Moroccan Mosaics
FEATURED ITINERARY HIGHLIGHT
9 day tour:

Moroccan Mosaics

This comprehensive 9-day tour is a great introduction to Morocco. We head from bustling Marrakech across the Atlas mountains to desert sand dunes, spectacular rocky gorges, World H...

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Moroccan Mosaics Tour

This comprehensive 9-day tour is a great introduction to Morocco. We head from bustling Marrakech across the Atlas mountains to desert sand dunes, spectacular rocky gorges, World Heritage Sites, remote market towns.

Trip Highlights 7 featured moments
Djemaa El Fna Square in Marrakech
Todra Gorge
Dades Canyon
Berber Desert Camp
Dramatic Ouarzazate
Ait Benhaddou
Taroudant and Essaouira

Itinerary

This comprehensive 9-day tour is a great introduction to Morocco. We head from bustling Marrakech across the Atlas mount...

DAY 1 Arrive into Marrakech, tr...
DAY 2 Marrakech, city tour
DAY 3 Atlas Mountains, Tizi N'T...
DAY 4 Todra Gorge, Berber deser...
DAY 5 Draa Valley, Ouarzazate,...
DAY 6 Taliouine Kasbah, Tarouda...
DAY 7 Agadir, coastal drive to...
DAY 8 Essaouira, free time, dri...
DAY 9 Marrakech, free time, tra...
DAY 1

Arrive into Marrakech, transfer to hotel

Day 1 Meals TBC

Your tour of Morocco starts in Marrakech. On your arrival in Marrakech airport (RAK) our representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to settle in, relax after your flight, and have a first look around. Extra nights before the tour starts are available on request.

If you arrive early enough, you can head into Marrakech's famous Djemaa el Fna Square for a first taste of Moroccan food at one of the main street stalls, while watching the many street performers and salesmen offering their wares.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Single room supplement
Extra day in Marrakech - pre-tour
Arrive into Marrakech, transfer to hotel
DAY 2

Marrakech, city tour

Day 2 Breakfast

Today's tour of Marrakech begins with a trip to the iconic Koutoubia Mosque, home to the minaret which has become a symbol of the city. We then visit the Mausoleum and Bahia Palace which both host intricate and beautiful Arabic craftsmanship. Then we head to the lively souks and bazaars in Marrakech's famous medina. Home to many different types of traders these narrow and winding streets are bustling with activity and full of sights sounds and smells uniquely Moroccan. Today's tour ends at the lively Djemaa El Fna Square.

Marrakech, city tour
DAY 3

Atlas Mountains, Tizi N'Tichka Col, Dades Canyon

Day 3 Breakfast,Dinner

After breakfast this morning we enjoy a spectacular drive across the Tizi N'tichka col which at 2,260m is the highest pass in Northern Africa. You'll get great views of the Atlas mountains, with many of the tops covered with snow for much of the year. We then descend and pass Ouarzazate, or 'place of no noise'. An incredibly dramatic landscape, this area has played host to countless well known films. Our final highlight today is a drive through the Dades Canyon with its steep winding access road with numerous switchbacks providing great views of the steep cliffs and the river below which rushes dramatically through the gorge, especially in the spring when the mountain snows are melting. We finish today in Tinghir where we spend the night.

Atlas Mountains, Tizi N'Tichka Col, Dades Canyon
DAY 4

Todra Gorge, Berber desert camp, sunset camel ride

Day 4 Breakfast,Dinner

Our next taste of dramatic Moroccan scenery comes at the Todra Gorge close to Tinghir, where we'll stop for a short hike along the valley floor with rocky cliffs towering above us on both sides. We then continue along the 'road of a thousand Kasbahs' to Erfoud before switching into 4WD vehicles to travel to Merzouga and through the Erg Chebbi sand desert to a traditional Berber camp amidst the dunes. Here a sunset camel ride is included plus a walk to the top of some of the dunes for spectacular views as the sun sinks below the horizon. You'll enjoy a hearty Bedouin meal and a campfire this evening, often with local musicians helping enhance the atmosphere, before sleeping in comfortable Berber camel-hair tents.

Todra Gorge, Berber desert camp, sunset camel ride
DAY 5

Draa Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou

Day 5 Breakfast

After breakfast with our Berber hosts we head out of the dunes and drive back to Rissani and the birthplace of the Alaouita Dynasty.

