Moroccan immersion with the Oriental Desert Express

Flight to Tangier on request.

Arrival at Tangier. You will be met at the airport by your guide. Transfer to your accommodation.
Overnight at the hotel in Tangier (DI)

Tangier is known for its medina, an old city with narrow lanes leading to the port.
After breakfast, your guide takes you to visit the kasbah. With its 13th-century ramparts, this former fortress built on the heights of the city offers a splendid view over the bay. You then stroll through the streets of the marshland, just like Matisse or Delacroix before you—you’ll be spellbound by the dreamlike atmosphere of this town with whitewashed houses.

On the squares of the “Petit Socco” and the “Grand Socco”, you visit the city’s iconic markets: colorful, lively, packed with shops and street vendors.

In the afternoon, your train journey in Morocco begins on board a modern train, the TGV to Rabat (1 hr 20 min)
Overnight at the hotel in Rabat (BFB, DI)

After breakfast, your guide takes you to discover Morocco’s capital. You explore the souks of the Rabat medina and, within its kasbah, you admire the magnificent remnants of Almohad architecture.
After a stop at the royal palace, you discover the Hassan Tower, 44 m high (exterior), and the Mohammed V Mausoleum, a fine example of modern Islamic architecture. Visiting the Kasbah of the Oudaias gives you an unforgettable view of the Atlantic coast.

At the Mohammed VI Museum, you enjoy an introduction to North Africa’s modern and contemporary art before heading on to the Chellah necropolis, the burial site of the Marinids dating back to the 14th century, set within a magnificent park.

After lunch break, transfer to the station.
3-hour journey by comfortable, regular train to Fes.
Arrival in Fes in the course of the afternoon.
Overnight at the hotel in Fes. (BFB, DI)

After breakfast, the guide comes to pick you up. You set off to explore Fès-el-Bali, the old city with over 12 centuries of history.

From Borj Sud, the “Fort of the South” from the 16th century, you enjoy a panoramic view over the city before delving into Morocco’s most beautiful medina, listed by UNESCO. You discover the Andalusian quarter, the 14th-century Medersas, the lively souks, and you watch merchants haggle and artisans at work in their workshops.

You stop at the royal palace, the Jewish quarter and the potters’ quarter, exploring the various sides of this imperial city, one of the most interesting in Morocco.

In the afternoon, free time to explore Fes.
Overnight at the hotel in Fes (BFB, DI)

Late in the morning, you leave Fes for Oujda by train (first class). Your comfortable train travels through the beautiful landscapes of northern Morocco. You follow the peaks of the Middle Atlas, lined with green fields. The train climbs up to slopes of up to 1.6%, then you reach the desert regions. The Fes–Oujda line has recently been renovated, so you arrive in Oujda in the east of the country in 5 hr 30 min.

Check in at the hotel and visit the town. Oujda has, throughout its history, seen many conquerors and looters, which earned it the nickname “Medina El Haira”, “city of fear”. This is where your special train will depart tomorrow, the Oriental Express—known as the train of the desert.

Lunch on board the Oriental Desert Express in the form of a meal basket.
Overnight at the hotel in Oujda. (BFB, DJ, DI)

After an early-morning breakfast, the day is devoted to the desert train connecting Oujda to Bouarfa: this exceptional journey only runs 3 to 4 times per year. The Oriental Desert Express crosses the vast steppes of the Oriental valley—fantastic landscapes await you on this Oujda–Bouarfa line built between 1925 and 1931. Here are the stops:

• Beni-Oukil : after its early-morning departure from Oujda station, the train stops at the Beni-Oukil crossing, about fifteen kilometres away. Here, the train staff obtain written permission to run on this unused rail segment. The train then heads into the lush green lands where agriculture thrives. You can see the efforts made by Moroccans to halt desertification. The train then stops at Guenfouda: the station serves a lead mine and an associated plant, as well as a rehabilitation program.
• Aïn Beni Mathar (ex Berguent): after the Tiouli tunnel built in 1931, the railway line climbs to 1,300 m. You reach the town of Aïn Beni Mathar, built at an altitude of 925 m on scorching high plateaus in summer, swept by freezing winds in winter. It’s a meeting point for the region’s Bedouin tribes—the Beni Guil, a hub for livestock trade. It is also the site of Africa’s first solar thermal power plant.
• Tendrara : the train continues across the immense desert plateau. You stop in Tendrara, a typical Moroccan village where nomads come to stock up.

