Day 1: Casablanca – Rabat
This tour that will take us all over Morocco has its starting point at Casablanca airport. At the terminal you will be picked up by our English-speaking driver in a private vehicle for an immediate transfer to the center of Casablanca. Without further ado, we will visit its most important monument: the Hassan II Mosque. Besides being a grandiose construction, it is also one of the few in which non-Muslims are allowed to visit. Therefore, if we have the opportunity, we will discover its interior beauty, with an exquisite Islamic decoration and top quality materials.
After that, we will head for Rabat, which is less than 100 km from Casablanca. There you will have free time to discover its most interesting sites, protected under the umbrella of Unesco thanks to its declaration as World Heritage: the Kasbah of the Oudayas, the Hassan Tower or the Mausoleum of Mohamed V are some must-see places. Your accommodation will be in a riad in the center, so you will also be very close to the historic medina to explore it at your own pace.
Day 2: Rabat – Chaouen
After breakfast at the riad in Rabat, included in the package, we will leave for one of the most amazing towns in Morocco: Chaouen. To do so, we will travel about 250 km by road, reaching the northernmost point of the route. On arrival, its location between the Rif Mountains will jump to the eye and will announce the irregular orography of the medina, full of slopes and nooks and crannies that give it more charm.
In this small town we will spend two nights, so this first day will serve as a contact point to walk through its picturesque streets, many of them whitewashed and painted blue. During this free walk you can walk at your leisure, reaching the panoramic viewpoints located around the medina. It is also a good opportunity to visit its craft stores, specialized in leather, wool and other traditional materials, or its humble art galleries, home to very original creators. In the evening, you will rest in a riad in the medina.
Day 3: Chaouen
This third day of the tour will begin with breakfast at the riad in Chaouen. And after recharge your batteries, you can go out to discover other places of interest in Chaouen. The tour will also be free, but this day you can spend more time visiting its monuments and tourist attractions. For example, its imposing kasbah, which has been converted into an Ethnographic Museum, or the various gates of the wall, which have stood for several centuries. Its square Uta el Hammam, its main nerve center, will be a good place to start and end your steps. And at the end of the day, you will return to rest in the cozy riad of the medina.
Day 4: Chaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez
On the fourth day of the circuit we leave Chaouen after breakfast at the riad and begin a route full of cultural attractions. The first of them is Volubilis, the most important Roman archaeological site in Morocco and one of the most spectacular in North Africa. It preserves the remains of a great city of that civilization, something that visitors can understand thanks to the preserved elements: mosaics, columns, arches, urban fabric, etc..
After visiting Volubilis, we arrive at Meknes, which experienced its moment of splendor between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: it was then that it became the capital of the kingdom, under the hand of Sultan Moulay Ismail. And many of its monuments, such as the gates of the wall or the mausoleum of the aforementioned sultan, date back to that time. It is no coincidence, therefore, that it has also been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
And in the last part of the day we will arrive in Fez, one of the most important of all Morocco in terms of tourism. It has many places of interest, which we will discover calmly the next day. Therefore, on this first day you will stroll freely and take a first contact with the city. You will be able to do it quietly on foot, as the riad where you will stay will be located in the medina.
Day 5: Fez
Fez is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Morocco, thanks in large part to its rich past: centuries ago, it was a cultural and spiritual center for the Islamic world, and still retains much of that prestige today. After breakfast at the riad, you will meet our official guide to explore this city, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the morning, you will visit the main sites of the medina, such as its madrasas, including Bou Inania and Attarine. The Karaouine mosque and its university could also be part of the tour, as well as the Nejjarine square and its historic fountain. Its souks and districts of artisans, such as the tanners, will remain close at hand and devoid of secrets thanks to the explanations of our guide.
The afternoon will be free and therefore a good time to add other interesting visits, such as the Golden Gates of the Royal Palace or the Mellah (Jewish quarter). You will also be able to spend your time shopping for handicrafts, which still play a very important role in the local economy. Its quality is, for many, the highest in Morocco. And in the evening, you will return to rest in the riad of the medina.
Day 6: Fez – Ifrane – Monkey Forest – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert
After several days in the north of the country, it is time to cross the Middle Atlas and travel south, where the Moroccan desert is located. Therefore, you will have an early breakfast at the riad in Fez and get back on the road with our driver and our private vehicle. The first stop will be the town of Ifrane, one of the most unique of all Morocco for its alpine appearance, full of gabled buildings and surrounded by a humid and green landscape. For a reason it is called the ‘Switzerland of Africa’, receiving abundant rain and snow in winter.