We leave our 4WD vehicles here and drive to Erfoud. Lodged in an idyllic setting between the Atlas mountains to the north and the Sahara desert to the south, Erfoud is the administrative capital of the region. We continue back along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate where we spend the night.

While in Ouarzazate we include a tour of the movie studios that have taken advantage of the amazing scenery in the area. Some of the most famous films that have been shot from the Atlas Studios here include Lawrence of Arabi, The Living Daylights, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Man who would be King, The Mummy, Gladiator, Asterix & Obelisk, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun, Legionnaire, Hanna, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011), as well as part of the TV series Game of Thrones.

Our final visit today is to one of the main highlights of our tour of Morocco - the UNESCO world heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. This is a huge fortified city (ksar - a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls), with houses and kasbahs crowding together inside the defensive walls, an excellent example of traditional Moroccan earthen clay architecture.

Draa Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou
DAY 6

Taliouine Kasbah, Taroudant walled market town

Day 6 Breakfast

Our drive today skirts the foothills of the Atlas mountains with some great views to our right hand side, stopping for a break en-route to see the Kasbah at Taliouine and to learn about the production of saffron, the world's most expensive spice, which takes place in only this area in Morocco. If we're lucky we'll see some of Morocco's famous tree climbing goats before we arrive in Taroudant this evening. These goats have learned to climb the local Argan trees in search of the fruit and nuts inside. Taroudant is a large walled Berber market town, and its souqs are reputed to be the best in the south with some excellent local crafts on sale. As you are off the main tourist trail here, you'll get a much more authentic glimpse of everyday life, as well as finding better value in the markets than in Marrakech. The town walls are some of the longest and best preserved in Morocco, with their mud construction changing colour atmospherically as the day progresses - they're best seen in the early evening. You'll have some free time here in Taroudant to explore the souqs, and walk along the walls.

Taliouine Kasbah, Taroudant walled market town
DAY 7

Agadir, coastal drive to Essaouira

Day 7 Breakfast

We head to the coast today with our first stop at Morocco's main resort town of Agadir. We'll take a short tour of the harbour and the famous High Kasbah, destroyed by the earthquake of 1960, before continuing along the coast towards the North Atlantic coastal town of Essaouira. Well regarded as one of Morocco's most beautiful areas, Essaouira has always attracted and inspired artists, drawn by its good light and tranquil, relaxed way of life. Wandering around the old Medina and its fascinating streets dotted with art galleries it's not hard to imagine why the city drew visitors such as Orson Welles and Jimi Hendrix throughout the years. Essaouira has a wide sandy beach, though the prevailing winds and currents mean this is more of a mecca for kite surfers than for swimming or sunbathing.

Agadir, coastal drive to Essaouira
DAY 8

Essaouira, free time, drive to Marrakech

Day 8 Breakfast

The first half of the day is free today to explore Essaouira further. You could visit the working port with its busy fish auction market and traditional wooden boat builders; explore the craft stalls and shops in the walled Medina which is UNESCO World Heritage listed and a great example of late 18th century European fortifications in Africa; take a boat trip to the nearby island of Mogador which is a nature reserve popular with birdwatchers; try a windsurfing or kitesurfing lesson from the beach; or just explore randomly at your leisure. While you're here it's also well worth having a meal at one of Essaouira's well known fish stalls, where a wide range of local freshly caught fish and seafood are displayed, ready to be cooked in front of you and served with bread and salad. After lunch we drive back to Marrakech (approx. 2 1/2 hours) for a final evening in this chaotic and busy city.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Marrakech hot air balloon flight
Marrakech quad-biking
Essaouira, free time, drive to Marrakech
DAY 9

Marrakech, free time, transfer to the airport

Day 9 Breakfast

Your tour of Morocco ends today. You have the day free to explore Marrakech further, and perhaps do some final souvenir shopping and sightseeing before we transfer you to the airport for your departure flight. Subject to your flight time, we can also offer a range of day trips and excursions, including a spectacular hot air balloon flight.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Marrakech hot air balloon flight
Marrakech quad-biking
Ourika Valley half day tour
Extra day in Marrakech - post-tour
Marrakech, free time, transfer to the airport

Included and Excluded

Included

  • Accommodation in boutique 3-4-star hotels as per the itinerary
  • Overnight Berber desert camp
  • Jeep safari and sunset camel ride
  • All transport and transfers in AC vehicles
  • 24-hour airport arrival & departure transfer service
  • English speaking driver and local guides
  • Meals as indicated in the itinerary
  • Entrances fees to sites visited in the itinerary

