Morocco is among countries that start with M listed on Countryaah.com. The official language in Morocco is Standard Arabic, various Berber dialects and Darija are also widespread. Most Moroccans also speak French. The Moroccan dirham is used to pay. There is a time difference of -1 hour compared to Central Europe (during Ramadan of -2 hours).
- Day 1: arrival
- Day 2: Marrakech
- Day 3: Travel to the palm grove in M’Hamid
- Day 4-7: 4 days of desert trekking
- Day 8: Drive over the High Atlas to Marrakech
- Day 9: Marrakech – Europe (or additional days)
The evening sky shines pink, purple, light blue. The scent of fresh flatbread wafts over the campsite, a moula moula bird looks at the scenery. We have a nice cup of tea – we have time. The supposed emptiness opens the view for details, nothing distracts. The night will soon fall over the camp, the silence is palpable. Countless stars twinkle in the sky. Nowhere, it is said, is the starry sky as beautiful as in the desert.
As a caravan, we move from camp to camp with Berbers and dromedaries. Sand dunes rise on the horizon, sketches made by the wind. Go. Step by step into the vast plains, through oases, dunes, stone and rocky desert. Light and sun. Traces of beetles in the sand, waves of desert grass.
Our desert guides give us unique insights into their nomadic life: be it that we can be there when Lahoucine slowly prepares the tea. When chef Ahmed spontaneously feels like singing and dancing. And only when he serves up what he has conjured out of the camels’ panniers in the kitchen tent…
In the end it goes back to Marrakech. Here we stroll through winding streets, soak up the scents of the spices and discover finely decorated Koran schools.
This desert taster tour is aimed at guests who want to hike Morocco’s desert with its variety of shapes in a short time. Many of our desert hikers feel afterwards as if they haven’t been away for a week – but a month.
Meals: B = breakfast / L = lunch / packed lunch / D = dinner
1st day:
getting there
Transfer to the hotel in the medina of Marrakech.
Overnight stay in a typical hotel / riad
(- / – / -)
2nd day:
Marrakech
The Djemaa el Fna is probably the liveliest and most famous place in Africa. Every day a big open-air spectacle takes place here, with acrobats, snake charmers, storytellers, miracle healers, food stalls and many other attractions. But the city offers even more impressions like from “1001 Nights”: Palaces and infinitely finely decorated Koran schools, winding alleys in the medina, spices and scents, gardens and palm groves. Introduction, orientation and half-day, German-speaking city walk.
Depending on the situation, we will either leave this day in Marrakech at the beginning of the trip or plan it after the trek. In this case the following program would be planned: 2nd day, drive into the desert. Day 7, back from the desert to Marrakech and on day 8, Marrakech.
Overnight in a typical hotel / riad
(B / – / -)
3rd day:
Travel to the palm grove in M’Hamid
We set off for the south early in the morning. Drive over the impressive Tizi-n-Ticka Pass (2,260 m) in a minibus or Land Rover. We leave Marrakech behind us, the landscape opens up and offers a view of the snow-covered mountain ranges of the High Atlas. Passing villages and terraced fields, we reach the pass, continue driving towards the Sahara. The valleys become wider, after Ouarzazate we continue south over the Tizi-n-Tinifift (1,680 m) into the fertile Draatal with its old kasbahs, villages, palm trees and oases. After Zagora we see the first dunes, drive to the oasis of M’Hamid. Like a mirage, we meet our support team and set up the first camp at the exit of the palm grove.
Hike: approx. 45 minutes walking time
Travel time: approx. 9 hours
Overnight stay in camp
(B / L / D)
4th-7th Day:
4 days desert trekking
We leave the populated areas behind, direct our gaze forward and wander into the seemingly endless expanse of the Sahara. Our luggage is loaded onto cargo camels. The following days we only need to carry our daypacks. We travel as a caravan with dromedaries and Berbers through the vastness of the desert. We attentively gain a foothold step by step and pitch our tents in the dunes for the desert night. Sunset in the sand sea and overnight under the impressive starry sky in the Orient. After a fine breakfast outside, we pack up our belongings and head north-west into the landscape. A look back – maybe at the proud camels with their swaying gait that follow us with their luggage. Palm groves, small water basins between the rocks, umbrella acacias, Gravel, water holes line our way. A mountain range and the position of the sun serve as orientation. We slowly immerse ourselves in another dimension of time and space, determined by the day-night rhythm, regular breaks and meals as well as walking in the distance. We discover the different faces of the desert and, thanks to our companions, gain insights into the lives of people in this mighty landscape. Speech melodies, gestures, the way of moving, laughing, the delicious smells of the meals, the silence around us and the vastness make this tour a sensual experience. Large sand dunes, gently curved lines, sketches formed by the wind rise on the horizon – for us the epitome of the desert. We linger in the dune landscape, climb the edge of the great dune, enjoy the view over a seemingly endless sea of sand and whiz down the sand hill, pull a loop around the next smaller dunes and have firmer ground under your feet again. The traces of the beetles, the waves of the desert grass and the sand surfaces created by the wind impress with their filigree delicacy. In the evening we enjoy the soft light on the dunes. After a lovingly prepared and invitingly decorated dinner, after a last look at the stars, we fall asleep satisfied and filled with new images and colors.
Hike: 4-6 hours walking time with different soil conditions
Overnight in camps
(B / L / D)
8th day:
Drive over the High Atlas to Marrakech
In the early morning we say goodbye to our companions and their animals. Many small oases now line our way via Foum Zguid to the High Atlas. Sitting in the Land Rover, the almost forgotten speed of the passing pictures still seems strange to us. We leave the desert behind, but take with us unforgettable impressions. After the varied journey, we arrive in the somewhat familiar city of Marrakech in the evening.
Driving time: approx. 3.5 hours Land Rover, approx. 6.5 hours minibus
Overnight stay in a typical hotel / riad
(B / L / -)
Day 9:
Marrakech – Europe (or extension days)
Transfer to the airport, flight back to Europe – or additional days.
(F / – / -)
