Magical Morocco 14-day photo tour, group and private tours. Photo Tour

PROGRAMME – ALL THE MAGIC OF MOROCCO
Day 1 – Marrakech
Individual arrival at the airport: You will be picked up at Menara airport in Marrakech. The driver will bring you to your hotel.
The group will meet at 7 pm at the reception of the hotel for an introduction, followed by dinner.
Accommodation in a hotel in Marrakech.

Day 2 – Marrakech
After an introduction meeting, we will explore the probably most interesting city in Morocco: Marrakech. The highlights will include some architectural interesting sites such as the Koutoubia Mosque and the Bahia Palace, but the main focus will be the lively medina (old town), with its colorful shops and souks (markets), followed by the famous place Djemaa el’Fna with the snake charmers, acrobats, and storytellers. At sunset, we will enjoy the view from a rooftop restaurant for sunset images.
Accommodation in a hotel in Marrakech.
Photographic highlights: Marrakech and its historical sites, the medina, and the place Djemaa el’Fna.

Day 3 – Marrakech to Ouarzazate
After breakfast, we will begin our photographic adventure to the Sahara desert. We will leave Marrakech and drive south across the High Atlas Mountains and the col of Tizi-n-Tichka. We will stop for pictures along the way to enjoy the panoramic view and to capture some wonderful images of these majestic mountains. In the afternoon, we will continue to one of the most impressive and well-preserved kasbahs and UNESCO world heritage site, the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. We will visit this picturesque fortified village, which has been used as a film location in numerous famous films such as Gladiator, Alexander, The Mummy, Kundun, The Jewel of the Nile, and many more. It is an exciting place to explore and photograph.
Accommodation in a hotel in Ouarzazate.
Photographic highlights: The High Atlas Mountains, small Berber villages, and the ksar Ait Ben Haddou.

Day 4 – Ouarzazate to M’hamid
After breakfast, we will leave Ouarzazate, driving through mountainous wild landscapes, until we reach the first town in the Draa Valley called Agdez. We continue through the Draa Valley along the life-spending Draa River with its huge date palm oases. The Draa Valley once served as a link between the Sahara and the North of Morocco for the trading caravan routes that passed by the river for centuries. This part of Morocco is still much preserved in term of traditional customs and way of life. Passing Zagora the landscapes become more and more deserted and arid. After the small village of Tagounite, we will drive off-road to reach the windswept dunes of Erg Lihoudi. There will be enough time to explore the dunes with their very special sand patterns that offer unique photo opportunities.
Accommodation in a hotel in M’hamid or a bivouac in Erg Lihoudi.
Photographic highlights: Small Berber villages, Draa Valley and Draa River, oases, and the sand dunes of Erg Lihoudi.

Day 5 – M’hamid to Chagaga Dunes
Early morning, you can enjoy a sunrise and the soft morning light in the dunes. After breakfast, we will leave for M’hamid. In M’hamid the paved road ends and from here, we start an adventure of 60km off-road. The route passes different features of the desert: erg (sand dunes), reg (rocky desert), hammada (stony desert), and oases. The Chagaga sand dunes are far away from any civilization. It’s a mesmerizing place, where you can really feel the overwhelming tranquillity and expanse of the desert. The Chagaga sand dunes area is the largest in Morocco. 
Accommodation in a bivouac near the Chagaga dunes.
Photographic highlights: Desert landscapes, oasis, and the Chagaga sand dunes.

Day 6 – Chagaga Dunes to M’hamid
Early risers can watch the sunrise from a high dune and experience the soft light of the new day. In the course of the morning, we will leave the bivouac, driving again off-road over the stony desert, back to M’hamid. In the afternoon, we will explore the little village and photograph in the evening some small beautiful dunes nearby. 
Accommodation in a hotel in M’hamid.
Photographic highlights: Desert landscapes and the Chagaga sand dunes.

