If you have a little more than two weeks free and want to use them to get to know a rich and diverse country, with historical monuments and landscapes of enormous beauty, this may be your best option: a tour throughout Morocco, from Casablanca to Marrakech, without leaving any important destination out of the program: Imperial Cities, Sahara desert, beaches of the Atlantic coast, natural reserves in the mountains… A tour to fall in love with this country and to travel with your loved ones, as it is available in private format.
What comes to mind when you think of Morocco? Probably, desert. And that will be one of the great attractions of this tour, as we reach the enchanting Erg Chebbi dunes. But in reality, Moroccan nature offers much more, as you will discover: landscapes of high mountains in the Atlas, rocky canyons hidden in valleys full of roses and palm trees, cultivated fields among which the famous argan stands out… And the best of all is that, in most cases, the landscape is little humanized, presenting itself wild and pure to the eyes of the traveler.
If you like art and culture, Morocco is a country that will fascinate you. And this tour will make it possible. We will visit the Imperial Cities (Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech), full of monuments. But also small towns full of charm, such as Chaouen and Essaouira. And you will even admire the main local archaeological site, such as Volubilis. And if what you like is culture but at a more popular level, nothing better than immersing yourself in crafts in the souks and folk music with the masters who preserve these ancestral knowledge. And we know where to take you to enjoy it.
15 days and 14 nights, with a starting point at the Casablanca airport and ending at the Marrakech airport. Without planes but with a comfortable private vehicle throughout the route, for a greater and better contact with the Moroccan reality. And with dromedaries and all-terrain vehicles when the desert claims its presence. We tell you the program below:
Our services begin at the Casablanca – Mohammed V Airport terminal: your flight will land there and we will pick you up there to take you in a private transfer to the hotel. After the relevant check-in and an informative briefing, you will have free time until it is time to rest in the rooms, which will be longer or shorter depending on the arrival time of the flight.
On the second day, the route and visits begin. And the first will be in Casablanca itself: on the shores of the ocean is located the mosque, the largest and most modern in the country, that of Hassan II, which impresses with its enormous minaret, of more than 200 meters. Luckily, you can visit it inside, as it is one of the few that admits tourists, so it can represent an unbeatable opportunity to learn from within the symbolism and Muslim spirituality.
Later we will hit the road to travel to Rabat, about 90 km from Casablanca. Capital of the kingdom and, as such, the place where the main national symbols are erected. Some of them are visitable monuments, such as the Mausoleum of Mohammed V or the kasbah of the Oudayas. The Hassan Tower and the medina are other points full of history, integrated into the area protected as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The following city on the tour, about 140 km from here, also holds that title: Meknes. Like Rabat, it is an Imperial City: walking through its medina you will discover monuments erected by the sultan who named it capital: Moulay Ismail. This is the case of his mausoleum and the walls, with spectacular gates among which Bab Mansour stands out. All this will be shown to you by an official guide with whom you will take a guided tour.
After a walk through the medina of Meknes, you will rest in a charming riad located in the heart of the city.
On the morning of this third day we will travel by road 20 kilometers… but also more than 20 centuries: those that take us back to the 3rd century BC, the time of the Carthaginian foundation of Volubilis, which reached its peak in Roman times. Then it was the main city of the province of Mauritania Tingitana, building buildings and infrastructures that are still perfectly visible today: the Arch of Triumph of Caracalla, the Temple of Jupiter, a forum, basilicas… For all this, this site is also declared a World Heritage Site.
After the visit of Volubilis we will have several hours of travel by road until we reach the northernmost point of the tour: Chaouen. It is located in the Rif mountains, of Mediterranean ecosystem, but the small city that is sheltered here is unparalleled, especially because of the color of its walls: blue. This tone brings a magical feeling to every corner, as do the pots that decorate windows and balconies, or the products that are displayed in its humble craft shops.
The visit of Chaouen will be free, both on this first afternoon as soon as you arrive and the next day. In both cases, you will end the day in a riad in the center, which will be your accommodation.
Second day in Chaouen and a propitious moment to deepen the free visit, with new routes through the medina. The Uta el-Hammam square is the epicenter of local and tourist life, where its main museum is also located: the Kasbah, a historical construction of the 14th century.
The gates of the wall, the viewpoints that offer views of the medina and its surroundings or the impetuous stream that forms a waterfall on the outskirts, in Ras el Maa, are other proposals to take into account on this day, which will be one of the most relaxed of the entire tour.
On the fifth day of the tour we change cities: Chaouen for Fez, after about 200 km of road. And unlike the above, when arriving in this city you will take a guided tour of the medina, which will allow you to optimize the times and not leave any place of interest to discover.
