GNAWA MUSIC TOUR - 6 DAYS

from/per person 450
  • Escursioni in dromedario
    Camel excursion
  • Itinerario culturale
    Culture tour
  • Sport e avventura
    Sport and adventure
  • Costa Atlantica
    Atlantic coast
  • Circuiti a cavallo
    Horse-riding tours
  • Sport acquatici
    Water sport

General description


A one-week trip at the rhythm of Gnawa music, straight to the heart of the sound traditions of the Atlantic coast and southern Moroccan regions.

An artistic and experiential journey through a style born among black slaves from West Africa as magical and therapeutic practice and then become one of the most popular trends of North African music and an integral part of a vibrant Moroccan musical culture. National and international artists, together with thousands of tourists and fans, gather every year in the white beautiful city of Essaouira to celebrate the Gnawa Music Festival in a mystic, inebriated atmosphere full of colors, sounds, dances and rhythms from the world (usually, in the month of May or June, depending mostly on the religious calendar). Travelling from Essaouira along the silent beaches and the rocky bays of the Atlantic coast, you’ll have the unique opportunity to literally dive into the Gnawa world, through workshops, meetings and music sessions with local artists and craftsmen but also through excursions and guided visits to the most symbolic places of the Gnawa tradition.

Tailor made travel ideas also suitable for associations, schools and universities.

Other details



Included services:


Reception and accompaniment - Transport by 4x4 or minibus - 5 nights in hotel / riad / guest house – Accommodation on full board basis - Gnawa music lessons and handicraft workshops - 1 professional guide throughout the duration of the trip - 24h24 Assistance

Extra services not included:


Airplane tickets - Drinks - Tips for staff – Optional activities – Travel health and cancellation insurance (upon request, Direction Sud will help you identify the most suitable for your needs). Direction Sud guarantees no hidden costs or other extra fees.

Stages of the trip

6 days / 5 nights


Essaouira – Sidi Kaouki – Atlantic Caost
We'll leave from Marrakech early in the morning and drive west towards the Atlantic Coast to explore the places and sounds of the Gnawa tradition, accompanied by experienced local guides, musicians and craftsman. The picturesque white town of Essaouira, with its narrow alleys and colorful craft shops surrounded by thick walls overlooking the ocean, will be the starting point of this unique journey along the Atlantic coast, where Berber, Arab and African cultures blend together, mixing genres, rhythms and traditions of different origins. We’ll approach the Gnawa world by making direct experience of its places, its people and its cultural traditions, between religion, hypnotic trance and artistic performance. We’ll discover the secrets of this unique style, marked by the rhythm of cymbals and hand-clapping and characterized by endless songs in the typical formula “call and response”, through music and handicraft workshops, live music sessions but also through 4x4, walking and horse-riding excursions along the coast and the foothills of the High Atlas. And of course, Essaouira has a fair share of long windy beaches to satisfy water-sport (surf and kyte-surf) and sun tan lovers…