Day 1: Airport – Fez
The first day of this 10-day Morocco tour will be used to arrive in Fez and get acquainted with the city and the country. Our English-speaking driver will pick you up at the city’s airport to transfer you to your central accommodation, which will be a riad in the medina. From then until the time of your night’s rest, you will enjoy as much free time as your flight arrival time allows.
Day 2: Fez
Fez is one of the Imperial Cities of Morocco for having been the capital of the kingdom in the past. Its historic medina was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. It also remains a cultural and religious reference for the whole country and even beyond its borders. For all these reasons, it is worth dedicating a full day to your visit, which will begin after breakfast at the riad and meeting with our official local guide.
The walking tour will take you to the most beautiful and outstanding places of the historical center. And there are many stops that can be included in this guided itinerary: from the Karaouine Mosque and its university (one of the oldest in the world) to the Bou Inania and Cherratine Madrasahs, passing by the Mausoleum of Moulay Idris. The tanners’ quarter, where leather is still worked in the traditional way, can be another place to discover during the visit, as well as the Mellah (Jewish quarter) or the Royal Palace, where you can admire the spectacular Golden Gates and its surroundings.
The afternoon of this day will be free and, therefore, will be one of the best times for shopping throughout the circuit, since the craftsmanship of this city reaches a quality unmatched in the rest of Morocco. Wooden furniture, ceramics, leather accessories or traditional jewelry are some of the options to choose from. Another option is to visit one of the museums on the history and culture of the city, such as the Dar Batha or the Borj Nord. And of course, tasting the local gastronomy is an interesting proposal here and at any other time of this 10-day Morocco tour.
At night, you will repeat your stay in the charming riad in the heart of the medina, which will make all of the above options closer at hand.
Day 3: Fez – Ifrane – Ziz Valley – Merzouga desert
In this 10-day Morocco tour, the third day is the real kick-off for the road trip. After breakfast at the riad in Fez, our driver will pick you up to go to the far south, where the charms of the Sahara desert await us.
But we will not be in a hurry to get there, because on the way there will be beautiful places that are also worth seeing. The first of them, Ifrane, or as it is known here: the Switzerland of Africa. You will soon discover why it receives this nickname: the gable roofs of its buildings are proof that in this town, at an altitude of more than 1,700 meters, snowfall and rain are very common in the cold season.
This humid climate also benefits the next place on the route: the National Park located between Azrou and Ifrane, also known as the Monkey Forest for its illustrious inhabitants. We are talking about the Barbary macaques, an endangered species that has found in the cedars of this forest the perfect habitat for their life. And we will have time to see some of them on the way, as it is a very sociable primate.
Shortly after we will cross to the other side of the Middle Atlas, entering fully into the Ziz Valley, which breaks through the arid terrain of the area and offers ideal conditions for the emergence of palm groves. This is the case of the Tafilalet palm grove, which we will have the opportunity to see.
In the last stretch of this day we will reach the town of Merzouga, which gives its name to one of the most beautiful areas of the Moroccan Sahara. Here begin the dunes of Erg Chebbi, in whose vicinity is the hostel where we will spend the night, where dinner is also included.
Day 4: Merzouga Desert – Oasis Tissardmine – Oasis Saf Saf – Erg Chebbi Dunes
After breakfast at the lodge in the desert of Merzouga, we have ahead of us a day dedicated to exploring this unique ecosystem, which also brings together local traditions of great interest.
The first experience that awaits us on this day is the visit to the village of Khamlia, which receives the nickname ‘village of the blacks’ because its inhabitants have this color of skin. The reason is that their ancestors were slaves who came from the other side of the Sahara and brought with them a very precious asset: their love for Gnawa music. Today, this folkloric genre has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Day 5: Merzouga Desert – Rissani – Ouzina Desert
The fifth day of this 10-day tour of Morocco will allow us to see other areas of interest in the Sahara. To do this, after breakfast in the tents camp we will move to Rissani, a small but surprising city. It is considered the first imperial city of the country for being the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty. Its beautiful medina is in tune with its long history and in it we will discover corners full of authenticity, such as its traditional souk under red arcades, its ksours or its donkey parking.
After visiting Rissani we will continue our route, but not on asphalt, but on dirt tracks used long ago during the Paris-Dakar rally. This route will make us feel the adrenaline of that mythical motor race but will also make us discover the natural beauty of the hamadas and the arid elevations through which we will circulate.
This 4×4 route will end in the palm trees of the town of Ouzina, in the desert of the same name. There a local family will be waiting for us with a Berber tea, as tradition dictates, demonstrating the hospitality of its people who still maintain their residence in this village as small as far from civilization. Also in Ouzina is the hotel where we will have dinner and spend the night, with all the comforts.
Day 6: Ouzina Desert – Ramlia Oasis – El Mharech Pass – Todra Gorges
On this sixth day, our 4×4 will again be our best ally to discover amazing places of the Moroccan desert, in this case through the Ouzina desert and beyond. It will be the last day that this 10-day Morocco tour will dedicate entirely to the deepest desert. As usual, you will have breakfast at the previous night’s accommodation and we will leave for a reg of the area, that is, a desert of stones that give this area a lunar aspect out of the ordinary.
