Tour Plan
Highlights
« Explore the four imperial cities of Morocco: Marrakech, Meknes, Rabat, and Fez
« Explore the old Portuguese city of Essaouira in Essaouira
« Explore the northern pearl of the blue city of Chefchaouen
« Explore the capital of Morocco (Rabat) and its cultural attractions
« Walk around the walled Medina in Meknes and the beautiful gates
« Camel rides in the desert in an unforgettable experience
« Sleep and enjoy an exceptional night in the desert camp
« Visit and explore the UNESCO World Heritage Palaces
« Discover Berber culture and Berber lifestyle in Morocco
« Walk around the amazing of Marrakesh and Fez with your guide
01
Day 1: Arrive at Marrakech
Welcome meeting at 5 PM in the Hotel.
02
Day 2: Diving into the real Marrakech with a guide.
After breakfast, you will have a guided tour through Marrakech where you will be led first to discover the Palace of the Bahia, the Souks, and numerous other hidden treasures.
After lunch, you will proceed with the guided tour to the historical Koutoubia Mosque and the bustling Jemaa el-Fna, one of the central interests of Marrakech, the breathing heart of the Medina. This brings you further to appreciate an enthusiastic night with the local performers, storytellers, and mouth-watering grilled dishes.
In the afternoon, we will visit Majorelle gardens, in 1919 Jacques Majorelle, an expatriate French painter settled in Morocco and purchased the land that would eventually become Majorelle Garden. He created a beautiful home, workshop, and vast garden where he could dabble in his hobby of growing exotic plants and trees. The gardens opened to the public in 1947 but severely deteriorated after his death in 1962.
In the late afternoon, the driver will take to have a look at the new city (Guilez). At night, enjoy a stunning dinner in the Medina
03
Day 3: Marrakech- Essaouira (The Pearl of the Atlantic)
After you take your breakfast, we are going to pick you up from your Riad and head to Essaouira. The city is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, a relaxed small city that one can fall in love with the lifestyle of it. It is also, well known for its international festival of ‘Gnawa’. Along the way, we are going to pass through the Haouz farms to Chichaoua village where you will stop for a cup of coffee before you continue to Sidi Mokhtar. On your way, you will cross the Argan trees forest, where you might spot some goats climbing the trees. In addition, you can watch how the Argan oil (also called the liquid gold or Moroccan oil) is extracted, you can visit a local women’s cooperative and learn how some fine cosmetic products are locally made out of the rich Argan oil. In the afternoon, you will have free time to walk around the beach and enjoy the waves as well as the sunset. Overnight will be in à Riad in the Medina.
04
Day 4: Diving into the real Essaouira with a local guide
After breakfast, and around 09:30 am, we will start our day by visiting the ramparts called Skalla fortress. Then walk inside the narrow alleys of the Medina- UNESCO World Heritage Site – with beautiful arts and crafts including objects carved of local Thuya wood. Lunch in a Moroccan way, freshly bought fish” cooked to order”. Essaouira is also known as the ”City of the wind”; it attracts surfers from different parts of the world. Essaouira was occupied by Romans, Phoenicians, and Portuguese. Thus, there is a big influence noticed in its architecture. It is a small town with a lot of history. There is an annual festival of” Gnaoua music” where many musicians from Africa and the world come to perform. It takes place in the second week of June. In the afternoon, you will have free time to stroll around the main square and have a mint tea in one of its Cafés. Overnight in a Riad inside the Medina.
05
Day 5: Essaouira- Agadir- Taroudant
The next morning after you take your nice breakfast over the sea, we will come right next door and head for our next journey. We are going to have a break in Taghazout; a place known nationally for surfing. Next, we will go to Taroudant via the coastal city of Agadir, along the way, you can enjoy beautiful sceneries with the fishermen villages along the coast. There will be some stops on the way to breathe the fresh air and take some pictures. In Agadir, we will have lunch and after that, a short walk on the beach, one of the biggest beaches in the country. Around the afternoon, we will get to Taroudant (a Berber town built by the Saadi Dynasty in 1528; it was their capital before they moved to Marrakech). We will divide our journey to visiting the Kasbah and the ramparts as well as the hidden alleys of the medina. In the late afternoon, we are going to visit the Souk to see how jewelry is made. Overnight in a Riad with dinner and breakfast.
06
Day 6: Taroudant-Taliouin-Ksar Ait Benhaddou-Ouarzazate
On the next day, you will have breakfast and we will be taking the road towards Taliouin; a nice and traditional area, which is the only place, where Saffron is grown and drink a cup of tea with saffron. If you wish, we can have a visit to the feminine cooperative for Saffron and see how it is used in cooking and makeup by the Berber women and other beneficial things. Lunch will be in Taznakht, the capital of Berber carpet in Morocco. Then, we move to The Kasbah at Ait Ben Haddou is a fortified village, which holds about half a dozen market areas and merchant houses. Our tour around this old building will be guided. like Ouarzazate, which will be the next stop on this tour Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou is a very popular location for Hollywood film crews and production companies. Ksar Ait Benhaddou is ranked by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Our guide will explain its history and how the castle was built in the 19 century. In the afternoon, we will get to Ouarzazate, where we will spend our night in a riad/hotel with dinner waiting for us.
