6-DAY MOROCCO DESERT TOUR FROM CASABLANCA TO MARRAKECH

Program details for the 6-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech:

Day 1 – Casablanca – Rabat – Fes

Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival in Casablanca, you will be met by your guide and your tour will begin. Once you leave the city, the journey to Fes will take about five hours. If you arrive earlier, we can include a visit to the Mosque of Hassan II. Along the Atlantic coast, we drive north to the imperial city and capital Rabat, where we can stop for lunch if you wish. Continuing the journey, we will reach wooded hills and lakes that bring us closer to the intellectual capital city of Fes. You will stay overnight in a typical hotel or a traditional Riad.

Day 2 – Fez with a local guide

This morning, after breakfast in your riad, you will start your city tour with a local guide. This guide will give you more information about the city and its attractions. You will explore the medina (old town) on foot. You will visit the medinas of Buanania and Attarin, built in the early 14th century by the Marinids, the Mosque of Karaouin/Karaouin and the University (a former Islamic education center), and the marble fountain of Nejarin. Lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant. Continuing the tour, you will see the ornate Bab Boujeloud Gate, medieval tanneries, and the royal palace. You will then visit the souks (local markets) where merchants and artisans sell their handmade jewelry, leather goods, copper objects, and ceramics. After visiting the market, you will be transferred back to your riad.

Day 3 – Fez – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Erfoud – Merzouga

From Fez, head towards the large cedar forests with their mountain villages of Ifran and Azrou. In the forests, you are sure to see the macaque monkeys that live here. Midelt is called the apple capital as many varieties of apples are grown here. This is the place to have lunch. From here the scenery changes several times as you pass large rivers, mountains, and palm groves. The Ziz valley is an impressive sight. The next stop is at the fossil and mineral laboratory at Erfoud. Many fossils and even dinosaur bones have been found in this area. You will notice that the colors change and you will soon see the dunes in the distance. On arrival at the Merzouga Dunes, a cup of mint tea awaits you in your tent. Relax and enjoy the weather, walk around, and enjoy the silence of the desert.

Day 4 – Merzouga – camel ride – overnight in the desert

After breakfast, you will embark on a fascinating journey through the desert to explore oases, mines, and nomads and visit the town of Hamliya, where you will hear the special music of the Gnawa. In the afternoon you will meet your camel team and prepare to cross the dunes. You will spend the night in a nomadic camp with dinner and music by the fire. It’s an unforgettable experience, and by starlight, it will be simply incredible.

Day 5 – Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Gorge

To make sure you don’t miss the sunrise in the desert, get up early: it’s a magical sight to behold. Leaving the desert behind, we will make our first stop in the market town of Rissani, where you can visit the colorful bazaars. The nearby ruined town of Sijilmassa was an important part of the region’s history. We head west to Tinejad and Tingira, through palm groves and mud-brick villages. From here we head up into the mountains to admire one of nature’s wonders, the Todra Gorge, a 300-meter rift at the foot of which flows a crystal-clear river that cuts through the mountain in this gorge. Back in the valley, you will continue on to the Dades Gorge and reach another incredible wonder: the Dades Gorge. Here you will spend the night in a local guesthouse with dinner and breakfast.

Day 6 – Dades Gorge – Rose Valley – Ouarzazate – Marrakech

After breakfast, visit the incredible rock formations and kasbahs hidden in this gorge. Back in the Dades Valley, we continue our journey past the many clay kasbahs and the Valley of the Roses, where the Damascus Rose grows and its flowers are used to make various products. We leave the valley and drive through the old palm grove of Skoura with its impressive kasbahs to Ouarzazate, the film capital. Here you’ll find several film studios where films such as Cleopatra were shot. Continue on to the famous Ksar Ait Ben Hadd, which was used in particular for the filming of Gladiator. Here you can take a break to visit it and have lunch. In the afternoon we cross the High Atlas Mountains with their Berber villages and farms on the slopes and the rivers that originated in their place. We cross the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260m and return to Marrakech by road in the evening.