Photo by: Sean Fitzgerald
Location: Sahara Morocco

1 SPOT LEFT

PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR

Morocco Land of Contrasts

  • Jemaa el Fna Square and the ancient city and souk of Marrakech
  • Two evenings in the Sahara with a traditional camel ride
  • The heart of Morocco, medina of Fes el-Bali
  • Rif Mountains and the blue washed town of Chefchaouen
  • Unique visits with our expert Moroccan guide
Region

Africa

Destination

Morocco

Dates

September 27-Oct 9 2024

Duration

12 days

$5195

per person, double occupancy*

*U.S. dollars based upon minimum of 8 participants. There is a small group surcharge of $400 if 6-7 participants. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested (subject to availability), or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, there is a single room surcharge of $745.

Tour Overview

This photo tour itinerary encompasses Marrakech, Fes, Northern Morocco in the blue washed town of Chefchaouen, and also spends two evenings in the Sahara, giving participants more opportunity to capture the pink and purple hued sunsets over the dunes. Photograph the King Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. In Marrakech you will visit the famous Djemaa el-Fna Square, perhaps the greatest open-air spectacle...

This photo tour itinerary encompasses Marrakech, Fes, Northern Morocco in the blue washed town of Chefchaouen, and also spends two evenings in the Sahara, giving participants more opportunity to capture the pink and purple hued sunsets over the dunes. Photograph the King Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. In Marrakech you will visit the famous Djemaa el-Fna Square, perhaps the greatest open-air spectacle in the world.  Traveling back in time, you will see snake charmers, musicians, magicians, acrobats, and dancers. Fes is an ancient city, with its spectacular medina – where time seems to have stood still and photographs beckon around every corner.  You will see veiled women and laughing children, donkeys pulling carts, and vendors carrying huge mounds of bread on trays above their heads.

Combining the history and natural beauty of this rich and fascinating country with first-person encounters, we will visit native villages, ancient medinas, and craftsmen’s workshops, sharing experiences and sipping mint tea: symbolic of the warm, sincere Moroccan generosity. Hotels are comfortable, as is the private, air-conditioned coach for land transportation. An expert local Moroccan guide will add his unique touch to this extraordinary trip, sharing his insights into and his love of this exotic land.

Our guides were fantastic, warm and filled with history and stories to educate us as we travelled along Morocco. Eileen was such a professional, she provided context for our photo days and was there to answer any question regarding lighting, composition, technical issues.iphone as well as DSLR cameras.Everything was well run and we enjoyed all the locations.

— N. Palmer

Tour Itinerary

September 27: Home

You will depart on an overnight flight from the U.S. to Marrakech, Morocco. We recommend your arrival to be tomorrow (September 28), by 3PM, in order to take part in the planned events.

PLEASE NOTE:

Your international airfare will be booked multi-city, Home/RAK and CMN/Home.

September 28-29: Marrakech

You will be transferred from the airport to the hotel upon arrival. Meet this evening for an introductory meeting followed by welcome dinner.

Traveling back in time 2,000 years, we’ll see snake charmers, magicians, acrobats, and dancers, delighting children and adults alike. Capture a glimpse of daily life, as we stroll the narrow streets of the medina. Late this afternoon there will be a photo shoot of the famous Djemaa el-Fna Square, perhaps the greatest open-air spectacle in the world, where one can see the colors and feel the pulse of Morocco.  Overnight MARRAKECH RIAD. (D; B, L)

September 30-Oct 1: Skoura

Your destination for the next two evenings is a renovated kasbah hotel, providing an ideal location for private photography in the early morning and late afternoon. The setting is the middle of a palm grove with lush greenness and olive tree branches, the hotel also offers a garden all its own. Skoura provides a respite from the busy medinas of Fez and Marrakech. Your photo leader will provide photography presentations during a mid-day break or in the evening at the hotel. Overnight KASBAH SKOURA. (B, L, D both days)

October 2-3: Erfoud–Merzouga

Today your destination is the Sahara where you will have two days to capture the sunset and sunrise over the dunes.  After enjoying lunch en-route, continue to Erfoud, an oasis region at the edge of the Sahara. The next day you are invited to enjoy Sudanese music and dance at Khmlia, where we learn about life in the Sahara (participants can take donations of school supplies to the Sudanese school). If there is time this afternoon, enjoy your camel ride for sunset photography, or perhaps rise early for sunrise. Camels will carry us to the Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s only genuine Saharan Erg – a huge, drifting expanse of sand dunes that typify much of the Algerian Sahara. The dunes themselves are fascinating, especially as the sun reaches the horizon and the colors change from pink to gold to red. This will be your most extraordinary and unforgettable desert experience. Don’t forget to pack your bathing suit in your overnight bag. Overnight AUBURGE DU SUD. (Accommodations are in the lodge or in typical Berber tents with mattress and blankets, which now have their own bathrooms and dining tent) (B, L, D both days)

October 4-5: Fez

After sunrise photography in the desert, have breakfast and drive north to Fes. Your escorts will take into account the interests of the group and stop for photographic opportunities they feel appropriate and timely.

Fes, arguably the symbolic heart of Morocco, as all the great dynasties have left their mark on the city; it has, however, retained its Arab identity. The medina, Fes el-Bali, is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world. Its narrow, winding alleys and covered bazaars are intricate in their design and are awash with brilliant colors – a veritable assault on the senses as you squeeze past recalcitrant donkeys and submit to the sounds and smells of this jostling city. The dye makers, hills of spices, tannery vats, and palaces of merchants will beckon us. During a visit to a tannery we can watch the tanners as they work in the varied colors of this land. Your lodging in Fes are just within the medina walls, providing an excellent location for photography. Overnight FEZ RIAD. (B, D; B, L)

October 6-7: Chefchaouen

From Fez, arrive late this afternoon in the Rif region of Northern Morocco and the town of Chefchaouen (shef-shau-en), built into the mountainside. The town was founded in 1492 by Moorish exiles from Spain, often called Chaouen by Moroccans. Chefchaouen was known as the hashish capital of Morocco and has been a favorite haunt of backpackers for years. Hash has been grown since the fifteenth century, and is called Kif, the short version of the Arabic word for pleasure.

In the medina, people sell all sorts of vegetables and fruits amid the narrow-cobbled alleyways of whitewashed walls and blue doors. Chaouen offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The local goat cheese is also popular. Pack mules are still led throughout the streets carrying many of the handcrafted goods and supplies as they have for centuries. The eager merchants are more than willing to discuss their merchandise and engage in the time honored art of negotiation. The homes are painted white, azure blue, indigo, and purple and have blue shutters and elaborately decorated doorways. Notice the small squares, ornate fountains and ochre tile. Overnight CHEFCHOUEN HOTEL (B, D; B)

October 8: Rabat - Casablanca

After your last morning photo shoot leave the mountains behind and make your way south towards Casablanca. There will be photo opportunities today in Rabat, either the Chellah or Kasbah Oudaya. Continue on to your accommodations for the evening in Casablanca. You will have a photo shoot at the King Hassan II Mosque. Overnight CASABLANCA (B, L)

October 9: Casablanca - Home

You will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight home today. (B)