8 Day Casablanca Adventure, Imperial City, Desert and Gorges

We will pick you up in the morning from the airport or your hotel in Casablanca. We will visit the Hassan II mosque, the landmark of Casablanca which is the only mosque open for non-Muslims. Built by King Hassan II between 1987-1993, over 25 thousand worshipers can pray inside and 80 thousand worshipers outside in the big square of the mosque.

We will through Rabat, Morocco’s capital city, before continuing to Meknes. Built by Sultan Moulay Ismael in 18th century, Meknes is famous for beautiful gates, mosques and madrasas. Overnight in Meknes.

If you arrive on an early flight today there will be a chance to visit the Hassan Tower and Kabsah in Rabat.

After breakfast we will start our visit of Meknes with the granary Sahrij Swani, used to store food and water for the ‘black Army’ of Sultan Moulay Ismael. We will visit the mausoleum of the Sultan and admire its Arab-Andalusian style. We will also see the tremendous gate of Bab Mansour.

Only 30 km from Meknes we will then discover Volubilis. The archeological roman site includes remains of astonishing mosaics, hundreds of Latin inscriptions and artistic materials. Our trip for today will finish in Fes.

Breakfast in your riad, before your day of exploration in the old medina of Fez where you will visit the many hidden treasures that only the inhabitants of the place know about. Fes served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world.

Your guided tour will take you to Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the Nejjarine Fountains and the Tanneries. After lunch you will also view the exterior of the Royal Palace and walk through the famous Jewish quarter “the Mellah,” where you will have the option to visit one of the few living synagogues in Morocco. Your tour of Fes includes a short visit to the famous ceramic factory, and then you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view over the whole Medina of Fes. Overnight accommodation at your riad.

We will leave Fes travelling towards Ifrane. Situated in the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1630 meters above water level. With its broad avenues, wooden ski-style chalets and manicured gardens, this city is called ‘the Switzerland of Morocco.’

Stopping at the Cedar forest of Azrou, the largest one in Morocco, if we are lucky we will see some Barbary apes whilst taking a walk through the forest.

We will continue today along the Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. Arrive at Merzouga in the afternoon and reach the wonderful Merzouga dunes. Here, we will swap our motorized transportation for a 4-legged one to enter inside the heart of the desert. When we reach the camp, you will enjoy sunset and then dinner before spending the night in the dunes, listening to Berber music, or stargazing.

Your luxury camp has cosy tents with warm beds, private bathrooms and hot showers.

After breakfast we leave the Sahara, travelling through the Todra Valley. A beautiful valley of 15km of date palms ends up with a spectacular gorge. The course of the river has carved out a cliff-sided canyon. We will have lunch in the valley of Toudra, one of the oldest valleys in Morocco for caravan trading and where the first Moroccan money was made out of silver. You will have some free time to walk through the gorge to better appreciate the beauty of the landscape.

Next we head for the Dades Valley which has an astonishing rock formation made by millions of years of erosion. We cross the Rose Valley, the only place in Morocco where we harvest Damascus roses from which we extract products like rose water and rose oil. Overnight in Ouarzazate.

After an early breakfast in the riad, we start our journey to reach the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator, Sahara with Penélope Cruz and Game of Thrones.

After visiting the kasbah we will head to Marrakech through the Tizi n’Tchka pass. At 2.260m we can enjoy spectacular views. We will enjoy beautiful landscapes from the viewpoints along the way, before arriving to Marrakech at early evening.

Full day in Marrakech: after breakfast in the riad, you will enjoy some of Marrakech’s historical and cultural sites, including the Koutoubia Minaret; the Saadian tombs; the beautiful Palace of Bahia and the Ben Youssef Quranic School. Finally, end the morning by walking through the medina alleys -getting a chance to admire the different artisans performing their crafts before arriving at the famous Jamaa El Fna Square.

Lunch at a restaurant near the square, and then in the afternoon visit the gardens at Majorelle, and have a short tour at Gueliz -the new city of Marrakech. After dinner you will have the option to walk through the square entertained by magicians, story-tellers, tooth-pullers and food sellers. Overnight accommodation in your riad.

When you are ready you will have a transfer to the airport of Marrakech or airport of Casablanca where we end or journey. We can also arrange to take you to a different airport or location in Morocco.