+1 photos
Private Gnaoua & Taragalte Festival Trips — Essaouira & Chigaga
A private, flexible festival add-on with your own driver and VIP handling — the famous Gnaoua music festival in Essaouira in June and the Taragalte desert festival at Erg Chigaga in October.
Local guide
Private available
2 days (one per festival)
Private tour — just your group (up to 16)
English / French / Arabic
About Us
- ›Morocco is a country of music and festivals all year long.
- ›This short, flexible private package is built to take you to two of the most famous ones: the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira at the end of June, and the Taragalte Festival in the Sahara at Erg Chigaga in October.
- ›We can also add the rose festival in May at Kalaat M'Gouna in the Valley of the Roses if you wish — everything is tailor-made around your dates.
- ›We organise the festival tickets, the handpicked hotels and riads (which sell out months in advance) and your own private road or 4x4 transfer with a dedicated driver, so that you do not miss a thing — a true VIP service from door to door.
- ›You can take either festival on its own as a 1-day add-on to one of our longer Morocco private tours, or combine both with a full private trip in between.
- ›The Gnaoua festival turns the white walls and small squares of Essaouira into one big open-air concert, with both Moroccan maalems and big international names.
- ›The Taragalte festival, set in the dunes near M'Hamid el Ghizlane, is much smaller and very special, with desert music, camel races, workshops and nights under the stars among the nomads — an unforgettable experience for couples and music-loving families.
Experience Itinerary
-
1
Day 1 — Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira (June)
- ›A day at the famous Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira, held every year at the end of June.
- ›Gnaoua music has its roots in Sub-Saharan Africa and mixes Berber and Arab sounds with a deep, hypnotic rhythm.
- ›The whole white seaside town turns into a big open-air concert, with Moroccan maalems on the stage and international guests playing jazz, blues, reggae and rock.
- ›You can walk between the stages on Place Moulay Hassan, by the harbour and inside the medina, with concerts free to enter.
- ›Time also for fish at the port grills, crafts shopping in the souks and a stroll on the ramparts.
- ›Overnight in a riad or hotel inside the medina.
-
2
Day 2 — Taragalte Festival at Erg Chigaga (October)
- ›A day in the heart of the Sahara for the Taragalte Festival, held every October in the dunes near M'Hamid el Ghizlane.
- ›The festival is a tribute to nomad life, with desert music from Mali, Mauritania and southern Morocco, traditional dance, camel races, workshops and storytelling around the fire.
- ›The setting is unique: a small village of tents on soft sand at the foot of the high dunes of Erg Chigaga.
- ›You sleep in a desert camp with the nomads, share their meals and learn about their culture and the threats to their fragile environment.
What's Included
- Festival entry tickets (Gnaoua and/or Taragalte)
- Accommodation in selected riads, hotels or desert camps
- Local guide in Essaouira and 4x4 transfer to Erg Chigaga
- Cultural and musical performances
- Breakfast and dinner with local cuisine
Not Included
- International flights to and from Morocco
- Lunches and drinks with meals
- Personal expenses, souvenirs and tips
- Optional excursions outside the festival program
- Travel and medical insurance
Know Before You Go
| Duration | 2 days (one per festival) |
| Languages | English / French / Arabic |
| Level | Easy |
| Dietary | Vegetarian meals on request |
| Group type | Private tour — just your group (up to 16) |
