10-Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca

After picking you up at the airport and checking you into your hotel for one night, we’ll have the rest of the day to discover Morocco’s biggest and richest city: Casablanca. N.B: If you arrive early, we’ll take you on an exclusive tour of the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco. This stunning architectural marvel is a true symbol of Moroccan craftsmanship, with its intricate details and breathtaking design overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Leaving Casablanca, we will head to Essaouira. Essaouira came to the forefront of history during the European Age of Exploration when nations, like Portugal, Spain, France, and England, all jockeyed for control over the port of Essaouira. By the 18th century, Moroccans had firmly wrested back control of Essaouira. Because Muslims were prohibited from conducting trade with the Christian enemy, the Jews of Essaouira acted as commercial intermediaries between the two groups and grew very rich. As such, Essaouira features one of the most important Jewish neighborhoods, or Mellah, in Morocco. Today, Essaouira’s Mellah has emptied of its original inhabitants and, like most across Morocco, is collapsing from neglect, risking the loss of this important chapter in Moroccan history. After visiting the Mellah, we will discover other important sights in the Essaouira old city, such as the jewelry market, the port, and the fish market. Speaking of fish, Essaouira is a great place to get a delightful fresh seafood lunch. In the afternoon we will orient ourselves towards Essaouira’s massive sandy beaches where it’s possible to do a number of different activities. Camel riding, horseback riding, quadbike riding, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, or just sunbathing—you’re free to enjoy the beach as you wish! If spending time at the beach isn’t your cup of tea, there are other ways we can enjoy our afternoon. For example, we can explore Essaouira’s rich musical history by learning about Gnawa music (did you know the Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page both spent time in Essaouira learning about traditional Moroccan music?). Or we can visit a traditional herbal pharmacy and learn about old fashioned remedies to different ailments.

Today we’ll spend the whole day exploring the legendary red city of Marrakesh. Highlights include: – Marrakesh’s old medina – Smaller than the Fez medina, but no less riveting, Marrakesh’s old medina feels worlds away from the fancy modern hotels, clubs, and restaurants that gild its new town. Main attractions in Marrakesh’s old medina include the Mellah (Jewish neighborhood), the ornate 19th century Bahia Palace, and the crumbling 16th century Badi Palace. What’s more, we’ll explore the Koutoubia Mosque and the world famous Jemma el-Fna, a UNESCO site, with its fabled snake charmers, monkey tamers, acrobats, musicians, orange juice sellers, and story tellers. – The Majorelle Gardens – Taking a little excursion into Marrakesh’s new town, we’ll visit the lush Majorelle Gardens. Designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and 1930s, the Majorelle Gardens feature a striking array of cactus species from all over the world in Art Deco inspired grounds. Famous for its iconic blue walls, the Majorelle Gardens also house an excellent museum devoted to Berber culture and history.

After an early morning pick up at your accommodations, we will begin our exciting day discovering the historic towns that lie in the semi-arid plain on the other side of the High Atlas Mountains. Leaving Marrakech, the snow covered peaks of the High Atlas Mountains will slowly become more and more visible. Driving higher and higher, we will encounter the numerous winding switchbacks of the Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass, a marvel of modern engineering and design. Going down the other side of the High Atlas Mountains, we will veer off the main road to discover the traditional village of Ait Benhaddou, before continuing to the city of Ouarzazate. In this region we’ll discover villages famous for their distinct mudbrick architecture and preserved fortified town centers (Kasbah). After about a 45 minute drive, we’ll arrive at the village of Ait Benhaddou, an important UNESCO sight in the region. With its many towers and traditional houses, Ait Benhaddou stands as the most striking example of the pre-Saharan architecture of southern Morocco. We can have lunch at one of the excellent restaurants overlooking Ait Benhaddou. Our last stop today will be in the capital of southern Morocco, Ouarzazate. Like Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate boasts an important fortified center, the Taourirt Kasbah. However, what makes Ouarzazate most famous today are its internationally renowned movie studios. Taking full advantage of southern Morocco’s beautiful desert landscapes, these studios have contributed to Hollywood blockbusters, such as The Mummy, Gladiator, and Lawrence of Arabia, just to name a few. If you’d like, we can visit either the cinema museum, or even one of the studios. After checking into a hotel in Ouarzazate, you’ll have the rest of the evening to explore the town on your own.

Following breakfast, we’ll get back on the road and skirt along the opposite side of the High Atlas Mountains, exploring traditional mudbrick towns and beautiful desert landscapes as we make our way to Merzouga and its surrounding sand dunes. Our day’s first stop will be in the Dades Valley, a region famous for its sprawling palm groves growing over an underground river. We’ll visit many different panoramic viewpoints throughout our day’s drive through the region. Along our way, we’ll visit the famous little town of Kelaat Mgouna, known across Morocco for its traditional Rose Festival in May. A little further down the road, we’ll discover Soukora, a traditional mudbrick town in the heart of 25km² of lush palm groves. Driving a little further on, we’ll reach Tinghir, an ancient Berber town built of traditional mudbrick architecture. We’ll finish this exciting day with our late afternoon arrival in Merzouga, right on the cusp of the desert, where we’ll have dinner and spend the night in a hotel.

