Welcome to Morocco! This morning the group will meet at the airport in Casablanca for an 12 PM departure to Asilah. Artists from around the world descend on this charming seaside city every summer to paint murals on the freshly whitewashed walls of the city.  In this colorful city, art is literally around every corner.  We’ll arrive by mid-afternoon and be free to explore the small medina on your own. Be sure to head to the ramparts in the late afternoon to capture the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean. After watching the sunset, we will regroup for our official welcome dinner.

Photographer’s Notes:

Traveling through this small Andalusian-style town, enclosed within the imposing ramparts, are narrow streets lined with enchanting white-limed houses, fronted with latticework balconies, and woodwork painted in alluring hues of blues and greens.

Asilah is a seaside haven frequented by painters, eager to create colourful patterns and images into extraordinary wall murals, with only a simple recognition of their craft.

If you are fortunate, you may encounter some of these colourful artists at work.  Their intricate artwork allows the portraiture photographer a unique opportunity to creatively explore the true character and talent of individual street artists.

Meals: Dinner
Overnight: Asilah
Accommodations: Hotel Pasta Plaza (or similar)

This morning, we’ll have some more time in Asilah. From here, we will transfer directly to Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl of Morocco. Upon our arrival, we’ll check into our accommodations and then embark on an orientation walk of this unique city. 

Photographer’s Notes:

Chefchaouen is well known for its whitewashed wall of electric blue rinse that covers not just it’s houses, but many of it’s mosques and buildings throughout the city.  This custom dates back to the 15th century, when Jewish refugees, who were fleeing persecution during the Spanish Inquisition, settled here.  What they brought with them was this colourful tradition of painting things blue and indigo to mirror the sky and remind them of God. Following this walk, you’ll be free to explore on your own, where you will spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring this magnificent city, perched high in the Rif Mountains. It has so much to offer, and the photographic opportunities are endless; the textured streets, steep stairs and narrow alleys paved with stones of all shapes, mosaics of colour and pattern, along with the Andalusian architecture and the beautifully decorated doorways and gardens.

As the daylight begins to wane, don’t forget to consider an energetic hike up the hillside overlooking the town for a spectacular sunset experience.  Your sunset images must of-course include the Spanish Mosque, which overlooks the town from the hilltop to the east.  Don’t forget your tripod, and of course your headlamp for the walk back down.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Chefchaouen
Accommodations: Riad Hicham (or similar)

This morning, we’ll have a little more time to explore and take advantage of the morning light before we bid Chefchaouen au revoir and begin our journey to the spiritual capital and the first imerpieral city of Morocco: Fes. 

On the way, we will stop to visit and photograph the ruins of the Roman outpost city, Volubilis. Before the Romans came, Volubilis was an Amazigh city known as Oulili (pronounced wa-lee-lee) which dates back to the 3rd century B.C.  Although severely damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century and subsequently further damaged by Moulay Ismail’s architects (who used pieces to build the gates of the city of Meknes), it is still “an exceptionally well-preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire”, according to the UNESCO World Heritage listing.  The city was reclaimed by the local Amazigh tribes around 235 AD and it was near here in the 8th Century that Idriss I established the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Morocco.

After visiting here, we’ll make the final leg of the journey to Fes where we will check into our riad accommodations. Once we’ve gotten settled, dinner will be served at our riad.

Photographer’s Notes:

Located in Morocco’s fertile plains, the ancient outpost city of Volubilis, became one of the most important southern cities of the Roman Empire.  The Basilica, Arches, columns, & richly appointed residences, paved with mosaics, graced the city.  The magnificent structures allow the architectural photographer to explore compositions, and juxtapose the many angles, textures and contrasts of the best preserved Roman archeological site in Morocco. And its colorful Mosaics are found in situ as they have for two millenniums. Using Colour or B&W to record the varied stone complexes & arrangements will entice all levels of photographer.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Fes
Accommodations: Riad al Makan (or similar)

Today after breakfast, our local guide will meet us at our riad for a guided tour of the city. To start our tour, we will first go to the Royal Palace and then walk through the old Mellah (Jewish Quartier) of the city.  

From here, we will head to one of the Borj (towers) and get a panoramic view of the entire medina.  Next, we’ll head to a mosaic house where we will have a demonstration of the traditional pottery methods utilized by Fassi artisans – we’ll see every step of the process from the formation of the clay to the piecing together of the mosaics. After this, the tour will take us into the medina of Fes where we will discover the ancient streets and neighborhoods, visit the various artisan sections (including the tanneries). and see the important historic monuments (including the Tomb of Idriss II and the Al-Qarawaiyin University – the oldest continually operated university in the world). Our tour will end after lunch at which time we’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to explore the medina own our own. Don’t worry if you get lost – that is all part of the experience.

