Morocco
Photo Tour

Our Morocco photography tour begins in Casablanca — not a postcard from an Oriental fairy tale, but a living, noisy, slightly chaotic modern metropolis. This is a very different Morocco from the medinas of Fes or Marrakech.

What is there to see in Casablanca? It’s a city of contrasts, where old Art Deco colonial buildings stand next to concrete districts, and narrow alleys with peeling plaster carry scents of spices, fried fish, and the exhaust fumes of old Mercedes taxis.

Casablanca has tourist landmarks, but for a photographer it’s interesting not because of the glossy highlights, but because of the clash of eras and rhythms. The enormous Hassan II Mosque, standing right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, impresses with its scale and intricate details — mosaics, carvings, and arches glowing with soft light. The evening sun, the waves crashing against the rocks… this spot offers powerful photographs. This is where we’ll shoot both sunset and sunrise.

In the city center, you can feel the spirit of colonial France — boulevards, old cafés with iron signs, façades with worn moldings. It’s a great place for street photography: men in long djellabas, stylish young people in sneakers, children playing with a ball, and elderly men sipping coffee.

The market and the port are a completely different world. Fishermen shouting, blue crates filled with fresh catch, seagulls swirling in the air, and the incredibly photogenic atmosphere of real Africa by the ocean. And at sunset — a walk along the Corniche, a long waterfront where soft light falls beautifully on concrete breakers, the gray city, and the sea.

Casablanca isn’t "beautiful" in the classic tourist sense. It’s raw, sharp, real. And that’s exactly what makes it such a strong location for a photography tour: here you can capture the spirit of a major African city where modern life, tradition, and the ocean all coexist in a single frame.

Our second day in Morocco takes us to Essaouira (370 km, about 4 hours). Essaouira has a completely different rhythm compared to Casablanca. Time flows slower here, everything shaped by salt, wind, and ocean light. This white-and-blue town on the Atlantic coast looks sun-faded like an old watercolor — and that’s exactly its charm.

Sunset from the old town. By evening, the medina walls turn golden. Light lays gently across the fortification towers and stone ramparts, making them look like either a movie set or a mirage. From the waterfront or the rocks by the ocean, you get an incredible view — the old town reflected in the tide pools. The reflection is fragile, like in an antique mirror: white walls, towers, and silhouettes of people walking along the ramparts. Above it all stretches an orange-pink sky slowly darkening, swallowing the cries of seagulls and the last sails on the horizon.

Essaouira isn’t about tourist landmarks or luxury — it’s about textures and light. You can photograph endlessly here: cracked blue shutters, street musicians in the medina, the ever-present ocean. This is a city that doesn’t pose — it simply lives. And that’s why its sunrises and sunsets feel so powerful: they are utterly real.

A calm and unhurried day in Essaouira as part of our Morocco photography tour.

Sunrise in the port. Long before dawn, the port is already awake. Fishermen mend their nets; the smell of fish and salty water tickles the air; seagulls scream as if the whole world belongs to them. A fine mist hangs in the air, and the first light breaks through it. Wooden boats painted in deep blue seem to glow from within against the gray morning. Cameras practically shoot themselves here — the scenes are so cinematic that all you have to do is catch the moment: a sailor with a cigarette clenched between his teeth, a boy carrying a bucket, birds diving for leftover fish. The atmosphere is both harsh and warm — this is daily life unfolding in front of you.

During the day, Essaouira shifts its mood. The morning haze disappears, replaced by bright sunlight, a sharp ocean wind, and a relaxed, busy rhythm. The medina’s narrow streets become the main stage of daytime life: white walls with blue doors and shutters, carved archways, bustling markets. Spices in cloth sacks, carpets, ceramics, jewelry shops — everything in colors of ochre, indigo, and turquoise. Local artisans work right before your eyes: a blacksmith hammering copper, a carpenter shaping wood, an artist laying out paintings of seascapes. It’s a perfect place for portraits and street photography.

The beach of Essaouira is vast and windy. There are always sails in the sky — kitesurfers and windsurfers racing across the waves. The sight of dozens of colorful kites against the blue sky and silhouettes cutting through the water is unforgettable. Even if you don’t ride, walking barefoot along the sand — where the receding tide leaves mirror-like pools — is pure pleasure.

