We Love —
- Spending a night in the Agafay desert for an extraordinary experience.
- Treating your taste buds to a wine tasting experience at Val d'Argan in Essaouira.
- Visiting a cooperative producing Argan oil, the country's flagship product for international export.
New Voyage Privé —
Carefully selected by our experts especially for you
Your itinerary in brief —
Your itinerary:
- Day 1: Marrakesh
- Day 2: Marrakesh
- Day 3: Essaouira
- Day 4: Essaouira
- Day 5: Agafay
- Day 6: Departure
Depending on your preferred stay duration, your stay will comprise:
- 5 night stay: 2 nights in Marrakesh + 2 nights in Essaouira + 1 night in Agafay
- 6 night stay: 3 nights in Marrakesh + 2 nights in Essaouira + 1 night in Agafay
- 7 night stay: 4 nights in Marrakesh + 2 nights in Essaouira + 1 night in Agafay
- 8 night stay: 5 nights in Marrakesh + 2 nights in Essaouira + 1 night in Agafay
- 9 night stay: 6 nights in Marrakesh + 2 nights in Essaouira + 1 night in Agafay
Your itinerary in detail —
5-night tour
Days 1-2: MARRAKESH
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN MARRAKESH
- Marrakesh is aptly named 'The Red City', for the deep red walls, squares and buildings that populate this fascinating destination.
- Upon landing at the airport, you'll be met by a driver who will transfer you to your riad in Marrakesh.
- Depending on your flight, you'll have time to explore the city's winding streets and discover its fragrant markets, spectacular architecture and mouth-watering cuisine.
- Night or day, stroll through the picturesque market stalls near the medina and peruse the beautiful fabrics, leather goods and Berber carpets - for guaranteed total immersion in a unique and ancient atmosphere.
Breakfast included.
DAY 2: MARRAKESH
- Enjoy a free day at leisure, with the possibility of making on-site excursions.
Breakfast included.
Please note: Depending on the number of nights chosen, you'll spend more or less nights in Marrakesh as follows:
- 5-night tour: 2 nights in Marrakesh
- 6-night tour: 3 nights in Marrakesh
- 7-night tour: 4 nights in Marrakesh
- 8-night tour: 5 nights in Marrakesh
- 9-night tour: 6 nights in Marrakesh
Days 3-4: Essaouira
DAY 3: ESSAOUIRA
- Enjoy a relaxing breakfast, before departure at approximately 10.00 AM for Essaouira.
- Spend the day in this legendary Moroccan seaside city and port with an artistic soul and a bohemian mood. The town's mystical and bewitching charm almost seems like an incitement to party, as did the Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa or Jimi Hendrix in their heyday...
- Discover the former Mogador of the Portuguese, with its majestic and impressive ramparts, and the well-preserved sqala, a historical landmark with a view over the Atlantic.
- Enjoy a visit, en route, to the Val d'Argan wine estate, where you'll enjoy lunch and a wine tasting. Carefully curated by the Melia family, it's the first and only Moroccan vineyard dedicated exclusively to grape varieties from the Rhône Valley in the south of France.
- Visit a women's cooperative for the production of Argan oil before returning to Essaouira for the evening.
Breakfast and lunch included.
DAY 4: ESSAOUIRA
- After breakfast, savour a free day to relax and enjoy this charming seaside spot.
Optional excursion (incurring an extra charge):
- Participate in a cooking workshop at Ramsess Restaurant, where guests are encouraged to participate and learn to cook a selection of the restaurant's refined signature dishes.
- Afterwards, enjoy a tasting and a cup of 'royal tea', followed by a brief tour of the old medina (including the House of Memory located in the 'Mellah', or Jewish quarter).
- You'll have the opportunity to peruse the many tantalising displays of fresh fruits and vegetables and even purchase spices to take home.
Breakfast included.
Days 5-6: Agafay
DAY 5: AGAFAY
- It's time to depart for the Agafay desert.
- Upon arrival at the camp, set off on a gentle walk in this unusual, rocky desert, which is located just a few miles from the Red City...
- A camel trek (optional, at an extra cost) is the typical way to discover this magical and unusual place and makes the perfect photo opportunity.
- Return to the camp, ready to spend a magical night in your bivouac.
- Relish the breathtaking desert sunset before settling in for the night.
Breakfast and dinner included.
DAY 6: DEPARTURE
- It's time to depart for home (for Members enjoying the 5-night tour).
Important information about your tour and visits: The hotels, which comply with local standards, are indicative and may be changed locally for hotels of a similar category. The itinerary is subject to changes due to compelling reasons such as delayed flights, weather conditions or other cases of force majeure. The order of visits is also subject to change.
Your hotels —
Hand-picked just for you
Maximum room capacity
We have selected the following establishments (or similar) for you:
- Marrakesh: Riad Caprice Marrakesh
- Essaouira: Riad El Paco Essaouira
- Agafay: The White Camel, Canyon Lodge and Agafay Pearl Camp
If unavailable, hotels listed in the programme will be substituted with accommodation in hotels of a similar category.
Your dining choices
During your tour, you'll enjoy breakfast daily, ensuring you're fully fuelled for your daily adventures. You'll also enjoy dinner in the Agafay desert (excluding drinks). You have the option of opting for half board (excluding drinks) for an additional charge.
Your included excursions —
Lunch & wine tasting at Domaine du Val d’Argan
Enjoy a lovely lunch at the Val d'Argan wine estate, close to Essaouria. Fruity and generous, Val d'Argan wines are produced in the Ounagha region, on an estate created in 1994. It took more than 4 years of painstaking work to obtain these precious 30 hectares of vines which produce the wine that you'll have the pleasure of discovering during your visit.