Day 7 – M’hamid to Merzouga
In the morning, we will leave for a new desert adventure to Merzouga. First, we will drive to Zagora and the Draa Valley that is famous for its dates. While we drive along the Draa River, you will see huge date palm oases and small, cultivated fields. We will leave the Draa Valley in Tansikht and drive through dry desert landscapes, dotted with acacia trees and small Berber villages, until we reach Rissani, and later Merzouga. After arriving at the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, we will have time to explore the beautiful sand dunes, with their deep shadows during the ‘golden hour’. 
Accommodation in a hotel near the Sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.
Photographic highlights: Oases, desert landscapes, and the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Day 8 – Merzouga
Early risers can experience the sunrise and the wonderful soft morning light in ‘the sea of sand’. After breakfast, we will drive to Rissani and visit the Sunday market with the famous donkey “parking place”. It is a colorful, very authentic, rural market, where the farmers come on their donkeys from far to buy and sell their goods. Before sunset, you will enjoy a camel ride into the sand dunes 
Accommodation near the Sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.
Photographic highlights: The market of Rissani, sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, and desert life.

Day 9 – Merzouga to Fès
After saying ‘Good-by’ to the magnificent sand dunes, we will drive to Erfoud which is famous for its dates and fossils. We will then continue, via the Ziz Valley, to Midelt, with a view of the Middle Atlas Mountains. In the afternoon, we will cross the Middle Atlas Mountains, heading east via Ifrane to Fès. Ifrane is often called ‘The Moroccan Switzerland’. On the way, we will hopefully be able to see and photograph some Berber monkeys in a forest. At the end of the day, we arrive in Fès, which is the oldest of the four imperial cities. Fès is also called the cultural, intellectual, and spiritual capital of Morocco. 
Accommodation in a hotel in Fès.
Photographic highlights: Desert landscapes, date palm oases, and kasbahs.

Day 10 – Fès
Today, you will enjoy a day tour of Fès, considered the Athens of Africa. It is famous for its historical monuments, rich heritage, and handicraft. You will discover the mysterious Medina called Fès El Bali (UNESCO World Heritage site), with its narrow alleyways and lanes with shops, medersas, mosques, and residences. Highlights of the city tour will include the Borj Sued and Borj Nord, the Bouanania Medersa, the tanneries, and the gates of the Royal Palace. Fès is an interesting place for people who enjoy street photography. 
Accommodation in a hotel in Fès.
Photographic highlights: Fès and its historical sites and lively medina.

Day 11 – Fès to Chefchaouen
After breakfast, we will leave Fès, heading eastwards to Chefchaouen. We will drive through green mountains, covered with trees, until we reach the blue city of Chefchaouen. The small, charming mountain-city Chefchaouen is a photographer’s paradise. The blue and white painted houses and the small colorful medina, invite you to explore and photograph this peaceful place, hidden away in the mountains. 
Accommodation in a hotel in Chefchaouen.
Photographic highlights: City of Chefchaouen.

Day 12 – Chefchaouen
Today, we will visit the Kasbah of Chefchaouen, followed by a walk through the narrow lanes of the medina. We will enjoy photographing old, blue-painted houses, street cats on their search for food, and the plenty of tiny shops, offering special handicrafts of the region. The medina invites you to get creative and enjoy wonderful street photography. 
Accommodation in a hotel in Chefchaouen.
Photographic highlights: Chefchaouen, kasbah, medina, and street scenes.

Day 13 – Chefchaouen to Casablanca/Marrakech

After breakfast, we will leave for Casablanca, where you will be able to photograph the beautiful mosque Hassan II. It is the largest mosque in Africa and has the world’s tallest minaret (210m). The photo tour will end with a visit to the mosque.

Depending on your departure airport (Marrakech or Casablanca), the driver will bring you to your hotel in Marrakech or Casablanca, respectively for your overnight stay. Accommodation in a hotel in Marrakech or Casablanca.
Photographic highlights: Mosque Hassan II in Casablanca.

Day 14 – Marrakech or Casablanca

Individual departure.
You will depart from the airport of your choice (Marrakech or Casablanca). You will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight home.