{"product_id":"the-south-unstaged-ten-nights","title":"The South, Unstaged: Marrakech, the Dunes and Essaouira","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt suits families with older children and couples who want the south as it is lived, rather than as it is shown.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat this journey leaves out\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat it keeps\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDay by day\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays 1 to 3, Marrakech.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay 4, the Dadès.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay 5, Merzouga.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay 6, the erg.\u003c\/strong\u003e Into the dunes, tea and lunch with a nomad family, a night in a small family-run camp. About an hour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay 7, Skoura.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays 8 to 10, Essaouira.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay 11.\u003c\/strong\u003e Back to Marrakech airport before noon, about three hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAt a glance\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e10 nights: Marrakech 3, the Dadès 1, Merzouga 1, a camp in the erg 1, Skoura 1, Essaouira 3\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrivate driver and vehicle for eleven days, fuel and tolls included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmall riads and family-run houses, chosen as we would choose them for our own family; the quietest room asked for in each\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA guide for a day in Marrakech and half a day in Essaouira; Majorelle garden and YSL museum tickets\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe cooking class and the visit to a nomad family\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHalf board on the road, full board at the camp, breakfast in Marrakech and Essaouira with tables booked for your dinners\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat you do not eat, and any bed-length or room request, passed in writing to every house\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom $5,500 for two · $6,400 for three · Not included: international flights, lunches and dinners in Marrakech and Essaouira, drinks, personal expenses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFour 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow booking works\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eReserve 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eCancellation\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Moroccan Wizards","offers":[{"title":"2 travellers","offer_id":67943268024626,"sku":null,"price":5500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 travellers","offer_id":67943268057394,"sku":null,"price":6400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/0535\/4290\/files\/merzouga-express-3-nights-private-desert-route-03.jpg?v=1788383148","url":"https:\/\/moroccanwizards.com\/products\/the-south-unstaged-ten-nights","provider":"Moroccan Wizards","version":"1.0","type":"link"}