Walk in Tangier Medina, Find a Cozy Cafe!

In recent years, Tangier in Morocco is becoming a modern new city with big buildings but right in the center of the city, its medina is still the same as hundreds years ago and we can walk in the same street where some famous Western writers or artists walk.

Let's walk in the medina of Tangier with us!

Mediterranean Sea from Kasbah

From the top of the medina, you can look over Tangier old port and the Mediterranean Sea.

Outer wall of Medina

Just like other medinas in Morocco, Medina in Tangier is surrounded by military walls. It's well reconstructed and easy to see how it was in the old times. On top of the walls, they still have batteries.

Petit Socco

Petit Socco is the main square in the center of the medina. You can start and end the medina walking here. The medina in Tangier is not so big. Hotels, restaurants. cafes, gift shops, local people's markets are all together in the small area. Just by hanging around a few hours, you'll have a lot of interesting experiences.

Cafe Central

The famous Cafe Central is here on the Petit Socco. This place was a favorite spot of an American writer William Burroughs while he was living in Morocco. Tangier is just right across Spain, easy to get from Europe, and still has an Islamic exotic atmosphere. Writer Paul Bowels, or Musicians such as Rolling Stones loved this city and we might be strolling around the same place with them!

Fish market

Something different about Tangier from other medinas is it has a covered fish market. You'll see a huge varieties of fish and understand Moroccans here are real fish eaters!

Kasbah

From Petit Socco to Kasbah is just a 10 or 15 minutes walk. This was used to be a Sultan's palace in the 17th century. Now the palace is open to public as a museum.

New Port, Tangier Mediterranean

For your information, most of the ferries to and from Spain depart and arrive in this Tangier new port, called "Tangier Mediterranean" or "Tangier MED". It's a nice, clean big port but 1 hour diver away from the Tangier city! If you're planning to visit Tangier city before or after the ferry, be sure to have enough time, maybe better staying one night in Tangier.

Visit Tangier and all around Morocco with us!

Imperical Cities, Desert Camping, ChefChaouen & Tangier

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Ait Ben Haddou Day Trip, Enjoy the Tour with Us!

We've had a great feedback from customers who have been to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate with us.
I'd like to share it with you here!

Ait Ben Haddou, ksar, an old house complex

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We have just returned from our day trip and I would like to compliment you on the driver you gave us, Mbarak.

He was very punctual, polite very kind to my brother as he cannot walk very fast and totally made our day extremely pleasant with his conversation and extensive knowledge of the history of his country.

He could not have done more for us and is definitely an asset to your staff.  We gave our trip 100% . While the scenery was very beautiful we all agreed we were very lucky that we got such a nice person as a driver. Thank you very much .
Excellent day!

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You can get to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate in a day from Marrakech, driving over the High Atlas Mountains will be one of the highlights of your tour in Morocco!

Ait Ben Haddou Day Trip
http://www.moroccodesertpalmtours.com/excursions/303_aitbenhaddou_1.html

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Ait Ben Haddou, See the Life of Berber World!

Ait Ben Haddou is one of the "must-see" places in Morocco.
This is a fortified town of old Berber people.
Not so many are living here now.

People remember this place because popular Hollywood movies such as Gladiator were shot here and now it's protected as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.



Looking down from the top of the hill. Small houses are like toys,




To get to AIt Ben Haddou from Marrakech, we drive over high Atlas mountains. You can enjoy the great view!
And take a lunch break with those panoramic views.



Berber villages in High Atlases are famous with its stones and potteries.



Inside the Ait Ben Haddou. It is like a maze, sometimes streets are the roof of someone's house.



From here, you can see the huge field where the film "Gladiator" was shot. Everyone wants to stop here to take photos!



Some people are still living inside the village, and they have been keeping their traditional life. You would feel like you are just back in 100 or 200 years ago.

Let's visit Ait Ben Haddou with us!
Ait Ben Haddou Day Trip

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Kelaa M'Gouna, Enjoy Kasbahs and Rivers!

