Morocco Desert Activities & Desert Safaries

Exploring the Famous Kasbahs of Morocco: A Journey Through Time

Morocco is a land where ancient traditions meet stunning landscapes, and its famous Kasbahs stand as striking reminders of the country’s rich cultural heritage. These fortified structures, often surrounded by palm groves, mountains, and deserts, were once homes to tribal leaders and defense posts in times of war. Today, they offer travelers a glimpse into Morocco’s storied past and the intricate architecture that defines its beauty. In this blog, we’ll explore the most famous Kasbahs of Morocco, each with its unique charm, history, and allure.

2. Kasbah Taourirt: The Jewel of Ouarzazate

Located in the cinematic city of Ouarzazate, Kasbah Taourirt is another majestic structure that once served as a royal residence. Built-in the 19th century, this kasbah was the stronghold of the powerful Glaoui family, who ruled the region for many years. Today, it stands as a testament to the wealth and influence of the Glaoui dynasty.

Kasbah Taourirt is an intricate maze of over 300 rooms, courtyards, and towers. Its earthen walls, punctuated with ornate windows, reflect the craftsmanship of Moroccan artisans. The kasbah’s design blends Berber and Islamic styles, creating a visually stunning piece of architecture. Visitors can explore the kasbah’s grand halls, including the beautifully decorated reception room while learning about the historical role it played in Moroccan politics.

Location: In the city of Ouarzazate, also known as the “Gateway to the Sahara.”

4. Kasbah Telouet: The Forgotten Stronghold

Perched high in the Atlas Mountains, Kasbah Telouet is an impressive structure that once controlled the caravan routes between Marrakech and the Sahara. This kasbah was also a Glaoui family stronghold, serving as both a residence and a fortress. Though Kasbah Telouet has seen better days, with parts of it falling into ruin, its grandeur is still apparent, especially in the intricately decorated interiors.

The Kasbah is known for its stunning zellij (mosaic tilework), carved wooden ceilings, and elaborate stucco designs that showcase the opulence of its former inhabitants. While the exterior may appear weathered, stepping inside reveals a stark contrast of ornate, well-preserved rooms. Its remote location, high in the mountains, adds to its allure, making it one of the most atmospheric kasbahs in Morocco.

Location: About 50 km from Ait Ben Haddou, near the Tizi n’Tichka pass in the High Atlas Mountains.

6. Kasbah Tifoultoute: Overlooking the Ouarzazate River

Just a few kilometers outside Ouarzazate, Kasbah Tifoultoute is a lesser-known but equally impressive Kasbah. Built in the 18th century, this kasbah once played a defensive role in the region. It offers panoramic views of the Ouarzazate River and the surrounding landscape, providing a peaceful and scenic backdrop for visitors.

Although not as well-preserved as Kasbah Taourirt, Kasbah Tifoultoute retains much of its original charm. Its towers and walls stand tall against the desert landscape, and visitors can explore the structure while enjoying the views from the kasbah’s terraces. The Kasbah’s proximity to Ouarzazate makes it a convenient stop for those interested in Morocco’s architectural heritage.

Location: 8 km west of Ouarzazate, overlooking the Ouarzazate River.

A Journey Through Morocco’s Past

Exploring Morocco’s famous kasbahs is like stepping back in time, where the walls of these ancient fortresses hold centuries of history and tradition. Each kasbah has its own story to tell, from the grandeur of Ait Ben Haddou to the coastal beauty of the Kasbah of the Udayas. Whether you’re wandering through desert landscapes or mountain villages, the kasbahs of Morocco offer a fascinating glimpse into the country’s architectural and cultural legacy.

These kasbahs not only serve as historical landmarks but also as cultural touchstones that have shaped the identity of Morocco. As you venture through these iconic sites, you’ll discover the timeless beauty of Moroccan architecture and the stories of the people who once inhabited these fortresses. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, an architecture lover, or simply seeking an unforgettable travel experience, Morocco’s famous kasbahs should undoubtedly be on your itinerary.

When you’re looking for a tour that you might want to enjoy in Morocco, sometimes the diversity of options might leave you confused. There are many tours that you can choose from. Although the tours share a lot of similarities in terms of what they visit sometimes, other times the experiences are radically different from one another. Morocco is a very diverse country in terms of everything that ranges from culture to nature. Therefore, to help you make the choice a little bit easier, we are going to chose only one type of tours, that start from the most ancient city in the Moroccan Kingdom: Fez, to the wonders of the desert dunes in a town called Merzouga.

Fez to Merzouga tours aren’t only about the starting point and the ending point, which are respectively Fez and Merzouga, the journey in between these two is all the way exciting from starting to end. The highlights which are going to be discussed in detail include: the city of Meknes, the Atlas Mountains, all the interesting towns and villages, and more.

Keep reading if you want to know more about Fez to Merzouga tours.

Fez (Fez to Merzouga desert tours)

The journey starts from Fez. However, the tour doesn’t leave the ancient city without exploring it’s landmarks. As we already know Fez is the oldest Moroccan city. Therefore, it’s a record of all the cultures and lifestyles that used to settle there.

