New Year In Morocco Tour: Christmas & New Year 2026–2027
A private 10-day new year in Morocco tour — Christmas Eve under the stars in the Sahara, New Year's Eve fireworks over the Atlantic in Casablanca, and imperial cities in between. A proper Morocco Christmas holiday, not a typical package tour.
This new year in Morocco tour is a private, 10-day, 9-night route that starts and ends in Marrakech, timed around Christmas and New Year. Ismail and Mustapha's team leads it in a private Mercedes Vito for the highways and a Toyota Land Cruiser for the Atlas passes and desert tracks. The route covers Marrakech, Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todra Gorges, a Christmas Eve night in a luxury Sahara camp at Merzouga, the imperial city of Fes, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the blue town of Chefchaouen, and a New Year's Eve gala dinner in Casablanca with fireworks over the Atlantic. It suits travelers who want a genuinely different Morocco Christmas holiday — desert stars instead of a dining room, and a private car instead of a coach.
Christmas Eve in the Sahara. A camel trek into Erg Chebbi, then a Berber campfire and dinner under the stars.
New Year's Eve in Casablanca. A gala dinner with live music, then fireworks over the Atlantic coast at midnight.
Two vehicles, matched to the road. A Mercedes Vito for the highways, a Toyota Land Cruiser for the desert.
Private throughout. Your own driver-guide and vehicle for all 10 days, not a shared holiday coach.
A Glimpse of the Journey
New Year In Morocco
Jemaa el-Fna Square
Ait Ben Haddou
Merzouga Desert Camp
Fes Medina
Fes Tanneries
Rabat
CasablancaTwo Celebrations, Nine Days Apart
What makes this a new year in Morocco holiday rather than just a Morocco itinerary is what happens on two specific nights.
A Desert Camp Under The Stars
Camels carry you into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun sets. Dinner is served by lamplight in a Berber tent, with drumming and music around the campfire, and a sky with no city light to dull it.
A Gala Dinner In Casablanca
A festive dinner with live music in Morocco's largest city, followed by fireworks over the Atlantic coast at midnight — a very different way to welcome the new year than a countdown at home.
The Right Vehicle For The Road Ahead
This route crosses highways, mountain passes, and desert tracks over the holidays. Two vehicles handle all of it.
Mercedes Vito
A private, air-conditioned Mercedes Vito for Marrakech, Fes, Rabat, and Casablanca — comfortable seating and space for the extra layers a Morocco winter trip needs.
Toyota Land Cruiser
For the Tizi n'Tichka pass and the desert tracks into Merzouga, we switch to a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser built for the terrain.
Begin Your Christmas & New Year In Morocco
Christmas and New Year dates fill up early. Send us your travel dates and group size, and Ismail or Mustapha will reply personally, usually within minutes, with a route and a private quote.
- Private Mercedes Vito or Toyota Land Cruiser, matched to the route
- 9 nights, half-board with daily breakfast & dinner
- Christmas Eve desert camp & New Year's Eve gala dinner
- Camel ride, sandboarding & an ATV ride in the dunes
Our Morocco New Year package is private and tailor-made, so the final price depends on your group size, accommodation level and travel dates.
Prefer to talk it through first? Message us on WhatsApp.
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Ten Days, Marrakech To Marrakech
Imperial cities, the Sahara at Christmas, and Casablanca at New Year, on one continuous route.
Arrival In Marrakech
We meet you on arrival and settle you into a riad in the heart of the medina. Depending on your arrival time, stroll through Jemaa el-Fna Square, a space UNESCO recognizes for "a unique concentration of popular Moroccan cultural traditions", before a welcome dinner.
Guided Tour Of Marrakech
A full day with Mustapha through the medina's souks, the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia and El Badi Palaces, and the Secret Garden, with lunch in a riad courtyard.
Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Skoura → Dades Valley
We cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO site UNESCO calls "a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco" and a filming location for Gladiator.
We continue through Ouarzazate's film studios and Skoura's palm groves to the Dades Valley's "Monkey Fingers" rock formations for the night.
Dades Valley → Todra Gorges → Erfoud → Merzouga, Christmas Eve
We explore the towering Todra Gorges, then continue through Erfoud's fossil workshops to Merzouga. As dusk settles, camels carry you into the Erg Chebbi dunes to a luxury desert camp for Christmas Eve — a Berber campfire, live music, and a sky full of stars.
Merzouga, Christmas Day — Khamlia & Nomad Families
A desert sunrise on Christmas morning, then a visit to Khamlia village for Gnawa music and a nomad family tent for tea. In the afternoon, an ATV ride across the dunes for those who want it, before a kasbah hotel stay.
Merzouga → Midelt → Azrou → Fes
We follow the Ziz Valley's palm groves to Midelt, then the cedar forests of Azrou, home to wild Barbary macaques, and Ifrane, sometimes called the "Switzerland of Morocco," before reaching Fes for the night.