It is the largest medina in Morocco, with two different sectors: the old medina or Fez el-Bali and the new medina or Fez el-Jdid, both declared World Heritage. Our guide will take you on foot through corners as spectacular as the Nejjarine square or the Attarine madrasa, but will also make you know the most popular and authentic side of the center, such as the Chowara tanners’ quarter.
After the visit, you will have some free time, perhaps to make contact with the renowned local crafts, for sale in the souks. And in the night, rest in a charming riad located in the medina.
The sixth day of the route also has an approximate distance of 200 km, but in this case with several stops along the way and a very characteristic natural landscape. After leaving Fez, we will head to Ifrane, a pleasant mountain town whose architecture seems more European than African: its gabled roofs indicate that it was designed by the French last century in the image and likeness of the Alpine resorts, as it snows heavily here in winter.
Afterwards, we will enter the Ifrane National Park, of enormous value for its flora and fauna. Specifically, for the millions of cedars that are here and for the Barbary macaques that choose them as a natural habitat. This is, in fact, the largest colony in the country, a refuge for this endangered animal. When walking through this immense forest, it will not be surprising that they come out to meet us.
The final destination of the route will be Midelt, a town located in the heart of the Middle Atlas, at 1,500 meters of altitude. In one of its pleasant riads you will have dinner and rest, already with a view of what awaits us on the other side of the mountains.
Our tour is approaching the equator and the landscape changes radically: from the humidity of the Middle Atlas we move to the extreme aridity of the desert. The Ziz Valley, which will welcome us to the other side of the mountains, will be a first contact with it.
The terrain is increasingly barren, and that has facilitated the discovery of important fossils in Erfoud, one of the cult cities for collectors for the ‘jewels’ that can be found here.
But it will be in Merzouga where our tour will experience a turning point: we will park our vehicle, as the asphalt ends, giving way to the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. To travel them, we will go in dromedary (interchangeable by all-terrain vehicles), guided by a Touareg. Although at first glance there are only golden undulations of sand, the itinerary has a clear direction: the jaima camp where we will spend the night.
This camp, made with typical Berber tents, is a very cozy place, heated with a bonfire and set according to local taste. A welcome tea and a typical dinner will add flavor to this moment. And the stars of the sky, free of pollution, will accompany us until we retire to the tent, equipped with all the comforts.
On the eighth day of the tour, the people of the desert take center stage, above all. But before meeting them, it will be worth getting up early to contemplate the sunrise, which in the dunes of Erg Chebbi always has a special color.
After returning to Merzouga by dromedary, we will embark on a route through different corners of the desert. One of them is Khamlia. There, musicians of the gnawa genre await us, with sub-Saharan roots for having been brought by slaves on caravan routes. They will deploy a live performance, full of tribal rhythms and emotion in abundance.
More peaceful but equally admirable are the nomadic families that we will visit in another point of the desert: we will live with them to better understand how they survive in such a harsh environment, and that will give us many lessons about the ability to adapt to the environment. All this, with the mediation of our driver-guide, thus generating a climate of trust for all.
And between one point and another, dirt tracks of the desert, which we will travel in 4×4. But they are not just any tracks, but those that years ago traveled the cars and motorcycles of the Paris-Dakar rally. We will pass through abandoned kohl mines, a mineral used some time ago for cosmetics. And at the highest point of the route, we will stop to see the extension of the Erg Chebbi dunes.
On the night of this day we will not return to them, but we will go to a spectacular hotel-kasbah for dinner and accommodation. A whole oasis of Berber comfort in the middle of the desert.
The ninth day is, like the whole tour, a combination of popular culture, historical architecture and natural landscapes. We will check it in the first town after returning to the asphalt of the road: Rissani. Its medina is a beautiful example of a walled old town, and its weekly market overflows with genuine atmosphere, with donkeys and food and craft stalls.
From here, the route advances a good stretch, more than 170 km, to our next relevant stop: the Todra Gorges. The river that gives them their name has carved a narrow canyon whose vertical walls rise more than 100 meters in many places. Without a doubt, an overwhelming and unique canyon, which is well worth a walk… or a climb, as many athletes do.
The Todra Gorges are located in a detour from the Dades Valley, and we will return to this shortly after to advance a little further, to the town where the cozy riad of this night is located, for dinner and rest.