Photographer’s Notes:

For the determined street photographer, the fabled labyrinth medina, it’s small and narrow alleyways, medieval architecture, palaces, museums, mosques, fountains, habitations – Fez and its medina has abundant photographic possibilities.

The streets are teeming with crowds of people.  The vibrance of the markets, the sights, smells, and the many artisans working in leathe, ceramic, clay and paint, provide an abundance of ‘colorful moments’ for the steadfast photographer to capture! 

All this can be very unusual and psychologically exhausting at times, but there is much beauty and charm you will be rewarded with an overwhelming experience!

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Fes
Accommodations: Riad al Makan (or similar)

After breakfast, we will depart from Fes head to the desert. Our first stop on the way will be the interesting Alpine-like city of Ifrane. Driving through this city, you may think that you have been teleported to Switzerland. The city’s biggest claim to fame is a statue of the now extinct Atlas lion that once roamed the lands, but the best part of the city is the European-like cafe in the main square that serves great coffee and delicious sweets.

After a quick stop here for coffee and a snack, we’ll continue into the Middle Atlas Mountains and through the largest cedar forest in Africa which is also home to the barbary apes (aka Atlas Monkeys) which are sure to entertain. Just be prepared to pay a toll in peanuts. These little guys may not let us pass without it!

After we’ve crossed through the Middle Atlas Mountains, we’ll arrive to the city of Midelt located on the high plains between the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. You’ll likely stop in this area for lunch and then continue through the High Atlas Mountains via the Ziz Gorge. Take note of the change of landscape as we enter the desert region and make the final leg of the journey to Merzouga and the great sand sea of the Sahara, Erg Chebbi.  Upon our arrival, we’ll check into our riad on the edge of the big dunes. Just before sunset, we will be transported to the big dunes via 4x4s for a chance to shoot as the sun goes down. Following this, we’ll return to the riad for dinner and some rest from our long day of traveling.

Photographer’s Notes:

Although we will pass through many landscapes, the highlight will be arriving at the foot of the Erg Chebbi Dunes this afternoon. At sunrise, or dusk, the golden light gives the sand a fascinating glow, and range of colors. The magnificent dunes afford the landscape photographers who are willing to venture into the sea-of-sand, many unique perspectives of patterns, contrasts, colors.

Be prepared for some low-light shooting at twilight, when we try and catch the last fleeting moments of daylight. If we are fortunate, we may have the Moon over the desert as our canvas.  Be sure to bring your tripod, and a headlamp as we venture outside our desert camp after dark.

Photo Credit: Abderrahman Idrissi

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Merzouga
Accommodations: Riad Madu (or similar)

This morning, you’ll have time to shoot the changing color of the dunes as the sun rises from your riad near the edge of the dunes.

After breakfast, you will enjoy a special tour around the giant dunes!  If the season is right, you’ll might have a chance to have tea with a nomad family.  The tour will include a stop at the village of Khamlia, a community of Gnawa musicians.  You’ll enjoy tea while they perform and we dare you to try to keep from moving in time to the music! After the tour, you will head back to the kasbah where you will have a chance to relax a little and prepare for your overnight in the desert.  Just before sunset, you will climb aboard your trusty camel (or take a special 4×4) and trek to your berber camp.  Dinner will be served and traditional music will be played around the campfire before you retire to the warmth of your cozy berber tent for the night.

Photographer’s Notes:

Plan to rise early and wander into the peaceful glow of a desert morning.  You will find the morning temperatures surprisingly cool, so dress in a warm layer, and take your tripod.  Capturing the magnificence of the light, and the patterns and textures of the imposing sand dunes, is well worth your effort!

As people begin to retire, the camp lights will be turned off which, if it is a clear night, we’ll present an opportunity for night shooting in an attempt to capture the gazillion stars in the night sky.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Merzouga
Accommodations: Merzouga Dunes Luxury Camp (or similar)

This morning, we’ll want to be sure to get up early to watch the sun rise over the dunes (set your alarm!).  Grab some coffee and climb up the nearest dune and watch as the sun sets the sand aflame. After this near-transcendental experience, we’ll have breakfast at camp and prepare for our day and, when we are ready, we’ll take your camels back to the Kasbah on the edge of the dunes.

From here, we’ll make our way towards the Dades Valley. Our first stop will be to visit the ancient irrigation system that once brought water to the desert from the distant Saghro Mountains. This line of giant molehills are an amazing from the surface, but we’ll also go down below to see the tunnels that once carried the water for 30 kms.

