14 Days in Morocco from Casablanca

Its arrival day for your two week trip in Morocco. The day you have been counting down to. Your driver will meet you outside the terminal building in Casablanca and take you to your accommodations for the night.

Because we offer custom tours, designed for your specific needs, the plan for today is left open and we will finalize it when you book. If you arrive early in the day we can set out a plan of exploring the medina in Casablanca and possibly catch a tour of Hassan II mosque if time permits.

Leave Casablanca after breakfast and drive north to the capital city of Rabat where you will enjoy a few hours of the highlights. Visit the Chellah, Mohamed V Mausoleum, Hassan II tower and the Kasbah of Udayas.

Then head to Meknes, one of our Imperial Cities and site of the beautiful Royal Palace and stables. Enjoy lunch in the Medina (try camel meat if you like!) and then off to Volubilis. This is the site of Roman Ruins dating back centuries and surprisingly large. Here you will have a local guide to show you the site.

After your visit just relax and watch the scenery as you travel into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen.

After your morning walk to the river to see the traditional women of the Rif Mountains working on their chores, wander through the blue medina in the day light and marvel at the colours and sights. Visit a weaver at work, get lost in the under named alleys and enjoy a espresso in the main square before boarding your transport to Fes.

Today you will meet your local city guide and enjoy a day tour of the medina and surrounding area.

Marvel at the carved brass gates at the Royal Palace, walk through the Jewish quarter, meander the narrow busy streets of the Medina. Stop for demonstrations by weavers, carpet knotting, brass hammering and tile and pottery making.

Visit the famous tanneries, a UNESCO site and famous for its natural dying methods dating back centuries. You will stop for lunch along the way and return to your riad dazzled by the sights and sounds.

In the afternoon you will have free time to try a traditional hamman, do some shopping or just relax at a rooftop cafe and take in the Moroccan air.

Today you will leave the city of Fes and the north of Morocco and travel south to the Sahara Desert. You will notice an incredible change in landscape along the way, and by the end of the day, you can reflect on the vast difference between the north of Morocco and the south. First you will pass Ifrane, the 3rd cleanest city in the world, home of the best university in Morocco, Al Akhawayn, and city known as “the Switzerland of Morocco”.

Through the cedar forest and a national park keep your eyes open for a chance to see Barbary apes (Macaque) and Berber horses. You will pass by beautiful pastures and nomad houses that give way to increasingly high mountain peaks and deep valleys. You will come upon Midelt and its vast collection of fossils at lunch time and then continue on through the Atlas Mountains.

Travelling along the Ziz Valley you will see the Tafilalt Oasis which is the largest palm grove in Morocco before heading into the flatter and stonier plaines leading up to the desert. After a stop for tea, you will board your camels for a camel trek into the desert where you will enjoy the evening at a camp with dinner prepared for you by nomads.

Today you will leave your Sahara camp and travel along a spectacular route called “The Valley of 1,000 Kasbah’s ”, where there are literally thousands of kasbahs, some in ruins and some still in use. Heading through Erfoud, the date capital of Morocco, towards Tinejdad, and the landscape is still very dry. You will see mounds of the old irrigation system called “khettaras”.

The Todgha Gorge is a trench of gigantic rock walls run through the High Atlas Mountains creating an absolutely magnificent sight. The Gorge is breathtaking and easy hike by foot with many places to stop for photos along its well-maintained dirt track.

During the drive there are thick palm groves and Berber villages. What ever direction you begin your journey the route that brings you to the Todgha Gorge should taken slowly as it is truly remarkable.

Once you arrive to the gorge, you will be eager to explore it. In recent years, the Todra Gorge has attracted a lot of attention from serious climbers. The rock formations vary between 25 to 300 m and there are over 150 routes to explore.

First stop is Dades Gorge for a photo from the top of this amazing slit in the mountains. Then you will continue on to the thriving town of Ouarzazate for a lunch stop. This town is home to Atlas Film Studios, where many films have been shot over the years, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. Also an important city historically, and the biggest city in the south.

Continue on to the fascinating and beautiful Aït Ben Haddou, one of the best example of a working kasbah.

A UNESCO World Heritage site and the active home of 5 or 6 Berber families who still live in the Kasbah, you will have an opportunity to wander the streets of this ancient city, viewing the arid river bed as well as the stunning views from atop.

Stay in a local riad and be sure to check on the kasbah from your rooftop breakfast spot to be sure its still there.

Today you will head up and over the High Atlas Mountains.

This is one of the most beautiful drives there is in Morocco. Up to the top of the highest pass at Tizi n’ Tichka at 2260 m and down the windy roads into the lush valley of Ouirgane about 90 minutes outside of Marrakech.

Stay at a traditional Berber hotel with a pool and dining facilities. Enjoy a hike in the nearby valley or just recline by the pool. The views from the rooftop terrace are fantastic. A valley filled to overflowing with all that nature has to offer.

Spend the day in the Ouirgane Valley at leisure. If you would like to enjoy a hike we can arrange for a local guide to lead you for the morning, the afternoon or the full day. Enjoy a picnic lunch packed by the hotel or visit a local Berber Village on your hike for lunch freshly prepared there.

Bypassing Marrakech today you will make your way west to the Portuguese fishing village at Essaouria.

Enjoy the quiet Medina filled with artists and musicians. Tour the working fishing port and select lunch straight off the boat to be prepared on a nearby grill and walk for miles along the beach.

Don’t miss the sunset, a big draw for locals and visitors alike.

Enjoy a local guide for a tour of the medina this morning. Explore the ramparts and learn about the amazing history of this inclusive and laid back little village.

Take some time to enjoy a pastry and coffee or do some shopping in the medina and discover new shops with locally made products. Meet artists who make a life in Essaouria and listen to the musicians jamming in the square.

After a morning at leisure, make your way to Marrakech for your final stop on your Moroccan odessey.

Settle in to your riad or hotel, and join us in the square for dinner at one of the famous food stalls for some excellent, locally sourced traditional Moroccan food.

View the chaos and activity, stroll the square after dinner and see what all the fuss is about. A truly remarkable and must-do evening.

This morning a local guide will whisk you off for a tour of the history and sights of Marrakech. Visit the Mellah, the Saadian tombs, Bahia Palace and the souks. Get an understanding of how Marrakech has grown (or not) over the centuries and get a feel for the medina here which is one of the most famous in the world.

Your guide will leave you in the square where you can enjoy lunch. In the afternoon choose from a number of things for your free time, whether its a trip to the YVL gardens at Jardin Majorelle, a visit to the hammam or time spent shopping for last minute items, your time in Marrakech will certainly be memorable.

Today we will deliver you back to the airport in Marrakech or Casablanca for your out bound flight.

B’slama