12 Days Morocco Tour From Casablanca

Meet your driver/guide at the airport arrival. If you arrive into Casablanca early in day, it can be a good idea to visit the Hassan 2 mosque in Casablanca, (the 3rd largest in the world). Then, continue to the capital city of Rabat One hour later we reach Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Much more quieter than the hectic metropolis of Casablanca, Rabat has also a much richer history, having been an important city during the various dynasties that succeeded on the throne. In Rabat we will visit the 12th century Oudaya Kasbah to explore its Andalusian Gardens and the Hassan Tower. We can dwell further into the past and visit the Roman city of Sala and the Merenid necropolis of Chellah ( chellah a fortified Kasbah dated back to the 10th century and the royal tombs of Merinid royal family). Dinner and overnight in Rabat.

Breakfast at your Riad, then, meet your driver guide, who is take you to explore more historical monuments in Rabat, visit the metropolis Kasbah Challah and enjoy a cup of tea in a terrace overlooking the Bouregrag river, then, we will head to the blue city of chefchaouen, the pearl of the north, one of the best destinations in the world, which we will discover in the company of a local guide to make a complete visit to this charming mountain town. We will walk through its narrow blue streets, among its old houses painted deep blue. In addition we will contemplate its beautiful panoramic views. Overnight dinner and breakfast in a charming riad.

Overnight and dinner in a charming riad.

We will leave the beautiful blue of Chefchaouen to explore another cities full of history and heritage, crossing the small villages of the Rif Mountains to reach one of the beautiful imperial cities, the city of Meknes, founded in the 17th century by the rulers Moulay Ismail, in Meknes we will explore the beautiful gate Bab Al Mansour, the Maulsoleum Moulay ismail, and, then, the royal stables, continue to Fes, we will stop for lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, we will head towards Volubilis, the old roman capital, one of the wonders of Morocco and a world heritage site. Continue to reach Fes about two hours of travel, arrival at the majestic city of Fez, one of the four so-called imperial cities next to Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat. The city of Fez is considered as the religious and cultural center of the country, and is an essential stop of all tours through Morocco. Check in to our charming riad in the heart of old Medina.

The third day is dedicated to the discovery of Fes. Your local guide and your driver will meet you at your accommodation and start a guided tour through the narrow streets to discover all the charms of the most cultural of the first imperial cities of Morocco. One day is hardly enough to visit all the wonders of the most ancient of the imperial cities and world famous for its leather and metalwork as well as the historical monuments including; Medersa Bouinania(Koranic school ), Bab Boujloud (blue gate), the leather tanneries, Najjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts. You might also want to just roam around some of its 9500 narrow alleys and just take in all the sounds, smells, sights and spells.

Whatever your choice, nothing can prepare you for this assault on the senses. Fes conjures the image of the quintessential fabled Arab city as Baghdad at the time of the 1001 nights… Within the walls of its Medina lies the world’s largest intact medieval city which was to become the first Arab designated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

day we will leave Fes behind, after breakfast, meet your driver/guide again for a new journey to the desert, our first stop is Ifrane, a colonial alpine resort built by the French in 1929. With its alpine houses and palaces, trimmed gardens, leafy park surrounding a mountain fed lake, you could almost be in … Switzerland. The surrounding countryside is pigmented by apricots, walnuts and plum trees and pictures of rural Berber life as we approach Midelt, a city in the middle atlas mountains, here we will stop to have lunch. After lunch and a few hours later we arrive in Erfoud, the capital of the main dates producing area in Morocco.

The change in landscape is quite noticeable since we are now getting closer to the Sahara. Given the time we will visit the ancient Jewish district and fossils manufactory if time allowed. Continue to reach Merzouga where we will spend a night in Hotel at the foot of the dunes.

Dinner and accommodation in Hotel.

A full day dedicated to explore the desert and discover its wonders, meet the locals and learn about the local culture, the day will be dedicated to the discovery of the region of Merzouga with the Erg tour: the area where there are the natural fossils of the desert, in the village of Tissrdmin where many films were shot, the black desert with its volcanic stones and the visit to a nomad family, where we will learn about the life in the desert and enjoy a Berber hospitality with a cup of tea with prepared by the nomad family, Our journey continues then, towards the village of Khamlia, famous for its inhabitants from Black Africa and for their music Gnawa. Returning to Merzouga you can enjoy the peace of the desert in the hotel on the edge of the dunes, waiting for a new adventure tour through the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. You will start a camel tour to stroll the Erg Chebbi dunes to enjoy a lifetime sunset over the golden sand dunes and spend a memorable romantic night under nomadic tent in a desert camp. Overnight in desert camp in HB

