15 Days in Morocco from Casablanca

Description

Day 1: Casablanca – Rabat
Upon arrival, we’ll collect you and drive to Casablanca where you’ll visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest outside Mecca and experience the coastal Cornish seaside. Afterwards, we’ll leave for Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Here, you’ll see the Hassan Tower, the Oudaya Kasbah before checking in to your Riad at the heart of the Medina. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 2: Rabat – Meknes – Volubilis – Fes
After breakfast in your Riad, you’ll start travelling to Meknes, another significant imperial city in Morocco, known as the Ismaili capital of Morocco. In Meknes you’ll see the famous gate Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani Bassin and the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum. After lunch, your journey continues on to Volubilis, the well preserved site of Roman ruins, dating to 25BC. Afterwards you’ll continue on to Fes via the foothills of the Rif mountains arriving there in the late afternoon. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 3: Fes
After breakfast in your Riad, you’ll start exploring the oldest city in Morocco browsing its alleys and small streets. Our visit starts by visiting the Royal Palace gate, the Jewish headquarter and the first Mellah ever built in Morocco. We will ensure that you visit all the sites with cultural and historical interest including the famous Al Qaraouine University – the oldest in the region, the Tanneries and the Attarine museum. After lunch, you’ll see the ceramic factory and experience a wonderful panoramic view over the whole Medina of Fes. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the new city” La Ville nouvelle” for a drink. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 4: Fes – Ifran – Azrou – Midelt
After breakfast we’ll leave Fes travelling towards Ifrane, a beautiful mountain village, referred to as “the Switzerland of Morocco”. During this journey you’ll experience glimpses of the Middle Atlas and Higher Atlas mountains. Stopping at Azrou – a Berber village in the middle of the famous cedar forest (the largest in Morocco, you may well have the chance to see some Barbary apes. Afterwards we’ll travel through the Tizi Ntalghamt Pass to Midelt and along the magnificent Ziz Gorges carved through volcanic rock. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 5: Midelt – Errachidia – Merzouga
After breakfast in your hotel you’ll travel to Merzouga via Errachidia and Erfoud. You’ll be travelling via the Ziz Gorge, taking in views of the High Atlas plateau, noting how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city of Errachidia. Here you’ll have lunch and enjoy Berber hospitality. Afterwards, you’ll travel along the luxuriant Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. Arriving at Merzouga in the afternoon, you’ll be welcomed with a glass of mint tea before checking in to your hotel

Day 6: Merzouga area and the Camel trek
After breakfast in the Hotel you can start exploring the area. You’ll visit the Gnawa people, originally slaves brought from Sudan, to experience their music and lifestyle, whilst not far away there’s the lake of Merzouga with its bird populations. You may also want to visit the nomad wire house where many Berber handicrafts are priced lower than in the big cities. In the afternoon it’s time for your camel trek, guided by an experienced camel man as you set off to explore within the sand sea of Merzouga. Dinner is in front of the tent where you will spend the night (the camp in equipped with flash-toilets and shower)

Day 7: Merzouga – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley
Your camelman will wake you up early in the morning to watch what well may be the best sunrise of your life after which you’ll camel-trek back to the village of Merzouga admiring the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand dunes – changing with the light as the day progresses. After breakfast in the Riad, you’ll leave for Rissani, Tinghir and Todra gorges – the highest, narrowest gorges in Morocco. Lunch in the heart of the gorge precedes a drive through the Dades Valley, where you’ll see the majestic sand castles and the amazing rock formations known as “monkey toes”. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 8: Dades Gorge – Ouarzazate
After breakfast in the hotel we’ll drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaa M’gouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is the way of the thousand Kasbahs – providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip. We’ll stop at Kalaa Mgouna, “the rose city”, to purchase the rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over. Continuing on to Skoura and the Dirds valley you’ll visit the Kasbah Ameridil, a well-preserved kasbah in this area. After some hiking in the valley lunch is in a restaurant overlooking the whole valley. The tour continues to Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”, whose geography and beautiful landscapes has attracted many world class movie producers. Here you may choose to visit the studios, containing props used in movies, you may have already seen, such as The Mummy, Gladiator and the Last temptation of Christ. Overnight accommodation will be in a local Riad

