Morocco Rif Mountains hiking

Travel in the morning to explore the region of the Jebala Rif Mountains. The first stop will be the holy town of Ouazzane. Visit its old Moorish quarter, then the shrine of Moulay Abdellah Cherif. Here we will break for midday meal to savor some of the best mountaineer specialties in a typical Moroccan restaurant. Continue climbing the Rif Mountains to the picturesque city of Cheefchaouen. Visiting these specific mountain towns is in itself a hiking journey.

As soon as you arrive in Tangier, your guide will meet you to take you on a day city tour of Tangier, the Kingdom of Morocco, and the continent of Africa all at once, in one place. Your guide will then take you on a historic tour exploring the marvels of the three-thousand-year-old city of Tangier. Your tour starts with a panoramic view of the city, followed by a walking tour of the little souk, where you'll enjoy the spice markets, and a walking tour of the Medina (old quarter) and then the Kasbah (ancient fortress), where you will discover Morocco's rich architecture. See the snake charmer and visit one of the local bakeries to try some tasty fresh Moroccan bread.

You will be introduced to the Moorish Market to learn the art of bargaining and enjoy shopping at a typical bazaar, where you'll see many types of carpets and handicrafts. For great Tagines and Couscous, your midday meal will be served in a traditional Moroccan restaurant. A belly Dancer will be there dancing to live music in a frame of a thousand and one night.

After a short stop at Cape Spartel, where you can see the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea mixing, you are invited for a typical mint tea ceremony at its best. Then later, visit the mythic landmark called the Cave of Hercules and stop at an Atlantic dune, where you can ride a camel. Your guide will take you back to Chefchaouen for dinner and overnight.

We will take the back roads visiting villages and a few day markets outside of mass tourism. Akhila will be one of these villages. We will continue to the farmer market of the 9th-century ancient Roman city of Volubilis, followed by the citadel of Moulay Idris nestled at Mount Zerhoun. Lunch will be in the village square to taste some of the most authentic staples at typical Moroccan eateries. The next stop is the Versailles of Morocco, just 15 miles away, a guided historical tour of the 17th-century Imperial city of Meknes, built by Moulay Ismail to rival Fez, where you will stop for the night. We will not miss the Hdim Square and afternoon auction market.

A full day will be devoted to your historical walking tour of the Medina of Fez—the most ancient imperial capital and the entire medieval city of the Islamic world.

Time spent in Fez will reveal much about the sophistication of the Moroccan artisan, providing an unparalleled learning experience to those who cross its path. Your morning will be spent visiting the Medina. Our specialized guide will take you on a historic discovery of the city of Fez, starting at the King's Palace and its Meshwar with ramparts and majestic gates, each giving to a significant souk specialized in its trade dominated by a local guild.

Here we are in an actual medieval city; not even a bicycle can be used as a tool for transportation. Only donkeys, mules, and horses can help to move all that the city produces and needs as supplies.

The first guilds you will immediately encounter are the cobblers, the saddlers, and blacksmiths, interlaced by some caravansaries for tribe members who come from the surrounding areas to trade and supply their needs. Down the hill to Juteya, you will encounter all sorts of crafts, but noticeably carpenters and leather workers as one of the traditional tanneries is not far. This walk will lead you to El Ashabine Square with its various activities. From there, you will wind your way to the Sagha square, which will lead you to Attarine, Souk el Henna, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idris, the founder of Fez. Next to it, you will visit the Nejjarine Square with its famous fountain, its Guild of Carpentry, and the Museum of folk arts at the Fondouk. The best market here is the Merktan, second-hand goods of mainly what is artistic or antics.

You will walk to the tannery and visit the Great Mosque University of Al Quarrawiyyine, passing by Shemmaine, the dried fruit market. After that, you will see the Medersa Attarine and walk to Sbetryyine, a guild of bookbinders, which will lead you to the Seffarine Square, where the tapping of metalworkers is still deafening passersby as it was the case for centuries. You will break for midday meal and then continue exploring the marvels of Fez Medina. These will highlight the Dyers souk, Foundouk Tetouani, a medieval warehouse. You will end your walking tour and retreat to your hotel for dinner and other accommodations.

Departure to the Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains of Azrou, an important market center for the region's Berber tribes, located at an important junction of nomadic and villagers routes. We will also stop at Khenifra, the hub of tribal textiles; here, you will see Berber locals trade rugs, kilims, saddlebags, embroidered capes, and all sorts of materials where the Middle Atlas ranges give way to the High Atlas Mountains, whose peaks are visible through the haze, soaring to over 12,000 feet. You will arrive in Marrakech late afternoon, concluding your day with dinner and other accommodations at your hotel.

Your local guide will meet you in the morning in the lobby of your hotel to take you on a walking visit to historical and artistic Marrakech. You will devote your morning to exploring Marrakech's many historical sites, then the afternoon to auction markets of principal goods crafted in Marrakech. We will take you to guilds' auctions of goods before they reach the shelves of Bazaars and shops. We will teach you how to bargain and be part of this traditional market without an intermediary. Shopping in Marrakech has become a nightmare. Though you find all imaginable arts and crafts, the touristy shops have a network that is not sustainable and does not benefit the artisan by any means.

You will begin your day with an excursion to the Ourika Valley, where you will visit the traditional Berber Souks and some workshops. After midday meal, you will see the Berber Museum of Arts and Crafts to learn about the dwellers of these mountains and their products before you discover their workshops and sophisticated, hand-made products. You will return to Marrakech for dinner at a festive Moroccan Restaurant.

Enjoy an afternoon guided tour of Casablanca before heading to the airport to connect with your flight to your next destination.