Our route will continue through Berber villages where the inhabitants still live in authentic nomadic tents. We will also pass through the Ramlia Oasis, which is a sudden and almost unexpected hit of humidity and greenery in the middle of the desert. The same cannot be said of Lake Maider, a huge dry lake that nevertheless allows us to imagine what the Sahara was like before it dried up thousands of years ago.
Guided by the guidance of our driver, we will continue through the El Mharech pass, which can be considered a shortcut to Mcissi, where we will return to the asphalt road. On it, we will pass through Tizi n’Tifrkhin and, further on, we will reach the Todra Gorges. This is a spectacular rocky canyon carved by the erosion of the river of the same name, which is worth a stop, both on foot and from the road, because here it twists in an almost implausible way
Day 7: Todra Gorges – Dades Valley – Valley of the Roses – Ouarzazate
After breakfast at the riad in the Todra Gorges, we will enter several valleys of unique beauty in this southern region. The first is the Dades Valley, which is part of what is called the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, since along this road there are numerous Berber defensive fortresses.
There are many examples of this, such as Ait Youl, which is striking for the symmetry of its volumes and the good preservation of the whole, surrounded by vegetation and arid hills. From here there is a track that will take us directly to the Valley of the Roses, so called because this flower represents the raw material that moves the economy of the area. This can be seen in Kelaa M’Gouna, which also organizes its own festival of roses in May.
The palm groves are also abundant in this section of the route, as evidenced by Skoura, which we will cross with our vehicle on our way to the goal of this seventh day: Ouarzazate. Here is our accommodation, integrated in a kasbah, where you will have dinner and sleep at night.
Day 8: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Kasbah de Telouet – Marrakech
Of all the days that make up this tour of Morocco in 10 days, the eighth is the one that concentrates a greater number of visitable fortresses. After breakfast at the hotel we will head to the Kasbah of Taourirt, without leaving Ouarzazate. It is the former residence of the Pasha of Marrakech and Lord of the Atlas, and retains much of its original decoration inside. If there is time, it is possible to visit the famous film studios of this city, nicknamed the ‘Hollywood of Morocco’ precisely for that reason.
From there we will move directly to the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village that fans of Game of Thrones will recognize for having served as a setting for some chapters of the third season. It was also declared a World Heritage Site thanks to its spectacular nature and history, as it was a key stop on the caravan routes connecting Marrakech and Timbuktu.
Precisely that caravan route crossed the High Atlas as we will do, through the port of Tizi n’Tichka, about 2,260 meters above sea level. On the ascent, we will see the Kasbah of Telouet, another of the residential fortresses of the Pasha of Marrakech. And on the descent, we will pass through numerous Berber villages in the area, in addition to enjoying great panoramic views of the surroundings.
In this section there will be time to visit an argan oil cooperative, a very old tradition that also received the recognition of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Here we will learn how this oil, so precious in cosmetics, is produced in the traditional way.
In the afternoon we will arrive in Marrakech, the last destination of this tour of Morocco in 10 days. We will know it in depth, although it will be the next day. For the moment, you will enjoy free time to experience a first contact, something that you can also take advantage of to shop or taste some delicacies of the local gastronomy.
All this will be very close at hand, as the riad where you will be staying will be located in the historic center or in the immediate vicinity.
Day 9: Marrakech
As at the beginning of this 10-day tour of Morocco, the penultimate day is devoted entirely to an Imperial City declared World Heritage by Unesco. We are talking about Marrakech, a major tourist destination in the country for its many attractions, both monumental and popular. You will discover it after breakfast and from the moment you will walk with our official local guide
With him you will make a guided tour of the historic medina, which will pass through the most emblematic places of the ‘Red City’, so called because of the predominant color of its monuments. For example, the Kutubia Mosque, whose minaret is one of the most photographed elements of Marrakech and served as inspiration for other great monuments, such as the Giralda of Seville. But the beauty of this city is also in its interiors, such as the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Madrasa or the Bahia Palace.
Any self-respecting tour can not overlook the souks and artisan neighborhoods of the medina, nor the Jemaa el-Fna Square, whose bustle of vendors and passersby was itself declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The afternoon can be an ideal time to stroll and browse around, or to visit the Marrakech Museum, the Majorelle Gardens, the Menara Gardens, the El Badi Palace or other cultural sites in the center. To rest, the riad will be your home again on this last night of the Morocco tour in 10 days.
Day 10: Marrakech – Airport
This 10-day Morocco tour comes to an end on this day, which will begin with breakfast at the riad in the medina of Marrakech. After check-out you will see if there is time available for a last walk around the city or proceed with the transfer to the airport. Our driver will pick you up at the indicated place and time, to arrive in time for boarding. This will conclude our services, which we will have offered with the desire to have fulfilled the expectations placed in us … and to see us again in a next tour.
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
