Experience the real Morocco - 9-day trip

Itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca Arrival, Visit the Hassan II Mosque and for those interested Heritage Sites 

(Driving time: 5 hours) 

Casablanca Arrival. Start your visit in Casablanca at the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world that stands besides the sea and boasts stunning views along with breathtaking arches and zellij tiled walls, floors and fountains. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 meters. It is an enormous architectural masterpiece and the second largest religious building in the world.

Day 2: Fes Guided Historical Tour: Architecture, Mosques, Gardens, Souks

Visit the Merenid Tombs of Fes. Next, stop at the Musée des Armes located in an old fortress. On display are 8,000 pieces of artillery from Makina, the arsenal built by Moulay Hassan I. Enter the Fes el-Bali through the symmetrical horseshoe arches at Bab Boujeloud, the Blue Gate.

Upon entering Rue Talaa Kebira, the main street in the medina, you will see lines of shops covered by canopies. Make your way to the University of al-Karaouine, the oldest continually operating university in the world. Then, visit Dar el-Magana, a 14th century water clock and Zaouia el Tijaniya, the shrine and tomb of Ahmed el Tijani. Stop to visit the Ech Cherabliyine Mosque, Mosque of the Slipper-Makers, then browse the souks selling henna, slippers, caftans, silks, jewelry, and spices.

Tour the Najjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts housed in a beautifully restored foundouk, an ancient style of hotel for merchants. Stop for lunch within the medina at one of the fine Moroccan palace-style restaurants that serves an extravaganza of mezzes for lunch. After lunch, visit the Musée Dar el-Batha to view the impressive collections of pottery, leatherwork, woodwork, books, and manuscripts from the nineteenth century.

Next, enter Bab el Ftouh, the Gateway of the Aperture, to explore the Andalusian quarter, a residential part of the medina laced with monuments. Stroll through the Fès el Jedid, a Kasbah that functioned as Morocco’s administrative center until 1912. Explore the royal palace and many interesting neighborhoods, including the Moulay Abdalllah Quarter, the Jewish Mellah, and the Ville Nouvelle.

Visit Medrasa Bou Inania, an Islamic school founded by Abu Inan Faris that is beautifully decorated from floor to ceiling. Visit University of al-Karaouine. Founded in 859, this university is one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world, and is considered the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.

Visit the Chourara, or the Tanner’s Quarters, one of the most lively and picturesque souks in Fes. Located near the Wadi Fès and far from residential areas due to the tannery smell. See the wide array of local leatherwork, a proud tradition of Fes.

Visit the Dyers Souk, a dyers market, located along Rue de Centuries, is the best place to see the dying vats which have been used for centuries to dye cloth and sheep, goat, cow, and camel leather. You will see many tanned hides colored with natural pigments of all shades and hues. Overnight at Riad & Hotel in Fes. 

Day 3: Fes Departure to Ifrane, Azro, Erfoud and onwards to the Merzouga Shara Desert 

(Driving Time: 8 1/2 Hours)

En route stop in Ifrane for Pastries. Continue the road to Erfoud. Sunset Camel Trek into the Moroccan Sahara Desert.and 1001 Arabian Nights Dinner. Overnight at a Luxury Desert Camp in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga. 

Day 4: Merzouga Departure - Visit the Sahara Desert Town of Rissani - the Berber Village of Ait Ouzzine and Nkob 

(Driving Time: 4 Hours)

Take the road to the town of Rissani. Visit the local souk and eat Madfouna food. Madfouna is the local stuffed pizza indigenous of the Sahara region. Continue the road via Alnif to Ait Ouzzine. Overnight in a Kasbah Hotel in Nkob.

