enriching adventure!
Jennifer –
Wow! What a grand adventure. Our Wild Sage trip to Morocco was so much more than I ever expected. I’m thinking sand, desert, camels – how much more is there to see and do? Well, let me tell you, there is SO much more to Morocco and you will really feel like you’ve seen it all after this immersive experience. The guides were organized, informative and loads of fun; the lodgings were exceptional, the meals were amazing, and the driver guides were fascinating as they shared their experiences growing up as nomads and living in current-day Morocco. I found the entire adventure to be just magical and there’s no better way to see Morocco than with Wild Sage Tours. Don’t hesitate-do it!
Jeff and Brenda –
We enjoyed a great trip discovering the variety of scenery throughout the country. Logistics were easy and comfortable and even long drives felt like a car trip with friends. Accommodations were amazing and the activities were even more fun than we expected.
Mary Lou and Gary –
Wow! Such an amazing trip, and as always Claire delivered a top-notch experience in every way! From the medinas of Marrakech to the dunes of the Sahara and everything in between, it was everything we had hoped for and more!
James Mizes –
What an amazing tour of Morocco. So much to see and learn and Claire and Wild Sage make this adventure so special, comfortable and cultural. The cities we visited were fascinating and the desert was spectacular.
Pat Wright –
We had an amazing 14 day, 13 night trip through Morocco organized by Claire of Wild Sage (international active travel). 5 stars all the way. History, culture, geography, great food, beautiful small riads for lodging, interaction with residents, both natural and man-made beauty, all woven together in an excellent immersive experience. On this trip, we covered almost the entire country, so this style of travel might not be for everyone. There is a lot of car time (SUVs with wonderful local drivers, formerly nomads!); this is necessary if you want to see all of Morocco. The geography, culture, and weather change as you cross the terrain. The country is approximately the size of California. On this itinerary, you drive across the breadth and length of the country. During the 14 days, we usually stayed 2 nights in beautiful riads run by locals. Occasionally, we stayed one night. We had native drivers and guides to educate us throughout. The tour included the cities of Marrakech, Essaouira, Fes, Tangier, and Chefchaouen (the Blue City), plus the natural beauty of the Atlas Mountains, the Sahara desert (amazing camel ride!) and Dades Gorge. Our food was always good and of the region. Claire has immense knowledge of world history and culture. Thus, she provides amazing perspective. All the guides and drivers were flexible and did their best to accommodate the individual needs of each group member. The trip was superlative in every way. Take the camel ride; It’s magical!