Around midday, the fish market near the port is a must-see. Sardines, dorado, rays gleaming silver in blue crates — you pick what you want, and it’s grilled right there over hot coals. The smell of grilled fish and lemon mixes with the salty ocean air.

The old walls built by the Portuguese come alive in a different light during the day. You can wander along the ramparts, look through the cannon embrasures, photograph the city from above, and listen to the ocean crashing below.

Midday is also the perfect time to slow down. Small cafés with terrace seating serve mint tea in glass cups, giving you a moment to watch street life unfold: children kicking a ball, vendors calling out to customers, travelers getting lost in the maze of alleys.

Essaouira by day is energy and color. There is no rush here, yet everything feels alive — breathing with the sea, the wind, and the light. This combination makes the city perfect for slow, thoughtful walks with a camera in hand.

Our fourth day in Morocco takes us to Marrakech (190 km, about 2.5 hours). Marrakech is a true kaleidoscope for any street photographer. Here you don’t need to look for "special spots" — the city itself becomes a studio where every corner comes alive in the frame. A photography tour in Marrakech turns into an intensive street-photography workshop: the best shots happen on the move, in the middle of crowds, colors, and aromas.

The narrow alleyways form a labyrinth where every few steps another scene unfolds: a spice seller displaying pyramids of saffron and turmeric; an old man in a white djellaba slowly leading a donkey with a cart; children kicking a ball past carved wooden doors. Light behaves like it does on a stage — beams of sunlight cut through the awnings, creating sharp shadows and dramatic contrasts, perfect for street photography.

Jemaa el-Fnaa Square is the heart of Marrakech. During the day it’s full of passersby, juice vendors, acrobats, and musicians; by evening the square turns into a giant open-air restaurant wrapped in smoke from grills. The atmosphere is electric — which means endless opportunities for photographers: movement, emotion, raw human moments. Here you learn to shoot fast and catch the split-second scenes.

The souk (market) is both chaos and order. Rows of carpets, lanterns, copperware, the smell of leather and dyes. Narrow passages packed with tourists and locals create a dense flow of life. It’s the perfect place to practice composition and learn to find a frame in tight, busy spaces.

Marrakech by day is an explosion of red, ochre, blue, and green. Medina walls, colorful doors, fabric markets — everything creates vivid, saturated imagery. It’s a great environment to practice working with color, learning to highlight the essentials without getting lost in the abundance.

Step away from the tourist routes and you’ll find real everyday life: workshops where people hammer metal or cut wood, teahouses where locals play dominoes. These scenes are photographic gold because they show Marrakech as it truly is.
A photography tour in Marrakech isn’t about postcards or posing by landmarks. It’s a street-photography school: the art of being fast, attentive, and invisible. Here the shots come running toward you — and your job as a photographer is to catch them at exactly the right moment.

On the fifth day of our Morocco photography tour, we travel to Ait Ben Haddou (185 km, about 3.5 hours). Ait Ben Haddou is a mirage in the middle of the stone desert. This ancient ksar — a fortress rising from red rock — looks as if it was sculpted from the very same clay as the land around it. Everything here breathes history: narrow alleys, steep pathways, walls weathered by centuries of sun and wind. It’s no surprise that this place has become a backdrop for dozens of films and series — from Gladiator to Game of Thrones.

For a photographer, Ait Ben Haddou is a celebration of light and form. In the morning, the first rays gently illuminate the red-ochre walls, making the entire fortress glow from within. During the day, sharp shadows give it an even more graphic look, and at sunset the spell repeats: the sun sets the whole landscape ablaze with fiery tones before the city dissolves into the deep blue of approaching night.

Shooting here isn’t just about panoramas. Step inside: small archways, staircases, old doors, narrow passages — all of it creates stunning compositions. A shepherd with goats against the fortress walls, a child running along a dusty path, or simply the play of light and shadow on the brickwork — the details are endless.

Ait Ben Haddou gives you the feeling of stepping into another time. There is no busy city noise — only silence, wind, and walls that have witnessed centuries. That’s what makes this place so valuable in a photography tour: you are not just capturing architecture, you are capturing history itself — carved in stone and revealed through light.

