Morocco Discovery Casablanca – 9 Days

After morning meal we will head south via the highway towards bustling Marrakech, with a coffee stop on the way. Admire the landscape before we check in to our hotel in the red city. Why not book an optional guided city tour for the afternoon or a local cooking class, before meeting your fellow travellers who arrive in Marrakech at 18.00hrs.

Whilst here, you are unlikely to miss Marrakech’s main landmark, the rose coloured Koutoubia Mosque standing 77 metres high. The tower is sister to the Hassan Tower in Rabat and the Giralda Tower in Seville and located on the edge of the medina. No visit to Marrakech is complete without seeing the city’s UNESCO-listed medina and Djemaa-el-Fna square, (which means congregation); it is an extraordinary gathering and marketplace with snake charmers, musicians, henna artists and plenty of spice and souvenir stalls.

Overnight Marrakech (Breakfast and Dinner included).

This morning, we will start our journey by crossing the High Atlas Mountain of Morocco and arrive at the old village of Ait Benhaddou. This village was a major stop for the caravans in the old days thus it has become a UNESCO World heritage site and is used as a background for many international movies such as Gladiators, Prince of Persia and Game of Thrones. Not too far from this village is Ouarzazate, a city in the south of Morocco known as the Film Capital of North Africa due to the number of movies made at its film studios. There will be a chance to visit these studios. On the way to Boumalne Dades, where we will stay for the night, we pass by the Valley of Roses, a beautiful evergreen area famous for the damaskina roses. Locals hold a festival every year to celebrate the harvest.

Overnight Boumalne Dades (Breakfast included).

This morning, we will leave the Dades Valley. Along the drive, we take a short journey East to Todra Gorge where we will go for a nice walk through the palm groves of the oasis and a visit to its famous gorges. It is then time to head towards the great desert dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga where we transfer to our camels and trek into the vast Sahara Desert in time for sunset. We then return to our authentic Berber Camp on the edge of the desert to spend the night enjoying local food, music, and an amazing night out under the sparkling Saharan stars.

Overnight Saharan Berber Camp (Breakfast and dinner included).

After morning meal we will drive through the city of Errachidia and the Ziz Valley that is incredibly famous for date palms. Afterwards, we will cross the High and the Middle Atlas Mountains that separate the Sahara Desert from the interior parts of the country. We will make a stop at the Cedar Forest on our way to see the barbary macaque apes. In addition, we will also stop in picturesque Ifran, an alpine style town that used to be a vacation place for the French during the French occupation of the country. We will then arrive in Fes, the oldest capital of Morocco where we will stay for the night.

Overnight Fes (Breakfast included).

Today, is our guided tour of Fes. Fes is the oldest and largest medieval city in the world. Its medina, home to 400,000 inhabitants, with only donkeys and bikes as a means of transportation, is a heady mix of aromas, sights, and sounds. There are mosques and palaces to visit but be aware that only Muslims can enter mosques in Morocco. After exploring the dye-pits, tanneries, pharmacy, pottery, and restaurants, we return to our hotel to freshen up for tonight, where we have the chance of an optional local cuisine in the city with live Moroccan entertainment including traditional music, belly dancing and magicians.

Overnight Fes (Breakfast included).

After morning meal, we will drive to ‘The Blue Pearl’ Chefchaouen for a guided tour this afternoon. High up in the Rif Mountains, historic Chefchaouen boasts a beautiful blue door and white-walled medina that was originally a Berber defence post. The main square is the heart of Chefchaouen, with the Kasbah (built back in the 18th century), central Mosque and cafes with authentic menus. The busy market is a mix of traditional Moroccan and tourist fare.

Overnight Chefchaouen (Breakfast included).

With an early start this morning, we travel south to the official capital of Morocco, Rabat. On arrival, we will go on a guided tour of Rabat and its major landmarks such as the Hassan tower and the Mausoleum of the Alaouite King Mohamed V and his son Hassan II. Afterwards, we visit the Oudaya Kasbah, a fortified building that used to be a place to defend the city from the invasion of the European countries. After a tasty midday meal in Rabat, we leave for Casablanca for the optional but recommended visit of Hassan II Mosque before heading to our hotel for your last evening.

Overnight Casablanca (Breakfast and Dinner included).

Your adventure tour ends after morning meal. (Breakfast included).