Kelaa M'Gouna is a small town in South Morocco and famous with its Rose Festival in May.
And also, the valleys and the moutains in the area are great for trekking.
Let's enjoy the beautiful nature of Kelaa M'Gouna together!


On the main street "Kasbah Road", you'll find shops for rose waters. Many tourists car stop here to take a break and see small factories which are making waters. If you'd like to know real Kelaa M'Gouna, you need to be a little away to the valley!


Kelaa M'Gouna is a town with restaurants, shops, and bank offices. This is the entrance of the great nature.


Local market is full of local products. Berber people get together to sell their foods, clothes and daily products.


Old kasbahs, which are almost ruins are here. Now it's a part of a beautiful scenery.


If you go deep in the valley, you'll find cozy kasbah hotels, auberges. It's nice to be here at least for a few days.


Lunch in a kasbah. Share a couscous!


This is a view from one of the famous kasbahs, Kasbah Itran. Think about the morning you'll have with this great view!

Let's visit Kelaa M'Gouna with us!
Kasbahs & Oases from Erfoud / Merzouga
Kasbahs & Oases 1 Night 2 Days from Ouarzazate

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Kasbah Ait Ben Damiette in Skoura, Beautiful Experiences

You can find a lot of nice kasbah hotels in Morocco.
But this Kasbah Ait Ben Damiette is not only beautiful as a hotel, you can see how the owners make this place special, and you'll certainly feel it's hard to leave here just after a short stay.
Let's get into the fascinating world in the middle of the green oasis!



The facade of the Kasbah Ait Ben Damiette is like a small castle in an European countryside. From here, you're already in the dream world.



Ground floor for restaurant and cafe. Warm lights are so beautiful. Their kitchen is right next to this place and when you smell your dinner getting ready, somehow feel like home.



Rooms are also like medieval. Rather big for 2 people, each room has a cozy sofa.



Meatball tajine with rice. Very well refined taste, it reminds you the owners are French!



Beautiful scenery from the roof top. Mountains with snow are far over there. It's like the world is yours, you're a prince or princess in the countryside. This kasbah hotel will sure give you dream days.

Let's visit Skoura with us!
Kasbahs & Oases
Kasbahs & Oases 1 Night 2 Days

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Riad Bouchedor, Bran New Pretty Riad

Here's our another favorite riad in Ouarzazate.
It's looks like a kasbah but inside, everything is new and very comfortable.
Don't forget to check out this place when you visit Ouarzazate!


Outside is a little similar to Dar Chamaa, a kasbah hotel near here. Very typical kasbah style.


The room is simple and the big bed seems like a traditional one.


Warm bathroom. They have a heating floor!


Huge lamp! The hallway is also something nice to see.


Moroccan breakfast is continental. Bread, orange juice, cheese, yogurt, and the coffee is always with a lot of milk!


Yes, they have a swimming pool! It's a small one, but very important especially in the hot summer weather in Ouarzazate!

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Kasbah Glaoui, a Palace in High Atlas!

Between Marakech and Ait Ben Haddou, near the Hight Atlas Mountains, you'll find the Kasbah Telouet. This is a kasbah of the famous Glaoui family in Marrakech area. In earty 19th century, they had a great influence in the region.

Kasbah Telouet is huge, almost like a palace and beautiful mosaic walls are preserved inside. You need to take a rough road from Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou to stop by here and it's worth it.


If you just take a look at it from the outside, it looks like a total ruin. But don't go away! Something precious is still there inside.


It is like a museum. Someone will be waiting for you to take the entrance fee.


Wooden doors have amazing decorations, just like the Bahia Palace in Marrakch.


On the walls, beautiful zerij mosaic.


The view is amazing. Mountains, greens and peaceful berber villages. You'll see why the Glaoui family built their kasbah here.


One of the best Islamic architecture in Morocco. You should not miss it if you drive in the High Atlas!