The Domaine du Val d'Argan is mainly devoted to Rhône Valley grape varieties, Clairette, Roussane and Grenache Blanc for the whites, and Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah for the reds.
The special feature of this area is that the vines grow in a climate that combines the winds of the sea with those of the desert. These climatic differences give Val d'Argan an extremely delicate flavour, enabling it to offer a wide range of white, rosé and red wines, including La gazelle de Mogador, El Mogador, le Val d'Argan, and more.
The owner of the estate, Charles Melia, harvests this prestigious wine, which can now be found on the wine lists of many renowned establishments, including l’Heure Bleue Palais.Val d'Argan is the only vineyard in Morocco to have obtained certification of European regulation EC 834/2007 governing organic farming in Europe.
Your optional excursions —
Cooking workshop at Ramsses Restaurant in Essaouira
Learning about Moroccan cuisine is increasingly becoming a burning passion for many visitors to Morocco, who are eager to discover the secrets and delights of Moroccan cuisine. The Restaurant Ramsess offers a cooking workshop where guests are encouraged to participate and learn to cook a selection of the restaurant's refined signature dishes.
Further information about your excursion:
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Learn how to prepare Moroccan dishes, guided by an experienced chef who shares the secrets of his dishes and recipes with future chefs.
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At the start, a short presentation on Moroccan cuisine will introduce you to the history and traditions of the 'Plat du Jour', or dish of the day.
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During the cooking class, you'll be given all the information and details you need to prepare and cook your dish at home, using equipment that can be found in a typical kitchen, back in the UK.
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- There, you'll have the opportunity to peruse the many tantalising displays of fresh fruits and vegetables and even purchase spices to take home.
The must-see places in Marrakesh (half-day guided tour)
Enjoy a mesmerising half-day tour of Marrakesh with an English-speaking guide and discover all the must-see spots of The Red City.
- Your tour starts at Marrakesh's largest mosque, the Koutoubia, which was built in the 12th century and remains remarkably well-preserved today. With its 69-metre-high minaret, visible from miles away, it is the very embodiment of the city of Marrakesh.
- On this occasion, the guide will share his knowledge of Islam and its 5 pillars, as well as its customs.
- The tour continues with the Bahia Palace, which you will reach by taxi. This 160-room edifice reveals all the wealth of 19th-century Moroccan royalty, who had it built in the hope of forever being the most impressive palace of all time.
- Walking a very short distance, you'll arrive at the old Jewish quarter. Pass through it to reach the Saadian tombs.
- Discovered in 1917, this 17th-century site, with its sumptuously decorated rooms and ceilings, is a favourite with visitors from all over the world.
- You'll then stroll to the oldest part of the Medina, where your guide will lead you through its labyrinth of streets, stalls, workshops and galleries, filled with the intoxicating scents of spices.
- Your guided tour will end at Jamâa El Fna square, the most famous square in all of Africa.
- This colourful population of storytellers, snake charmers, musicians, orange juice sellers and tattoo artists is sure to catch your eye.
- Enjoy perusing the many stalls, and perhaps finding the perfect souvenir to take home.
A day in the Ourika Valley
One of the most beautiful areas to discover in and around Marrakesh is the Ourika valley, set high in the Atlas mountains. Discovering this region is an opportunity to plunge into the heart of authentic Morocco.
- It's almost impossible to believe you're less than 20 miles from the bustling city of Marrakesh.
- The Ourika Valley is characterised by its verdant surroundings. It takes its name from the river that traverses it, meandering lazily or rushing and gushing briskly, depending on the intensity of the slopes of the High Atlas.
- Discover the Atlas mountains and their hinterland, the Berber villages, the mountain souks (Mondays and Fridays) and follow a trail to marvel at the Ourika waterfall.
- The valley is home to many traditional villages which appear to cling to the mountainsides, and seem to be from a different age.
- It's impossible to resist the charm of this area and its ecosystem which is evidently so well preserved, despite the march of time.
- The day will be a complete and unforgettable change of scenery.
- Departure: 9 AM
- Return: 6.30 PM
- Departure point: your hotel or riad
Your journey to Morocco —
Flights:
You will be able to choose your airline and flight times when you make your booking. This flight may include one or more stopovers. The stopover may be technical (without a change of aircraft) or transit (with a change of aircraft).
Luggage information
Luggage, meals and other services on board may be subject to an additional fee on certain airlines. It is possible to view details of luggage allowances when you choose your flights at the next stage of the booking process. If luggage is not included with your flight, please go to the airline's website before your departure to purchase your luggage for an additional fee.
For domestic flights, airlines do not always offer the option of reserving luggage. In this case, you will need to pay for it at the airport counter.
You will receive all the information you need to check in for your flights after you have made your reservation.
Your destination —
Marrakesh
Marrakesh is the epicentre of culture in Morocco, thanks to its ancient Medina, lively souks, and historic monuments. Immerse yourself in the heady atmosphere, with snake charmers in the bustling Jemaa El Fna Square, peace and tranquillity at the Bahia Palace, or an onrush of colour and spices in the dense souks of the Medina.
While Marrakesh preserves its centuries-old history at places such as the Koutoubia Mosque, the city's Bohemian atmosphere is most present in Jardin Majorelle, a landscaped botanical garden created by French artist Jacques Majorelle and later bought by Yves Saint-Laurent. Alternatively, visitors can escape the city altogether and take a trip to the Atlas Mountains to visit the region’s traditional Berber villages and argan oil cooperatives.
At the end of the day, Le Jardin Secret is the perfect place to enjoy a stylish meal in a chic Moroccan courtyard. Alternatively, retreat to one of the Medina’s rooftop restaurants for a delicious tagine while watching the sunset over the city mosques.