Desert, Mountains, Sea, Oases and Cities

Brief Description

Morocco has a great diversity of landscapes, natural elements and traditions. Explore the deep Morocco and its narture of five elements: desert, mountains, sea, oasis and its hectic cities. You can contact with the intense silence of the desert, the magic and magnetism of its oasis, enjoy the sea coast, breath the fresh and pure air of the mountain, and live the colorful life of the Moroccan cities.

Discover the different parts of Morocco: Marrakesh, the red city of Morocco, Fes with its medina with labyrinthine streets, the night in the desert with its sea of stars, the mountains of the Atlas, the coastal city of Essaouira among others. You will have the company of our guide, which will help you discover the genuine and true Morocco, the one which is often inaccessible to tourists, with safety and charm. The trip is adapted to your own flow and rhythm.

You will have relaxed and fun holidays, where you can see the nature wonder and know firsthand the life and traditions of Morocco.

The tour is planned in detail for you, depending on the time available and your preferences. Contact us to start planning the most adequate trip for you. The following route and program is only an example of this type of excursions, and is thus only a suggestion.

Route

Day	Route
Day 1	Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen
Day 2	Chefchaouen
Day 3	Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes
Day 4	Fes
Day 5	Fes – Azrou – Merzouga
Day 6	Merzouga – Ramlia Oasis (Sahara)
Day 7	Ramlia Oasis (Sahara) – Todra Gorges – Skoura
Day 8	Skoura – Ouarzazate – Imlil
Day 9	Imlil – Marrakech
Day 10	Marrakech
Day 11	Marrakech – Essaouira
Day 12	Essaouira – Casablanca

 

Itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen

After arriving at the airport of Casablanca you will receive a warm welcome to the country from our guide.
To start the tour we will go to one of the major wonders in Morocco: the Hassan II Mosque, the second highest mosque in the world, and a rare example of mosques that can be visited by non-Muslims.
After lunch, we will depart for Rabat, where you can enjoy its beautiful domes, minarets, wide avenues and green spaces. It conciliates the best of a modern cosmopolitan life with the lively cultural traditions of Morocco.
Rabat is a city that grew up in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, with the expulsion of Andalusians from the Iberian Peninsula. It is surrounded by three walls corresponding to the most significant stages of its history: the Almohad wall, the Andalusian wall and the Alawite wall. Your guide will show you these walls and the main attractions of the city like the Hassan Tower, situated on top of an imposing mosque, and the opulent tomb of Mohammed V among many others.

After lunch we will leave Rabat and head towards the blue city of Chefchaouen. To arrive at Chefchaouen is to dive into a labyrinth of that is unlike other Moroccan medinas, it has a perfect order and harmony. All roads lead to Hamman Square, where it is the largest mosque and meeting center of its inhabitants.

The blue city of Chefchaouen is one of the most charming and emblematic of Morocco. With a calm Medina, nestling between the Rif mountains and the Middle Atlas, Chefchaouen is famous for its handicrafts and goat’s cheese.

Suspended and anonymous among the mountains, the city is extraordinarily picturesque, ideal for those who like to explore a city with freedom and to take photos, and for those who find delight in details, in terms of culture or architecture. Enjoy also the view over the city, with its soft and continuous shades bathed in light, from the top of a hill.

Day 2: Chefchaouen

In this day, you can explore the Rift and the delights of its landscapes of this place of sublime beauty. The faint light of dawn over Akchour waterfalls or the “God’s Bridge” will allow you to discover breathtaking scenery and provide a good spot for photographs.

Then we will keep discovering the city of Chefchaouen, its harmonious gastronomy and handicraft offices where you can buy their product for very comfortable prices.

The best way to visit Chefchaouen is to let yourself be lost on its streets and watch life happen. Appreciate the traditional women’s clothes, blue above and with a kilt that resembles a blue and red striped quilt, with a nice straw hat to match. The visit of Chefchaouen, includes the view of the city from the top of a mountain, the washerwomen area near the river and the central square where there is a castle and a mosque with the only octagonal minaret of the Muslim world.

The tour is only complete if you are talking to the friendly locals and sampling the delicious food at one of the many restaurants, hidden in the narrow streets or in plain sight on the central square.

Day 3: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

After a relaxed breakfast, we will leave for Fes and on the way we will stop by the imperial city of Meknes.