Near Ifrane and Azrou is the National Park known as the Monkey or Cedar Forest. Both are abundant here, forming an ecosystem in perfect balance, although not free of threats. In fact, these primates (Barbary macaques) are at risk of extinction and seek shelter under the branches of these centuries-old conifers, very representative of the Moroccan flora.
We will then cross the Middle Atlas and travel through the Ziz Valley, where the river of the same name flows. The landscape changes significantly, becoming more arid, although with large palm groves. With this landscape around us we will travel many kilometers until we reach Erfoud, famous for its dinosaur fossils and prehistoric animals.
And soon after we will reach Merzouga, a small town that gives its name to the surrounding desert. Here we will park the vehicle and get on the back of camels (one per person) for an excursion through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the largest in Morocco. The goal will be our Berber tent camp, where we will be welcomed with tea, dinner and rest under the spectacular starry blanket of the desert sky.
Day 7: Merzouga Desert – Khamlia – Ouzina
One of the advantages of this 16-day circuit is that, in addition to traveling throughout Morocco, we can devote several days to its main attractions. For example, the desert of Merzouga: after breakfast in the tents camp, we will move in 4×4 through this environment of extreme aridity to reach Khamlia, also known as the ‘village of the blacks’. Here we will meet its inhabitants, descendants of former slaves and guardians of the traditional Gnawa music. This folkloric expression was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco, given its uniqueness, as we will discover in a live performance.
After that, we will travel along tracks that are only accessible by adapted vehicles, like ours. We will head for the desert of Ouzina, in the surroundings of this tiny village, far from the major tourist routes but full of charm. We will be greeted with tea by the locals and, after that, we will go to witness one of the greatest spectacles in Morocco: the sunset on the sand dunes. The night will be spent in a desert hotel, where dinner will also be served and there will be another musical performance, in this case of Berber rhythms.
Day 8: Ouzina – Maharch Pass – Draa Valley
If the sunset in the dunes of Ouzina is one of the greatest spectacles in Morocco, the sunrise is no less spectacular. You will see it at the beginning of the eighth day of the route, when you should get up early to enjoy this incomparable sunrise. After that, it will be time for breakfast and shower, and then continue our route through the desert, with dyes of adventure for the places we will leave behind: sand rivers, Berber villages, rocky hamadas ….
In this way we will reach the mountainous massif Jebel Kem Kem, in the surroundings of Alnif. The Maharch Pass will open the gates of the Draa Valley, one of the largest in Morocco, and its famous Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, where the fortresses follow one after another.
In one of these kasbahs, or rather in a ksar (fortified village), we will sleep on this day, so staying in this complex can be considered an experience in itself: it is the ksar of Tamnougalt, built in adobe in the nineteenth century and recently rehabilitated. We will walk through its narrow streets and come into contact with Berber tribes that still inhabit the place. At the end of the day, you will have dinner and sleep in spaces perfectly integrated in the ksar.
Day 9: Draa Valley – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley
Breakfast on the ninth day will also be served in the ksar of Tamnougalt, after which we will continue the route through the Draa Valley to link with the Dades Valley. On this road route we will reach a unique environment in Morocco: the Todra Gorges, located in the vicinity of the picturesque village of Tinghir.
These Gorges are a spectacular rocky canyon, with walls that reach 200 meters in some sections and represent a challenge for climbers from all over the world. We will travel through its spaces by car and on foot, which will give us a very complete view of the gorge carved by the humble river Todra for millennia.
The road route will continue through the Dades Valley and in one of its picturesque villages will be located the riad where you will have dinner and spend the ninth night of the circuit.
Day 10: Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate
Our tenth day will begin, as usual, with breakfast at our accommodation, the riad in the Dades Valley. After that, we will return to the road: our odometer will progress through the landscape of this area, where small villages and kasbahs, as well as palm groves between arid hills and large expanses of hamadas.
The city of reference on this day will be Ouarzazate, considered the gateway to the desert for those coming from Marrakech. In this circuit, it offers two major attractions: on the one hand, the Kasbah of Taourirt, located on the outskirts, which served as a castle-residence of the Lord of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui. The grandeur of its inhabitants can still be appreciated thanks to the interior decoration of some rooms and the defensive adobe architecture of its exterior. The other place of interest that Ouarzazate offers are its film studios, used to record Hollywood blockbusters such as Lawrence of Arabia. If the group wishes, you can visit its facilities.
