Cultural Tours Handcrafted in Morocco
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Atlantic Coast & Southern Morocco

Wildlife, Village Life & Windswept Beaches

8 days / 7 nights - can be done in reverse

Tour Ref:   SV022
Tour start:   Marrakech
Tour end:   Agadir (or vice versa)
Tour type:   Family, Cultural
Regions:   Atlas Mountains, Atlantic Coast
Available:   March to November upon request

Tour summary

On this 8-day family-oriented adventure, get off the beaten track and discover the Moroccan Berber culture, villages and cuisine of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains before hitting the Atlantic coast for nature, water sports and Morocco’s busiest - and most deserted - beaches. Trekking by mule to a Berber village in the Ourigane Valley or Toubkal National Park, the journey then tcontinues over the breathtaking Tizi n Test mountain pass as you head towards the charming medina of Taroudant. Then magnificent empty roads take you into the heartland of the Anti-Atlas where you will see stunning rock formations, oases and prettly villages near Tafraoute, before winding down to relax on the coast at surfer’s hangout Taghazout. This trip features lots of option add-ons for walkers, nature lovers, water babies and culture vultures! Starts in Marrakech, ends in Agadir (or Marrakech). Ideal for all travellers of a moderate fitness level and for children aged from 5 years).

Please note: All our Morocco tours can be customised to allow extra days for shorter daily car journeys, extra activities, relaxation days, exploration days etc. We can also adapt tours to connect with different start/end locations in Morocco. Let us know your wishes and we will build your perfect Morocco tour itinerary.

Price: Contact us for a personalised quotation.
Prices will vary according to number of people travelling in vehicle, number of days, time of year, category of accommodation chosen and activities requested.

NB Our Morocco tours are private tours organised upon request.

Day-to-day tour itinerary

Day 1

Marrakech - Toubkal National Park - Ouirgane

Morning meet & greet at MARRAKECH airport (or at your accommodation) and depart directly for the Ouirgane Valley. The route passes through low-lying agricultural areas before twisting into the Moulay Brahim Gorge leading to the village of Asni. On Saturdays there is a lively local market here and it’s well worth stopping to see local Berbers buying and selling everything from livestock to teapots. You pass through orchards of cherries, apples and apricots on your way to the Ouirgane Valley. You arrive in time to have lunch at your accommodation and in the afternoon enjoy a half-day mule trek through conifer forests and picturesque Berber villages with views of the High Atlas Mountains.

Stay: Boutique guesthouse in Ouirgane valley

Meal plan: Dinner

Day 2

Ouirgane - Tizi n'Test - Taroudant

This morning you will be met by our driver and guide at around 10.00 a.m. to make the journey across the Tizi n’Test mountain pass. This route is spectacular as it takes a precarious, twisting narrow route over the High Atlas. Along the way you will pass along the edge of the recently formed Ourigane Lake – a result of the dam Yacoub el Mansour buit in 2008. You will also have time to visit Tin Mal mosque which is open to non-Muslims and you can visit the arcaded, partially-restored interior. A local guide will explain the history of this mosque which was built in the 12th century by Ibn Toumert as the spiritual seat of the Almohad dynasty. The road then twists and snakes ever higher and you will stop for lunch on the knife-edge of the highest point of the pass at a small cafe/restaurant, the road then descends through Anti Atlas Mountains towards the Souss Valley and into ‘argan’ country with the thorny, gnarled argan trees dotting the parched landscape. From here you head west along the Souss Valley until you reach the walled medina of Taroudant. The drive is around 5-6 hrs plus stops. Taroudant, a former imperial city, is known as the ‘grandmother of Marrakech. Depending on the time of year, you may arrive int time to take a calèche (horse and cart) around the city’s impressive walls as the sun sets.

