Morocco is a country of contrasts. It’s not just a saying. And you’ll see it on this tour from Casablanca to Marrakech, with the desert and the Imperial Cities as major stops. Landscapes full of peace where you don’t see a soul and historic centers bustling with people. High mountains and deep valleys. Artistic refinement and artisan austerity. Impetuous maritime coastlines and endorheic rivers that die without reaching the sea. It will be nine days to remember, and you can enjoy it exclusively with your loved ones. To do this, you only have to book it as a private group.
The Imperial Cities of Morocco are those that have one thing in common: at some point in their past, they were capitals of the kingdom. This led to the construction of royal palaces and great monuments, making them fascinating for any traveler. There are four: Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech. But in addition to these four, there are other cities of enormous interest, for other reasons, regardless of their size: Casablanca (the largest in the country), Chaouen (the blue town), Ifrane (the Moroccan Switzerland), Rissani (with its donkey parking lot)… And all of them are part of the program of this tour.
The Sahara Desert has a thousand faces. And in Morocco it offers one of the most spectacular: Erg Chebbi dunes, in Merzouga. We will travel to them to feel the embrace of their immensity and stillness. In addition, on our way we will see other natural and wild landscapes, in their purest form. An example of this is the Ifrane National Park, with its Barbary macaques always on the lookout. Or the Todra Gorges, a canyon with vertical walls that conquers climbers and non-climbers alike. Or the peaks (snowy in winter) of the High Atlas, the ‘roof’ of Morocco. If you like nature, this tour will not disappoint you.
This tour is 9 days and 8 nights, starting in Casablanca and ending in Marrakech. For transportation, a comfortable private vehicle driven by our driver-guide. And in the desert, the means best adapted to it: dromedaries. This is the day-to-day of this tour:
Upon arrival at Casablanca – Mohammed V Airport, our staff will be waiting for you in the terminal to welcome you and proceed with the private transfer to the hotel. The landing time will determine the subsequent check-in and the possibility of free time to enjoy during this day, before returning for rest in the rooms.
Already rested from the (often long) flight of the previous day, on this second day we begin to discover together the most spectacular places in Morocco. The first of these we will find without leaving Casablanca: in this city is the Hassan II Mosque, with one of the highest minarets in the world (more than 200 meters). The interesting thing is not only its majestic architecture, in neo-Andalusian style, but that it allows entry to non-Muslims. That is a great exception in the country and an unbeatable opportunity to learn about its spaces and the rites associated with prayer.
After visiting the Hassan II Mosque, we will travel to Rabat, the capital. Its historic medina, where your riad will be located on this second night, is one of the most genuine, and in it (or in its immediate vicinity) are the great monuments of the city: the kasbah of the Oudayas and the Hassan Tower. In addition, here you will discover some of the great symbols of the nation, such as the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Royal Palace, the current residence of the Moroccan king. Your visit will be free, so you can organize the afternoon according to your preferences, integrating these or other places of interest into your program.
200 km separate Rabat from Chaouen, but this road trip is well worth it: this small city nestled in the Rif Mountains has one of the most beautiful medinas in the country. It is nicknamed the ‘blue town’ because its inhabitants dye the exterior walls of their houses this color, creating a spectacular contrast with the white of the lime and the green of the surroundings.
You can visit Chaouen at your own pace, on your own. And on that tour you will not miss the main square, Uta el-Hammam, where the kasbah (now a museum) is located. But your steps can take you without a fixed itinerary through the winding streets of the medina, among Berber craft shops, pots of colorful flowers, evocative corners and panoramic viewpoints. And at night, a charming riad will be your accommodation.
History and culture are the main protagonists of the fourth day of the tour, which will begin as soon as you finish breakfast at the riad and check out. We will start the route south and our first stop will be Volubilis, the archaeological site of this city of Carthaginian foundation and subsequent Roman development.
A walk through these majestic ruins will introduce you to mosaics, pagan temples and semicircular arches, some of them as imposing as that of Caracalla. After the Arab conquest it was the capital of the Idrisid kingdom, but the needs of growth led to the creation of a capital ex novo: Fez, where today’s route will conclude.
But before arriving in Fez, we will visit Meknes, another city that was the capital, in this case in the times of the Alawite sultan Moulay Ismail, in the 17th century. This monarch promoted its great monuments and infrastructures, still existing today, although at different levels of conservation: royal palace, mausoleum, stables, walls around the medina… Strolling through its narrow streets will be a pleasant surprise for the traveler, especially for its popular atmosphere and its traditional architecture.
As we said, the route does not stop here but will take us to Fez. Upon arrival, you will have free time for a first contact with this city, still considered the cultural and religious reference of the country.
The medina of Fez is the largest in the country because, in reality, it is two medinas in one: the old one, called Fez el-Bali, and the new one, known as Fez el-Jdid. That is why it is necessary to dedicate an entire day to the exploration of this city, so interesting from a historical point of view, but also popular.
