15 days fossils and minerals collecting midlle Boutchrafine tour from Marrakech

Discover Morocco with AtlasGeoTours:

Embark on an exhilarating 15-day journey through Morocco’s geological wonders with our exclusive tour, starting from Marrakech.

From the stunning landscapes of the Draa Valley to the majestic Erg Chebbi sand dunes in Merzouga, each day promises an immersive exploration of ancient fossil sites, mineral-rich mines, and breathtaking natural phenomena.

Led by expert guides, you’ll collect Devonian trilobites, Jurassic brachiopods, and more as you delve into Morocco’s rich geological history. Join us for an unforgettable adventure that combines discovery, adventure, and the timeless beauty of the Moroccan landscape.

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ITINERARY

Day 1

Leave Marrakech to Sidi Rahal mine rich in quartz chalcedonies, amethyst, agate, picnic with the miner afternoon cross the high atlas to end in Ouarzazate evening hotel 3 stars

Day 2

Departure from Ouarzazate after breakfast towards Draa valley nice landscapes stop at Beni Zoli Ordovician site rich in big parts of huge trilobites. Picnic on the site afternoon drive further to Serradrar visit Silurian site collect black Orthoceras evening in a small hotel in Alnif.

Day 3

departure from Alnif to visit the Cambrian site famous by it s huge yellowish trilobites , Picnic in the Oasis afternoon visit Ordovician site jbel Tiskaouine riche in calymenes and flexycalymenes . Evening back in the same hotel.

Day 4

Departure to discover Isoumour famous trilobites post paradise. Where all species of Devonian trilobites lived together. Collect rolled phacops. Picnic on the site and head to Atchana site also Devonian but in flat not a mountain after we will collect red ammonites in Lakrabis evening at Mharch inn nice Oasis in the desert.

Day 5

Departure to Mecessi to visit Lalla Mimouna site collect some Devonian trilobites then jbel Mdawar to collect Devonian goniatites. Picnic there and head to Merzouga Erg chebbi magic sand dunes. Evening in a small nice hotel in Merzouga.

Day 6

Departure south towards Taouz visit the famous Kemkem site rich in fish crocodiles and spinosaurus bones and teeth. Then collect echinoderms in Boutariyt site. Picnic in the old mine of filon 12 famous by it s vanadinites quartz and goethite. Then visit Mifis old laid mine and back to the hotel in Merzouga.

Day 7

Departure north Merzouga. Collect black Devonian pyritised goniatites at Azourz site. Then trilobites at Tisket site. Visit an active Barythe mine, Picnic in the sacred Oasis. Afternoon collect sand roses made of gypsum and sand also bites of bones vertebras evening back to the hotel in Merzouga.

Day 8

Day 9

Visit Hamarlaghdad site famous Devonian formation riche in corals , bivalves , brachiopods , speripheres , trilobites ,,, then jbel Boutchrafine collect rolled trilobites , Picnic in the site then visit the crinoids site see the extraction , then head to ERFOUD to visit the factory where all big blocs are cut and manufactured to table tops , sinks , book ends , decorative items ; evening Hotel 3 stars in Erfoud city.

Day 10

Departure north towards midelt. Stop at Ziz valley to collect echinoderms from cretacious, cidaris, then to Ziz gorges to collect Jurassic brachiopods and bivalves Picnic there and head to Midelt. Evening in a hotel 3 stars.

Day 11

Departure to visit Mibladen old mine riche in cerusite barythe and vanadinite even hard to find very deep and dangerous digging. Visit Ahouli old miner’s village, Picnic there then go to collect azurite and malachite at Sidi Ayad. Evening back to Midelt same hotel.

Day 12

The way back Midelt to Ouarzazate.Stop at Todgha gorges and have food at Dades gorges evening at Ouarzazate hotel 3 stars.

Day 13

Drive back to Marrakech visit the dinosaur foot prints in Azilal. Evening in a hotel there. Visit Ouzoud falls evening in Marrakech.

Day 14

day off in Marrakech.

Day 15

Transfer to the airport. Depending on your departure time.

GALERIE

BOOK YOUR TRIP

Fantastic! a proper geologist with an expert knowledge of the local fossils and the market I talked with Moha of Atlas Tours by Whatsapp and on the phone from UK before I went to Morocco, I was recommended to contact him by a trilobite expert from US when I said I wanted to meet a proper geologist and not just a tourist guide. Mohamed Sagaoui knows his stuff and is an interesting man, he took me to the Tahiri museum, to various shops so I could learn the range of available quality and price, and to his workshop to view trilobites being cleaned, sandblasted, prepared. I also spent a fantastic day with him in the rocky hillsides around Alnif where we searched for and found some specimens. Highly recommended A+++

Daniel

2024-04-04

Expert Local Knowledge Second time doing a similar scope trip to Morocco and its fossil sights. Absolutely loved it, Moha is a fantastic and generous guide. Already planning to go back!

Getaway61998159183

2024-03-25

Best Geology Tour of Morocco Fantastic tour of the geology of Morocco! Moha was an excellent guide and helped remove all the stress of lacking local knowledge. Our group from the Yorkshire Natural History Museum could not recommend anyone else more for showcasing the fossil localities of Morocco.