Stay: Boutique guesthouse with pool

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 3

Taroudant

After a morning guided tour of Taroudant, when you will learn about the history of the city and visit the two souks (called the ‘Arab souk’ and the ‘Berber souk’, although both serve both client groups that live in the city!) and the tanneries, guests have the rest of the day free to explore. Although much smaller and less grand than ‘granddaughter’ Marrakech, Taroudant is nonetheless a pleasant town offering opportunities to see local life in action and to explore the souks with much less of the hustle of its ‘granddaughter’. Here, we are on the Souss River, whose fertile flood plains provide fresh produce for the whole region. Many of the crafts you will see practiced in the souks are not providing trinkets for tourists, but rather agricultural implements and tools for local farmers. We recommend dinner at L’Agence or at Riad Maryam, whose chef, Latifa, has collaborated with a famous Moroccan celebrity TV chef and whose cuisine is the best in town!

Stay: Boutique guesthouse with pool

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 4

Taroudant - Ait Baha - Tafraoute

We leave Taroudant for Tafraoute, taking the road via Ait Baha. This is a spectacular drive passing abandoned villages and hilltop kasbahs. This is unforgiving, dry, land and you will see the prickly pear cactus and the spiny argan tree around the hills and valleys. For trekking enthusiasts, we offer an option to add an overnight here on route/extra day here at the simple guest-house in the lovingly restored Kasbah Tizourgane for some amazing hikes (and climbing) and to explore the agadirs, community granaries built to store villagers’ worldly wealth. The journey takes around 3 hours, meaning we arrive in Tafraoute in time for lunch via the slightly surreal Painted Rocks (painted by a Belgian artist in the 80s and touched up ever since). The afternoon is free for you to explore the town or to take a short hike around the area.

Stay: Established hotel or a Kasbah-style auberge

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 5

Tafraoute Day Excursion

Today we take the car to explore and walk around the beautiful Tafraoute area and Ameln Valley. First of all we head into the hills overlooking the valley to Oumesnate village, with its unique ‘Maison Traditionnelle’ - a museum dedicated to traditional Anti-Atlas village life. We can drive to the village of Agard Oudad to visit past the Napoleon’s hat rock formation on our way out of town. Heading away from Tafraoute we climb through mountains where we see goat and sheep herders and small Berber villages on scrubby hillsides before descending down into the verdant cool of the canyons of Ait Mansour. We will hike through the canyons and have a picnic lunch on route before looping back to spend another night in Tafraoute. NB The Tafraoute area is well known for rock climbing and bouldering. Enthusiasts may wish to add an additional 2-3 days, during which we can provided qualified English-speaking climbing guides and all equipment.

Stay: Established hotel or a Kasbah-style auberge

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 6

Tafraoute - Agadir - Taghazout

After breakfast, we leave Tafraoute and the Anti Atlas Mountains and head via Tiznit over the fertile plains of the Souss Valley to Massa (4 hours’ journey time). Massa is a key town in the Souss Massa National Park, Morocco’s first National Park and home to rare gazelle species as well as many migrating birds. We have lunch here and take a guided visit in the afternoon before continuing our journey northwards up the Moroccan Atlantic Coast. We pass through Morocco’s premier seaside resort, Agadir, in the early evening before arriving at our overnight stop of Taghazout (driving time around 2 hours). For keen birdwatchers, we can arrange additional overnight accommodation in the National Park.

Stay: Seaview boutique guesthouse

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 7

Taghazout

We have a free day in Taghazout to spend on the beach, taking surfing lessons. Morocco’s best surf spots are close by, but if you prefer you can head to the golden sands of Agadir for a day of sun, sand and sea or up into Paradise Valley, hiking among the mountains and waterfalls (depending on the time of year).

Stay: Seaview boutique guesthouse

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 8

Departure

On our final day, we provide a transfer to Agadir airport (or Marrakech airport if preferred - calculate 3 hours’ drive to Marrakech). If time allows before departure, guests can take a day trip to Agadir for lunch at the beach, to visit the excellent Berber museum, to take a leisurely stroll on the promenade. Extra nights’ accommodation in Agadir or Marrakech can be arranged on request. You can also choose to continue your holiday in Morocco with us by adding on one of our Suggested Morocco Adventure Tour Itineraries.

Stay: Breakfast

Meal plan: N/A

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