Introduction:
We will start our 12 day Morocco tour from Casablanca via the Sahara Desert. We will visit touristic places in Rabat Hassan Tower, Oudaias, Meknes (Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, Sahrij Souani Bassin, Bab El Mansour gate…), Volubilis and you will have Full day to visit Fez the old Imperial City, Ifrane “the Moroccan Switzerland”, then Azrou where we will have a stop at the famous cedar forest the largest in Morocco to see and enjoy with Barbary apes. During This trip, we will visit Merzouga Sahara Desert: Erg Chebbi, ride a camel, sunrise, and sunset, night in a camp between dunes in Sahara, Gnaoua music in Khamlia, Draa Valley, Dades Valley. Ouarzazate, Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, Marrakech, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mogador (Essaouira), and Marrakech sightseeing, coming back to Casablanca.
Tour Program:
Day 1: Casablanca – Transfer to the hotel
Upon arrival at the airport of Casablanca Mohammed V, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Our representative will provide a brief overview of your tour.
Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Meknes – Fes
Depart to Fes. The road to Fes takes us along a beautiful stretch of farmlands where olives, grain, vegetables, and grapes are grown. Before arriving in Fes you will visit Meknes and Volubilis. Volubilis is the sight of the famous Roman ruins left from the Roman Empire’s most southern outpost. Meknes is the site of the first Arab dynasty created by Moulay Ismail and has the Medersa Bou Inania and the Bab Mansour, the Gateway to Moulay Ismail Palace. This leads us into the Henri Es-Souani, the horses stable and granaries. Upstairs is a rooftop garden and cafe with a great view of the city. Arrive into Fes, check into the hotel.
Day 3: Full Day To Visit Fes
After breakfast, you will begin your visit of “the oldest living Medina in the world” with a local official tour guide. You will tour the Medina with its “souks” (markets), stopping at the gateway of the Royal Palace, the 9th-century Karouine mosque, and University. You will visit also the tomb of the city founder “Moulay Idriss II”. Lunch will be at one of the traditional restaurants in the old Medina. After lunch, you will continue your tour to visit the Najarine Fountain, the old Harem Garden, and the Batha Museum. On the way back to the hotel, you will stop to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
Day 4: Fes – Rif Mountains – Chefchaouen – Fes
After breakfast in your Riad or Hotel around 8 AM we will start your day trip toward Chefchaouen (the blue city) which is a Morocco popular tourist attraction and welcoming town situated in the Rif Mountains just south of the Mediterranean coastline in northwest Morocco. This nice bleu city is known for its traditional buildings. Enjoy a walk to explore the white and blue washed walls of the medina and the markets that offer some unique native handicrafts. Chefchaouen is a fantastic destination for photography with its wonderful views of the Rif Mountains. Back to Fez in the afternoon. Expected to get to Fez around 07:00 PM.
Day 5: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Ziz Valley – Erfoud – Merzouga
After breakfast we will start our day Merzouga crossing the Atlas Mountains to Merzouga, passing through Ifrane to arrive to the cedar forests of Azrou where the wild monkeys are located. It will be a good opportunity to take photos of the wilderness in Morocco. Lunch in a small Berber village of Zaida. We continue the way through the Atlas Mountains enjoying the landscapes of Medilt to arrive to the small town of Rich, Erfoud in which we’ll feel the beginning of the Saharan oasis of Tafilalet then we continue to Merzouga. Overnight in a hotel near the sand dunes.
Day 6: Merzouga – Berber Families – Black Desert – Merzouga
After breakfast in the hotel, you’ll start your explorative Sahara Desert journey of the area, visiting the village of Khamlia, originally slaves from Sudan to experience their music and lifestyle. Not far away there’s the lake of Merzouga, with its bird populations, including flamingos. You may also like to visit the Berber nomad wire house where many Berber handicrafts are priced lower than in the big cities. In the afternoon you will ride a camel, guided by an experienced Camel man, to explore inside the mysterious sand-sea of the Erg-Chebbi. Here you’ll spend your first night under the stars, or if you prefer, in a traditional Berber nomad tent. Dinner will be served in the tent where you will spend the night. Dinner Bed and Breakfast.
Day 7: Merzouga – Errissani – Jorf – Todra Gorges – Dades Gorges
We will wake up early morning to watch the spectacle of sunrise when the color of the dunes combine with the play of shadows to make an awesome sight. After a cup of tea, we ride the camels for a couple of hours (or less; it is up to you), in the Kasbah, you will have breakfast and shower, before leaving to the fortified village of Rissani in the Tafilalt region. Nestled at the edge of the Ziz Valley, Rissani is a traditional desert village yet houses the impressive Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first ruler of the Alawite dynasty, which thrived here in the 17th century. Journey through the impressive Todra Gorges and past the eastern slopes of the Atlas Mountains to Tinerhir Oasis, with its green valley of palms and local villages, before continuing on a scenic drive through the Dades Valley, also known as the ‘Valley of 1000 Kasbahs. Overnight in Dades valley.
Day 8: Dades Gorges – Skoura – Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech
This morning after breakfast in the hotel, We depart to Ouarzazate via Skoura. Stopping for a panoramic view of the kasbah of Taourirt then another photo stop near the atlas film studios. After that, you will visit the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou and stop for lunch in a local restaurant in the village. In the afternoon we will drive to Marrakech over the mountains of high Atlas passing through the Tizi N’tichka pass (2260 m in altitude). Drop off in Marrakech.
Day 9: Marrakech City Tour With Local Guide
A full-day tour of Marrakech, visit the Menara, a surrounded pool by flowerbeds that function as an irrigation system for the surrounded fields. The sightseeing tour will cover several impressive sights: The Koutoubia mosque, Majorelle Gardens, Bahia Palace, and Dar Si Said Palace museum of jewelry. Optional lunch will be in the medina followed by a walk through the colorful souks of Marrakech. Enjoy a sunset drink overlooking the exciting Jamaa El Fna Square from a terrace of a cafe, dinner and night at the hotel.
Day 10: Marrakech – Ouzoud Waterfalls – Atlas Mountains – Marrakech
One day trip from Marrakech to Ouzoud Waterfalls starting from Marrakech in the morning to Ouzoud Waterfalls, this site is located about 170 km from Marrakech, northeast of the city, you will discover the beautiful waterfalls of about 110 m high and a beautiful landscape full of birds and monkeys. You will discover the magnificent waterfalls of about 110 m of height and a wonderful landscape populated with birds and monkeys on the arrival if you like you can negotiate the services of a local guide to make walks or hikes at a height of 1068m.
Day 11: Marrakech – Essaouira
After breakfast, you will set off to the coastal city of Essaouira, a picturesque fishing town, lying on the southwest coast of Morocco. With an exquisite beach to the south, Essaouira has become one of Morocco’s most popular coastal towns. Many of the country’s woodcarvers and artists make Essaouira their home.
Day 12: Essaouira – Airport
Transfert from Essaouira to the airport (Marrakech or Casablanca), end of the 12 day Morocco itinerary from Casablanca.
Price Includes
- Pick up and drop off at your hotel/airport
- Transport in A/C car 4×4 or minibus
- English speaking driver and guide
- Breakfasts and dinners
Price Excludes
- Lunches and drinks
- Plane tickets to and from Morocco
- Travel insurance
- What is not included in program