Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

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8 Days From

$785

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

8 Days Starting and ending in Marrakech

Visiting: Marrakech, Ait Benhaddou, Dades Gorge, Erg Chebbi, Agdz, Ouarzazate

Tour operator:

On The Go Tours

Tour code:

657/XSS

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

2 - 24

Age range:

18yrs or 16yrs accompanied by an adult

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact On The Go Tours with specific dietary requests

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Small Group

Interests:

Cultural

From: $785

NB: Prices correct on 05-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

CHRISTMAS TOUR: Make your way to magical Morocco this Christmas, a short hop from Europe but worlds apart. An exotic land of spices, ancient Kasbahs, rolling Saharan sands, verdant valleys and bustling souks. Ride camels in the Sahara Desert, explore Marrakech, and spend Christmas surrounded by towering Dades Gorge!

Highlights

  • Marrakech - Discover the sights, smells and sounds of this sensual city including the medina and Djemaa el Fna main square

  • Dades Gorge - Spend Christmas Day exploring the kasbah Amridil and take in the breathtaking view of this mighty gorge, tucking into a delicious Christmas dinner in the area

  • Sahara Desert - Ride a camel or jeep into the Erg Chebbi sand dunes and star gaze the Sahara skies

  • Ait Benhaddou - Delve into the warren of narrow streets that make up this famous UNESCO-listed kasbah

  • Draa Valley - Pass through this scenic region, stopping in Agdz to visit ancient kasbahs and enjoy incredible mountain views

  • Ouarzazate - Relax in the 'Hollywood of Morocco' and opt to visit the film studios responsible for Gladiator and other blockbusters

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1: Marrakech

Location: Marrakech

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Adam Park Hotel & Spa

23 December. Welcome to Morocco! Arrival transfer from Marrakech airport to our hotel. This evening (at 19:00) our welcome meeting takes place, where you'll meet your tour leader and fellow travellers.

Day 2: Ait Benhaddou

Location: Ait Benhaddou

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Marrakech – Ait Benhaddou – Skoura. This morning we drive onwards to the legendary Ait Benhaddou - a ‘fortified city’ situated along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, boasts some beautiful examples of ancient kasbahs. Only a handful of which remain inhabited. Granted UNESCO World Heritage listing, this incredible site had been the setting for many films including Gladiator. After exploring Ait Benhaddou we travel onwards to Skoura where we have an evening at leisure.

Day 3: Dades Gorge

Location: Dades Gorge

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Kasbah Tizzaouirine

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Skoura – Dades Gorge. Merry Christmas! We spend the morning visiting the kasbah Amridil before continuing to Gorge du Dades in the Dades valley. On arrival we take some time to explore the gorges, palmeries and kasbah ruins. We then have the evening to relax before enjoying a great Xmas dinner in the beautiful surroundings.

Day 4: Erg Chebbi

Location: Erg Chebbi

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Desert Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Dades Gorge - Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Crossing the Jebel Sarhro, we head down to Erg Chebbi sand dunes, which signify the start of the mighty Sahara Desert. In parts the vast sand pile reaches skyward to heights of 150 metres!





The desert winds ensure this astonishing landscape is forever changing and no two days offer the same panorama. Mounting our camels, we trek across the vast rolling dunes of the Sahara and soak up the breath-taking scenery. If you would prefer to take a Jeep to the Berber camp, this can be arranged locally through your guide at no additional cost. Arriving at our simple Berber camp, we enjoy dinner and an evening by the campfire, under the spectacular Saharan night sky. Remember to wrap up warm!





If you would prefer the comfort of a hotel with en-suite facilities this evening, opt for our Sahara hotel alternative at no additional cost. Please do let us know your preferred option at the time of booking.

Day 5: Agdz

Location: Agdz

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel La Perle Du Sud

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Erg Chebbi – Agdz – Ouarzazate. Today we travel through Mercissi and Nkob in the Saghro Moutain region, passing the incredible rock formations and wells that have been dug over centuries by the nomads to get access to water, along the way. Onwards to the small town of Agdz, with its Palmeries, ancient Kasbahs and incredible views of Jebel Kissane Mountain. Our final stop of the day is Ouarzazate – Morocco’s film capital, where we lay our heads for the evening. This evening we enjoy a group meal together.