The tenth day begins with landscapes similar to those of the previous day: we continue in the Dades Valley, with palm trees, small villages, crops (such as rose bushes in the Valley of Roses) and Berber fortresses. The largest palm grove is that of Skoura, a true oasis for locals and tourists alike. The Berber fortresses are called kasbahs, and here they are so abundant that a route runs through the most important ones.
On this route, known as the ‘Route of the Thousand Kasbahs’, you will almost certainly see the one we will visit in Ouarzazate: the Kasbah of Taourirt. It was a castle and palace at the same time, where Thami el Glaoui and his family lived. His enormous power and wealth are evident in the architecture and decoration of the complex. This is not the only attraction of Ouarzazate, as there are also the Atlas film studios: visiting them is like traveling to the scenes of the films that were shot there, such as Lawrence of Arabia.
And about 25 km further on, we will visit another place that is and continues to be the set for important film shoots, although in this case it is an authentic fortified village, not just a mere set. We’re talking about Ait Ben Haddou, a town for passage, rest, commerce, and supply on the ancient caravan routes. Its high walls, with large towers and battlements, tell us of the important defense that had to be provided to the place. And it is declared a World Heritage Site.
Most of the inhabitants have moved to the new town, leaving the old area for locals, shops, and charming riads, like the one that will probably host us on this tenth night of the tour, with dinner included.
The eleventh day of the tour is a journey of about 260 km between two points: Ait Ben Haddou and Taroudant. But along the way, we will witness typical landscapes of the Anti Atlas, the third smallest and most arid mountain range in the Atlas, but also very cinematic, where films such as Babel were filmed.
For its part, Taroudant is one of the surprises of this tour: less visited than other Moroccan destinations, it is a small city with a well-preserved walled medina. It is called the ‘Little Marrakech’, as its periods of splendor coincided with those of its older sister (Almoravids, Almohads, Saadis), and its monuments therefore have a similar style.
In Taroudant will be tonight’s accommodation: a charming riad that will also provide dinner.
The reason for including Taroudant in this tour is not only its surprising beauty, but also because it is on the way to another of Morocco’s great destinations: Essaouira. This city, known as ‘the pearl of the Atlantic’, is about 300 km away, a distance that will make us say goodbye to the desert and the Anti Atlas, and feel the welcome of the oceanic coast.
Upon arrival in Essaouira, you will have free time to stroll through the 18th-century medina and its 16th-century Portuguese fortress, the Skala. Not to be outdone, this military enclosure was also chosen by Game of Thrones for the scenes of some episodes, as its impregnable character against the rugged coast gives it a special air.
In addition to these places, other suggestions to enjoy Essaouira before resting in the riad are: its beaches, its art galleries, or its Jewish quarter, where historical synagogues are preserved in very good condition. And at the end of the day, a new riad in the historic center, chosen as a World Heritage Site.
After breakfast in the riad, we will head to Marrakech: we will arrive in the ‘red city’ after a 200 km road trip. Along the way, argan fields in the landscape, where local cooperatives extract and produce the famous oil.
The arrival time will be around noon, so the rest of the day will be free for a first contact with Marrakech. This is one of the most monumental cities in the country. And although you will also spend the whole next day here, this may be a good time to visit places such as the Marrakech Museum, the MACMA, the Majorelle Garden, or the Menara Gardens, among many other options.
At night, you will rest in a riad located in the medina, which will allow you to move around the center and feel the vibrant rhythm of this city, day and night.
Penultimate day of the tour, dedicated entirely to Marrakech, another World Heritage destination. And not to miss any detail, nothing better than a guided tour with an official guide. It will be in the morning, which will take you through such characteristic corners as the Jemaa el-Fna square, the Koutoubia mosque (exterior), the Bahia Palace, or the Ben Youssef madrasa. Its constructions and monuments remind us that it was the capital with the Almoravid, Almohad, and Saadi dynasties, who developed an architecture of great refinement.
You will have the afternoon free, so you can complete the visits that you did not have time to do the day before or in the morning. And of course, to make quality purchases, either in the artisan souks of the medina or in the modern Gueliz neighborhood, where the main international firms are located. In addition, the city’s restaurants, which are among the most prestigious in the country, can put the perfect epilogue to the last night of the tour, before returning to the riad.
The schedules of the last day of the tour will depend on the flight that takes you back home. At the stipulated time, we will pick you up at the riad or at another agreed point for the private transfer to Marrakech airport. At the terminal, we will end our services and say goodbye with the hope of having satisfied the expectations of a trip as rich and intense as this one.
In the more than two weeks of the tour, you will enjoy the following transport, accommodation, diet, and activity services:
The following services are not included. Prior reservation or payment in person will be the responsibility of each traveler:
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