Original
Explorer
South Morocco Discovery
11 Days | From the Atlas Mountains to the deep Sahara, explore the best of Morocco’s south
4.9
Excellent
643 reviews
11 days
Start
Marrakech, Morocco
Finish
Marrakech, Morocco
Trip Code
XMSF
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 16
Physical Rating
Meals
10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
4WD, Private Vehicle, Public Bus, Taxi
Accommodation
Desert Camp (multishare) (1 night), Gite (1 night), Hotel (6 nights), Riad (2 nights)
From £743(11 days)
Trip Informations
Venture into the best of south Morocco on this 11-day adventure, where you’ll get to stay in a family gite in the Atlas Mountains, camp under the stars in the deep Sahara and experience a traditional riad in Essaouira. Visit the grand Ait Benhaddou kasbah, go on a camel safari at sunset in the desert, hike in the oasis of the palm groves and feast on tagine, couscous and fragrant Moroccan tea. This is the perfect trip to get off the beaten track and discover the charm of southern Morocco.
Why you’ll love this trip
Take a guided hike through the High Atlas Mountains and spend a night with an Amazigh family’s gite.
Travel in a camel convoy and a 4WD to Erg Chigaga in the deep Sahara – the most majestic place to watch the sunset – and spend a night in an Amazigh camp under the North African stars, away from any sound or light pollution.
Veer off the beaten track to Tata and Tafraoute, deep in the Anti Atlas Mountain Range. Check out giant blue rocks, visit the traditional granary, meet the women at a local women’s coop producing Argan oil and duck in and out of souqs.
Recharge with two days in seaside Essaouira where Jimi Hendrix spent time in the 60s, and explore the whitewashed houses, lively port and tiny, picturesque alleyways.
Explore Ait Benhaddou – a UNESCO World Heritage site with a grand history and a long list of film and TV credits, on a walking tour with a local guide who knows all the local insights.
Is this trip right for you?
In 2025, Ramadan will take place from 1 March to 30 March. Travelling during this holy month can be a rewarding cultural experience, however some regular services may not be available during the daytime, such as restaurants or coffee bars, and occasionally travel can be disrupted by events. Your leader will adjust the itinerary accordingly, but please consider your travel arrangements carefully before booking travel for this period.
Some of the accommodation on this trip is more basic, like the desert camp and the homestays, but these will be great opportunities to gain a deeper insight into local life.
When travelling in Morocco, temperatures can get very hot in the summer while in the desert, so ensure you bring appropriate sun protection. At night and in the mountains, temperatures can drop to freezing, so ensure you also bring layers. Please refer to our Essential Trip Information for more details.
There are a couple of days with long driving hours, particularly getting to the Sahara and to Essaouira, but a, but you’ll make plenty of stops along the way for sightseeing, photo ops and to stretch your legs.
This trip doesn’t spend a lot of time in Marrakech, so it’s highly recommended that you spend more time in this bustling city before or after the trip. Please consult with your booking agent on booking additional accommodation.
Itinerary
From the Atlas Mountains to the deep Sahara, explore the best of Morocco’s south
Inclusions
Meals
10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
4WD, Private Vehicle, Public Bus, Taxi
Accommodation
Desert Camp (multishare) (1 night), Gite (1 night), Hotel (6 nights), Riad (2 nights)
Included activities
Aroumd - High Atlas Mountains guided hike
Ait Benhaddou - Leader-led Ksar Walk
Tamegroute - Ancient Library
Tamegroute - Underground kasbah guided tour
Sahara Desert - Sunset Camel Ride
Tata - Leader-led orientation walk
Tissint – Waterfall of Attiq
Tleta Tagmoute – Amazigh village and collective granary visit
Tafraoute – village walk and souk visit
Tafraoute - Ameln Valley hike
Tafraoute - Traditional Amazigh House visit
Tafraoute - Pierres Bleues Boulders (Painted Rocks)
Taghazoute – Argan oil women's co-op visit
Essaouira - Guided walking tour
Essaouira – Local fisherman visit
Optional activities
Marrakech - Marjorelle Gardens - MAD170
Marrakech - Palais Bahia - MAD100
Marrakech - Palais Badi - MAD70
Marrakech - Saadian Tombs - MAD70
Marrakech - Medersa Ben Youssef - MAD40
Marrakech - Museum of Marrakech - MAD40
Marrakech - Hamam (public baths) - MAD250
Marrakech - Photography Museum - MAD40
Ait Benhaddou - Cooking Demonstration & Dinner - MAD313
Ait Benhaddou - Henna Tattoo - MAD50
Essaouira - Hamam (public baths) - MAD200
Essaouira - Amazigh Massage - MAD400
Essaouira - Horse Riding - MAD300
Essaouira - Seafood Market Lunch - MAD100
Marrakech - A Taste Of Marrakech: Inside the Medina Urban Adventure - MAD605
Marrakech - Tajine Cookery Class Urban Adventure - MAD640
Marrakech - Luxury Spa Hammam & Massage - MAD750
Marrakech - Medina & Palaces Discovery Tour - MAD650
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Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement exclude Day 2 (Gite) and Day 4 (Desert Camp) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Reviews (618)
5 stars
560
4 stars
51
3 stars
7
Julie
Oct 10, 2026
Riding a camel in the Sahara, seeing the Atlas Mountains and enjoying the homestays made this a wonderful trip. Youssef was always thoughtful, helping me on tricky stairs and never making me feel rushed. I felt well looked after and could enjoy every moment.