Guided Tour Of Fes
A full day in Fes el-Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site National Geographic describes as "a living, earthy (yet car-free) town". We visit the Al-Qarawiyyin University, the Bou Inania Medersa, and the Chouara tanneries, finishing with a dinner of Fes's signature pastilla.
Fes → Volubilis → Chefchaouen
We visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose ruins "contains essentially Roman vestiges of a fortified municipium", then continue to Chefchaouen for a sunset at the Spanish Mosque viewpoint.
Chefchaouen → Rabat → Casablanca, New Year's Eve
We drive to Rabat for the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, then Casablanca for the Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Africa.
We close the year with a New Year's Eve gala dinner, live music, and fireworks over the Atlantic coast at midnight.
Casablanca → Marrakech, Departure
A relaxed drive back to Marrakech for your onward flight, or extend your stay to explore further — ten days that turned Christmas and New Year into a Moroccan adventure.
What To Expect On This Tour
Included
- Private Mercedes Vito or Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Two-way airport transfer
- 9 nights in riads & a luxury desert camp with A/C
- Half-board: daily breakfast & dinner, vegan/vegetarian options
- Camel ride, sandboarding & an ATV ride in Erg Chebbi
- Guided tours in Marrakech & Fes
- Mineral water throughout the tour
Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Tipping
- Extra services: quad, spa & massage
- Personal expenses
A Different Way To Spend The Holidays
Christmas & New Year Escapes
Trading a familiar living room for a desert camp and an Atlantic firework display, without losing the sense of occasion.
Couples & Honeymooners
A private desert night and a New Year's gala dinner make a memorable way to start the year together. See our honeymoon packages.
Families Over The School Holidays
Camel rides, an ATV ride, and nomad family visits give children a genuinely different kind of Christmas break.
Adventure Travelers
Sandboarding, an ATV ride, and mountain-pass driving through the Atlas. See our Morocco adventure tours.
Culture & History Lovers
Four imperial cities, a Roman ruin, and a UNESCO kasbah, all in ten days. Read more on our Moroccan culture page.
Photography Enthusiasts
Desert stars on Christmas Eve, Atlantic fireworks on New Year's Eve. See our Morocco photography tours for guide add-ons.
Senior & Retired Travelers
A private vehicle and a flexible pace mean the Christmas and New Year schedule adjusts around you, not a fixed holiday coach. See our Morocco tours for seniors or the tour for retired couples.
Two Holidays, Not Just One Trip
Most Christmas and New Year holidays abroad are built around a single resort, with the same dining room on the 24th and the 31st. This route treats the two nights as genuinely different occasions: Christmas Eve in a remote desert camp, and New Year's Eve in a coastal city with fireworks over the ocean, connected by nine days of imperial cities and mountain scenery in between.
Because the whole trip is private, the Christmas and New Year schedule adapts around your own arrival date rather than a fixed group departure — a genuine advantage during a season when most tour operators run one rigid itinerary for everyone.
“A unique concentration of popular Moroccan cultural traditions performed through musical, religious and artistic expressions”— UNESCO, Cultural Space of Jemaa el-Fna Square
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is this new year in Morocco tour?
The tour runs 10 days and 9 nights, starting and ending in Marrakech, with Christmas Eve spent in the Sahara Desert and New Year's Eve in Casablanca.
Is this a private tour or a fixed group departure?
It's entirely private, from a minimum of 2 guests. Your dates, vehicle, and driver-guide are yours alone, not shared with other travelers on a fixed itinerary.
What happens on Christmas Eve?
A camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, followed by dinner in a luxury desert camp with Berber music around the campfire and a night under the stars.
How is New Year's Eve celebrated?
With a gala dinner and live music in Casablanca, followed by fireworks over the Atlantic coast at midnight.
What vehicle is used on this tour?
A private Mercedes Vito for highway and city legs, switching to a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser for the Atlas passes and the desert tracks near Merzouga.
Which meals are included?
Half-board throughout: daily breakfast and dinner, with vegan and vegetarian options available. Lunches and entrance fees to monuments are not included.
How far in advance should we book for Christmas and New Year?
As early as possible. December departures fill up months ahead, especially for the Christmas Eve desert camp and New Year's Eve dinner, which have limited capacity.
What kind of vehicles are used?
A private Mercedes Vito or Toyota Land Cruiser, with minibuses available for families or groups of up to 7 people. All vehicles are modern and air-conditioned.
How much does this new year in Morocco tour cost?
Price depends on group size and accommodation level, since the trip is tailor-made rather than a fixed package. A quote is sent within minutes of an enquiry.
Spend This Christmas & New Year In Morocco
Send your dates and we'll reply personally with a route and a private quote. Spaces for December and January fill up early.