Excluded

  • International flights (available on request)
  • Visa fees (not required for most nationalities)
  • Travel insurance (compulsory, available on request)
  • Meals not indicated in the itinerary
  • Drinks, snacks and other personal expenses (e.g. laundry)
  • Tips
  • Any other items not mentioned above

Notes

Hotel Gala Dinners
Many of Morocco's hotels arrange a very special gala dinner with entertainment in the evening on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Payment for these is often optional on Christmas Eve (24 Dec) but may be compulsory on New Year's Eve (31 Dec), whether you attend or not. Prices can range from around US$50 to over US$150 per person. Final decisions on prices and whether dinners are compulsory are made relatively close to the time. We aim to always select hotels that make their Gala Dinners optional, though this is is not always possible. Gala dinner prices are therefore not included in our prices above, but will be added to your booking if they become required. More information is available on request.

Departure Dates

Guaranteed departures with confirmed dates. Book early to secure your preferred date.

Departure Date Return Date Availability From price Notes
No departure dates currently available.
No departure dates currently available.
Private Tours

Private Tailor-Made

Travel exclusively with your family or friends on a private tour tailored to your pace and preferences.

  • Flexible dates
  • Personalized experience
  • Premium comfort

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions for this tour are being updated. Please contact our team if you need help before booking.

Still have questions?

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Traveler Reviews

4.7
Excellent
Based on 1,738 reviews
5
80.9%
4
12.6%
3
3%
2
2.2%
1
1.3%
92% of travelers recommend this tour
P
Pete
Morocco
Oct 14, 2024
My wife and I have recently returned from the Moroccan Circuit Tour with Encounters Travel and really enjoyed it. Our guide Khalid and our driver Mohammed were great - really helpful and friendly.

The booking process with Encounters Travel was really good and we always got a quick response to any questions we had.

On the tour, the minibus was modern, comfortable and air conditioned. We experienced many different things, from exploring the busy markets of Marrakech and Fes to riding a camel before watching the sunset in the Sahara. We also did the optional quad biking and rock climbing trips and everything was well organised and good fun.

Several of the hotels were quite basic, but all had working air conditioning and were clean. For the price we paid, we felt that everything was good value.

One or two of the reviews of Encounters Travel on here are quite negative, but that does not reflect the experience that we had in Morocco.
SW
Sara W
Egypt
Nov 01, 2023
From the minute we stepped into the Arrivals area at Cairo airport to stepping into the Departures area 10 days later were looked after with care and friendliness and with great efficiency. Any queries we had were quickly dealt with, (thank you Ahmed) and we couldn’t fault anything.
Both our guides in Cairo and on our Dahabiya (Mohammeds) were excellent, so full of knowledge and able to bring 4000 years of history alive for us.
The 4 days on Dahabiya Orient was magical - comfortable, relaxing with a fantastic crew who looked after the 6 of us so well and made us really welcome.
The two downsides were our lovely hotel in Cairo, Le Riad Charme, full of character and with excellent staff, but was opposite a very noisy cafe which played loud music till 2 am!
And in Luxor where, for some reason, our itinerary was compacted into 1 day rather than a day and a half, which was very tiring as we had left our Cairo hotel at 3:30 am, but our hotel Al Moudira was fabulous and we were able to totally relax and enjoy the surroundings after a long hot day.

Thank you Encounters Travel for helping to make our wonderful trip to Egypt so good.

Sara
Kent.
HV
Heath Vamp
Egypt
Oct 01, 2022
We recently did a trip to Jordan and Egypt and we had a stellar and miraculous experience. The guides in the tours were incredible. And I want to comment on all the negative reviews. If you dont want a long bus ride, book a different tour. I enjoyed seeing the real egypt and jordan by bus and traveling through the Sahara and villages. People who are complaining are spoiled and entitled. Also, I want to comment on tipping. The reason the guide wanted you to tip in advance is because I noticed people at the end of our tour had no money left to tip and I was embarrassed to be around them. I was embarrassed to be an American by the way other Americans tipped our bus driver and our guides. If you cant afford to tip the guides and drivers then maybe you shouldnt be on the tour. Lastly, there are ATM’s everywhere so don’t give me the excuse that you had no access to money. Super Mo, Ahmed, and our driver Mohammed were magnificent. Other than the two Americans named Laura and myself and husband, the rest of the Americans basically sucked because of their lack of showing adequate appreciation to tip accordingly.
M
MudFlower
Egypt
Feb 01, 2020
I've been on many guided tours throughout the years and this was by far the most enjoyable. Our tour guide Super Mo (short for Mohammed) is an Egyptologist and brought all the of ancient mythology to life, including having us act out a short play that explained the genesis of the ancient Egyptian gods. We saw the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, Antiquities Museum in Cairo, Abu Simbel, Temple of Philae, Luxor, Karnak, Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Kings, Deir el Medina, a Nubian village, and spent two days just relaxing at a beach resort in Hurghada.