Sean
Oct 09, 2026
I highly recommend this trip and especially our fantastic guide Ayoub Saket. It was my first Intrepid tour and I I thought it was excellent. It was more off grid than most of the Morocco trips I had looked at. I chose it for a deeper visit to the Sahara and I was not disappointed. There are long days driving, but there’s no way around this if you want to visit the places that we went to. I was very happy with the accommodations. They were significantly better than I was expecting. Essaouira was a little disappointing for me personally. Did not seem as nice and certainly was not as clean as the other areas but overall did not really detract from my satisfaction with the trip. I want to give a special mention to our guide who was truly exceptional. He was so enthusiastic and had a special talent for making people feel part of a group. He was well organized and always thinking ahead and planning for any eventualities. The cultural and historical information he was able to give about Morocco was great. You don’t encounter tour guides like him very often.
Kiah
Oct 09, 2026
Southern Morocco was such a special experience. I loved the beautiful Atlas Mountains and staying in local homes. Youssef’s enthusiasm for the mountains was infectious, and he made us feel so welcome. There were so many laughs along the way. I’m really glad I did this trip!
Frank
Oct 07, 2026
Very well organised, comprehensive tour. A broad range of interesting experiences. Spectacular scenery and lovely people. Our guide M’bark was exceptional
Kerryn
Oct 05, 2026
Wow our intrepid trip to Morocco was fantastic. Do yourself a favour and don’t just visit Marrakech, go explore the south and the north with intrepid a highlight was staying in Sahara to see the sunset after a camel ride. Spectacular.
Lesley
Oct 05, 2026
Our 18 day Morocco trip was amazing! We saw so much of the country from the business of Marrakech to the peacefulness of rural villages and our desert stay. Our guide Zakaria made sure everyone was comfortable and safe. We thoroughly recommend traveling through Morocco with Intrepid!
Orla
Oct 05, 2026
Amazing trip which explores Morocco in great detail providing experiences that only Intrepid seems to do so well Of course this was all possible due to our brilliant guide Zachariah ,who consistently put our needs first and guided us with a smile and unfailing enthusiasm
Ginette
Sep 27, 2026
My Intrepid South of Morocco adventure was an unforgettable journey off the beaten track. From ancient kasbahs, discoveries of the Amazigh Culture and traditions and experiencing the breathtaking silence and beauty of the desert were truly magical. Every day brought new discoveries. Sharing these moments with a wonderful group made the journey even more special. Our fantastic tour leader Hassan made every day effortless and memorable. Two weeks after the trip ended, my mind is still filled with images, memories and moments I will treasure.
Robert
Sep 27, 2026
As a family of 5 we do not usually go on organised touring holidays, but this adventure really exceeded our expectations. Everything from the itinerary of fascinating destinations, the knowledge of our guides, and basic but comfortable accommodation made for a truly enjoyable and exciting journey through an unfamiliar country. Often long driving hours, but with regular breaks, and through truly incredible landscapes. Would highly recommend!
Jan
Sep 25, 2026
Our tour of Southern Morocco was amazing. Rachid was a fantastic guide. From giving great insights to each place we visited to finding lost phones in the desert. Best of all he always had a beautiful smile.
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