If you are not sure how to walk around, local people will show you as a guide. If you visit here just as an individual tourist, it'd be a good idea because the kasbah is really big.

Visit Kasbah Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou!
Ait Ben Haddou & Kasbah Telouet Private One Day Tour by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Kasbah Ait Abou in Skoura, Stay in a Real Kasbah!

Skoura is a small oasis town, about 30 minutes drive from a desert city Ouarzazate.
Among those beautiful palm groves, you'll see a lot of old kasbahs, many of them are just ruins.

Kasbah Ait Abu is just like one of those hidden kasbahs but in this case, it is well restored and you can see what real kasbah is. Also, a part of it is a hotel room, you can actually stay in a real kasbah!


When you drive in dense palm groves, suddenly a huge beautiful kasbah appears. No paved way. No sign. You can never get here by yourself, always need a local person to show the way.


It has 3 stories, well restored to the top.


Enjoy the great view of Skoura palm groves! Everytime I see this view, I feel like I'm one the luckiest people in the world.


This is a salon for hotel guest. It'd be so nice to spend your evening here with tea and shisha.


It has a huge garden and local people are taking care of it. In spring time, you'll see beautiful flowers between palm trees.

You can go on a hike or bike ride from here but staying here just doing nothing, hiding away from the real world is one of the ideas. Maybe good for honeymooners :-)

Kasbah Ait Abou
Palmeraie De Skoura Bp30, Ouarzazate 45500, Morocco
They have 4 rooms, one of them is a bungalow.

Visit Skoura!
Kasbahs & Oases
Kasbahs & Oases 1 Night 2 Days

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Kasbah Amridil in Skoura, along Road of One Thousand Kasbahs

The road from Ouarzazate to Erfoud is called "Road of the One Thousand of Kasbahs." Just like it says, there are a lot of kasbahs along the way, but many ofthem are just ruins, hard to see how it worked in the old times.

Here in Skoura, a quiet oasis with palm groves, we can find a well preserved 17th century kasbah, "Kasbah Amridil." Rooms are restored and now open to tourists, next to the kasbah is a traditional style hotel. You will see how the life was here, or still the same in some part of Morocco.


How it looks like is quite familiar. The photo of this Kasbah Amridil is on the banknote of Morocco's 50 dirhams.


The buiding is well restored, if you go up the stairs, you can get to the top of the kasbah, where there's a great view of Skoura palm groves.


Old tools actually used in this area, and some of them still can be seen in some local parts of South Morocco.


Traditional well is still here, you may find a similar thing in the desert or palm groves.


If you go a little away from the palm groves and go up on the hill, a great view of the Skoura village is there. Various kinds of birds are living here and they are carefully protected.


Visit Skoura!
Kasbahs & Oases
Kasbahs & Oases 1 Night 2 Days

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours

Find Ksars, Local People's Traditional Houses!

In the southern part of Morocco, you'll find many "ksar," which is a group of local people's houses. Usually surrounded by thick walls, sometimes it had a roll of fortress. In modern days, it's like an apartment of local people and since it often has a mosque or shops in side the ksar, you could say ksar itself is a small village.


This is a very big and traditional ksar in Erfoud, Maadid.
Lately, the government started the reconstruction of the ksar and the new mosque is being built at the entrance of the ksar.
Ksars are usually made of abobe, it's really difficult to keep their original style.


If you go deep into the palm trees, you'll find many more interesting ksars. Be careful, people keeping traditional life are often rather shy, they don't like to be photographed.


This is an entranced of a ksar. It looks like just a gate of the walls, but once you get inside, maze-like streets are spreading among small houses.


Streets in ksars are usually covered on top and it's really dark. Animals are also living in the same place and you sometimes here chicken's sound.


When you get to the top, you'll see a nice view. Ait Ben Haddou, one of the UNESCO World Heritages sites, has just the same kind of interior. The tradition of ksar is here and there, from the old times to the modern ages in the desert and oasis area.

by Morocco Desert Palm Tours / Erfoud Day Trip