8 Day tour Marrakech, Sahara & Essaouira

You’ll arrive at Marrakech Airport and spend the night at a riad in the medina.

Marrakech, one of Morocco’s most popular cities, is known as the country’s ‘pearl of the south’ and it is surrounded by the spectacular peaks of the Atlas Mountains. There, you can take a step back in time and lose yourself in the maze of souks and spice markets in the ancient medina. You’ll wander through the stalls while colourful skins of wool dry above your head. You can also walk through alleys lined with elaborately decorated brass lamps while dodging donkeys as well as locals on scooters as you go. You can watch artisans making their wares right where they sell them, enjoy some banter and barter with a friendly seller, and indulge in traditional mint tea or thick Moroccan coffee.

There is non-stop action at the Djemaa el-Fna, the huge, open, UNESCO-listed public square in the medina. You’ll see jugglers, henna tattoo-artists, potion-sellers, musicians, snake-charmers and acrobats and you can buy freshly-squeezed orange juice from lots of vendors. At night, you’ll witness musicians, storytellers, belly dancers and a massive alfresco restaurant. The call to prayer from the iconic Koutoubia Minaret adds to the exotic atmosphere.