The South, Unstaged: Marrakech, the Dunes and Essaouira

On the sixth day, tea is poured in a nomad family’s tent and nobody is performing. There is no show afterwards and no schedule to keep. Lunch is shared, the conversation runs as long as it runs, and the camp is an hour away.

This journey was first composed for a family who usually plan their own travels and wanted, for Morocco, a local specialist’s honest view: which house we would choose for our own family, which road we would take, and what no guidebook lists. It goes south over the Atlas to the dunes, then west through the palm groves and down to the sea at Essaouira, with one driver from the first day to the last.

It suits families with older children and couples who want the south as it is lived, rather than as it is shown.

What this journey leaves out

No carpet or argan shops on the way. No large groups, no resort hotels. No staged music shows, no film studios, no camel trek taken for the photograph, no 4×4 circuit for its own sake; a 4×4 only where the sand requires it.

What it keeps

A cooking class in Marrakech, vegetarian if you wish. An unhurried conversation with a nomad family over tea and a shared lunch. The quietest room in each house, asked for in writing. The driving time of every day, stated before you leave. And a free day at the end, by the sea.

Day by day

Days 1 to 3, Marrakech. Arrival, a small riad in the medina, dinner booked. A day in the city with a guide in your language, the Majorelle garden and the YSL museum at the first opening slot. The cooking class, then an afternoon with nothing planned.

Day 4, the Dadès. Over the Tizi n’Tichka to Aït Ben Haddou and a kasbah where a family still keeps the old rooms, then a house in the gorges. About six and a half hours on the road, with stops.

Day 5, Merzouga. The Todra gorge, the old underground channels of the oases, and a riad at the edge of the dunes. About four and a half hours.

Day 6, the erg. Into the dunes, tea and lunch with a nomad family, a night in a small family-run camp. About an hour.

Day 7, Skoura. West along the Anti-Atlas, through the ksar of Tamnougalt, to a guest house in the Skoura palm grove. About five and a half hours.

Days 8 to 10, Essaouira. The one long day, about seven hours, broken by stops, to a riad facing the sea. A half-day in the medina with a guide, then a day of your own, and a rooftop table for the last dinner.

Day 11. Back to Marrakech airport before noon, about three hours.

At a glance

• 10 nights: Marrakech 3, the Dadès 1, Merzouga 1, a camp in the erg 1, Skoura 1, Essaouira 3
• Private driver and vehicle for eleven days, fuel and tolls included
• Small riads and family-run houses, chosen as we would choose them for our own family; the quietest room asked for in each
• A guide for a day in Marrakech and half a day in Essaouira; Majorelle garden and YSL museum tickets
• The cooking class and the visit to a nomad family
• Half board on the road, full board at the camp, breakfast in Marrakech and Essaouira with tables booked for your dinners
• What you do not eat, and any bed-length or room request, passed in writing to every house
• From $5,500 for two · $6,400 for three · Not included: international flights, lunches and dinners in Marrakech and Essaouira, drinks, personal expenses

Good to know

Four driving days carry the journey; day 8 is the long one, and it is the only one. Desert nights are cold in any season: pack layers. If the budget is too low for the level you want, we say so early.

How booking works

Reserve with your arrival date and the number of travellers. Within 48 hours we confirm each house in writing and send the day-by-day briefing. If you would rather change the balance between road and rest, ask for it tailored and we compose around your dates.

Cancellation

Full refund up to 45 days before departure, less any non-recoverable costs already committed with the houses. Fifty percent between 45 and 21 days. Non-refundable within 21 days of departure. One change of dates without fees, where the houses accept it.