Day 9: Ouarzazate – Taroudant
After breakfast, we’ll head to Taroudant via Taznakht, stopping at Taliouine to visit the Safran co-operative. If your visit coincides with the Safran harvest, you will have the opportunity to meet the Berber women with their families harvesting the safran in their fields. We should arrive at Taroudant in the afternoon, where you’ll see the ramparts and walk within the small alleys in the Medina. Taroudant is often referred to as “the little Marrakech” because most of its walls were built by the Saadian dynasty in the 16th century before they moved to the great “Red City”

Day 10: Taroudant – Essaouira
After breakfast we’ll head for Essaouira, travelling via Agadir, where we’ll stop for lunch. Agadir has a large beautiful beach and has been a big tourist destination for many years. There we’ll take a small walk on the Promenade before continuing to Essaouira, the coastal route offers beautiful scenery, an area famous for the Argan. Along the way you’ll see herds of goats climbing the Argan trees in the quest for riper food. Your overnight accommodation is at a Riad in the Medina

Day 11: Essaouira
Breakfast is in your Riad, before a tour of the town. You’ll visit the Skala Fortress, the port, the souks and see Thuya wood carved by artisans, walking through the alleys of the medina and past the hundreds of handicrafts. Essaouira is known for its strong winds most of the year so it is known as the “City of the wind” thus it attracts surfers from all over the world. Essaouira knew many civilisations – including the Portuguese occupation, which affects much of its architecture – however, it remains a small village with much history. Because of its size and its characteristic blue doors and washed walls, it is also regarded as Morocco’s “Jewel of the Atlantics”. Our visit includes the Mellah – the Jewish headquarter, and the beach. There is an annual festival of “Gnawa music”, where many musical groups come from different parts of Africa and the world. Usually it starts in the third week of June, so if your trip coincides with this, you have the option to extend your stay for an extra day. Today you will have lunch in a Moroccan way, bought fishes ‘cooked to order’. The afternoon’s free to walk and explore by yourself. Overnight accommodation is in Riad in the Medina

Day 12: Essaouira – Marrakech
After breakfast in your Riad, we’ll depart for Marrakech. On our way – since this is the land of Argan culture – there’s an opportunity to visit the women’s co-operative of Argan oil where they extract the oil that is famous for its culinary, cosmetic and medical properties. After several stops to take photographs, you will continue your travel to Marrakech before checking in to your Riad. After dinner you will enjoy walking in the famous square of Jemaa El fna, entertained with magicians, story tellers, musicians and snake charmers. Overnight be in a Medina based Riad

Day 13: Exploring Marrakech
After breakfast, you can start exploring Marrakech ” the red city of Morocco”. Your guide will ensure that you see the most important places of historical and cultural interest, including the Saadian tombs; the Palace of El Bahia and the Ben Youssef Coranic School. Lunch is at a restaurant near the square, then in the afternoon you can visit the “Majorelle Gardens” and Koutoubia tower. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 14: Marrakech Day trip to the Atlas Mountains at Imlil
After breakfast in your Riad, we’ll drive to the village of Asni and the village of Imlil at the heart of the high Atlas mountains. Here you’ll enjoy the scenic views through the gorges of Moulay Brahim and the village of Imlil, a small berber village with a strong culture. You’ll have the opportunity to hike in the villages and experience the real Berber culture. If you chose to have lunch at the Kasbah Toubkal, the view of the Toubkal mountains, the highest in north Africa is quite breathtaking. In the afternoon, you’ll travel back to Marrakech. Overnight in our Hotel/Riad

Day 15: Marrakech – Airport Transfer
Today, depending on your departure time, we will drive you to the airport for your departure flight.