April 12-21, 2024 - SOLD OUT!
We're going to Morocco!
Few countries hold as much dreamy fascination as Morocco. This trip will be like nothing you've seen in your entire life and one you'll never forget--of this I am certain!
There's the crystal clear blue skies and contrasting copper sands of the Sahara. The peaks of the Atlas Mountains glistening with snow. And the magical city of Chefchaouen, with its striking, blue-washed buildings and cobbled lanes. Behind every city wall is an adventure in art, architecture, and cuisine.
Morocco is a land of endless wonder that is straight out of a movie, and I have never seen anything like it in my life.
The country is made up of four different areas: the Sahara Desert (full of Berber towns and oases), the Atlas and Rif Mountains (perfect for hikers), the plains (home to the imperial cities of Marrakech and Fez), and the sandy coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean (graced by small beach towns and the cities of Rabat and Casablanca).
And we're going to see it ALL!
We will come together as a group of strangers but leave with friends you’ll have for a lifetime.
We will visit all the highlights of Morocco, including Chefchaouen (the Blue City), Marrakech, Fez, Casablanca, Draa Valley, and (my favorite) a Sahara Desert glamping trip!
Why Travel to Morocco With Me:
It’s no secret that I am absolutely in love with Morocco, but I want you to experience this magical place for yourself without the worry of planning out all the details and logistics.
I’ll prepare you for travel.
That means preparing you every step of the way and providing information on everything from purchasing flights, Covid requirements, visas, currency, weather and safety, to the more exciting things like what to wear and fun things to do in your free time.
You get to just show up.
That’s the whole point of doing this, right? You buy your flight and pack your own bags (don’t worry, I’ll give you a list!), but I handle almost everything else! My goal is to make travel as easy and seamless as possible so you can just enjoy your trip!
You get built-in travel buddies.
No more waiting on other people for travel plans that never come to fruition. The dates are set, the itinerary is made, and I am ready to show you the best of the best in Morocco!
You’ll come home with great photos of yourself.
Say goodbye to the days of crappy vacation pictures! I LOVE making people feel confident through photos, and you're guaranteed to go home with Insta-worthy photos of yourself that you’ll actually love because I am documenting your trip every step of the way. Check out some sample photos of past trip participants
You’ll travel in a small group.
I prefer traveling with a small group (think 10-15 people max) who have time to really bond and get to know each other instead of getting lost in the crowd. I promise you’ll leave this trip with new friends you’ll have for life, including me!
You’ll make a positive impact through travel.
I believe in transformative and sustainable travel and that travel truly changes you for the better. By immersing yourself in a culture, you’re likely going to leave a better person than when you arrived. You’ll meet locals, have authentic experiences, and give back to those in need so your tourism has a positive impact on this beautiful country.
Itinerary
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Welcome to Morocco!
Airport pickup
Free time at hotel
Sunset dinner
Casablanca is now Morocco's largest city and commercial capital, and Africa's fourth largest port. Visit visit the gorgeous mosque of Hassan II, which is the largest religious monument in the Muslim world outside of Mecca.
After greeting you at the airport, we'll take you to our hotel in Casablanca, where you’ll have time to relax, nap, or sit by the pool.
After you’ve rested up, we’ll have a welcome dinner by the sea and watch the sunset as we stroll the famous Boulevard de la Corniche, an Atlantic boardwalk lined by restaurants.
Dinner included
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Breakfast at hotel
Road trip to Chefchaouen
Dinner at our riad in Chefchaouen
We’re heading out on the road early as we make our way across the Riff Mountains to the stunning town of Chefchaouen. With its distinctive pale blue and whitewashed buildings and winding alleyways, Chefchaouen is a charming place with strong Andalusian connections. It was here that many Jews and Moors fled during the Spanish Inquisition.
We’ll stop for lunch at a beautiful poolside oasis, where you’ll get your first taste of Moroccan cuisine.
We’ll arrive to Chefchaouen by late afternoon, and you’ll have time to explore our beautiful riad before we join together for a group dinner.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
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Breakfast at riad
Photo tour of Chefchaouen
Free tim
Late lunch at riad
Transfer to Fez
Dinner and henna at riad in Fez
Today we’re exploring the beauty of Chefchaouen with a local, who will take us on a tour of all of the most instagrammable spots in the city.
Feel free to stay on the tour to learn more of this beautiful city’s complex history, or wander on your own through the medina, shopping for handicrafts or lounging in one of the many outdoor cafés.
Later in the afternoon, we’ll have lunch at our riad before we head out on our journey to Fez.