Sleep in or take our advice and wake up early to catch the sunrise over the sand dunes. It’s an experience you’ll never forget. After breakfast you will be able to spend your day exploring the desert surrounding Merzouga as you like. Possible activities to do visiting the historical towns and palm groves around the Tafilalt Oasis (Rissani, Merzouga, Erfoud), taking a 4×4 excursion into the desert to explore black volcanic rock formations and fossils, visiting a nomadic family living in a tent, riding quadbikes around the sand dunes, visiting Khamlia village to hear Gnawa music, or relaxing around the desert tents. In the late afternoon, once the day’s heat has subsided, we’ll trek out via camelback to a Berber camp site in the middle of the sand dunes, far, far away from the worries of the world. Here your Berber hosts will cook traditional desert meals for you, while teaching you about their culture. Spend the evening huddled around the campfire, venture out into the desert, or lie on a sand dune and gaze at the..

After breakfast, we will hike out of the desert on camelback to reach our van in Merzouga. After giving you the opportunity to shower and freshen up, we will hit the road to get to Fez before the evening. Our first stop on today’s itinerary will be in the town of Azrou, the ancient capital of the Amazigh people in the Middle Atlas Mountains region. Famous for its cedar forests, butterflies, and Barbary ape population, Azrou is a perfect place to get back to nature. During our time in Azrou, we will stop outside of the town to explore this beautiful natural environment. Climbing higher into the Middle Atlas, passing through oak forests, the next stop on our drive will be in the famed ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, the town of Ifrane, famous for the world renowned Al-Akhawayn University, which attracts the best and brightest of Morocco each year. We will also make a stop at the Ifrane National Park to admire the ancient cedar trees and try our luck at finding a colony of Barbary apes. Our last stop will be in the provincial town of Imouzzer, which is famous for its Apple Festival in September. Many of the inhabitants of Imouzer are of Amazigh descent and speak a language different from Arabic as their mother tongue. The area around Imouzzer is dotted with lakes that were carved out during a period of intense volcanic activity in the distant past. Stopping at one of these lakes, Dayet Aoua, you will have the opportunity to go for a quick horse or donkey ride on the lakeshore. Leaving Imouzer, we will drive directly to Fez to get you to your accommodations at a reasonable hour.

We will begin at the Seven Golden Doors, a magnificent set of ornate gates that mark the entrance to the Royal Palace. From there, you’ll stroll through the Jewish Quarter (Mellah), offering a glimpse into Morocco’s rich Jewish heritage and history. Next, head to a panoramic viewpoint where you can take in a breathtaking view of Fez, with its sprawling medina below, surrounded by mountains. Then we’ll visit the Ceramics area, renowned for its stunning pottery and traditional craftsmanship. Finally, we’ll return to explore Fez’s ancient medina, the biggest urban car-free zone in the world. Fez, a UNESCO sight, is a massive labyrinth of dusty alleys, sumptuous houses and palaces, hectic markets, and innumerable stories. The joy of visiting Fez consists largely in simply meandering through this medieval urban maze. Among the many things we’ll discover are the recently restored leather tanneries, the Foundouk Nejjarine woodworking museum, the Dar el-Magana water clock, the hilltop Merenid Tombs, the serene Bou Inania Koranic school, the Moulay Idriss II Mausoleum, and the Karaouiyne University (the oldest university in the world).

Leaving Fez, we will drive to Meknes where we’ll spend the day before heading to Casablanca to spend the evening. Our First stop will be the mighty walled Imperial City of Meknes. Meknes’s old city offers a trove of sights for a curious visitor: Moulay Ismail’s massive stables, capacious granary, and cavernous underground prison. We will also visit Moulay Ismail’s mausoleum (one of the only mosques in Morocco open to tourists), the monumental Mansour Gate, the covered food market, and the El Hidem Square. Next we will make a quick stop in the adjacent small town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. During this stop, we will go to a panoramic view point, visit the town center, and get lunch, a snack, or a beverage. Our last stop will be the ruined Roman city of Volubilis. French archeologists began excavating Volubilis in the early 20th century, though half of the immense sight still remains beneath centuries of topsoil. Marvel at the famous sights, like the basilica, the triumphal arc, and the many palaces with their exquisite mosaics. The tour of Volubilis can be done either with or without a local guide. Once finished with this busy day of sightseeing, we will take the highway to Casablanca.

On our last day together, we will drive you to the airport in Casablanca for your return flight home and say our goodbyes. <h4 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default"