TRIP DESCRIPTION:
Explore the country’s history and culture through its imperial cities. Featuring an extraordinary mix of nature, history and culture, embark on a journey through the Four Imperial Cities of Morocco – Fes, Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat. Discover the country’s unique geographic advantage boasting a mix of coastal and desert areas. From the colorful and bustling souks filled with rich aromas of spices in the medina to the breathtaking desert landscapes and coastal ramparts of the country, there’s so much to see and experience in this incredible North African country. Enjoy this 12-Day Trip and discover the beauty of Morocco like no other.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Enjoy the magical whims of Marrakech through its palaces, mosques, gardens and squares tucked in the bustling medina
- Explore the Botanical Gardens of Majorelle
- Admire the exquisite architecture of Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
- Visit the administrative capital of Morocco – Rabat
- Learn about the current active cultural center of Asilah during its Summer Arts Festival
- Visit the famous Caves of Hercules from the Greek mythology
- Discover Europe’s gateway to Africa, Tangier
- Say hello to the white medina of Tetouan with unique heritage of Andalusian and Arabic cultures
- Take a tour to the Blue Pearl City of Morocco, Chefchaouen, one of the most photogenic destinations of the country and discover why the houses are painted in blue
- Marvel on the historical Roman sites of Volubilis
- Wander around Meknes, which was firstly founded as a military settlement and became a capital of Morocco during the 17th century
- Discover Fes commonly known as the cultural capital of Morocco and be transported in history through one of the oldest medinas in the world
- Observe manual process of leather dying in Chaouara tannery
- Explore Azrou and Ifrane on your way to Fes
- Spend the night in a Bedouin camp and enjoy a Moroccan dinner under the stars
- Ride camels and enjoy the beautiful sunset and sunrise over the sand dunes
- Stroll the canyons of Dades and Toudra Gorges during a guided walking tour
- Discover the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou and its unique architecture
- Discover the city once called by the Portuguese “Mogador” and its beautiful beach
- Take a walk in the Medina of Essaouira that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001and on the pier of its harbor
ITINERARY:
DAY 1: MARRAKECH
Welcome to Morocco. Our driver will meet you at the airport. You will be transferred to your hotel or riad. You’ll have this day to get yourself settled in, take enough rest and prepare yourself for the days of exploration ahead.
DAY 2: MARRAKECH – CASABLANCA
Your driver will pick you up at your hotel / riad from Marrakech. Start the day by discovering the ancient monuments of the Bahia Palace and Saadian tombs.
No visit to Marrakech is ever complete without wandering around its medina. Walk around the infamous Jemaa El-Fna square and discover mosques, fountains, gardens, hammams and ovens inside the maze of winding alleys of the medina.
Visit the Majorelle Garden. This blue botanical garden is made by the famous painter and artist Jacques Majorelle. It took him about 40 years of passion and dedication to create this piece of art in nature.
Continue your trip to Casablanca. Dinner and overnight in the hotel in Casablanca.
DAY 3: CASABLANCA – RABAT
Explore the largest city of Morocco. Casablanca is a modern city with its major French influence.
An architectural treat, visit the popular Hassan II Mosque and admire its exquisite craftsmanship. Sitting pretty on an outcrop over the Atlantic Ocean, the mosque can accommodate 25,000 worshippers inside with additional room for 80,000 worshippers in its courtyard.
Walk along the Corniche and enjoy a satisfying lunch after. (at your own expense)
Take a one hour drive from Casablanca to Rabat. Rabat is the administrative capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is a modern city but behind its ramparts is a pleasant and bustling medina.
Discover Chellah, a necropolis and complex of ancient Roman and medieval ruins on the mouth of Bou Regreg River at the outskirts of Rabat.
Rabat City tour will introduce you to the city’s main tourist features such as Hassan Tower, Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Oudayyas Kasbah and the old medina.
Dinner and overnight in the riad in Rabat.
DAY 4: ASILAH – TANGIER
Begin the day with a scenic coastal drive to the beautiful small town called Asilah. Spend the day exploring local culture in a thriving artistic community.
Climb the El Kamra Tower, the tallest building in the Asilah medina. Listen to the stories about the city’s pirate past and the Riffian bandit.
Appreciate the work of art in every corner of the medina through its current active cultural center. Its Summer Arts Festival is tourist-oriented and runs during the warmer months.
Continue your trip to the Cap Spartel where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean meet together. Visit to the Caves of Hercules. According to the Greek mythology, Hercules went to rest here after the achievements of his exploits.
Embark on another panoramic drive back to the Medina of Tangier where you’ll drive along the French quarter, Spanish quarter, the American area called “California” and the old British colony.
Enter Tangier in style through the Bab Erraha Gate, breaching the ramparts as you walk your way towards a magnificent view over the city and its bay.
Head straight to the Kasbah, former palace area, where you can discover the prehistoric and ancient vestiges of the city.
Dinner and overnight in the kasbah in Tangier.
DAY 5: TETOUAN – CHEFCHAOUEN
Tetouan is a small city with a unique heritage of Andalusian and Arab cultures. Begin the Tetouan tour with a visit to the Souk El-Hot known for its beautiful pottery and fabrics for traditional costume. Explore the whitewashed medina, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and discover what was once a pirate hub and capital of Spain during colonial times.
Do not miss the Hassan II Square, a reflection of the Hispano-Moresque architecture, where the old and new town meet. It is the dynamic heart of Tetouan.
Say goodbye to the white medina of Morocco and say hello to the blue city of Chefchaouen, one of Morocco’s most photogenic destinations. Its old town is very famous for its remarkable blue-painted houses. Enjoy the cool and charming moments in this city that has preserved the Arab-Andalusia traditions and arts.