Sultan Moulay Ismail dreamed of making Meknes the most splendid of the cities of North Africa, hence its nickname of “Versailles of the Maghreb”. Here we will visit the main points of interest with a professional guide which will tell you the rich stories and legends of Meknes and present the city. Nearby it is possible to do a wine tasting: a unique experience for the lovers of wine and impossible to repeat in any other part of Morocco.

We can visit the roman ruins of Volubilis, one of the best preserved roman sites of the world. For a long time, Volubilis was the principal roman administration center in the North Africa outside of Egypt.

Toward the end of the afternoon, we arrive in Fes, where we will still have time to see the city in its splendor, bathed in the soft light of the afternoon. We will take a short panoramic tour of the city.

For dinner, we recommend the Clock Café which always has a very original and diverse menu with original dishes such as a camel hamburger, among other Moroccan specialties that are not easily accessible. This Café also has an interesting cultural life: you can hear an ancient Moroccan tell his stories and talk about the Morocco of old, enjoy a cinema night, have a workshop of Arabic calligraphy, among others.

Day 4: Fes

We will spend the morning and part of the afternoon visiting medina de Fes, described by Paul Bowles as “an enchanted labyrinth protected from time”. You will be assigned an extra historical guide who is thoroughly familiar with this city, so that you can discover it deeply: its corners, traditions, stories and history.
The labyrinthical medina de Fes has more than 9000 streets that create a magical environment between light and shadow. It is considered as a World Heritage Site.
Fes was once the capital of Morocco, and it has Fatimid, Andalusian, Arabic and Jewish influences. The city reached its peak in the 13th century, and it became a center of knowledge, with one of the world’s oldest universities.
You will be able to visit the most important palaces, the Jewish quarters, the Madrassa (old school and university from the 13th century) and the Quranic school. Furthermore, you will visit the authentic handicraft of Fes and its work of leathers. It is possible to buy original leather products very cheaply near the place of production, where ancient methods are still used.

Day 5: Fes – Azrou – Merzouga

We will leave in the morning to visit the magical cedar forests of Azrou and Ifran, where you will be dazzled with its spectacular native nature. The atmosphere is calm, clear and rich in nature’s scents.
On our journey, we will make a brief stop in Midelt, a small town between the High and the Middle Atlas, an exceptional location to watch the exuberant mountain landscape. During our journey, you may observe monkeys and other typical animals of these forests.
After arriving in Merzouga, you can enjoy a traditional Moroccan tea as a welcome sign of affection. After that it’s time for ridding a camel through the desert for about an hour to visit some of the most beautiful oases of the desert. You will also visit the dunes of Merzouga, a UNESCO world heritage site. After that you can have an unforgettable dinner outdoors, in the desert, under a beautiful nomad tent where, in ancient times, the weddings were celebrated, and where the wedding dinner occurred. After dinner, there will be live music, and those who wish to can dance around the fire.

Day 6: Merzouga – Ramlia

After an unforgettable night, you can wake up early to the morning in the desert, and let the first light of the day show you the wide space of the desert.
For the ones who crave adventure, it is possible to do sandboard in the dunes, paragliding, or ride a 4×4 moto as an extra activity.
After breakfast, we head in the direction of the deep desert, where you will have the opportunity to meet the nomads. This is the ancient desert, still with off-road tracks. Along the way, it is possible to see small oásis and villages, cross the desert with dunes or drive freelly through plains.
After arriving in the oasis where you will be staying, you can enjoy various activities such as Moroccan cooking workshops and learning about the life in an oasis.. You will have the opportunity to meet a local family, have lunch with them and share their customs. Moroccans are an incredibly hospitable people.
In the evening after a delicious dinner enjoy the night in this magnetic and mystical place.

Day 7: Ramlia – Todra Gorges – Skoura

After an unforgettable night in the desert, and getting to know its culture, traditions and nature, you will leave for something completely different, the rocky landscape of the Gorges, the high Atlas and the green beauty of the Dadès Valley.
Explore the Todra Gorge, which is one of the most spectacular canyons in the world, towering rock cliffs that reach 600 meters high, each separated only by 10 meters, and that extend through several kilometers.

Finally reach the palm grove of Skoura, one of the rare palm trees in Morocco, with 25 kilometers square. The whispers of palm trees are powered by the sound of the breeze, the crickets, frogs, birds and the course of the water, the element of nature that creates the life of this little paradise.

