This 9 days tour is a combination of Moroccan history, culture and landscape. You will visit the main imperial cities of Morocco; travel through the Kasbah Trail and the old Caravan route, and the remote Berber villages. You will also ride camels and camp in the Sahara Desert.
During this journey you will learn about the history, the diverse culture, meet the locals and enjoy the fascinating landscape that this country has to offer.
Arrive at the fabulous city of Casablanca and Check-in to your 4 star hotel. Post some relaxation and freshening up, get ready to immerse yourself in some of the gorgeous sights and sounds the city has to offer. Get a glimpse of Moroccan Architecture at the Hassan II Mosque - commissioned by King Hassan II to be the most ambitious structure ever built in Morocco. Experience the coastal Cornish seaside.
After a scrumptious breakfast, we leave for Rabat, see the Hassan Tower – a world heritage site and if you are interested, treat yourself to a coffee at a seaside café when we visit the Oudaya Kasbah. Our journey is to Fes via Meknes and Volubilis. In Meknes, another significant imperial city in Morocco, known as the Ismaili capital of Morocco, you will see the famous gate, Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani Bassin, and the Mulay Ismail Mausoleum. Post lunch, our journey continues to the Roman city of Volubilis. For quiet contemplation, Morocco's holiest town, Moulay Idriss, is hard to beat. Plus, you'll have the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis pretty much to yourself. You’ll get to Fes at the end of the afternoon and check in to your riad (traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard) within the Medina.
After breakfast in your riad, we start exploring Medina, where you will visit the many hidden treasures that only the inhabitants of the place know about. Fes served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world. Your guided tour will take you to the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, the Nejjarine Fountains and the Tanneries. After lunch, you will also view the exterior of the Royal Palace and walk through the famous Jewish quarter “the Mellah”, where you will have the option to visit one of the few surviving synagogues in Morocco. Your tour of Fes includes a short visit to the famous ceramic factory, and then you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view over the whole Medina of Fes. In the afternoon we will visit the new city for a drink. Overnight accommodation at your riad.
After breakfast in your riad, you will leave for the southeast following the Caravan roads to Merzouga. During this journey you’ll experience glimpses of the Middle Atlas and Higher Atlas mountains. Stopping in the Cedar forest, the largest in Morocco, over the Middle Atlas Mountains– where you may well see Barbarian apes. After lunch in Midelt, you will continue through the large, high desert, and notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city Errachidia. Your journey continues along the luxuriant Ziz Valley and the Tafilalet date palm grove, famous for date cultivation. This area is the foundation of the Alaouite dynasty - the current ruling royal family in Morocco. You’ll arrive at Merzouga at the end of the afternoon – to be welcomed with a glass of mint tea before you check in to your riad.
After breakfast in the riad, you will start an explorative journey of the area. You’ll visit the Gnawa people - originally slaves brought from Sudan - to experience their music and lifestyle. Not far away, there’s the Merzouga lake, with its bird populations. You may also visit the souk in Rissani, a traditional town, which was the origin of the ruling family in Morocco and the meeting place of the Caravans trading as far as Timbuctoo in Mali. Here, you will see a lot of men hooded and women veiled. Back to the village of Merzouga for some rest, in the afternoon you will mount your camel, guided by an experienced camel man to explore within the sand-sea of Merzouga. Overnight will be at our desert camp, where you will have your dinner. For your convenience, the camp is equipped with western bathrooms.
Early in the morning, your camel guide will wake you up to watch what well may be the best sunrise of your life. After breakfast at the camp, you will trek back to the village of Merzouga. Enroute you won't fail to appreciate the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand dunes - changing with the light as the day progresses. After breakfast in your riad, you’ll leave for Rissani, Tinghir, and Todra gorges - the highest, narrowest gorges in Morocco. After lunch in the heart of the gorge, we’ll drive through the Dades Valley, where you’ll see the majestic sand castles and the amazing rock formations known as "monkey toes". Overnight accommodation will be in a fancy hotel overlooking the Dades valley.
After breakfast in the hotel, we’ll drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaat Mgouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is the way of the thousand Kasbahs – providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photography shots of the trip. We’ll stop at Kalaat Mgouna, "the rose city", to purchase rosewater, which will make your linen smell good for a long time after your trip is over. Continue to Marrakech via the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah. Built by Et Hami El Glaoui, one of the last Berber chieftains during the 18th century, now the Kasbah is a house of many Glaoui people. Your journey will continue through the majestic Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2260m) over the High Atlas Mountains, before arriving at your accommodation in Marrakech.
After breakfast in the riad, you will enjoy a morning guided tour of Marrakech "the Red City of Morocco”. Your guide will ensure that you see all the sites with historical and cultural interest, including the Koutoubia Menaret; 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 gardens at Majorelle, 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 as above.
After an early breakfast in your riad, we will drive you to Casablanca airport for your flight back home. Your tour ends at the airport.