Discover the city and soak up the history of the region by visiting the Square Outa Lahmam, the 15th Century Mosque and the Kasbah Museum. Also, this trip gives you a chance to visit the famous Source de Ras El-Maa.
You may relax, enjoy the fresh air, marvel at the natural landscapes, watch local people, stroll on close-by green hillsides and wander around the souks for the rest of the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight in the guest house in the heart of the medina of Chefchaouen.
DAY 6: VOLUBILIS – MEKNES
Go back in time and discover the great historical monuments that fill the Imperial City and Roman Ruins on a Full Day Trip to Volubilis and Meknes.
A whole hidden history of different periods from the timeline of this region is protected to be discovered by generations and visitors from all over the world. The site contains the mansion exposing the Roman architecture with the incredible mosaics, monumental arches and Corinthian columns.
During the second half of the trip, we will leave Volubilis for a short ride to Meknes. The tour of Meknes begins at the Gate of Bab El Mansour. Right in front of this amazing gate, we will pass through Place El-Hedim. The square is a smaller version of Jemaa El-Fnaa Square in Marrakech where you can shop for traditional crafts or sit by the café and relax.
We will stop and visit the Musée Dar Jamaï. Passing through the narrow streets of the medina, visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.
Drive to Fes. Dinner and overnight in the riad in Fes.
DAY 7: FES
Discover the cultural capital city of Morocco – Fes, a historical city that has one of the oldest medinas in the world. Allow yourselves to be transported back in history through its mosques, madrasas, fortified doors, palaces and squares.
Start the tour at the medina ramparts. Visit Fes El Jadid, the Jewish quarter called Mellah and the gates of the royal palace.
Continue to Quaraouiyine University, which is one of the most famous medrasas, as it is known as the oldest university in the world.
Head to the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II. Moulay Idriss II was one of the rulers of Morocco and was considered the founder of Fes.
Finally, visit the Chaouara tannery, which is the largest and best-known tanneries in Fes, where you’ll observe the completely manual process of leather dying.
DAY 8: IFRANE – AZROU – ERRACHIDIA – MERZOUGA
You will make a short stop in Ifrane, where you can stroll through the town center where you’ll find quaint fountains, gardens and chalet-like houses.
Stop at the small Amazigh town of Azrou, which translates to “rock”. The town is popular amongst locals, hikers and picnickers as there is a cedar forest nearby. Very likely, you’ll come across Barbary macaques as they leap through the trees.
The trip continues to Merzouga by crossing the High Atlas with the parade of the Gorges du Ziz towards Errachidia. Appreciate the beauty and diversity of the landscape.
You will leave the vehicle to join the camel caravan trip to the sunset in the dunes. You will spend the night under the tents of the nomads in the Sahara to enjoy the desert silence with a sky full of stars.
Traditional Moroccan dinner will be served and overnight in the bivouac with traditional music from the nomads of the area for your entertainment.
DAY 9: MERZOUGA – ERFOUD – TODRA GORGE – DADES VALLEY – OUARZAZATE
Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, which is one of the best moments of this tour.
Ride a camel back to the camp in Merzouga, followed by a filling breakfast.
Take the road via Tinejdad for a stop at the Marble Fossils in Erfoud.
Head over to the palm groves of Skoura to visit the Kasbah Ameridile, which has been the location for the filming of many films and TV programs.
Continue our trip to the Toudra Gorges, through the Valley of the Roses, the Kelaa Mgouna Village and the Dades Valley.
Spend the night in the middle of the Dades Gorge. Dinner and accommodation in the hotel.
DAY 10: AIT BEN HADDOU – MARRAKECH
Begin the day with a visit to the fortified village of Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. You will witness one of a typical ancient Berber village of the South. A historical site that is marked as a UNESCO world heritage and it is a magnificent preserved site of the Moroccan Kingdom that exposes the architecture and culture of Berbers in the Southern Morocco.
Continue to Marrakech by crossing the High Atlas by the neck of Tizi n’Tichka, a mountain pass in Morocco, linking the south-east of Marrakech to the city of Ouarzazate through the High Atlas Mountains.
Arrive in Marrakech. Overnight in the riad in Marrakech. Optional Fantasia dinner show. (at your own expense)
DAY 11: ESSAOUIRA
Departing from Marrakech on an air-conditioned van, the road trip to Essaouira takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. You will pass by small villages and vast fields of green lashes and various trees, especially Argan trees. You will also stop to visit a local women’s association manufacturing Argan oil to cosmetic and food products.
Upon arrival in Essaouira, stretch your legs with a walk along the old ramparts to see brass cannons and views of the coast, and peek into shops where locals peddle handicrafts like wood furniture and traditional wares.
The medina is easy to circulate, set out on your own; you can sip mint tea in the Moulay El Hassan Square, browse for souvenirs at the bazaars, or try freshly caught local seafood at an open-air restaurant during lunch time.
For the rest of the time, linger on the beach to dip your toes in, watch windsurfers skimming across the waves or have camel or horse ride in the beach. Afterwards, spend some time relaxing in sweet cafes or browsing the artwork in the town’s lovely boutiques and galleries before your return ride to Marrakech.
DAY 12: MARRAKECH
After breakfast, our tour concludes and we say goodbye. Our driver will transfer you to the airport.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Half-board accommodations in hotels and riads(dinner and breakfast included)
- Overnight in desert camp (dinner and breakfast included)
- Camel ride for sunset and sunrise
- Air-conditioned minivan or 4WD Fuel included
- Professional driver/ Guide
- Guided Tours
- Bottled water during the tour
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
- Tips and Gratuities
- Lunch and Drinks
- Entrance fees
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Departure Time: 9:00 AM
Arrival Time: 8:00 PM
