9-Day Photography Tour of Southern Morocco

Trip overview

Nine days to photograph southern Morocco in good light: Aït Ben Haddou, the Dades, the Todra and Erg Chebbi, in a group of 4 to 8 people with a photographer guide.

• Duration9 days / 8 nights
• Starts inMarrakech
• GroupSmall group · 4–8 people
• DifficultyModerate
• LanguageEspañol
• DeparturesDaily departures all year round

Highlights

• Timings set by the golden hour and the blue hour
• Group of 4 to 8 photographers
• Photographer guide with experience in Morocco
• Sunset and sunrise at Aït Ben Haddou
• The Aït Ouglif bends in the Dades Valley
• Two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Visit to a nomad family, with permission for every photo
• Night photography of the stars in the desert
• Draa Valley and mud-brick kasbahs

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech and the first blue hour

   We pick you up at the airport and take you to the riad in the medina. In the middle of the afternoon we meet the photographer guide to get to know the group, check gear and go over the plan, with tips for photographing in the street without bothering people.

   As the sun sets we go up to a terrace above Jemaa el Fna square for the first session: blue hour, smoke from the food stalls and the lights around the Koutoubia. It's a good moment to try long exposures on a tripod. Welcome dinner as a group in the medina.

   Riad in the Marrakech medinaDinner

2. 2

   Day 2: Marrakech at dawn: medina, souks and palaces

   We head out before breakfast, when the medina is almost empty and the light slants down the streets. We photograph doors, workshops opening up and the first activity of the day.

   After breakfast we go to the Bahia Palace, whose courtyards, tiles and cedar ceilings are good for working on geometry and interior light. At midday, rest and review at the riad. In the afternoon we walk through the dyers' and blacksmiths' souks with a local guide who introduces us to craftsmen happy to be photographed. We finish in the square at sunset.

   Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

3. 3

   Day 3: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou

   We cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stopping at mud-brick villages and viewpoints. If the light is with us, we detour to Telouet to photograph its ruined kasbah.

   We reach Aït Ben Haddou in the early afternoon and sleep somewhere with a view of the ksar. We walk round it as the light softens and then cross to the other side of the river for sunset, when the mud brick turns red. After dinner, if the sky is clear, we do our first night photography practice with the ksar lit up.

   Kasbah overlooking Aït Ben HaddouBreakfast and dinner

4. 4

   Day 4: Aït Ben Haddou – Skoura – Dades Valley

   Sunrise in front of the ksar, when the first light touches the top of the village, and then breakfast. We carry on to the Skoura palm grove to photograph the Amridil kasbah and daily life among the palms and gardens.

   After lunch we cross the Valley of the Roses and reach the Dades. Late in the afternoon we climb to the Aït Ouglif viewpoints, where the road makes a series of hairpin bends over the rock. It's a much-repeated shot, but it works: with side light and, after dark, with car headlights in a long exposure.

   Hotel in the Dades ValleyBreakfast and dinner

5. 5

   Day 5: Dades Valley – Todra Gorge – Merzouga

   First light on the Dades rocks known as monkey fingers, then off towards Tinghir. We stop at a viewpoint over its palm grove and reach the Todra Gorge mid-morning, when the sun starts to get in between the walls and casts very hard shadows.

   We continue towards Merzouga via Alnif and Rissani. In the middle of the afternoon we reach Erg Chebbi and ride camels to the camp. We work the sunset in the dunes, with the caravan's shadows stretched out across the sand. At night, stars with the guide, away from the camp lights.

   Camp in the Erg Chebbi dunesBreakfast and dinner

6. 6

   Day 6: Erg Chebbi: dunes, nomads and Khamlia

   We climb a high dune before dawn: the first light is when the textures of the sand show best. After breakfast our local team introduces us to a nomad family living near the erg. We have tea, talk with the help of the interpreter and only photograph those who give permission.

   Then we go to Khamlia, a village with a Gnawa tradition, to listen to their music in a dimly lit room; be ready to push the ISO. Free afternoon at the camp and, at sunset, a light-and-shadow session in the dunes. If the sky allows, a second night of stars.

   Camp in the Erg Chebbi dunesBreakfast, lunch and dinner

7. 7

   Day 7: Merzouga – Alnif – N'Kob – Draa Valley

   Last sunrise in the desert and departure west on a route with little traffic. We cross the black mountains of Alnif and reach N'Kob, a village with dozens of mud-brick kasbahs that we explore on foot in the afternoon light.

   We continue to the Draa Valley, the longest palm grove in Morocco, which follows the river for kilometres. We sleep in a kasbah among the palms near Agdz, with time for sunset over the valley and Mount Kissane. It's about 6 hours with stops, and the landscape changes a lot along the way.

   Kasbah in the Draa ValleyBreakfast and dinner

8. 8

   Day 8: Draa Valley – Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech

   We leave early to photograph the palm grove in soft light and cross the Tizi n'Tinififft pass towards Ouarzazate. Then we climb back into the High Atlas over Tizi n'Tichka, stopping at terraced villages we didn't see on the way out.

   We reach Marrakech in the middle of the afternoon. Back at the riad, we do the last review with the guide: everyone shows a selection of their photos and gets feedback to edit them at home. Farewell dinner on a terrace in the medina.

   Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast and dinner

9. 9

   Day 9: Departure from Marrakech

   Breakfast at the riad and free time depending on your flight. If you leave in the afternoon, use the morning for the Majorelle Garden, with its blue walls and cacti. Go first thing, because it fills up later.

   At the agreed time we take you to the airport. If you want to extend the trip, we arrange extra nights in Marrakech, a trip to Essaouira to photograph the blue boats in the harbour or an excursion to the Imlil valley. Afterwards we email you a summary with the places and times of every session.

   Breakfast

What's included

Prices per person

Fixed price per person, whatever the size of your group.

Payment and cancellation

You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.

Group: free up to 10 days before departure. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.

Extras you can add

Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.

Frequently asked questions

Destinations on this trip