The old Medina with all its walls and gates give this impression of safety. Fez has these walls to make it a safe haven for the king and his subjects. The old castles and buildings with their mystical Islamic architecture make the visitors feel as if they traveled through space and time to the middle ages. The golden age of Fez. During that period Fez was the first city in the world to establish a university, the thing that gives Fez its reputation as a city of science, knowledge and wisdom. The first university ever is Al Quarawin University, which was established by Fatima Al Fihriya. Not to mention the all the other monuments that this city has, and the modern lifestyle that this city has other than the more traditional.

Volubilis and Meknes (Fez to Merzouga desert tours)

Fez to Merzouga tours can’t miss the opportunity to visit this ancient Roman city called Volubilis. The Ruins of this old Roman city are there as a proof that Morocco was once, before it was an independent kingdom, a part of the Great Roman Empire. Thanks to Volubilis you’ll get the chance  to explore some authentic Roman architecture.

Not so far away from Volubilis is situated one of the most important cities in the history of Morocco, although nowadays it’s not as popular as Marrakech or Casablanca, still it’s one of the most beautiful cities of Morocco. The city we’re talking about is Meknes. The dynasty of the Sultan Moulay Ismail considered this city their capitol. They built all these monuments that keep a rich record from the past. The wall of Moulay Ismail is one huge proof of the power that this city used to have. Not to mention the majestic gates and Lahdim Square in front of them. This city is also host to an old prison that is like a labyrinth. It could be a good case subject of some spooky pictures.

The old medina of Meknes is also a must-visit, there are some old, breathtaking Riads, that must be explored.

Aside from the old aspects of Meknes, it’s also a modern city with fancy restaurant, bars and nightclubs that are always vibrating with fun. And the good thing about Meknes is that it’s not as expensive as Marrakech or Casablanca for example.

suggested tour:

10 day tour from Fes to The Imperial Cities & Sahara

Middle Atlas Mountains, Azrou, Ifran…

Some tours skip Meknes and go directly to the Atlas Mountains. The first stop then is a town that is considered to be similar to the cities of Switzerland. This town is called Ifran.

Ifran is at its best at winter with the snow. One highlight is the giant statue of a big lion. Photography is necessary at this point.

Next there is Azrou, the city that has the fastest access to cedar forests. These forests are similar to what you might find in a fairy tale movie. And at the right times of the day you can spot monkeys all over. One other Meddle Atlas stop is Midelt, which is considered the capitol of apples in Morocco. This city is also famous for its mines of beautiful stones, such as Vanadinite.

Finally there are these two stops which are the town Rich and Imilchil. Imilchil is a town that is known for its two lakes: Isli( groom) and Tislit (bride). The story is that these two lakes are filled by the tears of two lovers who were denied each other by their circumstances, so they kept crying separately until they filled two lakes

Ziz valley and Toudra Gorges (Fez to Merzouga desert tours)

Ziz valley is a wonderful example of how much the landscapes of Morocco are interesting. It’s like the perfect combination of valley, river and palm trees -which are a good symbol of this Moroccan region.

Another beautiful landscape is that, that you can find in Toudra Gorges. The narrow canyons, the heights, the water stream with the small fish and the mountain climbers, all of these elements are combined to give this place its wonderful atmosphere.

Merzouga and Erg Chebbi (Fez to Merzouga desert tours)

It wouldn’t be called a desert tour unless the tour visits Merzouga. This small town has become synonymous with with the desert. You can just look for Moroccan Desert on the internet and almost all the pictures are taken from Merzouga or the area around this twon. Although it’s not a big city such as Fez, which could be a disappointment for some. However, others will really appreciate the simplicity. There are of course stores, restaurants, fancy hotels and bars in Merzouga. So, no worries about being bored.

But of course the most important part isn’t the urban areas as much as the raw desert natural landscapes and how the people who inhabit this nature live their lives.

Some of the most obvious associations that we associate with Erg Chebbi Dunes are: golden sands, camels clear desert sky, beautiful sunsets and desert animals. However, these are only products of nature. Some human, and cultural aspects are for example the Berber tents where there are all sorts of fun activities, like eating desert food, burying the body under the sand, desert drum music, that can make people reach higher states of awareness… these and more activities.

The end of the journey will be in Fez where it started.

Arfoud, Errissani and other towns (Fez to Merzouga desert tours).

The 3 days private tour will take its visitors to many towns and villages. The most famous ones are Arefoud, where you can find fossils and even buy them. The other is Errissani which is famous for the high quality dates.

Merzouga and the desert (Fez to Merzouga desert tours).

Morocco desert tour has to go to Merzouga otherwise it’s not a wholesome experience. Merzouga is what you’re looking for when you think about camel trekking, watching the desert sunrise, riding desert vehicles, spotting desert animals and so on.

When you get there you’ll find camps with all the prestigious things that you can imagine in a desert plus drum musicians whose sole goal is to make your stay in there as enjoyable as possible.