The sixth day of our Morocco tour includes a sunrise shoot at a fortress, as well as excursions to Ouarzazate and Taourirt.

Ouarzazate is often called "the gateway to the desert" — and the description fits perfectly. The city lies on the border between rocky land and endless dunes, and it feels as if another planet begins just beyond its outskirts. It’s not as noisy as Marrakech and not as ancient as Fes — everything here breathes with open space, clear skies, and light that is especially bright and pure.

For a photographer, it’s important to look not only at Ouarzazate itself but also at what surrounds it: desert landscapes with clay villages and green oases, and the sharp lines of the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. This is what makes the region so cinematic. It’s no coincidence that famous studios are located here, where Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones were filmed. Simply walking through the area, you can find scenes where the city and the desert blend into one vast film set.

The Taourirt Kasbah is the heart of Ouarzazate and a true gem for photographers. It’s a maze of clay walls, towers, and courtyards. From the outside, it impresses with its scale: an enormous earthen fortress with towers rising toward the sky. Inside, soft light filters through small windows; narrow hallways, wooden ceilings, and painted walls create a unique, immersive atmosphere. You quickly feel like an explorer — every turn reveals a new angle, a new play of shadows and textures.

Shooting in Taourirt is all about color and light: red-ochre walls against deep blue skies, sharp shadows cast by crenellated towers, and the contrast between the fortress’s rough exterior and its warm, intimate interiors.

Ouarzazate and Taourirt offer a photographer a truly unique experience: this is not polished tourist glamour, but authentic desert architecture born from earth and sun. To photograph here is to capture the essence of southern Morocco — simplicity, strength, and beauty shaped by time itself.

On the seventh day of our photography tour we head to Merzouga (400 km, about 5.5 hours). Merzouga is the gateway to the Sahara — the place where civilization ends and an endless sea of sand begins. Standing on the edge of the village and looking at the Erg Chebbi dunes, you feel as if they have a life of their own: the wind reshapes their lines, the waves of sand shift every day, and the light turns the desert golden, crimson, or almost silver.

Here, photography stops being a hunt for details — it becomes work with scale, clean lines, and vast open space. The dunes become your canvas; the light becomes your brush.

Morning shoot: camel caravan. Sunrise is the most magical time. The night still holds a trace of coolness, the sky begins to turn pink, and the first rays slide across the dune crests, coloring them gold. In this moment, a camel caravan appears from behind the sand ridge. Their dark silhouettes against the brightly lit dunes are the classic Sahara shot — an image impossible to recreate anywhere else.

The camels move slowly, one after another, leaving tracks in the sand, while the herder in traditional dress leads them toward the horizon. You must be ready: the light changes quickly, and the dunes look different every single minute. Sometimes the wind lifts a thin veil of sand — and the scene becomes almost mystical.

After sunrise, the desert awakens: the sand turns bright, almost white in the sun, and the shadows cast by the dunes create sharp, graphic lines. This is the time for minimalist frames: a solitary silhouette against the massive expanse of sand.

Merzouga teaches a photographer to see simplicity and the beauty of emptiness. There are no unnecessary details — only light, sand, and movement. And the sunrise caravan in the dunes is a moment worth traveling to the edge of the Sahara for.

The eighth day of our signature OskinTravel tour begins with a sunrise in the Sahara dunes — a moment of pure magic when the endless sea of sand turns soft shades of pink, orange, and gold. The silence is absolute, broken only by the whisper of the wind drawing delicate patterns across the dunes.

We’ll spend the rest of the day enjoying the serene beauty of the desert. We’ll walk among the waves of sand, explore the sculptural shapes carved by time, and feel the powerful stillness of this eternal landscape. In the shifting light, every dune tells its own story.

On the ninth day of our Morocco tour, we have another transfer ahead — to Fez (460 km, about 6.5 hours). Along the way, we’ll enjoy scenic views of the Atlas Mountains. Fez is the heart of old Morocco, a true labyrinth where time seems to have stopped. The narrow streets of the medina live their own life: noise, the smell of spices, donkeys carrying loads, craft workshops where work continues just as it did hundreds of years ago. But the main place every photographer heads for is the city’s famous tanneries.

