Day 1: Casablanca “Arrival in Morocco”

Upon arrival in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, you will be met by our driver. Depending on the arrival time, transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 2: Casablanca / Rabat / Meknes / Fez

Depart early after breakfast towards Fez. We will stop to visit Rabat, the political capital of Morocco, which also overlooks the sea. We will see the crenellated red ochre walls, more than 5 km long in total and built during the rule of Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour, which gives the city a very special character. You will cross the medina and its souks, more authentic than others because the products in shops have turned to local customers. Then we visit the Kasbah of the Oudayas, erected by a fierce tribe of predators in the twelfth century. After that, we 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 also visit the remains of the old mosque and the Mohamed 5 mausoleum next to the tower, a masterpiece of Moroccan traditional architecture with valuable materials from around the world and splendid decorations. From there, you will return to the new town to see the royal palace, the residence of the Merinide dynasty. Lunch will be in a nice restaurant. We continue to visit Meknes, where one has a magnificent view of the medina. 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 through 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. On the other side of the square, the Museum of Moroccan Art “Dar Jamai” offers a wide variety of handicrafts. Afterward, we 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 reach Fez in the evening for dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 3: 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, 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. You will also visit the King’s Palace. Dinner with spectacle and overnight in the Riad.

Day 4: Fez / Ifrane / Middle Atlas / Medilt / Merzouga

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 continue passing the Ziz Valley and some Berber villages. We reach Merzouga in the afternoon. After resting with mint tea, 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. After one hour, you will reach the desert camp to spend the night in a tent. At your desert shelter, your camels are hobbled, and mint tea is served. After a wonderful dinner, you can watch the stars and overnight in the tent.

Day 5: Merzouga / Gorges Todra / Dades

After a special Berber breakfast, you’ll depart towards Dades. After a small visit to Rissani, the first capital of the Alouite dynasty, including some historical Kasbahs and the famous Market, we continue 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 in Morocco, nestled along rich rivers, valleys, palmeries, and burnished mud-brick homes ablaze in vibrant colors 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 walk in the Todra Gorge. Afterward, we will continue traveling through the Dades Valley. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 6: Dades / Ouarzazate / Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou / Marrakech

After breakfast, we will visit Ouarzazate, including the Kasbah of Taourirt and the Atlas Studios movie studios, the largest and most famous in all of Africa. We will also stop at the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, arriving 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 7: Marrakech “Guided Tour” / Casablanca

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 Dar Si Said museum with the best display of Berber arts and crafts, and the Bahia Palace. Lunch will be in a local restaurant, followed by a walk through the colorful souks of Marrakech. The day will conclude with a sunset drink overlooking Jamaa El Fna square. In the evening, we will travel to Casablanca for dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 8: Casablanca “Visit the City”

After breakfast, you will visit the city of Casablanca, known as “the white city.” The tour begins with an orientation tour through its broad avenues, followed by a stroll through the narrow streets of the medina. You will visit United Nations Square, Place Mohammed V, Morocco Mall, the central market, and you can also walk along the Corniche, enjoying the pools and restaurants. A highlight of the tour is the visit to the Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world and a beautiful work of art. It is one of the rare mosques open to non-Muslims. In the evening, you will have dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 9: Casablanca “Departure from Morocco”

After breakfast, depending on your departure time, you will be transferred to the airport in Casablanca for the end of the trip.