Our next stop will be the oasis town of Tinghir. Here we’ll enjoy a guided walk of the Palmeraie and through crumbling kasbahs and into the most impressive part of Todgha Gorge.

From here, we’ll make the last leg of our journey to Dades Valley and to our accommodations for the night. Once we get checked in settled, we’ll enjoy dinner at our guest house.

Photographer’s Notes:

Today will be a bonanza for landscape photographers as we more from a moon-like environment into the red rocks of the Atlas Mountains with many kasbahs set amongst the lush greenery and contrasting landscapes seen throughout the river valleys.

These once-fortified and imposing refuges, now mostly crumbling ruins, integrate with the local landscape and afford the landscape photographers with many unique perspectives of these now decaying but once formidable edifices, backdropped against the looming High Atlas Mountains!

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Boumalne Dades
Accommodations: Chez Ichou (or similar)

This morning, after breakfast, we will depart from the hotel and drive along the Road of 1000 Kasbahs from the Dades River Valley to the next valley over: M’Goun River Valley. Both of these valleys make up the “Valley of Roses” where the fragrant Rosa Damaskina bloom each spring. These pretty pink buds are harvested every year and distilled into valuable rose oil which is sold to perfumeries around the world. The rose water by product is also used for everything from medicine to creamy rose cream.

After passing through Kelaat M’Gouna, the city between the two Valleys and the hear of the Valley of Roses, we will arrive to the M’Goun River valley where we will embark on an scenic walk.

Our hike will begin at the base of M’Goun Mountain where we will stop to visit with a nomad family. From here, we will trek over the mountain, stopping for periodic rests and to admire the breathtaking view of both valleys, before descending into the M’Goun river valley. Here we will hike through the kasbahs and small Berber villages until you reach Kasbah El Hot where you’ll stop for a visit and some tea.  Today will include lunch with a local family where you will get to photograph models in traditional Berber dress.

After we have explored this area, we will transfer to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou. If this impressive ksar looks familiar, it may be because it has often served as backdrops for many movies and tv shows throughout the years. We’ll arrive here in time to do some shooting in the afternoon light (hopefully after most of the crowds have left). We’ll have plenty of time to explore as we will be staying near by.

After our first exploration of Ait Ben Haddou, we’ll head to our nearby accommodations, check in, and enjoy dinner at our kasbah for the night.

Note: The actual hiking route may vary depending on the ability of the group.

Photographer’s Notes:

Today the focus will be divided between photographing the natural landscapes that the hike provides and the opportunity to shoot the colorful traditional costumes of the local people.

Generally in Morocco, it can be difficult to take pictures of the locals unless it is done stealthily. For this reason we will have some locals willing to be photographed in their traditional outfits so that you can engage in portraiture shooting until your heart’s content.

Photo Credit: Abdelhadi “Amnay” Idrissi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Ait Ben Haddou
Accommodations: Kasbah Rayanne (or similar)

Early this morning we will head to nearby Ait Ben Haddou to take photos in the morning light. When we’ve finished your shooting, you’ll return to the kasbah for breakfast and gather our things and then start the journey to Marrakech

Our journey will take us over the High Atlas Mountains via the famous Tizi n’ Tichka Pass. Although this road has been much improved in the last ten years, it still offers some breathtaking views (and quite a few curves) along the way. You’ll have several stops to take a break from the switchbacks and capture these vistas.

We’ll arrive in Marrakech by late afternoon. After we check into our riad, we’ll be free to wade into the excitement Jemaa el F’na – the busiest square in all of Africa – which transforms as the sun goes down to a large open air theatre where everything from snake charmers to acrobats take the stage. If you get a bit overwhelmed, you can always retreat to one of the many terrace cafes that give you a birds-eye view of the chaotic scene.

Photographer’s Notes:

The existence of an imposing, once-fortified village of kasbahs – Ksar Ait Ben Haddou has become a fixture within the local landscape. Backdropped against the pinkish High Atlas Mountains, these environs afford both the architectural and landscape photographer alike with many unique perspectives as you wander throughout this formidable edifice!

You will have many photographic opportunities to use your lens to explore this living piece of Morocco’s history, it’s exquisite tile work, and carved wooden framework, perfectly preserved over the centuries.  The village of mud-bricked walls is yours to wander and climb all the way to the very top.  Once reaching the high point, you can capture the amazing views of the Ksar and the surrounding sandstone hills of the Saghro and High Atlas Mountains.

In Marrakech, It is a ‘must’ to experience Jemaa el F’na. It remains the main square of Marrakesh, used by locals and tourists, and is a thriving hub of activity on any night.  The square is filled with thousands of people, musicians, dancers, buskers, and food stalls galore!