Not to mention the traditional food and the parties that you can find in the fancy hotels of  Merzouga.

suggested tour:

5 day tour from Fes to Marakech via the Atlas & Desert

The tour from Fez to Merzouga is without no doubts one of the best Moroccan experiences, not that there are any bad experiences or tours when it comes to Morocco. Therefore, one might consider this one tour as a first experience of Morocco. That’s why it’s recommended for a first time visitor.

Tell us in the comments below about your opinions and thoughts.

If you want any help concerning Morocco private tours, please contact our services.

Morocco private tours are a very good choice for the people who want to visit Morocco and still haven’t decided what to do in there yet. The Morocco private tours that our agency provides, take the tourists to all sorts of interesting places, these include beautiful imperial cities with their historical richness and just the most fascinating natural landscapes. More than that, our services make sure that most of the time spent in Morocco is full of fun and enriching experiences. And of course they arrange stops at the best spots for tasting the very delicious Moroccan cuisine.

The Moroccan private tour business is showing to be flourishing in 2020, which is something very good, given that the quality, the reliability and the availability of the services such as the the ones we offer are improving a lot.

The choices that we can offer are as diverse as Morocco itself. Morocco is a country that never fails to fulfil every visitor’s curiosity and satisfaction.

However, there are some tours that are considered more popular among tourists for very good reasons.

This article is about the best Morocco private tours for the year 2020.

But first 2019.

In the year 2019, the tours that have shown to be the mostly enjoyed by the tourists were:

• 3 days from Marrakech to Fez via the Moroccan Sahara Desert.

The tour starts from the very exciting cit, Marrakech. This city has all the standards of being a good tourist magnet. If you want a to get a good idea about the Moroccan culture and history plus modern Morocco, Marrakech is what you want to head for.

After leaving Marrakech the tour visits all the exciting places between Marrakech and Fez, which is a long journey by the way. Among the many places, there are these two famous filming sites that you might recognize from movies like Gladiator, The mummy, The Kingdom Of Heaven… the first is Ait Benhaddo and the other one is Ouarzazat.

Afterwards the tour visits the Moroccan Sahara Desert. The town Merzouga is where the desert magic the Morocco has happens, thanks to both, the nature and the lifestyle.

Then the trip heads towards Fez. But before that it will stop at gorges, valleys, mountains and many beautiful towns.

• 3 days from Marrakech to Marrakech via Merzouga Desert.

The second most favorite tour starts and ends in Marrakech and visits the desert in between. The tour shares a lot of similarities with the first one in terms of what it visits, although it doesn’t go as far north. However, the time that will be spent in the desert is longer than the first one, which is something good, because the desert is full of fun.

• 15 days Casablanca grand Morocco tour.

The third most favorite tour is a very big in terms of the geographical range. It starts first at Casablanca, the biggest Moroccan city, and the most important in terms of business and economy, as it has always been since long time ago.

Then the tour goes to a small proportion of the Moroccan north. Most importantly Chefchaouen imperial cities like Fez, Meknes and Marrakech. But before Marrakech the tour goes to the Moroccan Sahara Desert. However, after Marrakech it goes to Essaouira. Then back to Casablanca.

The best Morocco tours for the year 2020.

For the new year 2020 our suggestions for good tours that our services offer will be  mostly what people already liked in the previous year. The tours that we already have mentioned are a very good choice for people who haven’t explored Morocco yet. We are very proud and pleased about these tours and also about the feedback that we get from the people who try these private tours.

However, we are going to suggest some places that aren’t giving importance in these tours from 2019 or aren’t mentioned at all.

The Moroccan North. This region of Morocco is very beautiful and the weather is very nice. Plus it has access to the Mediterranean Sea. Tangier is city that is appreciated worldwide for its history and role in the world. That’s why it’s considered an international city.

Another stop at the north is the blue city Chefchaouen. This city is all painted in blue. You just have to look for the blue city on the internet to look at how beautiful this city is, and you will be motivated to visit to experience the peaceful ambience this city has.

We would also suggest a visit to the very rich city Meknes. Meknes is a very underrated city. Although it’s not very different from Fez. It has an old Medina such as that of Marrakech and Fez, with narrow streets and old Riads. There also shrines and beautiful fountains, plus a huge wall that the ancient king Moulay Ismail ordered to be built for protection. Along with a huge gate called Bab Mansour, which is right in front of Lahdim Square, also  not far away from Karra prison, which is a labyrinth. Another landmark is the gigantic pool of water called Sahrij Swani. This city has also a very vibrant modern lifestyle where there are all these fancy restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and nightclubs.

Meknes is not far away from the Moroccan Cedar Forrest and its beautiful two cities Azerou and Ifran. This region is really worth visiting. It’s considered to be similar to Switzerland.

Another place that isn’t far away from Meknes are the ruins of an old Roman city called Volubilis. This is a very rich region in terms of historical background.

Picking a list that could be considered a best list of Morocco tours for 2020 is an unfair thing, because saying that this desert tour is better than this North tour is like saying that oranges are better than apples.

However, it might be a good thing to visit places that most people don’t consider a lot. 2020 could be the year of exploring the the regions that aren’t visited a lot by tourists.

Please tell us about your opinions in the comments below.

And if you need anything please contact our services for help.