Day 6: Ouarzazate

Location: Ouarzazate

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel La Perle Du Sud

Meals Included: Breakfast

Ouarzazate – Marrakech. Famous for being a prime filming location for many Hollywood TV shows and Blockbusters, we have the opportunity to explore the World's largest film studio this morning. Be sure to explore the iconic Colosseum used in 'Gladiator' and the prop jet used in 'Jewel of the Nile'. Carrying on we continue to Kasbah Telouet. Built in 1860 this kasbah was once home to the very wealthy Thami El Glaoui until he conspired with French Colonialists to delay Morocco's fight for independence.





Descending into the city of Marrakech, Morocco's pink city. We have the rest of the day at leisure to explore the Medina and the delights of Djemaa el Fna, the exuberant market place, which is a hive of activity, sights and smells at both day and night.

Day 7: Marrakech

Location: Marrakech

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Adam Park Hotel & Spa

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we tour magical Marrakech, an exotic pink city of snake charmers, steamy hammams, bustling souks and hidden palaces. The focal point and highlight of the city is the Koutoubia mosque and Djemaa el Fna - the central square, which is an extraordinary market place full of colour, music, spicy aromas and traders. Best seen in the evening when the square is overflowing with food stalls, dancers, acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians and henna artists.





This afternoon and evening is free for you to explore independently, soak up the incredible atmosphere and test your bartering skills in the souks. Perhaps pamper yourself with a steamy hammam!

Day 8: Marrakech

Location: Marrakech

Meals Included: Breakfast

30 December. Our Moroccan adventure concludes after breakfast. Happy travels! If you would like to extend your trip and spend New Year's Eve in Marrakech or by the coast in Essaouira, take a look at our Rock the Kasbah or Surf the New Year tour.

What's Included

  • Accommodation
    3 - 4 star hotels

  • Breakfast daily, 4 lunches and 5 dinners inclusive of a traditional Berber meal in the Sahara

  • 6 nights 3 - 4 star hotels and 1 night simple accommodation at Sahara Desert camp (hotel alternative available)

  • Guided sightseeing - Merzouga, Dades Gorge, Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech

  • Camel trek or Jeep into the Sahara Desert

  • Escorted by a licensed English speaking Moroccan tour guide

  • Specialist guides in some cities

  • Marrakech Airport arrival and departure transfer on days 1 and 8

  • All transportation and transfers in private air-conditioned tourism vehicles

What's Not Included

  • International flights and visa

  • Note: On some road journeys, the tour leader may not be in your particular vehicle

  • Tip for your tour guide and driver. We recommend you allow USD$2-3 per day, per traveller for your guide and USD$1-2 per day, per traveller for your driver. Tipping your guide and driver is an entirely personal gesture

  • Entrance Fees: USD$35-55pp, paid in USD or local currency

Age Policy

18yrs or 15yrs accompanied by an adult

Check out our Q&As

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    3 - 4 star hotels

  • What is the maximum group size?

    24

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Marrakech Airport arrival and departure transfer on days 1 and 8

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1998

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

Reviews from travellers on this tour

Symantha Frewen  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

03-Jan-2018

Excellent tour. Was very pleased with the variety of places we visited along the way, including historic sites, meetings local people and having demonstrations of how local people make carpets, rose oil & argan oil. Good choice of different accommodation along the way including camping. Hicham Tora was brilliant at organising the tour, and very knowledgeable, and great fun. Was with a great group too. Highly recommended! Only thing I would change would be the amount of travelling, as not used to sitting so much. Fantastic.

Nicole Summerlin  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

08-Jan-2019

The Christmas in Morocco tour was fantastic. There was quite a bit of travel time but it was paced well and lots of stops to take pictures, see attractions, get food and local flavor. We got many sights in and definitely were exposed to and got a good feel for the country and the people and culture. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided tons of background and cultural information and made some changes to the things we saw and did based on the group's requests. The meals were great and varied, and even with all of the travelling and sightseeing there was still time on our own to relax and do some things on our own as well. It was my first tour solo and I will happily do it again given my experience.