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Marrakech
Accommodations: Riad Nesma (or similar)

After breakfast, we will meet our local city guide for a grand tour of Marrakech.  We will visit some of the city’s important monuments, such as Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, Ben Yousef Madrassa, and/or the Koutoubia Mosque.   In between these stops, you’ll wind your way through the maze-like souks of Marrakech where you can see various artisans practicing their craft the way they have done for centuries.

The tour will end shortly after lunch and then we will have the rest of the day to explore together or on our own.

Photographer’s Notes:

Within the walls of this famous Red City resides a labyrinth of souks, exotic markets, kiosks, & merchants that beckon to be explored with your lens!

For the tenacious street photographer, the throngs of people, sights and vibrance of the markets amount to a flowing, rushing, overwhelming fountain of life, color and sound – an endless weaving paradise of never-ending ‘decisive moments’ for the enduring and persistent street photographer to capture!

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Marrakech
Accommodations: Riad Nesma (or similar)

This morning after breakfast we’ll depart from Marrakech and make our way into the Ben el Ouidane in the Middle Atlas Mountains

The first stop on the way will be Demnate where we will make your way on foot to the natural bridge of Imi n’Ifri.  A short 2 km hike down the track leads to the natural bridge, an excellent photographic backdrop partially carved out of the wadi.  When we reach the bridge, we’ll follow the river under the bridge and then go over it.  After this, we’ll head to a nearby association dedicated to the sustainment of Amazigh (aka Berber) culture. We will have lunch here.

After lunch, we’ll make the relatively short drive to Ouzoud, the home one of Morocco’s highest waterfall.  This spectacular multi-step waterfall towers at 330 feet tall. Our journey will start from the top of the falls and then we will make our way down to the bottom of the cascade, where we can go for a swim (weather permitting), take a boat ride under the falls, or just enjoy the view from one of the many terraces. And, of course, we are likely to make friends with the Atlas Monkeys who also call this region home.

Since you will be arriving here in the afternoon, the sun should be in the ideal position for photographing the falls.  When we have finished exploring here, we will make the final leg of today’s journey to Ben el Ouidane, a city on the edge of Morocco’s largest lake. We will check into our accommodations here and enjoy some relaxation and dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Ben el Ouidane
Accommodations: Dar l’Eau Vive

This morning you will take a day excursion to the Ait Bouguemez in a region known as the Happy Valley.  Upon your arrival, you’ll hike to a nearby granary for breathtaking panoramic views of the Valley.  From here, you’ll hike down through the fields towards your picnic lunch located next to a water mill.  After your lunch, you’ll head back to Ben el Ouidane arriving back to your accommodations in time for a little relaxation prior to dinner.

If you had enough of adventure, you can alternatively spend the day relaxing next at your lakeside accommodations.

Photographer’s Notes:

As you enter The Happy Valley, you will encounter some of the 28 villages within the region – the domain of some of the oldest tribes in Morocco.  The valley floor is covered in meticulously tilled plots of land surrounded by irrigation ditches, and crops of many varieties, offering many varied and colourful arrays and patterns to photograph.

Hiking through agricultural fields and orchards, you will pass many long-abandoned kasbahs, each offering the image designer the ability to see beauty in unlikely places.  This version of ‘urban decay’ photography opens our minds to the beauty to be found in the derelict and forgotten areas of the world’s cities, and distant villages.4

Photo Credit: Gail Carter

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Ben el Ouidane
Accommodations: Dar l’Eau Vive (or similar)

Today, you’ll have the whole day to enjoy the activities of in and around the lake including kayaking. As the sun changes position throughout the day over the Atlas Mountains, the blue-hued waters of the lake are a perfect complement against the lush vegetation and earthy shades of brown, creating one of the most picturesque landscapes in the area. You will also enjoy the amazing changing of colours of the red earth, and in particular the hues of the adobe clay brick walls of the many kasbah’s!   For this reason, the lake region attracts many photographers, painters, and travelers longing for peace and serenity in the outdoors.

You’ll enjoy a barbeque lunch and a late afternoon/sunset boat ride in the man-made lake created by the Ben el Ouidane damn followed by a farewell dinner at your waterfront accommodations.

Although there are sure to be some photo opportunities, today is a day to relax and reflect upon your visual journey through Morocco!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Ben el Ouidane
Accommodations: Dar l’Eau Vive (or similar)

This morning after breakfast, you will transfer to the Casablanca airport for your departing flights. Once there you’ll bid your tour manager au revoir until your next trip to Morocco.

ETA to Casablanca Mohamed V Airport is 1 PM; be sure to book your departing flight in the late afternoon to allow time to check in and get through security and immigration. Transfers can be arranged to Marrakech Airport for an additional fee.

Meals: Breakfast