07
Day 7: Ouarzazate- Skoura-Dades gorge
After breakfast, we will continue toward Ouarzazate, or preferably the Hollywood of Morocco, we will have some free time to visit the studio and take some pictures of the amazing monuments inside. Our guide will be more than happy to explain the main monuments and how they were built. The journey will continue towards Dades valley via, Skoura, we can have a small break to visit Kasbah Amredil, which was built in the 17 century and is considered the most coveted Kasbah in the country. Then we continue toward the land of the 1000 Kasbah, towards roses valley (the season of roses is in late May). Upon arrival to Dades valley, we will deviate into a secondary road heading up through Dades gorges. You will have one-hour hiking inside the fields to relax and enjoy the calmness of nature. From here, we will enjoy beautiful Rock formations (Called the monkey finger) and fortified Kasbah’s scenery along the Dades river, with the sunset as a backdrop. After a stop at the canyons for a drink or to admire the majestic scenery, we continue to our hotel. Dinner and overnight.
08
Day 8: Dades valley- Todra gorges- Sahara Desert
After spending a relaxed night at the hotel, in the morning, you will have your breakfast ready for you, departure from your hotel in Dades valley will be at 8 a.m., taking the road of 1000 kasbahs to drive around the colorful Berber villages of the Dades valley. 60 km further, you will get to Tinghir with its beautiful palm grove and Jewish quarter. In Tinghir, you will have a short visit to the women’s cooperative for carpets to see how these wonderful handmade Berber carpets are made. Then you continue to Todra Gorges (Todra), our Tour leader will accompany you for a small walk of 1 hour along the canyons of about 300m high, a favorite place for rock climbers. Afterward, you will leave to Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga Sahara Desert and you will have time for lunch on the way before you arrive at Erfoud. Then we will head for the Erg Chebbi dunes. You will get to Merzouga and relax in your hotel. Dinner will be included.
09
Day 9: Exploring Merzouga and riding camels
After breakfast we will start exploring the area, we will begin by visiting the village of black people originally from Mali to enjoy their traditional Gnawa music and the way they live. After that, we will drive to Miffis to meet Berber nomad families living in tents; they will offer a cup of tea. Our tour leader will be happy to show you around and explain how people live there. Before returning to the hotel, after a cup of tea, our leader will teach you how to mount and dismount and other handy camel-related safety tips then you begin exploring the mysterious sand-sea in Merzouga. Overnight at a Berber camp.
010
Day 10: Ziz Valley – Middle Atlas – Ifrane – Fes:
The next morning you will wake up early to enjoy the wonderful sunrise over the dunes, then your camel trek will take you back to the hotel to have breakfast. After you take a shower, we will drive to the beautiful Ziz Valley, where we will have a stop at some panoramic views to take some pictures and explore the biggest valley of palm dates. The next stop will be in Midelt, where we will stop for lunch. Then we drive to the Middle Atlas. At a short break, you can watch the Barbary Apes in the cedar forests. Our last stop will be in Ifrane, which is called “The Switzerland of Morocco”, there we enjoy some coffee before we arrive at Fes. You will get to your hotel, have a romantic dinner, and prepare for tomorrow’s quest.
011
Day 11: Diving into Fes with a local guide.
Today you will have a guided tour to discover the medina and the famous Souks of Fes and its narrow cobbled streets are filled with ancient mosques and towering green-glazed minarets as well as the unique Andalusian architecture in every corner of the old city and its monuments, we will ensure that you visit all sites with cultural and historical interest including the famous Al Qaraouine University (the oldest university I the world). The tour will include also a visit to the tanneries and the ceramic cooperative to see traditional Moroccan crafts. Overnight at hotel/riad.
012
Day 12: Fes- Meknes- Volibilis- Chafchaouen
After breakfast in your Riad, you will be going to Chefchaouen, we will pass by Meknes, and its name was derived from a Berber tribe called Miknasa. Meknes used to be the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail (1672-1727). Then we will continue towards Volubilis, a city in North Africa built by the Romans. Volubilis contains essentially Roman vestiges of a fortified municipium built on a commanding site at the foot of the Jebel Zerhoun. Covering an area of 42 hectares, it is of outstanding importance demonstrating urban development and Romanization at the frontiers of the Roman Empire and the graphic illustration of the interface between the Roman and indigenous cultures. Because of its isolation and the fact that it had not been occupied for nearly a thousand years, it presents an important level of authenticity. It is one of the richest sites of this period in North Africa, not only for its ruins but also for the great wealth of its epigraphic evidence. We will have a short break to walk around with our tour leader and will explain its history. Our journey will end in Chefchaouen and overnight will be in a riad/hotel.
013
Day 13: Free day in the blue city
This day in Chefchaouen will be about relaxing and being free to go anywhere, spa or massage for example.
014
Day 14: Chefchaouen- Rabat.
In the morning, we will drive towards Rabat, the capital of Morocco. We will have time to explore the city and visit the Hassan 2 tower as well as the Mausoleum of Med 5th. Overnight in a hotel.
015
Day 15: Rabat- Airport
This is where our tour will end. Hopefully, you would enjoy it.