We’ll arrive in the evening at our riad in Fez, just in time to enjoy a beautiful dinner and get henna (optional, not included) from a local artist.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
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Breakfast at riad
Medina and souk (shopping) tour of Fez
Lunch in the medina
Free time
Dinner at a Moroccan family’s home
Fez, the cultural capital, is one of the most complete medieval Islamic cities in the world. Passing through the gates and walls into the alleyways beyond transports you back in time. The streets are just as they were when they were built in the 8th century, with high walls that protect the courtyards inside from the heat of the midday sun.
We’ll be taking a shopping tour of Fez, including Fez tannery (where leather is stained in vats of strikingly colored dyes), carpets, tile, pottery, and more.
After our busy day, you’ll have some time to relax at our riad before we head out to have dinner in a local Moroccan family’s home. They’ll prepare a traditional chicken pastilla, a true Moroccan delicacy, and share their traditions over tea. It’s sure to be a highlight of our trip and a night you’ll never forget!
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
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Breakfast at riad
Depart for Sahara Desert road trip (7-8 hour drive)
Stops in Moroccan Swiss village and cedar forest
Lunch
Arrive at Kam Kam Dunes
Dinner and drum circle
We’re road-tripping today towards the Middle Atlas Mountains, where the landscapes will be diverse and constantly changing. We will first stop to visit Ifran, the Moroccan Swiss town that looks like it’s straight out of Switzerland. Next, we’ll encounter the cedar forests south of Azrou, contrasting starkly with the surrounding barrenness of the Middle Atlas. Here we’ll stop and feed the wild Barbary apes, and if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a baby ape.
Next, we slowly descend through the Middle Atlas Mountains and wind up in the palm oasis of the stunning Ziz Valley. The road will take us across Erfoud and Rissani to the desert of Merzouga.
We stop here to hop in 4WD vehicles to take you via off-road to our luxury camp—hang on, because this will be one of the most fun rides of your life!
When we arrive to our camp, we’ll settle in our tents (glamping style with running water and electricity) before we have a candlelit dinner.
After dinner, we’ll celebrate our first night in the desert with a drum circle, dancing, and some riddles from our Berber hosts.
It’s a night you will absolutely never forget!
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
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Breakfast at Kam Kam Dunes
Tea with desert nomads
ATVing in the sand dunes
Stop at a local school to teach English to children and give school supplies
Lunch and swimming at luxury camp
Sunset camel ride
Dinner and drum circle dance party with Kam Kam staff
We’re up early to meet your drivers to go off-roading in the Sahara!
First, we’ll stop to visit a nomad family, who are living in a Berber tent and taking care of a herd of cattle, goats and camels. You will be introduced to family members and get to know about their way of life while enjoying the taste of a nice cup of tea.
Next up is a trip highlight: ATVing! We’ll hop on our quads and make our way through the dunes of the Sahara—a true once in a lifetime experience!
After ATVing, we’ll stop at a local Berber school, where we’ll meet school children, play catch, read books, and offer supplies to their local school.
Hopefully you’ve built up an appetite, as we’re heading next to a beautiful poolside picnic lunch of berber pizza at a luxury camp. You’ll have time to swim, relax in the shade, and rest up for the evening’s activities.
After a bit of downtime at our camp, we’ll meet for our sunset camel ride. We’ll head off into the vastness of the dunes on a camel caravan accompanied by camelteers as we watch the sun set from the dunes of the Sahara—core memory material!
After our camel ride, we’ll return to our camp for dinner and drums. You’ll sip mint tea under the stars as you wonder if you’ve ever seen anything so magical in your life.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
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Sunrise at Kam Kam Dunes
Breakfast
Road trip to Draa Valley
Stay in a local kasbah (Outdoor infinity pool, massage, and hammam available during free time)
Dinner
Leaving the desert behind, we’ll say goodbye to our new friends and head to the volcanic mountains of Sarhro, dramatic rock formation and gorges of superb views. This area is well known for fossils, mainly ammonites, which are plentiful in the mountains. Reaching the city of Nekob, where we stop for lunch, we start seeing the first palm trees of the Draa Valley, a lush date palm oasis nearly 150 miles long. The valley floor is a verdant patchwork of fruit orchards, vegetable clops, rose farms and of course date palm trees of 18 different varieties.
Once we arrive at Kasbah Dar Hnini, you’ll have the afternoon to swim in the beautiful infinity pool, get a hammam and massage, and rest up from the past days’ activities.
