Day 1: Casablanca “Arrival Morocco” / Tangier

Upon arrival in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, you will be met by our driver guide. You will visit the city of Casablanca, “the white city,” which begins with an orientation tour including the Hassan II Mosque. As it is the second largest mosque in the world and indeed a beautiful work of art, we take a small visit to the Medina. We continue to Rabat, the political capital of Morocco. We will visit Rabat, including the Kasbah of Udayas, Hassan Tower, Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and Calleh. Depart towards Tangier. Check-in at the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Tangier / Chefchaouen

After breakfast, you have time to explore this bustling port city that was once the playground of international socialites, including writers, artists, musicians, and politicians (Paul Bowles). The city is a lively, cosmopolitan, and historic Mediterranean city where you get to explore a number of museums and sites. Then depart towards Chefchaouen, the famous blue city of Morocco in the Rif Mountains. On route, you will see small villages along the route to Chefchaouen. You will have a visit to this “cool” blue town, tucked away in the mountains. You will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the Rif Mountains. Dinner and overnight at the hotel/riad.

Day 3: Chefchaouen / Volubilis / Meknes / Fez

After breakfast and a short walk in Chefchaouen, depart towards Fez. On the way, we stop to visit Volubilis, the Roman ruins. Explore the 2000-year-old ruins. We continue to visit Meknes, one of the Imperial Cities. The tour begins with a tour of the walls with monumental gates dating from the seventeenth century: Berdaïne Bab, Bab Khemis. We continue exploring the city by the stables (Rua), attics (HERI), and Stud. A stop is needed at the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, which was for a long time the only mosque that non-Muslims could visit in Morocco. Then, we exit through the famous Bab Mansour El on the vast square Hedim. We continue to Fez for dinner and overnight in the riad.

Day 4: Fez “Guided Tour”

After breakfast, you will begin your guided tour of the medina, one of the world’s largest walled-in cities. You will explore the narrow streets lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets, and many other art objects of Morocco. You will visit mosques, including the Quaraouiyine Mosque founded in 859 by Fatima el Fihri, and the Andalusian Mosque dating back to 860. Entry is not permitted for non-Muslims. You will also visit fountains, including the Nejjarine Fountain, medersas (Koranic schools) founded as early as the 13th century, Batha Palace (now a museum of arts and traditions), Chouwara Tanneries, souks including Souk Attarine (one of the liveliest in the city), Bab Boujloud with its green and blue ceramics, Mellah, and the 17th-century Ibn Danan synagogue. In the afternoon, visit the borj (fortress) in the north or south to see the old medina from the top and enjoy the sunset. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 5: Fez / Midelt / Erfoud

After an early breakfast, you will begin your ascent. We pass through Ifrane, a winter ski resort in a totally un-Moroccan style built by the French in the 1930s to resemble a Swiss village. We drive across the Middle Atlas Mountains. Most of the day will be spent winding your way through the beautiful forests, jagged rock faces, and Berber villages as you cross the Atlas Mountains and begin to descend towards the Sahara Desert. Halfway, you will stop for lunch in the town of Midelt, famous for its fossils and rocks. We will pass through the Ziz Valley. On arrival at the Kasbah in Erfoud, dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 6: Erfoud / Rissani / Merzouga

After breakfast, depart towards Merzouga. We will stop to visit Rissani, the first capital of the dynastic Alaouite ruling in Morocco. We will visit some historical Kasbahs and the famous souk (market). You can have the local food “Pizza Berber” for lunch. We continue towards Merzouga to see the different faces of the desert dunes with its black volcanic rocks, passing through small villages. We will stop to listen to some Saharan music in the village of El Khamlia. After a rest and mint tea in the bivouac, the guide and camels will be waiting to carry you across the sandy dunes of the Erg Chebbi. You will enjoy the beauty of the sunset on camelback and then take the camel back to the camp. Dinner with Saharan drums and overnight in the tent.

Day 7: Merzouga / Gorges Todra / Boumalne Dades

After a special Berber breakfast, you’ll depart towards Dades, traveling the rugged Road of a Thousand Kasbahs that rise up like turreted sand castles along this ancient caravan trading route. The central region is one of the most exciting and romantic destinations of Morocco, nestled along rich rivers, valleys, palmeries, and burnished mud-brick homes ablaze in vibrant color under the shelter of the blue desert sky. We’ll travel through the Ziz Valley, past dramatic escarpments and plunging gorges via Tinghir. We’ll stop for lunch and a walk in the Todra Gorge. We will continue to the Dades Valley for dinner and overnight. Accommodation: Hotel Xaluca Dades.

Day 8: Dades / Ouarzazate / Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou / Marrakech

After breakfast, we visit Ouarzazate, including the Kasbah of Taourirt and the Atlas Studios movie studios, the largest and most famous in all of Africa. We also stop at the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. We will arrive in time for lunch. Here, we can visit the famous Kasbah, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and which was the scene of films like The Gladiator, Babel, and Lawrence of Arabia. We continue passing through the High Atlas and the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, along a road that climbs from the plains up to 2260 m above sea level, passing through small villages, small waterfalls, and the continuously changing landscape and colors of these beautiful mountains. We reach Marrakech in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Marrakech “Medina Guided Tour”

After breakfast, you will have a full day tour to visit Marrakech. The visit will include the Menara Gardens, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowers, the Koutoubia Minaret, the Saadian Tombs, the museum of Dar Si Said with the best display of Berber arts and crafts, and the Bahia Palace. Lunch will be in a local restaurant, after which we will walk through the colorful souks of Marrakech. The day will conclude with a sunset drink overlooking the Jamaa El Fna square. Dinner and overnight will be in your hotel.

Day 10: Marrakech “Depart Morocco”

After breakfast, depending on the departure time, transfer to the airport in Marrakech or Casablanca for the end of the trip.