Day 8: Skoura – Ait Benhaddou – Imlil

Start the day by taking a walk through Skoura.
After that, we will follow the “Route of the One Thousand Kasbahs”, until Kalaat Mgouna – The City of the Roses. A Kasbah is an ancient form of Castle, and even the word “Castle” has its origins in the word “Kasbah”.
Next, we will go to Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou, which are two locations of great historical and cultural importance in the Atlas mountains. You will feel as if you have travelled in time to see the landscape and the lives of those who dedicated themselves to trade.
Ait Benhaddou is considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is the most important ksar in the “Route of the One Thousand Kasbahs”, a route of small fortifications that allowed the caravans of trade to travel between the Sahara Desert and the city of Marrakesh. It is still inhabited and used as setting, for movies, such as “Gladiator” and “Game of Thrones”, to add authenticity.

Follow the calm and clear high Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass, going higher than 2000m of height, and where the rocky hills and scarps that remind an old western movie.

Arrive finally at the marvelous mountains of Imlil, green in Spring and Summer, covered in Autumn leaves in the Fall and with snow during the Winter, the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature.

Day 9: Imlil – Marrakech

Imlil is a typical village from the Atlas, 1760m high, where you can enjoy all the beauty and peace of the splendor of the mountains. It is the best place for those who love outdoor walks, through the mountain. These walks include a picnic on the mountain, accompanied by a guide from the Atlas.

There are several points of interest that can be visited near Imlil, like the Takerkoust Lake and the little Berbers villages from the Atlas. One of the adjoining montes is the monte Toubkal, the highest Northern-African point (4167m). You will visit this wonderful places with an experienced mountain guide who knows the best and most beautiful trekking circuits.

In the evening we will arrive in Marrakech, where we will spend the night and enjoy all the life and bustle of the city.

Day 10: Marrakech

Visit Marrakesh, the red city of Morocco and the cosmopolitan centre of the country. The surprising architecture, the intense sent of spices, the colourful and exotic atmosphere, and the small corners and secrets of its history make this city the most desired and visited city of Morocco.

During the day the best choice is to be accompanied by a tourist guide exclusively dedicated to the city of Marrakesh, so that you can enjoy the best the city has to offer.

The attractions are multiple: the Bahia Palace (opulent building from the 19th century),the Ben Youssef Medersa (old mussluman university), Majorelle’s gardens, along many more. Commerce is chaotic and it is the city’s main activity.

At night, dine at the Jemaa el Fna Square, a market under open sky, where the mixture of scents, songs and shows are engaging and where the most traditional and typical food can be tasted at Moroccan prices. Return to the Riad.

Day 11: Marrakech – Essaouira

After the excitement of Marrakesh we will leave to the fresh and artistic coastal city of Essaouira. It is one of the loveliest cities in Morocco and it is also a multicultural artistic centre that has captivated people like Jimi Hendrix, Orson Welles and Bob Marley. With a fresh ocean breeze that is permanently invading all the corners of its medina, the city of Essaouira stands out by its urban life, culture. Highlight for its gastronomy, based of fresh fish and in the use of argan oil.

Essaouira Medina was built on the 18th century and it is one of the few in the world that had in facto an architectonic planning. It was by then that the city was given the name of Essaouira, which literally means “beautifully drawn”.

Nowadays the city is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it is the favourite place of most Moroccan artists and musicians. The city is also the stage of the famous music festival Gnoa, an old spiritual art form of the North-African Islamism.

Day 12: Essaouira – Casablanca

Explore the coast/Shore of Morocco with its deserted beaches, fresh fish, marvelous food and genuine cities. Leaving Essaouira, stop in Safi, the centre of exportation of sardine and famous for its pottery; Oualidia, is a small village by the sea with a protected lagoon, and the wild Atlantic Ocean always by your side; and El Jadida, a small port city, previously controlled by Portugal, that is now World Heritage Site.

Depending on the time of departure, you may be able to visit the Cathedral of Casablanca, built by the French on the 20th century with a beautiful and rich stained glass art.

 

Additional Information

Included with your excursion

• Accommodations with breakfast during the whole trip;
• Dinners in Merzouga, Ramlia, Skoura and Imlil;
• Official guides of the cities of Fes and Marrakech, which will show you these cities privately and their richness and histories;
• One night in a traditional Berber desert camp;
• Camel trips in the desert in order to arrive at the traditional encampment;
• Private transportation in a 4×4 during the days with driver/guide that speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish and French(fuel included).

Not included in the excursion

• Drinks, other meals and snacks.