Wake up early to attend the sun rise over the dunes, take breakfast and ride camels or Jeep back to the village of Merzouga to meet your driver/guide for a new exceptional day in southern Morocco; we will leave towards of Rissani, origin of the Alaoui dynasty and first imperial city of Morocco. After visiting a huge markets of Rissani, shortly we reach the city of Erfoud, rich in black stone and marine fossils (if you want, we can stop at a fossil factory), our journey will continue then to reach the Gorges of Todra, lie only 15 km from Tinghir city, presenting an arresting spectacle with its crystal clear river emerging from it, its huge walls changing color to magical effect as the day unfolds.

We are now in the mountains again as we pass Tinerir (1400 meters altitude), an important center for the Berber nomad tribes with its extensive palm grove, amazing traditional carpets and the Ksours built into the rocky hills, one hour later we will reach Dades valley, a green valley famous by its fortified thousand kasbahs, dinner and overnight at Hotel

Enjoy a traditional Breakfast in Riad, then, get ready for a new day in Morocco in company of your driver/guide, a new adventures mixed with history and culture, we will drive through the road of thousand Kasbahs and green valleys, to reach the Rose valley, famous by its annual festival, and for cultivating a unique species of rose with extraordinary fragrance, this green valley’s giving life to the arid desert. After visiting a cooperative in the valley (optional), we will head to Ouarzazate, enjoying the beautiful landscape, as you go through; it is changing little by little, from green to red ocher zones and palm groves. Continue through the route of the Kasbahs, in the south of the High Atlas, citadels built with crude earth (Mud) together with its walled towers and ornaments with geometric motifs. You should know that these Berber art monuments are unique in the world. They are located in a junction between the desert and the mountain, where the landscape is full of contrast between red and ocher colors, great luminosity and silence. Then we continue to reach the kasbah amridil. (The beautiful Kasbah Amridil lies in the Skoura oasis, inside a beautiful palm tree near the riverbed. Perfectly preserved and restored is perhaps the first Kasbah you should visit. There are numerous artifacts used in it when it was still inhabited).

After this visit we will drive through Ouarzazate to discover one of the beautiful fortified villages in Morocco, the Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, one of the most amazing and well-preserved fortified cities in all of North Africa. The beauty of this place has attracted numerous film productions over the years. Lunch in local restaurant overlooking the Kasbah, and then we continued our trip crossing the high Atlas Mountains enjoy a beautiful Berber villages settled in the foothills of the huge mountains, until we reach Marrakech.

Meet your guide and driver after breakfast in the riad, to start an explorative journey of the amazing and attractive imperial city of Morocco, Marrakesh, travel back in time with a historian guide who will ensure that you see all the sites with historical and cultural interest, including the Koutoubia Minaret; the Saadian tombs; the beautiful Palace of Bahia and the Ben Youssef Coranic School. Finally, end the morning by walking through the medina alleys -getting a chance to admire all of the different artisans performing their crafts before arriving at the famous Jamaa El Fna Square. Lunch at a restaurant near the square, and then in the afternoon visit the Majorelle gardens, and have a short tour at Gueliz -the new city of Marrakech. After dinner you will have the option to walk through the square entertained by magicians, story-tellers, tooth-pullers and food sellers.

Overnight accommodation will be in your riad (Half-Board)

Meet your driver/guide at your accommodation in Marrakech for a full day trip to the city of Essaouira Mogador. You will get in there after about a 2 and a half hour drive to start exploring the city. In Essaouira you will visit the Skala Fortress; see Thuya wood carved by artisans; walk through the blue washed alleys of the old medina and view hundreds of handicrafts. This “City of the Wind” attracts surfers from all over the world. Essaouira knew many civilizations and dynasties; including the Portuguese occupation, which affects much of its architecture – however, it remains a small village with much history. Because of its size and its characteristic blue doors and washed walls, it is also regarded as Morocco’s “Jewel of the Atlantic”.

You will also visit the women’s co-operative of Argan oil; where they extract the magic oil, famous for its culinary, cosmetic and medicinal properties. Enjoy a fresh fish lunch “cooked in order” at the fish market. In the afternoon we will drive back to Marrakech. Overnight at your riad . (Half-Board).

After an early breakfast in your riad, we will drive you to Casablanca/Marrakech airport for your flight back home. Your tour ends at the airport.