Deir El Medina (where the crypt workers were buried) was just as amazing, if not more, than where the royalty was buried. This is because much less looting took place there and the painted frescoes are still extremely vibrant. I'm very grateful to Super Mo for bringing our attention to these undersung parts of ancient Egypt. He was incredibly knowledgeable and kind of a comedian at the same time. It was really hard to tell that he'd never been to the States before because he really seemed to get our humor. Our tour companions were also all very nice and we named ourselves Team Falafel after a several-day streak of ordering falafel to accompany our meals. It's yummy. Try it.

The accommodations were all very nice within the context of a non-first-world nation. We never went more than 2.5 hours without access to a bathroom. Even so, this was the hardest part of the trip for me since I have Crohn's disease and even in remission it's mentally tough for me to be without a very clean bathroom at all hours. But if you want to get out and see the world, you just have to grin and bear it.

There were two solo women travelers in our group and I would feel completely comfortable coming back as a solo woman as long as I came with this tour company or another reputable company. I've seen quite a few women go to Egypt on their own without a set agenda, but this would be outside my comfort zone.

My favorite part of the tour was Deir el Medina and the dinner at the Nubian village. My husband gave me a head cold mid-trip so I didn't get to go on the felucca cruise. My least favorite part was the pushiness of the street vendors and, at two hotels, that we had to go through a sales speech about salon services before we could enter the gym.

The name of our tour company was Encounters Travels and I highly recommend them. They were with us 100% of the time including before and after airport security. They took care of everything from helping me resolve an ATM issue to taking someone clothes shopping because the airline misplaced her luggage.

Everything we saw was awe-inspiring. The food was all delicious. Definitely go! I hope you have a great time! There was so much more to see that I will probably be back.
CD
Corinne D
Egypt
Nov 01, 2019
I want to start this by saying don’t be afraid to go to Egypt! It’s an amazing country filled with so much history. They were very excited to share their culture and history with us. Going with a company like Encounters makes it just that much easier though...they took great care of us at every step of the way.

If you’re debating to go or not, just DO IT! You won’t regret it. :-) (this coming from a 35 year old American female that did the trip solo). I’ve now gained many friends from this adventure.

I recently returned from my “Gods of Egypt” tour of Egypt (Nov 15-24, 2019). The group ended up only being 4 Americans in total - almost like a private tour which was lovely! Overall they did a great job of keeping all of us informed and most importantly SAFE! I honestly never felt uneasy in their care, and we always had our driver and car drop us off and collect us quickly from stop to stop. The guides we had for most of the trip (Islam and Tamer) were very helpful in all respects, answered our MANY questions about literally everything from the sights to family life and day to day culture. Both spoke English very well too! We had such a FUN time with Islam and Tamer (something you can’t always say about tour guides). I’d say we gained 2 great friends from our adventure to Egypt.

Here are the details of my experience:
Ahmed was on time to collect me from the airport and waiting to help me purchase my Visa and go through passport control. We then collected my bag and off we went, quickly to the car and onto the hotel in Giza. He ensured I was well informed of what to expect throughout the trip, gave me tips on everything from the sights along the way, money conversion, and even souvenir shopping! We arrived at the LeMeridien near the Pyramids and he helped me check into the room and ensured I knew what time to meet the rest of the group for our tours.

