Tour overview
Ten days from Precambrian rocks to Cretaceous dinosaur beds: the Anti-Atlas, the Draa valley, Alnif and the Maider basin, Erg Chebbi, the Kem Kem and the UNESCO M'Goun Geopark. The tour is private and led by a professional Moroccan geologist with 16 years of field experience in mineral exploration: every stop comes with clear explanations, whether you are a specialist or simply curious about the landscapes.
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Marrakech
Welcome, briefing on Moroccan geology and the route ahead. Night in Marrakech.
- Day 2
High Atlas crossing → Ouarzazate
Tizi n'Tichka pass and the structure of the High Atlas, the Ounila valley and Ait Ben Haddou. Night in Ouarzazate.
- Day 3
Anti-Atlas → Draa Valley → Zagora
Ancient Precambrian rocks of the Anti-Atlas, then down the palm groves of the Draa valley, famous for its Ordovician fossil localities. Night in Zagora.
- Day 4
Zagora → Tazzarine → Alnif
Across the southern edge of the Jbel Saghro and its ancient volcanic rocks to the Paleozoic plains around Alnif.
- Day 5
Alnif & the Maider basin
Trilobite outcrops, fossil miners and preparation workshops. Field reading of the Paleozoic succession of the Maider basin.
- Day 6
Maider → Merzouga
Devonian reefs and mud mounds on the way to Erg Chebbi. Sunset on the dunes and night at a desert camp.
- Day 7
Kem Kem & Erg Chebbi
The Cretaceous Kem Kem beds, known for remains of large dinosaurs and fish, then Devonian ammonoid sites around the erg. Second night in the desert.
- Day 8
Erfoud → Ziz gorges → Midelt
Orthoceras and goniatite workshops in Erfoud, the Ziz gorges cutting through the High Atlas, folds and faults along the road to Midelt.
- Day 9
Midelt → M'Goun Geopark
Across the Middle and High Atlas to the UNESCO M'Goun Global Geopark, with its geological museum and landscapes.
- Day 10
Dinosaur tracks → Marrakech
Dinosaur trackways of the Demnate area and the Imi n'Ifri natural bridge, then return to Marrakech for a farewell dinner.
The itinerary can be adapted to your interests (fossils, minerals, structural geology, landscapes) and to university field-trip programmes. Collecting and exporting fossils and minerals is regulated in Morocco. We visit established workshops and help you buy responsibly, with proper paperwork.
What's included
Included
- Private 4×4 or air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Hotel, riad, kasbah or desert camp accommodation
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Field explanations at every stop
- Bottled water on board
- Geologist guide for the whole tour
- Visits to fossil workshops and the M'Goun Geopark
- 2 nights in a desert camp
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and drinks
- Museum and site entrance fees
- Fossils or minerals you choose to buy
- Tips and travel insurance