Climb to one of the balconies above the workshops, and the view will take your breath away: dozens of round vats filled with dyes of every color — from bright yellow and scarlet to deep indigo. Inside these vats, workers stand waist-deep in water and dye, treating hides by hand the same way their fathers and grandfathers did. This is not a museum, not a staged performance — it’s real work. The smell of leather, pigments, and sunlight hangs thick in the air, and that honesty comes through in every shot.

For photographers, the key here is the contrast itself: real people standing in ancient vats, the colors of skin and fabric, splashes of dye on the walls, and the bright light shining from above. Fez allows you to capture a rare scene — where manual craftsmanship looks like a living work of art.

But the tanneries are not the only photogenic corner of Fez. The entire city is a masterclass in street photography: shopkeepers in tiny stalls, children playing in narrow passages, elderly men in traditional clothing moving calmly through crowds of tourists. Light breaks into the dark alleys in strong beams, creating theatrical scenes as if the medina itself is directing every shot.

Fez through the lens is Morocco without embellishment. Here you capture not pretty façades, but real life and craftsmanship that has barely changed for centuries. And the tanneries remain the symbol of this city: vivid, loud, filled with the smell of history and dye — and always among the strongest images from any photography tour.

Walking through the medina of Fez feels like traveling back in time. You step into a labyrinth of thousands of alleyways, and the city swallows you instantly. There are no cars here — only donkeys carrying loaded baskets, people bringing bread or bundles of fabric, shops where spices are piled into colorful hills, and the smell of fresh bread, mint, leather, and dyes. All of this mixes with the sound of voices, hammering in workshops, and children laughing. Fez moves to its own rhythm, and you naturally fall into step — walking slowly, watching life unfold without pause.

For a photographer, it’s a street-photography paradise. Every few meters a new scene appears: an elderly man in a long djellaba framed by ancient doors; a woman in a bright scarf hurrying through a patch of sunlight; teenagers scrolling their phones right in the middle of a cobblestone street. The medina is an endless theater where everyone has a role, and you catch only small fragments of it.

The most magical part is the light. In the narrow passages it breaks through from above in thin beams, falling on the walls and paving stones in sharp rectangles. These slices of light turn the chaotic city into an almost graphic composition. In such moments, you can shoot minimalist "cityscapes": a dark alley and a lone silhouette frozen in a square of light; a wall split by a harsh shadow with a bright piece of fabric glowing at the center.

Fez teaches you to see the simple and the strong. Where there seems to be chaos, there is actually a rhythm of lines, shapes, and shadows. A walk through the medina becomes a game with light: you keep moving, waiting for someone to step into that narrow beam so that, out of noise and clutter, a clean, minimalist frame can appear. This is the magic of Fez — it is simultaneously vibrant and austere, colorful and minimalistic, chaotic and perfectly composed.

On the eleventh day of our photography tour, we travel to Chefchaouen (200 km, about 3.5 hours). Chefchaouen is a city that looks as if it stepped straight out of a postcard. Hidden in the Rif Mountains, it is famous for its blue streets, walls, and doors. Life here is calm and unhurried; every alley feels like a ready-made frame.

A walk through the medina of Chefchaouen is true phototherapy. White-and-blue walls, colorful flower pots, old wooden doors, and narrow stairways create perfect compositions. The sun plays with the colors, softly highlighting corners, while the shadows add volume and depth. You can shoot minimalistically: a lone silhouette against a blue wall, a small cat curled up on the steps, or a basket of oranges resting in a doorway.

It’s easy to capture the atmosphere here: locals move slowly about their day, children play right in the streets, and artisans work beside their small shops. Every movement becomes part of the scene. Street moments aren’t staged — they simply unfold around you.

Chefchaouen blends beauty, calm, and harmony perfectly. Every corner, every turn of a staircase can become the highlight photo of the day. Here you don’t search for shots — they find you.

On the final, twelfth day of our Morocco tour, we will travel back to Casablanca (330 km, about 4.5 hours) and depart. Please book your return flights for the second half of the day.