During the morning you will have a guided tour to discover the most important places, mainly through Fez el-Bali. Here are concentrated ancient medinas, such as Karaouine or that of the Andalusians. Also madrasas whose architecture is an apotheosis of wood, ceramics and plaster. And the souks and neighborhoods where the life of yesteryear bustles also have a lot of charm, such as that of the tanners (Chowara) or that of the coppersmiths (Attarine).
In the afternoon you will have free time again, so you can take a walk through Fez el-Jdid (Royal Palace, mellah Jewish…) or simply treat yourself in some craft shop, as the most recognized professionals in the country work here, especially cabinetmakers and potters. With all certainty, there will be no shortage of good plans before returning to the riad to rest at night.
The sixth day of the tour is the one with the highest mileage, and that implies that the route includes numerous places of interest to discover, with total contrast from each other: before crossing the Middle Atlas Mountains we will know the wettest Morocco, where it rains and snows the most; and when passing to the southern slope, we will arrive at the end of the day to the most arid and inhospitable corner of the country, the Erg Chebbi dunes, in Merzouga.
In the first section of the route we will pass through Ifrane, a holiday city, especially in winter, when the environment is tinged with white by the snow. After that, we will cross the green of the millions of cedars in the Ifrane National Park, where the Barbary macaques live: we will surely spot some of these endangered monkeys.
Later, we will begin the descent through the Ziz Valley, where aridity becomes increasingly intense. In Erfoud, the fossil and mineral shops will catch our attention, as they do for the most experienced collectors in the world. And soon after we will arrive at Merzouga, a town that gives its name to the local desert.
It will then be time to change means of transport: we will take dromedaries to travel through the sand dunes, guided by a Touareg connoisseur of the place. The objective is to reach the Jaima camp, where you will have tea, dinner and sleep, wrapped in silence and under a sky full of stars… as the Berber nomads have done all their lives in their canvas tents, but in this case with maximum comfort.
The magic of the dunes can be seen at every moment of the day. You will have seen it at sunset and in the dark night of the previous day. And on this seventh day you will see it at dawn: seeing how the morning lights up with the first lights of dawn is a spectacle worth knowing, no matter how early it occurs.
After that, breakfast and return to Merzouga, again on a dromedary. The refreshing shower will be taken at the Jaima camp or in a hotel in this town, depending on the package contracted. And when we are ready, we will return to the road to continue the route.
Rissani will be the first town on the itinerary. Its weekly market is famous, which is attended by many locals on their donkeys. Whether or not we coincide with this surprising event, it will be interesting to stroll through the historic medina, well preserved and full of life, as in the past.
After that, we will reach the Dades Valley, where palm groves and small towns with cultivated lands follow one another. There are also many Berber fortresses, as it is part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, formerly used to defend the caravan routes that passed through here. And very close to here we will know the Todra Gorges, where this river has carved a narrow gorge. We will know it from below, next to the water course, although many prefer to do it from above, as it is a paradise for climbers.
After the walk, we will return to the car to travel to Ouarzazate, where the hotel will be for dinner and rest of this day. But before there will be time to know the kasbah of Taourirt, perhaps the most monumental of the entire route because, in addition to a castle, it was the palace of the powerful El Glaoui family.
The eighth day is the penultimate of the tour and the last south of the Atlas: from the morning, the road will ascend until crossing the High Atlas Mountains, through the Tizi n’Tichka pass.
On the way, it is essential to stop at Ait Ben Haddou: it is a fortified town that seems more like science fiction than the real world. In fact, they use it a lot to set films and series, such as Game of Thrones. Its high walls, with crenellated towers, are the best example of Berber military and popular architecture, based on adobe.
Another monumental and typically Berber kasbah is Telouet, to which we usually dedicate some time if its situation allows it, as it suffered structural damage during the 2023 earthquake. Shortly after this kasbah, the port is crowned and descends through more fertile valleys, between small towns and farms, and with high peaks as a backdrop.
Upon arrival in Marrakech, you will have free time to start savoring this majestic city. It will be after check-in at the riad, which will be located in the medina, which will facilitate any travel on foot through the center.
On this ninth day, this tour from Casablanca to Marrakech, through the desert and the Imperial Cities, comes to an end. But it will still have an important plan reserved for you: the guided tour of the historic center of Marrakech , fundamental to know and understand the importance of the so-called ‘red city’ for the color of its walls and monuments. That red is in the Koutoubia mosque, in the Jemaa el-Fna square and in many other constructions that you will discover with our guide. And there will be other places that he considers relevant for the tour, such as the Bahia Palace or the Ben Youssef madrasa.
Since your flight will likely take off in the afternoon, there won’t be much free time to enjoy after the tour. However, if you have some time, it will be worth making some typical purchases in the souks of the center or going to Gueliz to see modern Marrakech.
At the agreed time and at the established point, we will pick you up for the private transfer to Marrakech airport, where our services will end, although with the hope of repeating them on other tours in the future.
Below you can check all the services that are included in the travel package and that focus, above all, on transport, accommodation, meals and activities:
We leave the following services out of the package so that everyone can choose them according to their preferences:
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