It’s a travelers dream. The stunning sights of Morocco unfold on the trek from Casablanca to Marrakech. Travel through Moorish splendors from ancient imperial cities, Roman ruins, and across vast expanses of a great desert where you’ll sleep in starlit tents on the golden sand dunes.
This 14-day National Geographic adventure is epic, but it won’t come cheap. Expect to pay nearly $6,000 for two weeks , excluding airfare. The trip combines spectacular destinations, cultural interaction and some physical challenges. Top guides lead you to fascinating places and Berber cameleers ride alongside to a tented camp in the Sahara where you’ll watch the sun rise over wind-sculpted dunes.
The adventure allows time to explore great ancient cities including Meknes, Morocco’s 17th capital with its grand gateways decorated in stunning mosaic tiles and site of the Roman ruins of Volubilis, to Fez, the oldest of Morocco’s four imperial cities. In Fez you’ll wander the narrow streets to visit the Nejjarine Fountain and the historic Jewish quarter in Fez Jdid, or marvel at art and antiquities in the Dar Batha Museum of Moroccan Arts.
A highlight on the journey begins on day six when you reach the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi and learn about camel riding from Berber cameleers before embarking on the Sahara trek. Over the next three days you’ll dine in the desert and sleep in a tented camp, traverse fan-shaped landforms and dry river basins, and begin to understand the vastness and beauty of the ever-shifting sand dunes.
You’ll also travel through an area known as “valley of 1000 casbahs” that links the Sahara to the Atlas Mountains, and hike through the terraced fields of Dades Valley to visit the Berber village of Bou Tharar. Follow with a full day hiking in the lush, fertile Valley of the Roses and a traditional lunch with a local Berber family. You’ll continue your travels over the peaks of the high Atlas Mountains that rise above a landscape of pastures, willows and poplar groves and hike to the Skoura oasis known for its beautiful casbahs.
The adventure concludes with a full day exploring Marrakech and the colorful chaos of its lively central plaza. Wander through the medina, visit the Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace, and end the journey sharing memories with fellow trekkers at a festive farewell dinner in this exotic city.
On this trip you’ll stay two nights in spacious tents and eleven nights in Moroccan-style hotels reflecting the local character. You’ll become immersed in the sights, sounds, and flavors of a different culture from the spice-scented souks to tasty regional foods and a landscape where majestic minarets tower over soaring mountains that give way to the seemingly endless desert. It’s an unforgettable experience.
