Day 1: Airport – Fez
The first day of this week in Morocco is aimed at getting in touch with the country and settling in the city of Fez, the starting point of the tour. For this, a Spanish speaking driver from our agency will pick you up at the airport upon arrival. And aboard a comfortable vehicle, he will transfer you to the riad located in the historical center.
Depending on the arrival time of your flight, you will have free time for a first walk around the city, while waiting for the guided tour scheduled for the next day. After that and the corresponding check-in, you will rest at the riad in the medina.
Day 2: Fez
After resting from the trip and having breakfast at the riad in the medina of Fez, it’s time to start exploring this fascinating city, one of the main attractions of this one-week tour in Morocco. You will be accompanied by our official guide, in English, whom you will meet at the hotel or at the agreed place.
The guided tour, which will take place in the morning, will take you to the main monuments of the city and the most emblematic places of the medina, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Some of these places may be the Karaouine mosque and the university it houses (one of the oldest in the world), the madrasas of Bou Inania and Attarin, the most popular squares such as Nejjarine, the most authentic souks and neighborhoods of artisans such as the tanners … and so on and so forth.
The medina of Fez is one of the largest in North Africa, so some places of interest may be left out of the morning itinerary. Therefore, the free afternoon of this day can be a good complement to continue discovering the city: the Mellah (Jewish quarter), the Royal Palace with its spectacular Golden Gates or museums such as the Borj Nord are some interesting proposals for this time. Or the popular stores and establishments in the center, because the craftsmanship of this city is one of the most prestigious in the whole country.
The options are numerous and will result in an intense day, with a well-deserved rest at night in the riad of the medina.
Day 3: Fez – Ifrane – Monkey Forest – Erfoud – Merzouga Desert
On the third day of this one-week circuit in Morocco, we hit the road to start a roadtrip to remember. We will do it after breakfast at the riad in Fez and we will head to the far south, which we will arrive on this same day. On our way south we will come across the Middle High Mountains and we will discover that on its northern slopes there are really amazing towns and natural areas.
The first of these stops will be Ifrane, at about 1,700 meters above sea level, a place unparalleled in the country thanks to its peculiar constructions: most are buildings with gable roofs in response to the abundant rain and snowfall that occur here in winter. And that has earned it the nickname ‘the Moroccan Switzerland’.
Nearby is the next attraction of the day: the Ifrane National Park, also called Monkey Forest or Cedar National Park. This is one of the natural areas of greatest environmental value, not only because of the great mass of this type of conifers, but also because these trees are the perfect habitat for the Barbary macaque. These monkeys, the only ones living in the wild north of the Sahara, have a large population here, which makes them the main stronghold of this endangered species.
After being surrounded by cedars and monkeys, we will definitely cross the Middle Atlas and enter the Ziz Valley, whose landscape is now quite different: more arid, with some riverside palm groves but dominated by stony hamadas as we move away from the humble watercourse of the river. This valley will lead us precisely to the innermost part of the desert.
Erfoud, famous for its valuable fossils, will be the prelude to what comes next: Merzouga and its desert. In this small town we will park our vehicle and get on camels for an excursion through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, formations of fine golden sand that hypnotize with their magic.
Precisely in the heart of Erg Chebbi is the tent camp where we will spend the night. Before, we will be welcomed with a Berber tea and we will have dinner in a special atmosphere: the one formed under the sky full of stars and the absolute silence of one of the most remote places on the planet.
Day 4: Merzouga Desert – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley
We will start this fourth day with one of the most beautiful experiences of our one-week stay in Morocco: the sunrise in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. The lights of dawn, which here acquire a special purity tones, will make it worth waking up very early. After contemplating the sunrise, we will have breakfast in the tents camp and make the return trip by camels to Merzouga. There will also be time for a shower, in the camp or in a hotel in Merzouga as contracted in the package.
In Merzouga we will pick up our vehicle and return to the asphalt to continue the route. The first stop will be Rissani, with a beautiful medina and scenes that seem to take us back to another era, as its traditional market and its donkey parking.