Day 11: Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech
At the hotel in Ouarzazate you will have breakfast on the eleventh day and, after that, we will resume our road trip, this time in the direction of the High Atlas Mountains. In them is located another kasbah, Telouet, related to the Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui. Therefore, it has many details in common with the kasbah of Taourirt already visited.
Very close to Telouet is the port of Tizi n’Tichka, the most common passage to cross the High Atlas. It is located more than 2,200 meters above sea level and, therefore, is ideal to enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the surroundings: peaks that remain snowy for much of the year and small villages scattered on the slopes of the mountains.
That will also be the landscape that accompanies us for much of the descent on the way to Marrakech. Arrival in the Red City will not take too long, so you can enjoy the afternoon at your leisure. It will serve to get to know its popular atmosphere and its historic center, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. This is the city that attracts more tourists from all over Morocco due to its many attractions and therefore the circuit provides two and a half days in it, with three nights of accommodation. In all cases it will be a riad in the medina to have more at hand the monuments, museums and attractions of Marrakech.
Day 12: Marrakech
On the first of two full days in Marrakech, you will enjoy a guided tour, which is the best way to learn the secrets of this fascinating city. It will be in the morning, after breakfast at the riad, and you will visit the main places of the medina: the Jemaa el-Fna square, the Kutubia mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs or the Ben Youssef Madrasa can be some of the stops of the walking tour.
The afternoon, on the other hand, will be free, so you can add the visit to other places of historical-artistic interest. For example, the El Badi Palace, the Marrakech Museum, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum or the Majorelle Gardens, a unique botanical jewel in Morocco. Our guide will advise you on the most interesting places according to your tastes.
Day 13: Marrakech
The thirteenth day of this tour is also entirely dedicated to Marrakech. But this time, the whole day will be free. Therefore, this is the ideal time for activities in this city or its surroundings, such as excursions.
Another interesting option is to spend the day shopping locally, as the trip is coming to an end. The Red City has the largest variety of stores in Morocco, both traditional crafts and new creators and major brands, the latter in neighborhoods such as Gueliz.
Day 14: Marrakech – Essaouira
A tour that aims to cover all of Morocco, as this one, can not forget the Atlantic Coast and a city as suggestive as Essaouira. And that is where our route arrives in its last days. After breakfast at the riad in Marrakech, our driver will pick you up in a private vehicle to head to the city known as ‘the Pearl of the Atlantic’. On the way we will stop at an argan oil cooperative, where we will learn how this characteristic product of the country is produced.
Known as Mogador by the Portuguese, who established an important commercial enclave here, Essaouira still preserves important monuments of that time (15th century). For this reason and for the charm of its historic medina, it was awarded the title of World Heritage by Unesco. A defensive front that, given its spectacular nature, also served as a film set for the series Game of Thrones.
During this first day, you can take a first walk through its maritime fortress, the gates of the wall or the small fishing port, as well as ‘lost’ in the narrow streets of the historic center, whose nerve center is the square Moulay Hassan. And in a place of this old town will be located the charming riad where you will spend this and the next night.
Day 15: Essaouira
The penultimate day of this Morocco tour also focuses on Essaouira and at leisure. Breakfast will be served at the riad in the medina and, after that, you can choose how to spend your time this day. The options are varied and our staff will help you choose: water activities on the coast (surfing, kitesurfing, etc.), horse or dromedary rides on the sandy beach or simply a refreshing swim in the ocean waters, among other options. The local folklore is also another attraction of the city, standing as a reference for Gnawa musicians. Therefore, those who have been left wanting to repeat a performance like that of Khamlia, will find here venues for a second time.
Day 16: Essaouira – Marrakech Airport
After 15 days touring all over Morocco, the circuit comes to an end: if the return flight schedules from Marrakech airport allow it, the program foresees breakfast at the riad in Essaouira and the transfer by road, from the door of the accommodation to the door of the terminal, in a journey of just over two and a half hours. After that, it will be time to say goodbye, with the hope that it will be a “see you soon” to repeat experiences and services in other parts of Morocco, with the help of our agency.
TOURIST PACKAGE INCLUDED
- Pick up and drop off at the airport
- Comfortable private transportation with air conditioning
- English speaking driver / tour guide
- Sandboarding in the desert
- Camel ride
TOURIST PACKAGE EXCLUSIONS
- Plane tickets
- Drinks
- Lunches
- Tickets