We’ll conclude our evening with a poolside dinner.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
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Breakfast at hotel
Road trip to Marrakech
Lunch at Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
Dinner at riad in Marrakech
Today is another road trip day, stopping in Ouarzazate, Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. Chosen as a location for Hollywood films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Jewel in the Nile, and more recently Gladiator, Ait Ben Haddou sits upon a lofty pinnacle of rock overlooking a river. Dating from around the 15th century, its importance as a trading post gradually waned, and today's inhabitants make a living from farming... and as film extras!
Next we drive through Tizi and Tichka, which will take us to Marrakech opening the landscapes to some breathtaking views of many Berber villages, snow capped mountains and green valleys.
When we arrive at our riad, we’ll have a dinner before we call it an early night so we can be up early for our morning adventure.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
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Early morning hot air balloon ride over Atlas Mountains (optional)
Breakfast on rooftop at riad
Free day to explore old medina and enjoy the best shopping in Marrakech’s souks
Farewell dinner
Today we’re up before sunrise to enjoy a hot air balloon ride over the scenic landscapes over the Atlas Mountains.
We’ll return to our riad for a rooftop breakfast, and the rest of the day is yours to explore the many sites of Marrakech.
Whether you shop the many treasures in the souks, enjoy the beautiful gardens of Jardin Majorelle, or just relax at the riad, you’re sure to find something amazing in Marrakech.
We’ll reconvene in the evening for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Breakfast and dinner included
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Say goodbye to your new travel buddies—til the next trip anyway!
Depart anytime you want today. I suggest a late departure so you can spend some extra time in Marrakech—you won’t regret it!
Breakfast included
WHAT’S INCLUDED
✓ Airport pick-up and drop-off at Casablanca International Airport CMN
✓ All activities and tours listed in the itinerary, with the exception of hot air balloon ride
✓ Local ground transportation to all listed activities
✓ 24 meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 dinners) with 1 N/A drink per meal
✓ Gratuities for included meals and luggage porters
✓ All accommodations with double occupancy (limited single spots available by request)
✓ Luxury glamping in desert
✓ Private English-speaking Moroccan driver on all tours
✓ Group trip host for support before and throughout the trip
✓ Pre-trip orientation call and trip guide with packing list and travel tips
✓ Photos and videos of the entire trip provided upon return
NOT INCLUDED
X International flight to Casablanca and from Marrakech. Details will be provided after you register.
X Travel insurance (optional, but highly encouraged to protect your investment)
X Meals and beverages not specified above
X Alcoholic beverages
X Gratuities for trip guides, drivers, etc.
X Optional extra activities such as hot air balloon ride
X Any extras not listed above
FAQs
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I tend to focus on my trips on locations that are often overlooked or have the perception of being unsafe--especially for women. These locations are often misunderstood, or the information found on the internet or by the media just isn't true.
Enter group travel. Traveling in a group setting along with a professional driver and trip leader gives you the confidence to see places that are often undiscovered by other travelers.
I vet and curate all my trips to make sure they are safe as possible. That being said, safety isn't guaranteed anywhere--even in your home city.
It is still important to use precautions whenever traveling, and that's why I prepare my groups with safety information that's specific to each country we go to.
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Yes, you will need a passport valid beyond October 7, 2024.
If you do not have a passport, I recommend you start the process right away, as it can take several months to receive it. If you need assistance with this, feel free to reach out!
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This is a road trip, and we will be on the go quite frequently in order to see everything this beautiful country has to offer.
We will be doing lots of walking, riding camels, ATVing, and there’s an optional hot air balloon ride.
We’ll also have a lot of down time in the bus, which will be a great reprieve from all of the activities we’ll be doing and a great time to reflect on everything we’re doing and seeing.
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While this trip is very on the go (we’ve got a lot of ground to cover), there are several days that have free time built in so you have time to wander, shop, and explore the cities we are in.
In addition, all planned activities are optional, so you are free to opt out at any time if you choose.
All that being said, this trip is designed to show you the best of the best of Morocco, and all activities have been personally vetted by me to ensure you’re only seeing things worth seeing. If something isn’t generally liked by the entire group, I don’t include it in the itinerary and leave it for free time.
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I sure hope that’s not the case, but I also realize that life can be unpredictable, and things happen.
All trip payments are non-refundable.
Filling trip spots is incredibly time-consuming. I am a small boutique travel company, and I unfortunately do not have the ability to refund people if their plans change. Your deposits go directly to my local partners, and they are non-refundable to me as well.
For that reason, I highly recommend looking into travel insurance (see next FAQ for more details).
