Day 1: Casablanca “Arrival in Morocco” / Rabat / Meknes / Volubilis / Fez

Upon arrival in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, you will be met by our driver who will accompany you to visit the Hassan II Mosque. As the second largest mosque in the world and a beautiful work of art, it is one of the rare mosques open to non-Muslims. We will continue to visit Rabat, the political capital of Morocco, which overlooks the sea. We will visit the Hassan Tower, where the four facades are decorated differently from each other, three in shades of pink and one in gray due to the sea breeze. We will also see the remains of the old mosque and the Mohamed 5 mausoleum next to the tower, a masterpiece of Moroccan traditional architecture, filled with valuable materials from around the world and splendid decorations. From there, we will return to the new town to see the royal palace, the residence of the king of the Merinide dynasty. Lunch will be at a nice restaurant. We will then continue to visit Meknes, where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Medina. The tour begins with a visit to the walls with monumental gates dating from the seventeenth century, such as Berdaïne Bab and Bab Khemis. We will explore the city by visiting the stables (Rua), attics (HERI), and Stud. A stop at the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is necessary, as it was for a long time the only mosque that non-Muslims could visit in Morocco. We will then exit through the famous Bab Mansour El on the vast Hedim square. On the other side of the square, the Museum of Moroccan Art “Dar Jamai” offers a wide variety of handicrafts. Afterward, we will visit the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis and spend some time exploring the 2000-year-old ruins and getting a picture of life during the Roman Empire. We will reach Fez in the evening for dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: Fez “Guided Tour”

After breakfast, you will begin your guided tour of the medina, one of the world’s largest walled 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, and Souks, including Souk Attarine, one of the liveliest in the city. You will see Bab Boujloud with its green and blue ceramics, Mellah, and the 17th-century Ibn Danan synagogue. In the afternoon, visit the Borj Nord or South to see the old medina from the top and enjoy the sunset. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 3: Fez / Ifrane / Midelt / Erfoud / Merzouga

After an early breakfast, you will begin your ascent. We will pass through Ifrane, a winter ski resort built by the French in the 1930s to resemble a Swiss village. It is in a totally un-Moroccan style. We will drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains, enjoying the beautiful forests, jagged rock faces, and Berber villages along the way. As we cross the Atlas Mountains and descend towards the Sahara Desert, we will make a stop for lunch in the town of Midelt, known for its fossils and rocks. We will then continue through the Ziz Valley and reach Merzouga. After a refreshing mint tea in the Bivouac, our guide and camels will be waiting to take you on a ride across the sandy dunes of the Erg Chebbi. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the sunset on camelback before returning to the camp for dinner accompanied by Saharan drums. Overnight stay in the tent.

Day 4: Merzouga / Todra Gorges / Boumalne Dades / Skoura

After a special Berber breakfast and a short visit to Rissani, we will depart towards Skoura, following the rugged Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. These kasbahs rise up like turreted sand castles along the ancient caravan trading route. The central region offers breathtaking scenery with rich rivers, valleys, palmeries, and burnished mud-brick homes glowing in vibrant colors under the shelter of the blue desert sky. We will travel through the Ziz Valley, passing dramatic escarpments and plunging gorges via Tinghir. We will stop for lunch and take a walk in the Todra Gorges. Continuing through the Dades Valley, we will reach Ouarzazate for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Skoura / Ouarzazate / Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou / Marrakech

After breakfast and a walk through the Dades Valley, we will continue our visit to Ouarzazate, including the Kasbah of Taourirt and the Atlas Studios movie studios, the largest and most famous in Africa. We will also stop at the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, famous for being a UNESCO World Heritage site and the backdrop for many films such as “The Gladiator,” “Babel,” and “Lawrence of Arabia.” We will then pass through the High Atlas and the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, a road that climbs from the plains up to 2260 meters above sea level, offering breathtaking views of small villages, waterfalls, and the ever-changing landscape and colors of the beautiful mountains. We will reach Marrakech in the afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6: Marrakech “Medina Guided Tour”

After breakfast, you will have a full-day tour to explore Marrakech. The visit will include the Menara Gardens, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowers, the Koutoubia Minaret, the Saadian Tombs, and the Dar Si Said museum, which displays the best of Berber arts and crafts. You will also visit the Bahia Palace. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, after which you will stroll through the colorful souks of Marrakech. The day will conclude with a sunset drink overlooking Jamaa El Fna square. In the afternoon, we will depart for Casablanca, where we will have dinner and overnight stay at a riad.

Day 7: Marrakech / Casablanca

On this day, you have the option to further explore Marrakech and relax (free day), or you can choose to travel to Casablanca in the morning to visit the Hassan II Mosque.

Day 8: Casablanca “Departure from Morocco”

Transfer to the airport for the end of the trip