From the Sea to the Sand

About This Tour

From the Sea to the Sand is twelve nights from one coast to the other Morocco. Three in Essaouira watching the boats come in at sunrise, two in Marrakech with a guide who walks the souks at the speed of attention. The Tizi n'Tichka pass, a quiet sunrise at Aït Benhaddou before the buses, a palmery night in the upper Drâa, two at Erg Chigaga — the larger and quieter of Morocco's two great erg dunes. One Ouarzazate night on the return to break the long road home, then north over the Atlas for the final Marrakech dinner. The trip for travellers who can't choose between the Atlantic and the Sahara.

• Day 1

  Arrive Casablanca

  Met at Mohammed V airport (CMN) and transferred to a hotel near the corniche (about 30 minutes). Late afternoon visit to the Hassan II Mosque — the prayer hall opens to the Atlantic. Welcome dinner.

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• Day 2

  Casablanca to Essaouira

  Drive south down the coast (about 5 hours via the toll road, with a break in Oualidia or El Jadida). Late afternoon arrival in Essaouira; settle in at a riad inside the medina. Dinner at the riad.

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• Day 3

  Essaouira — port and medina

  Early morning at the working port for the boats coming in and the gulls. Coffee afterwards. Walking tour of the medina with a local guide — the kasbah, the Skala (Portuguese-era ramparts), the Mellah. Afternoon at the guest's own pace. Dinner at a small place in the medina.

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• Day 4

  Essaouira — thuya workshop

  Morning hands-on session with a thuya woodwork family the brand has worked with for years — the session is real (a small carved box to take home), not a demonstration. Hosted lunch with the family in their home. Afternoon at leisure on the ramparts or the beach. Dinner at the riad.

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• Day 5

  Essaouira to Marrakech

  Late-morning drive to Marrakech (about 2 hours 30 minutes). Settle in at a riad in the medina. Sunset at Djemaa el-Fna as it changes from daytime market into food stalls and storytellers. Dinner at a rooftop overlooking the square.

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• Day 6

  Marrakech medina

  Walking tour with a Marrakech-based guide — Bahia Palace and its painted ceilings, Saadian Tombs, then through the souks (carpets, lanterns, leather, spices). Afternoon at leisure — a hammam, the Majorelle Garden, or quiet at the riad. Dinner in the medina.

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• Day 7

  Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou

  Morning departure over the Tizi n'Tichka pass — the highest road pass in the High Atlas at 2,260 metres, recently rebuilt (about 4 hours with photo stops). Arrive at Aït Benhaddou in the early afternoon. Guided walk across the river and through the ksar (UNESCO) as the late afternoon light hits the earthen walls. Dinner at the kasbah-hotel.

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• Day 8

  Aït Benhaddou sunrise, then to the Drâa

  Sunrise at the ksar before the day groups arrive — the walls catching the first light, the village still quiet. Walking tour after breakfast. Drive south via Ouarzazate to the upper Drâa Valley near Agdz (about 2 hours 30 minutes). Settle in at a palmery guesthouse. Dinner with the host.

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• Day 9

  Drâa to Erg Chigaga

  Drive down the Drâa Valley to M'Hamid (about 4 hours 30 minutes), the road softening into the desert. Transfer to 4×4 for the run into the open Sahara (about 2 hours 30 minutes off-road). Camel walk into the dunes for sunset. Camp dinner under the stars, the silence the kind that takes a few minutes to adjust to.

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• Day 10

  Erg Chigaga

  Sunrise on the highest dune, the light coming up across the whole erg. Free morning at the camp — a slow breakfast, time on the sand. Optional nomad encampment visit in the afternoon if a family is in the area. Music in the evening with the camp's musicians, when available. Camp dinner.

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• Day 11

  Erg Chigaga to Ouarzazate

  Morning 4×4 return to M'Hamid (about 2 hours 30 minutes), then drive north via Zagora and the Drâa back up to Ouarzazate (about 3 hours). Arrive late afternoon at a kasbah-hotel in or just outside town. Time for a hammam or quiet on the terrace before dinner — Ouarzazate built deliberately into the route as the soft landing between the desert and the long Tichka crossing.

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• Day 12

  Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Tichka

  Early-morning departure to be over the Tizi n'Tichka by lunch (about 4 hours 30 minutes total). Settle in at a riad in the Marrakech medina by early afternoon. Time for a hammam or a walk in the souks. Final dinner at a rooftop overlooking the city.

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• Day 13

  Until you leave Marrakech

  A morning in your own hand — a last walk through the medina or a quiet morning at the riad, perhaps the hammam before checkout. The driver makes the airport transfer at a time chosen by the guests — to Marrakech Menara airport (RAK, about 30 minutes) for the international flight.

  Breakfast