Yorkshire Natural History Museum

2024-03-22

The Best Geotour of Morocco! This is the second trip we have taken with Atlas Geotours and the excellent guide Moha Segaoui. Moha is a wonderful knowledgable guide who can customize trips to your requirements. His knowledge of the geology and paleo locations is extensive . The experience is unmatched. The landscapes are breathtaking. This is a must do trip. The ability to combine cultural aspects and geology and paleontology is unique. You won’t find a better guide.

brucehlauer

2024-03-21

Morocco again - desert, sand sun and fossils We have been travelling with Moha Segaoui - Atlas Geotours- Nationally certified English speaking guide - for over 20 years and are beginning to regard parts of Morocco as home. This trip, (10 days, group of 5 adults, Casablanca to Merzouga), took place during Ramadan, which meant we could not share our lunchtime picnics with Moha and the drivers as we had done previously. Moha met us at the airport with an 8 seater minibus which gave us plenty of space for luggage and purchases and was more convenient for the on road part of the trip. For the desert we transferred to two large 4x4 Toyota Landcruisers for 3 days. Theoretically, we could have arranged the whole trip ourselves from the UK. however we are retired and are happy for someone else to make the plans and take the decisions. By using Atlas Geotours we had a safety net of experienced professionals, able to confidently deal with any unforeseen events. On this trip it was wet and drizzly in the north, so Moha adjusted our hotel reservations by a day so we could enjoy better weather in the middle Atlas. Moha will choose the accommodation to suit your budget. We had mid-range hotels that in most cases we had visited before, some even having a bar. Our trip ended in Merzouga, in the south east, close to the Algerian border. There are a dozen or so hotels on edge of the famous Chebbi dunes which fill up fast, but we were able to get four of our five nights there in one we particularly liked. Using Merzouga as a base, we explored the Silurian, Devonian and Cretaceous geology both in the field and in the many rock shops. If you are into Astronomy, Moha does a great presentation on the desert night sky. To get home, rather than retracing our steps back, we took an internal flight from Errachidia, which arrived in plenty of time for our international connection at Casablanca. The "take home messages" are: Morocco is a wonderful country, particularly for Geology, Natural History and Star Gazing. Moha is a great guide. Together, you have a most memorable trip.

David W

Fantastic Morocco Tour I had a terrific solo adventure in Morocco with Hamed as my guide. He took me all over, from Marrakesh to the Sahara to Fez. Sometimes he would provide local experts as well. He has deep knowledge in geology, fossils and astronomy. The large telescope viewing from the Sahara was excellent. Hamed was always looking out for me, making sure I did not get any digestive issues (I didn't), keeping me comfortable, and making sure I made all my travel connections. I can't imagine a better guide for Morocco.

Kevin A

2023-09-23

A journey through the eons A decade ago we have met an interesting guy, named Mohamed Segaoui at the fossil meeting in Munich. His stand was filled with exquisite specimen of fossils and following a short discussion, we have learned that he is also guiding geological tours in Morocco. Not long after this chance meeting we we went on a 10 day tour guided by Moha. It really was a trip of a lifetime! Everything went smooth, guiding was impeccable and the suggested itinerary well organized (following a geological time scale). Moha also made extra effort in helping with my wife's gluten-intolerance. Moreover, he was always on time, going an extra mile (for instance by arranging an alternative camel-trip, when we expressed our wish and waiting for me, when I enthusiastically was searching for trilobites). In addition, all of our stays were in nice accomodation. Last but not least, the price that was agreed upon was exactly the price we have payed. Following the 10 days in Morocco, our tour ended, but our friendship with Moha (and his brothers) is still here, stronger than ever. In short, I highly recommend taking a tour with Atlasgeotours, you will be in good hands.

Jernej J

2023-07-04

A fantastic trip to Morocco with Atlas Geo tours We had an absolutely amazing trip around some of the best palaeontological sites in Morocco courtesy of Moha of Atlas Geo tours. We saw some spectacular fossils and minerals including beautiful spikey trilobites, and some stunning geological sites including the Devonian mud mounds. Moha Segaoui is a fantastic guide, he is incredibly knowledgeable about fossils, geology and astronomy, and is very friendly and accommodating. I have used Atlas Geo tours many times now and every time it has been fantastic. I highly recommend Atlas Geo tours for anyone who is interesting in palaeontology or geology. Once again a massive thankyou to Atlas Geo tours for a fantastic trip, I will be using you again soon.

Roy Smith

2023-06-07

Adventure of a lifetime - experiencing the real Morocco We had a true adventure in Morocco, all because of the excellent itinerary put together by Moha of Atlas Geo Tours. We flew into Tangier and toured Morocco including the Blue City, Hercules Caves, Chefchaouen to Vulubilis, Fez to Midelt and through the Ziz Valley, camped in the desert with stargazing and a beautiful sunrise, onto Erfoud, Rissani and through the High Atlas Mountains ending in Marrakech - phew! We experienced the true off the beaten track places to the tourist hot spots, culture, food, people and the amazing geology and landscapes. We had the opportunity to collect our own fossils and minerals with expert guidance and tuition and visit the local dealers. If you want a "mixed salad" tour, then Atlas Geo Tours is totally the way to go, they organised everything, hotels with DBB and picnic lunches, cars with drivers and provided so much information regarding the sights with no hidden costs. They can build your itinerary to suit your interests and ours was a perfect one. Thank you Moha for making this trip of a lifetime so memorable.

SallyH007

2023-05-27

Fantastic GeoTour of the Moroccan Desert! Moha is a fantastic local guide with expertise in the geology and environmental history of Morocco. He organised our field trip for 15 undergraduate students and took us to many fantastic sites across the Atlas and southeastern desert. He knows all the best sites to see fossils -- from stromatolites to dinosaurs. All the hotels and restaurants he selected were wonderful; brilliant food and accommodation. I really appreciated all the extra effort that Moha and his team went to to look after us during Ramadan. I would highly recommend him for any kind of field trip or geo tour of Morocco. I can't wait to go back.

Joel D

2023-04-24

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