Cultural Photography Tours & Trips in West Africa

Travel through Morocco's High Atlas Mountains via Tizi-N-Tichka pass to palm-lined Ziz Valley, photographing traditional Berber kasbahs along the way. See UNESCO-listed Hassan Tower and Mohammed V Mausoleum in Rabat, walk through Meknes' historic gates, and ride camels across Merzouga's dunes.

Photograph the pottery capital of Safi's oldest port and see traditional ceramic-making techniques unique to Morocco's Atlantic coast. Capture Essaouira's UNESCO-protected medina where fishing boats line the harbor against white-and-blue Portuguese architecture. Document the Argan oil extraction process from this West African region, from tree to co-operative production.

Head to Safi's Hill of the Potters to see artisans making Morocco's finest ceramics in traditional workshops with vibrant colors everywhere. The Castle of the Sea fortress sits right against Atlantic waves in Essaouira's UNESCO-listed Medina, great for photos with all that whitewashed architecture.

You'll have plenty of chances to take cultural photos across West Africa's most cinematic landscapes, from the shimmering salt mirages of Chott el Djerid to the Canyon and Oasis of Mides with its sheer-walled gorges. The white walls and bright blue doors of Sidi Bou Said overlook the Gulf of Tunis and make for great shots, while the ancient stone dwellings of Guermassa village cling to their steep hilltop setting. The Ong Jemel dune formation is famous as a major Star Wars filming location, and the Archaeological Museum of Sousse inside the historic Casbah houses one of the world's finest collections of ancient Roman mosaics.

Try making UNESCO-listed Sejnane pottery in a workshop with local Berber women, learning geometric patterns they've used for generations, then snap photos of Tabarka's red-rock coastline and old Genoese Fort. Walk through covered souks in Tunis Medina and head to Sidi Bou Said to photograph white walls.

Snap photos of Todra Gorge's towering red cliffs carved by the river, then take a 45-minute camel ride from Merzouga to catch sunset over Sahara dunes. At Ait Benhaddou, frame shots of the ancient fortified ksar with earthen buildings used in Gladiator, then photograph Roman mosaics at Volubilis ruins.

Photograph the contrast of green pine forests against red cliffs in Oukaimeden at 1,550m elevation, then capture cooking classes and tea preparations using herbs from mountain gardens. Document traditional silver work in Essaouira's cooperatives and coastal scenes where Atlantic meets Morocco's shores.