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Travel is booming at a time that staffing shortages are also at play, causing the travel industry to struggle to keep up with demand. Add in unpredictable weather, lost luggage, unscheduled absences of pilots, flight attendants, and tour guides, and you have a recipe for a disaster in the making if anything goes wrong with your trip.
While it’s optional, I always recommend getting travel insurance for large investments such as a trip like this. A few hundred dollars is well worth the peace of mind knowing you will have travel and health coverage should something go wrong before or during your trip (and I have had several people have to use it—they were SO glad they had it).
I always tell people to ask themselves, “am I willing to lose thousands of dollars should I not be able to go on this trip?” If the answer is no, consider getting insurance.
If you do want to learn more about travel insurance and are looking for a recommendation, you can learn more about my travel insurance partner, Wanderwell, here.
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Wait until you get the green light from me to purchase your flights—I typically recommend 3-6 months prior to the trip, or as soon as I’ve finalized our group and arrival details.
I will be in contact with you regularly with reminders and assistance on purchasing fights, visas, insurance, packing, and more.
In the meantime, feel free to set up a flight alert on Google Flights to start monitoring prices. You will be flying into Casablanca airport (CMN) and departing from Marrakech (RAK).
Do you have additional questions about traveling with us? Download our FAQs handout!
Fun Facts
Morocco is famous for the world’s largest desert - the Sahara Desert, mint tea, Casablanca the movie, spices, tanneries, and more!
We will be visiting during one of the best times of the year! The weather is warm, but we will avoid the scorching heat and cold nights. The highs reaching 80 and lows in the 50s at night.
The Moroccan dirham is the official currency of Morocco.
“I decided to take a space on the May Morocco trip last minute and it was the best decision ever! My favourite part was the desert where we stayed in a luxury camp, had camel rides, saw the most incredible sunsets, swam in a pool in the middle of the desert, hiked some dunes, and much more! Every moment was magical. Laura was so accommodating, and so much fun to be with!!! I would 100% travel on one of her trips again. She ensured that we were safe, we had good photos, we had off the beaten track kind of experiences, and that we just had the time of our lives! I couldn’t rate her highly enough and I know that whoever travels on her future trips will 100% have the best time!! -Sophie Y
Ready to reserve your spot?
INVESTMENT:
$4,499
PAY IN FULL DISCOUNT:
$250
SINGLE OCCUPANCY UPGRADE:
$500 (limited spots available by request)
I offer a free payment plan, so you can spread the payment across 6 months with a $500 deposit due at time of booking. All payments are non-refundable.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need a different payment arrangement due to booking late. I look forward to sharing this adventure with you!
I have been running group trips for 2 years now, and I’ve taken over 100 travelers to to 8 countries all over the world. In that time, I have learned that while group trips are an amazing, life-changing adventure for most, they aren’t for everyone.
Here’s some general guidelines to help you determine if group trips are a good fit for you:
Like any travel experience, group trips require flexibility, self-awareness, and an open mind. Things don’t always go as planned during travel (sometimes that’s part of the adventure!), and if you can keep a positive attitude, perspective, and stay open-minded, it will make for a much more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Group trips are highly scheduled and organized (that’s the appeal, right?!). While you aren’t required to participate in activities that don’t interest you, it also still requires you to be on time and respectful of others.
Traveling in a group means sometimes we need to do what’s best for the group vs. the individual, and that things need to be organized in a way that the group can travel efficiently to make the trip go smoothly. It also sometimes means sharing meals, accommodations, and transportation with your trip mates—this brings a feeling of community and allows you to bond with your fellow adventurer buddies. It’s like adult summer camp!
Group trips involve lots of personalities—again, that’s part of the appeal! While I do my best to ensure everyone on the trip is a good fit, you might not become best friends with every person in your group, and that’s okay! I guarantee you’ll make some lifelong friends, and I ensure you can learn something valuable from everyone you meet.
These trips are usually international, which gives you the privilege of learning about other cultures. Often that means things might be different from what you are used to at home—again, that’s the whole point, right? Being open-minded, flexible, and willing to experience life in a different way will make for a transformative travel experience.
Still have questions?
Want to scope out flight prices?
You will be flying in to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN)
and flying out of Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK).
Laura Ericson Group Trips is not responsible for any costs related to flights. You can use this tool to gauge flight prices, but please wait until you get an email from us approximately 3-6 months prior to your trip to book your flights to ensure you have all of the information needed for booking. We recommend always booking with the airline directly and not from an online travel agency (OTA) like Kayak, etc.
“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”
— Anthony Bourdain