10 DAYS -MOROCCOTOUR FROM CASABLANCA TO DISCOVER IMPERIAL CITIES AND SAHARA DESERT

Welcome to Morocco! Welcome to Casablanca where you will meet your private driver and escorted to your hotel. The driver will provide a brief overview of your Morocco tour. Depends on time of your arrival, you may explore this cosmopolitan metropolis, a city connected to its heritage along the contemporary streets and life. The wide boulevards are lined with palm trees that sway in the ocean breeze. The Atlantic laps at the bordering shores and the Atlas Mountain foothills create the eastern boundary. Art galleries present images of the people’s modern life that has also been informed by a rich cultural past. The minaret of Hassan II Mosque creates a solitary skyline against the shore and shows wonderful sample of Moorish influences in Morocco. You can settle in to the wonders of Casablanca and see the majesty of Morocco. Spend the overnight with breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, we will travel to the administrative capital Rabat. We will see the unfinished mosque tower of Hassan dated back to the 12th century. You will also visit the mausoleum of Mohamed V, built by King Hassan II and dedicated to his father, Mohamed V, for honoring him as the father of the independence. You will visit the 12th century Kasbah of Oudaya with its beautiful white and blue buildings with a fantastic view over the Atlantic beach and Bouragrag River. We will continue on our journey to the Imperial City of Meknes. Meknes has a large production of olives and olive oil and you will see an amazing variety of olives in the local market of Lahdime. You will see the ornamental gate of Bab Mansour, the granary at Sahrij Swani. Only 30 km from Meknes we will visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a partly excavated Roman city where we will enjoy seeing the remains of astonishing mosaics and hundreds of Latin inscriptions. After leaving Volubilis we will continue our way on towards the medieval city of Fes for the overnight with dinner in a hotel or Riad.

After breakfast, you will meet your private tour guide to enjoy a guided city tour to explore the first imperial city of Morocco, Fes; this UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century, and is home to the world’s oldest university. The first stop of the morning is a visit to the entrance of the largest royal palace in Morocco. Afterwards, we will drive for a wonderful panoramic views of the whole medina from the southern tower of Fes, visit a pottery co-operative where tiles and Moroccan mosaic are made. We will visit the tanneries, to watch the locals working with the skins of animals such as goat, camel and cow. We will explore a Medrassa (Koranic school), the Nejjarine fountain, the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, and the Karaouine Mosque University. Enjoy a Moroccan lunch at a traditional restaurant in the Medina. Afterwards, continue to explore the medina and its narrow alleys house hundreds of merchants and craftsmen selling a range of products such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns and musical instruments. The rest of the day is at leisure with overnight at the Riad or hotel.

Begin your journey through the Middle Atlas with a stop to enjoy the charming ski area of Ifrane named as “the little Switzerland of Morocco” before you experience fragrant cedar forests filled with chatty Barbary apes and rustic Berber villages. – The largest in Morocco – Here you will have the opportunity to see the monkeys in the wild, and have the chance to feed them while taking some memorable pictures. Perhaps stop for lunch in the beautiful Midelt in its spectacular location between the Middle and High Atlas and enjoy breathtaking views of the eastern High Atlas. This particularly varied itinerary from north to south offers a diversity of impressions through the scenic Mountains where nomad shepherds live and move with their herds of goats and sheep across these Mountains. Admire this legendary valley named Ziz and which runs along a deep canyon all the way down to Erfoud where you will spend the overnight with dinner in a stylish Kasbah hotel.

Start your desert tour from Erfoud with an optional stop to visit Fossils workshop. You can choose to visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Chrief, the founder of the Alaouite dynasty. You will arrive to a typical village to experience the local music as you listen to the rhythms of a Gnaoua band. You can try a sample of a delicious desert Pie or a Berber Pizza. Arrive to Merzouga where you will have some time to relax before you start the desert adventure on the back of camels. You will ride over the sands as the sun begins to set and as you reach the magnificent Erg Chebbi sand dunes, witness them turning a wonderful red hue. As night falls, listen to the intoxicating beat of Berber drum music and enjoy a Moroccan home-cooked feast before sleeping in a private tent with private bathrooms and hot showers.

Your day starts early with a picturesque sunrise before enjoying breakfast. You will take a camel ride back to the town of Merzouga where you will meet your driver and head towards Ziz Oasis where you will see the ancient irrigation system. The tour goes further to Todra gorges where you will enjoy a walk between the cliffs and river in this beautiful valley with date palms, ending with a spectacular Gorge, mainly used for rock climbing and picnics. After lunch, we will make our way to Dades Valley with its astonishing rock formation, created by erosion over millions of years. We spend the vernight with dinner in a hotel or guest house.

After breakfast, we will leave Dades gorges towards the Rose Valley, the only place in Morocco where Damascus roses are harvested. Rose water and oil are extracted from the Damascus rose to use in the preparation of beauty treatments. We will stop at the rose city, Kalaat Mgouna, to purchase the rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over. We continue to Ouarzazate via Skoura with an optional visit to the Kasbah of Ameridil. Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”, whose geography and beautiful landscapes has attracted many world class movie producers. Here you may choose to visit the studios where some of the famous movies were filmed such as The Mummy and Gladiator. We will visit the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou as a UNESCO heritage site. After that, we will begin to cross the high Atlas Mountains with many panoramic views and attractive Berber villages to reach Marrakech for the night with dinner in a Riad or hotel.

After breakfast, you will be escorted by a local tour guide to explore the city of Marrakech. You will visit the main historical monuments including: the gorgeous Bahia palace built in 19th century, the Saadian tombs a 17th century Royal necropolis, the Koranic School of Ben Youssef, and the Koutoubia mosque built in 12th century. You will also visit the famous Souks; a great place for shopping where you can buy presents for your family, friends or yourselves. Relax in the Majorelle Gardens, a peaceful space in the New Town with exotic botanical plants brought from all over the world. You will finish your tour in the main square of Djemaa Lefna with its story tellers, snake charmers, musicians, acrobats and open air food stalls. You will also have free time to enjoy a soft drink in one of the cafes where you can get amazing panoramic views across the square. Spend the rest of the day at leisure with overnight and breakfast at the Riad or hotel.

Today you choose to have the morning at leisure in Marrakech or start an early drive towards the economic capital Casablanca. Upon arrival to the largest city Casablanca, you will check in at the hotel. The rest of time is at leisure to relax or have a smooth walk by the cornice before returning to the hotel for the overnight with breakfast.