Day 5: A Day of Bread Baking with the Berbers. Learn how Bourafin is made on Volcanic Rock in the Moutnains, then drive to Ouarzazate, passing the Draa Valley and the Old Road of the Carvans 

(Driving Time: 2 1/2 Hours)

Visit Ait Ouzzine, a traditional Ait Atta Village nestiled in the Jebel Saghro and Atlas Mountains. Morning tea and greet the family. Then take the road into the mountains. Participate and learn how to make Bourafain, a traditional bread of the Berbers made in the mountains with volcanic rock. Bourafin consists of dough, secret spices, herbs and animal fat that is stuffed and combined into a bread that raises high and wide.

Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani. Meet a local Berber family, partake in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread and a tajine. Explore and tour the village by foot. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, live stock, and henna plants. Explore the village. Henna Party with the Berbers. Take the road to Ouarzazate. Overnight in Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate with Atlas Mountain Views.

Day 6: Ouarzazate Departure to UNESCO Ait Benhaddou Ksar, Visit Kasbah Telouet and the Villages of Telouet, then take the Ounilla Valley or Tizzn' Tichka Pass to Marrakech 

(Driving Time: 5 1/2 Hours)

Visit the Oasis of Fint, then take the road to visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah and Kasbah Telouet. Continue the road to Marrakech. En route stop at an Argan Cooperative. Tasting of Argan oil and Amlou. Lesson on how Amlous is made. Lunch in a local restaurant with cuisine made with Argan oil. Overnight at Riad or Hotel in Marrakech. 

Day 7: Marrakech Guided Historical Tour: Explore the Yves Saint Laurent Gardens, the Bahia Palace, Koutoubia Mosque & Gardens, Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Medersa

Start the day with a visit of the Yves Saint Laurent Majorelle Gardens, then explore Marrakech’s most important sites – the Bahia Palaces, Ben Youssef Medersa, Saadian Tombs. Mid-day discovery at the Koutoubia Mosque and its gardens. Shop the souks of Marrakech. Explore Souk Semmarine and enjoy the Djemaa El Fna Square at dusk. Before heading back to your Riad, go on a food tasting walk of the famous Djemaa. Exotic eats of snail soup, sheep’s heads and more. Taste or watch. It’s all a food experience.

 Overnight at Riad or Hotel in Marrakech in Marrakech. 

Day 8: Mararkech Day at Leisure: Options: Excursion to the High Atlas Toubkal or the Ourika Valley

Option #1: Excursion to High Atlas

Head south toward Imlil. Imlil is a small, peaceful village in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco that has become the center of mountaineering in the area. At 1740 m above sea level, Imlil sits just below Djebel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. En route, your driver will take you on a small tour of the village that h is fertile in spring and summer with waterfalls surrounded by greenery. Explore the small shops selling Berber silver jewelry and local Moroccan goods. Travel a winding road and then take a short hike downhill to Kasbah Toubkal. Enjoy lunch and tea on the terrace with breathtaking views of Toubkal and the surrounding kasbahs. Return to Marrakesh.

Option #2: Excursion to the Ourika Valley

Travel by 4×4 to visit the Souk Tnine de L’ourika, the gateway to the pleasant Ourika Valley. The roadsides are filled with gardens, palm tree plantations, and fruit orchards. Pass tiny hamlets, summer homes, cafes, and restaurants. Lunch in a traditional auberge, or take a picnic in a meadow facing the snow capped mountain overlooking the Ourika River. Moving through the valley we will visit Setti Fatma’s Waterfalls, a favorite weekend resort of many Moroccans appreciated for its beautiful streams and waterfalls. We will visit the famous tomb of Setti Fatima. Enjoy views of high green terraces, Atlas peaks, and villages in the rocky foothills from the seven waterfalls that surround the village. Trek along the pretty trails and, if you seek adventure, climb the walls to see rock carvings. Lunch near the Setti Fatma Cascades in a traditional Moroccan restaurant.

Overnight at Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

Day 9: Marrakech Departure to Casblanca 

(Driving Time: 3 Hours)

Departure from Marrakech’s Menara Airport or Casablanaca.