Our experience in Cairo was excellent! Islam was our guide in Cairo both for the Pyramids and the last day for the walking tour of downtown Cairo/Khan el-Khalili market. He took to the Egyptian Museum downtown to start our day as it was a bit foggy in the AM and he wanted us to have the best views possible of the Pyramids (loved that he paid attention to the weather on our behalf!) We had plenty of time to explore the museum with his expert guidance + knowledge plus free time to explore on our own for photos afterwards. We then headed back to Giza for lunch where we enjoyed some local cuisine! Or in my case an amazing pizza which they made just for my liking (with the help of Islam speaking to the waitstaff to ensure I got what I wanted). These added small touches/attention to detail made the trip even better! We then headed over to the Pyramids where you could take as many photos as you wanted, climb inside the Great Pyramid, go for a 15-20 min camel ride and see the Sphinx. We took a late evening flight to Aswan (10pm). Word of caution, we didn’t arrive to our hotel in Aswan until after 1am...and we signed up for the Abu Simbel optional excursion the next AM which had a pickup time of 4:30am. Load up on the coffee, because you cannot miss Abu Simbel...SOO worth it!

That afternoon once we returned from Abu Simbel we were able to board the Nile Cruise for lunch and some much needed relaxation! I would say the Nile Cruise was the highlight for me of this trip. Between the accommodations, food and service...it was top notch! Every detail accounted for.

**Tamer was our guide from Aswan, Abu Simbel, the Nile Cruise (which included many stops to various temples and Luxor). I’ve gotta say, I’ve been on a lot of tours around the world and it will be hard to find another that will “one-up” the experiences we had. His wealth of knowledge on Egyptian history and culture was truly amazing. I don’t think there was a question he couldn’t answer :-). He kept us happy, safe, entertained and comfortable at every moment. I’d like to say he became part of our group (vs being “just the guide”), and we shared so many laughs and now have some amazing memories to share! We all definitely call him a dear friend now.

After the Nile Cruise we headed on to Hurghada for a quick 2 night stay where they were able to adjust our schedule to arrive by midday vs late in the evening so we could enjoy the resort a bit longer! Another lovely added “small touch” to make our experience better. While the resort wasn’t our groups taste, it suits some (large property called Sunrise Makadi Aqua) many children and buffet style food, or mediocre reservation only a-la-carte style restaurants). After our short stay we had an even earlier start to the day to catch a 5am flight to Cairo (pickup was 2:45am I believe). I really wish they could find a flight at least 2-3 hours later as this was a bit hard on all of us, and we didn’t have any plans in Cairo until 4pm). There were optional activities which may have been why they allowed the extra time in Cairo, but we opted to just all do our own exploring instead. We toured the large market which had many vendors and Islam was great at helping us know how to negotiate the prices and also took us for some lovely teas and coffee in one of the main squares to experience some of the local life and chaos in downtown Cairo. I enjoyed the boutique hotel (Le Riad Hotel de Charme) we stayed at...each room was unique and huge! Sitting area, dressing room, office, bedroom and bathroom.

The next day we were picked up by Ahmed and taken back to the Cairo Airport for our onward journeys.

Overall experience was amazing...my only constructive thoughts are better timing on flights perhaps, which could include adding a day extra to the itinerary but well worth it.

I hope this long winded detailed review helps you, as I know I had a ton of questions about what to expect before I got to Egypt.

Accommodation

The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level.

Options

Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the country you're visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.

All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Most other options can be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.

Most options are priced the same throughout the year, though some may have seasonal pricing or minimum number requirements - our sales team will advise the final pricing based on your travel date and number of passengers on your booking.

No optional extras are currently listed for this tour.

Tour Notes

The detailed Tour Notes below provide important practical information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday.

1. Private Tour Accomodation

As a private tour, the accommodation for this trip can be customised and adjusted as much or as litlte as you wish. The tour is described here using a selection of boutique style hotels and riads, at around the 3-4 star level depending on the location. These are packed full of character and provide excellent service.  At the Berber desert camp out in the sand dunes, comfortable permanent Berber tents with mattresses and all bedding & traditional local blankets are provided. You do not need to bring a sleeping bag. Shared toilet facilities are available.

2. Accommodation
3. Transport
4. Group Size/Tour Leaders/Guides
5. Dates & Prices
6. Transfers
7. Booking & Payment
8. Financial Security
9. Responsible Tourism
10. Follow Us Online
11. Travel Insurance
12. Before you travel
13. Reduce Plastic Waste with Water-to-Go Filter bottles
14. Private & Tailor-made Tours
15. International Flights
16. Entrance Fees
17. Tipping
18. Passports and Visas
19. Time
20. Health and Vaccinations
21. Voltage
22. Money
23. What to take

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