Avril Barnby  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

13-Jan-2020

An excellent tour encompassing the stunning Atlas Mountains and a night in the desert - exactly what I wanted. Quite a lot of driving but didn't feel at all arduous with the excellent driving of Yousef and the wonderful scenery and good company of the group. Highlight of trip was our leader, Jamel. Couldn't have been more fun, flexible, caring and professional. Always ready to join in with a joke (and they were a constant feature of our group) but at the same time was always watching out for everyone's happiness and safety. He was a constant source of information about the country and culture and always happy to answer questions and share his knowledge. He is definitely your Tour Guide of the Year - couldn't be bettered!

Judy Belt  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

04-Jan-2017

The trip was fabulous !! Combination of a wonderful tour group and Jamal's tour leadership. I laughed more in a one week trip than I had the rest of 2016. Highlights were the camel ride, the quad biking, and the dancing at a couple of the hotels. Jamal was very attuned to the group. He realized we were all tired of tagine so at the next lunch spot he made arrangements for skewers. He could be silly and joke with us (especially Victor), but was serious when necessary. He is very knowledgeable about his homeland and proud of his Berber heritage. A little too much time on the bus, but not unexpected given how much territory we covered in a relatively short time. Jamal even made that fun by providing yummy cookies and other treats during the long rides. Jamal obviously loves his job and brought a lot of positive energy to the group, He was always upbeat (even when it was like "herding cats" and I like one of his sayings that every problem there are many solutions. Will definitely use On the Go again and am optimistic that every trip has a "Jamal" !! Judy B

Laurence Hallowes  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

03-Jan-2017

Great country, great tour and great guide. Really enjoyed it and Jamaal was one of the best guides I have had on a trip like this.

Michael Dowling  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

08-Jan-2019

We had an absolutely fabulous time in Morocco. The airport pickup was well organised, friendly and very comfortable. When we got to the hotel we met with our guide who greeted us warmly and spent time chatting with us and making sure we had everything we needed. The tour itself was fantastic, our guide was very friendly, funny and knowledgeable. He and the driver made what was sometimes a long day of travelling seem much shorter due to their positive and informative manner. We had a great time on every part of the tour and we fell in love with Morocco. Thank you for a memorable holiday!

victor stefan  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

02-Jan-2017

The best trip I had so far! Jamal is amazing, he made this trip so special. No task was too small or to big for him and always did everything he could to make sure we where having a good time.

Novie Sutandhi  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

07-Jan-2015

The overall tour was good and Jamal was friendly. The only concern was the hotel could be better. They were run down and cold. I would be careful with the hotel in Marrakech, there are a couple of inappropriate people at the hotel bar.

Christina Hudson  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

14-Jan-2019

The tour was really interesting. I found Morocco a fascinating country made more interesting by Jamal who has a deep love and a great knowledge of his country. The hotels were mostly good, the food was very much the same throughout, except for the picnic lunch, which was wonderful and the lunch where we had chicken skewers instead of tagine was a welcome change. Maybe it was because of the places we stayed but the overcooked meat and vegetables we had most days was uninspiring. The dinner we had in the hotel at the Sahara was really lovely. (I opted for the hotel stay rather than the Berber camp) Our guide Jamal was extraordinary. From the 'meet & greet' in the hotel to our final farewell, he was friendly. informative, ON TIME, and managed to keep an enthusiastic and generally rowdy group together and on track. Jamal has a quick wit and added to the fun we had on our trip. He obviously loves his country and was really informative without lecturing us. He's well suited to the job. Jamal treated us as individuals as well as a part of the group. He joined in some of our evening activities and had a good time with us. What a funny man he is. I can't imagine a better group or a better guide. If there were more than five stars in the rating below, he'd get more. He earned every one of them He earned the respect and has the ongoing friendship of us all, I'm sure. I hope Jamal wins the Tour Leader Award, he deserves to be recognised as a terrific tour guide and a great asset to your company

Frederick Jackson  

Christmas in Morocco - 8 days

11-Jan-2018

Good tour, good company and a great guide

Read all 20 reviews

1 Select your preferred date

Monday - Monday

Dec 23, 2024 - Dec 30, 2024
$785

Tuesday - Tuesday

Dec 23, 2025 - Dec 30, 2025
$835

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    On The Go Tours requires a minimum deposit of 600 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of on the go tours charges.

    Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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