Join us for a unique experience in the barren desert of Morocco through this Morocco fossils hunting & mineral tour. You’ll devote most of your time during your journey to exploring the fossils & minerals by which Morocco is known worldwide.
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Itinerary
Most of our tour itineraries & packages are private as we aim to clear the ground for purely-cultural experiences while maintaining the delivery of personal service. However, we may take shared bookings on some occasions when the group (maximum 8) is already set. The featured price can change based on the number of passengers & the category of the Riads/hotels & Desert camp.
Day 1 – Arrival Day in Marrakech
Meet & greet upon arrival in Marrakech Menara Airport. You’ll have a cultural guided tour of Marrakech. Your private tour guide will unveil the mysterious history of the pink city. You’ll visit the Menara Gardens, the botanical gardens of Majorelle before having a walking tour through the bustling alleyways of the Medina. You’ll visit the Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, the Souks before ending the tour in Jemaa el-Fna Square.
- Overnight accommodation in Riad Marana or similar – bed & breakfast are included.
Day 2 – Marrakech – Sidi Rhal – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate
After having breakfast in your hotel/Riad, you’ll head ead south to the Sidi Rhal mine, which is rich in Quartz Chalcedonies, agate, amerhysts and much more. Picnic for lunch before continuing on the track further south with a nice drive through the spectacular high-Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate.
- Overnight accommodation in Dar Chamaa or similar – dinner and breakfast are included.
Day 3 – Ouarzazate – Draa Valley – Alnif
After breakfast, you’ll drive through the dramatic Anti-Atlas Mountains with its rock formations leading us to Agdz. This administrative center marks the start point of the palm-dotted Draa Valley. You’ll include a stop at the Ordovician site with its gigantic trilobites. You’ll have a picnic lunch in the site before continuing on the track to visit the Silurian Site from where you may want to collect some black Orthoceras. Later, we drive to Alnif town.
- Overnight accommodation in Meteorites Hotel or similar – dinner and breakfast are included.
Day 4 – Exploring the Alnif Area
After having breakfast in your hotel, you’ll head to the Cambrian Site, which is famous for gigantic yellowish trilobites, then you’ll visit the Ordovician Site in Jbel (Mountain) Tiskaouine. The former site is rich in Calymenes & flexycalymenes. Later, you’ll drive back to the hotel in Alnif.
- Overnight accommodation in Meteorite Hotel or similar – dinner and breakfast are included.
Day 5 – Alnif – Rissani – Merzouga
Today, you’ll leave to Merzouga desert via Rissani. En route, you’ll stop in a quarry that consists of Goniatites Fossiles that are found in deposits going back to the middle Devonian Era. You’ll have the chance to visit a local museum that exhibits a wide selection of fossils, minerals and meteorites from the region. In the late afternoon, you’ll head to the desert of Erg Chebbi.
- Overnight accommodation in Riad Azawad, Riad Madu or similar – dinner and breakfast are included.
Day 6 – Explore the Desert Area & Camel Trek
After having breakfast in your hotel, you’ll head to Taous, which is a the nearest military outpost to the Moroccan borders. This center along with Begaa are known for fish, crocodiles, sharks’ teeth & spinosaurus bones & teeth. Then, collect echinoderms in Boutariyt Site. Visit the Mifis mine, then back to the hotel near the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. Have a camel ride journey to attend the majestic view of the sunset and spend the night in the desert camp.
- Overnight accommodation in a desert camp (private en-suite tent) – dinner and breakfast are included.
Day 7 – Merouga – Erfoud – Tinejdad – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley
Early wake up in the morning, attend the stunning view of the sunrise atop the sand dune. After breakfast, you’ll continue on the track west to Dades Valley through Erfoud, Tinejdad Oasis & the Todra Gorge (Canyon). The Gorge of Todra is a popular attraction among mountain climbers and local inhabitants seeking cooler weather & escaping the hot weather.
- Overnight accommodation in Xaluca Dades, Kser Sultan or similar – dinner and breakfast are included.
Day 8 – Dades Valley – Skoura – Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech
After breakfast, you’ll head further west to Marrakech through Skoura while including a visit to the dramatic Amredil Kasbah. Drive through Ouarzazate (Hollywood of Africa) with the possibility to include a visit to the famous Atlas Fil Studios. Then, head to the UNESCO listed Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou which has been used as a set for shooting many Hollywood films. After lunch, you head to Marrakech driving through the Tizi n’Tichka Pass.
- Overnight accommodation in Riad Marana or similar – bed and breakfast are included.
Day 9 – Free day in Marrakech
Today, you may want to further navigate the intricate alleyways of the Medina. Do some shopping, experience a skin scrub in a Moroccan Hammam or just chill out in your hotel/Riad.
- Overnight accommodation in Riad Marana or similar – bed and breakfast are included.
Day 10 – Departure
It is now time to say goodbye to beautiful Morocco. We let you go with the hope that you will surely return someday. We even hope that you had a wonderful journey and made a plethora of memories to cherish.
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Important Information
Price Includes
- A/C & well-maintained 4WD driven by an expert English-speaking driver/guide for 10 days.
- Car fuel and tolls.
- Pick up from your Marrakech hotel/Riad/Villa or meet and greet at the airport.
- Local tour guide in Marrakech.
- Camel ride journey for the sunset.
- Overnight in the Sahara Desert camp in Erg Chebbi (private ensuite tent) with dinner & breakfast are included.
- 9 nights accommodation as illustrated in the above itinerary.
- Picnic meals as illustrated in the itinerary
- Unique Experiences
- Local taxes.
Price Excludes
- Beverages including water.
- Entrance fees to sites and places of attractions
- Flights.
- Insurance in case of any emergency.
- Tips when appropriate.
Terms & Conditions
Prices are “from”, per person, based on at least 2 adults sharing, and include all taxes. Prices can change based on the number of passengers sharing & the quality of accommodation. Subject to availability. 10 nights accommodation as indicated in the above itinerary.
My wife and I have just returned from a 10 day fossil trip to Morocco with Morocco’s Desert Tours. Our guide and driver, Barak, was excellent – he was personable, entertaining and always on time. He was a safe driver and we always felt comfortable. He grew up in the area and his local knowledge of people and places greatly enhanced the experience for us. We are both geologists and our mineral and fossil guide for five of the days, Omar, was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. His enthusiasm was infectious and his local knowledge of the fossils and outcrops (often in the middle of nowhere!) was outstanding. This was one of the best trips of our lives. Thank you Barak and Omar!
My wife and I, both retired geologists, just got back from the Morocco’s Desert Tours 10 day mineral and fossil hunting trip. Our driver and primary guide, Barak, was excellent. He was punctual, entertaining, and a safe driver. His local knowledge of the people and places significantly enhanced our overall experience. The fossil and mineral guide for five of the days, Omar, was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. His enthusiasm was infectious and his knowledge of the fossils and the fossil and mineral localities (often in the middle of nowhere!) was outstanding. The trip was excellent, one of the best we have ever been on. Thank you Barak and Omar!