Beyond the stops, the magic of the Oriental Express is the desert. Your special train crosses a rocky landscape, often covered with sand by the dunes of the Oriental Desert in eastern Morocco. Over the 304 km of its route, it sometimes stops to wait for the passage of a sandstorm or to allow the mechanics to clear sand from the rails. This makes the timetable unpredictable, but turns this unique journey into an unforgettable memory.

As evening approaches, the Oriental Desert Express reaches its terminus and the small town of Bouarfa.
Transfer from the station to the only local 3* hotel by air-conditioned bus.

Overnight at the hotel in Bouarfa. (BFB, DJ on board the train, DI at the hotel)

The train runs according to a predefined schedule. However, due to possible track-clearing work (sand), the journey may take a little longer. Allow between 10 and 12 hours.

After breakfast, depart by bus along the eastern foothills of the High Atlas to Er-Rachidia. Then comes a very scenic journey through the Ziz valley, one of the most beautiful oasis valleys in southern Morocco, passing through the large palm groves of Tafilalet as far as Erfoud.

For lunch on the way, you try the region’s specialty, the Medfouna, a kind of Berber pizza.
Continue to Merzouga, where you can see one of the largest dunes in Morocco, the Erg Chebbi.

Optional: those who wish may climb the dunes on the backs of camels.
Overnight at the hotel in Merzouga. (BFB, DJ)

Early morning wake-up (optional!) to watch the play of shadows as the sunrise over the desert and the dunes.

After breakfast, depart for the vast palm grove of the Tafilalet region. Stop at Rissani, the birthplace of the ruling Alaouite dynasty, Moulay Ali Cherif’s mausoleum, founder of the dynasty and ancestor of today’s King Mohammed VI.

Another stop at Tinjdad, with a visit to its old fortified village and the El Khorbat museum to discover the culture of people in southern Morocco.

Arrival in Tinghir, where you can admire the famous palm grove and the Todra gorges—deep and winding. If time allows, you will reach your accommodation on foot. After a short hike through the palm groves, you will also visit the lovely small mosque and Koranic school of Ikelane, a witness to the past century, currently undergoing renovation.
Overnight at the hotel in Tinghir. (BFB, DI)

You will arrive in the Valley of Roses, with its kasbahs (citadels) and ksour (fortified villages) decorated with clay, and you stop at the oasis town of El Kelaa des Mgouna, famous for its rose water. You travel through a magnificent landscape, especially at the end of spring when the fields are in bloom.
You take the kasbah road that passes by Skoura, one of the few palm groves in Morocco that is still inhabited and cultivated. : amid this great palm oasis stand countless old kasbahs, including the Amerhidil kasbah museum. You arrive in Ouarzazate.

Ouarzazate is known for the Taourirt kasbah, an old residence of the powerful Berber tribe of the Glaoui, who once dominated the entire south-eastern region around Marrakech.
30 km after Ouarzazate, you reach the best site of the day: the magnificent fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou. Surrounded by walls and listed as UNESCO World Heritage, it is one of the most beautiful ksars in southern Morocco. Many films have been shot there, including “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Babel”, “Gladiator”, “Jesus of Nazareth” and more recently, the series “Game of Thrones”. Discover the narrow lanes and stone staircases that wind through the labyrinth of towers and houses. At the top of the hill, a superb view awaits you..
Overnight at the hotel in Ait Ben Haddou (BFB, DI)

A beautiful mountain landscape awaits you on the road to Marrakech via the Tichka Pass (2,260 m).

Through the picturesque Ounila valley, passing through typical villages, the road leads to Telouet at an altitude of 1,870 m. The village is located on the site of what was once the largest kasbah of Berber prince El Glaoui.

As you descend into the plain on the north side of the Tichka Pass, you’ll be amazed by the view stretching far into the valley and the surrounding countryside.
Overnight at the hotel in Marrakech (BFB, DI)

A French-speaking guide picks you up for a tour of the “pearl of the South”: the Koutoubia Mosque (view from the outside), the Badii Palace, the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and more…

Free afternoon to get lost in the fascinating souks or simply experience the everyday atmosphere of the medina (old town).
Overnight at the hotel in Marrakech (Breakfast, Dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel and, depending on the departure time, free time at your disposal.
transfer to the airport and return flight.
(Breakfast)

NOTE: Please take into account the time when the room must be vacated.
Additional night or return flight departing from Marrakech available on request.