From here we will continue by road while, on the other side of the glass, there are landscapes full of contrasts: rocky elevations, palm groves, small Berber villages… All this is combined with Tinghir (or Tinerhir), a town that in Tamazight language means “the city of the mountain” and keeps intact its picturesque atmosphere.
And shortly after leaving this beautiful town, we will enter one of the most unique landscapes of this one-week route in Morocco: the Todra Gorges. It is a rocky canyon carved for thousands of years by this humble river, whose water course has created a gorge through which you can walk today. Its views are also breathtaking from the road, which twists and turns in an implausible way.
After that, we enter the Dades Valley and, in the heart of this great natural area, we will arrive at the village where our riad will be located, full of charm: there we will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 5: Dades Valley – Valley of the Roses – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Tizi n’Tichka Pass – Marrakech
In our riad in the Dades Valley you will have breakfast and then we will continue the tour of this one-week circuit in Morocco. In the morning of this fourth day we will continue through the Dades Valley and cross the Valley of the Roses, named after the economic importance of the cultivation of this flower. Both valleys are part of the so-called Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, so called because of the numerous Berber fortresses that mark the road.
And precisely in several of them we will stop during the morning. First, in the Kasbah of Taourirt, located in the city of Ouarzazate. Its historical importance lies in the fact that it was the residence of the Pasha of Morocco and Sultan of the Atlas. Externally retains much of its original structure in adobe, while the interior still hides rooms with its old original decoration in ceramics, wood and plasterwork, full of exoticism.
The second fortress of this day is even larger and more spectacular: the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village with large towers that extends over a hill, giving a picture of the most picturesque. For being the best example of Berber defensive architecture, it was recognized as a World Heritage Site by Unesco. And for its spectacular nature, it has convinced the major film producers to shoot here scenes of series and movies, from Game of Thrones to Lawrence of Arabia, through The Sheltering Sky or Babel.
After visiting both fortresses, we will head for the Alto Altas, whose mountains appear closer on the horizon. We will cross them through the Tizi n’Tichka pass, at an altitude of more than 2,200 meters, a circumstance that has an advantage for our route: it offers unparalleled panoramic views in this week in Morocco: a great mountain range, with snow-capped peaks for much of the year and with slopes dotted with humble and authentic villages.
From here, the road will take us for about 100 km in continuous descent to Marrakech, the last major attraction of this one-week tour of Morocco. But not for this reason, the least interesting. In fact, we will dedicate a full day to this city the next day, so the afternoon of this day will be free to make contact with it and take a first walk. And at night, you will sleep in a riad in the medina.
Day 6: Marrakech
Marrakech is one of the most lively cities in the country and its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, thanks to its beauty and monumentality. Therefore, in a circuit like this, a week in Morocco, it is mandatory to devote a full day to its discovery. That will happen on this sixth day, with one of our official guides in English, whom you will meet after breakfast at the riad.
Together you will visit the most interesting places in the medina, a list that can be composed of such iconic monuments as the Kutubia Mosque (exterior), the Madrasa of Ben Youssef, the Saadian Tombs or the Bahia Palace. Of course, you will discover squares, neighborhoods and corners of great popular charm, such as its souks and its Jemaa el-Fna Square, itself declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity thanks to its characteristic atmosphere.
The afternoon will be free and you can consider it as a good time to access the main museums, such as the Museum of Marrakech, the Yves Sain Laurent Museum or the Orientalist Museum, among other examples. Another option is to visit its parks and gardens, among which the colorful Majorelle Garden stands out. Shopping lovers can make their particular route through the craft stalls of the medina or go to the renowned stores located in the Gueliz district. Gastronomy, shows or leisure activities are other proposals to complete the day at your leisure.
Whatever plan you choose for the afternoon, you will enjoy a well-deserved rest in the evening in the central riad.
Day 7: Marrakech – Airport
On the last day of your one-week stay in Morocco, you may still have some free time to do some last shopping or sightseeing. Everything will depend on the scheduled time of your return home. In any case, breakfast is included at the riad in the medina, as well as the transfer service to the airport: at the agreed time, our driver will pick you up at the hotel in a private vehicle to reach the terminal.
And there we will say goodbye with the hope of having fulfilled the expectations and with the illusion of seeing each other again in a new tour of Morocco.
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
