10-DAY TOUR OF MOROCCO’S DESERT AND ROYAL CITIES 

Details of the 10-day Imperial Cities tour program in Morocco:

Day 1 – Casablanca Med V Airport – Transfer to (hotel)

Upon arrival in Casablanca, the country’s largest city, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This depends on your arrival time.

Day 2 – Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen

Today we depart Casablanca for Rabat, the administrative capital of Morocco. In Rabat, we will visit the magnificent Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Hassan Tower, and the Kasbah of Oudaya. In the afternoon we will arrive in Chefchaouen where we will stay overnight in a local riad/hotel.

Day 3 – Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez

Today we will continue our visit to Casablanca and travel to Fez, where we will visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay Idriss I, where the founder of Islam in Morocco is buried. Self-catering lunch and departure for Meknes, the «Moroccan Versailles» built in the late 17th century. We will visit Bab Mansour, Hari Souani, and the old Medina. We will then continue to Fez and stay overnight in a riad/hotel in Fez.

Day 4 – Walking tour in Fez

On day four we explore Fez, the oldest cultural and spiritual imperial city in Morocco, founded in 790 BC. Moulay Idriss II. Highlights include the medieval medina, the madrasas (Islamic university), the El Karaouin Mosque, and the magnificent Nejarin Fountain. After a self-guided lunch, visit Casa Arabe, where you can observe the work of various artisans reminiscent of ancient customs. Overnight in one of the riads in Fez.

Day 5 – Fez – Azrou – Midelt – Rissani – Merzouga

After breakfast, proceed to Merzouga through the Middle Atlas mountain region. Stop in Azrou to observe barbaric macaques and nomadic shepherds on a scenic drive through the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. Lunch in Midelt, known for its artisan cooperatives and important mining center. Continue to the Ziz River through a series of fortified villages of Chara and Rissani, arriving at Merzouga and checking into the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel/riad in the Merzouga desert (traditional Moroccan house).

Day 6 – Merzouga, camel ride, and overnight in a camp

Today our private tour of Morocco continues to Morocco’s most spectacular dunes, located in the beautiful Merzouga Desert. Listen to a spiritual Gnahoua music show. We will visit a nomadic tent and share real moments, go to natural fossil animals in the cliffs, and visit the sacred town of Rissani, the place where the ancestors of the Alawite dynasty are buried in the Moulay Ali Sherif Mausoleum, with its authentic souk – market and Berber pizza for lunch. Afterward, we have time for a walk through the desert dunes before sunset. Dinner is followed by a show with traditional music and an overnight stay in a private nomadic tent in an oasis in the middle of the Erg Chebbi dunes.

Day 7 – Merzuga – Todga Gorge – Dades Gorge

Today we will rise early to welcome the sunrise. Here you will be able to admire the spectacular sand dunes changing color and reflecting light. Afterward, you will take a 1-2 hour camel ride through the beautiful sand dunes of Merzouga. After returning to the hotel and breakfast, you will drive through the oases of Ziz and Tindad to the Dades Valley, a road full of magnificent kasbahs and palm groves. After lunch, visit Todga Gorge with its spectacular bare cliffs. Continue on to Bumalen Dades through a series of spectacular twists and turns. Dinner and overnight stay at Dades Gorge.

Day 8 – Dades Gorge – Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech

After breakfast, we continue our private tour of Morocco from Casablanca and drive to Ouarzazate, the «Hollywood of Morocco», via the Valley of the Roses and the Ouazes of Skoura. In Ouarzazate, we will visit the kasbah of Taurirt, which was originally the residence of the Pasha of Marrakech and a symbol of the feudal era of the Atlas Lords. Lunch at Ait Benhaddou, a World Heritage site (this famous kasbah has served as the setting for over 20 films). Continue to Marrakech via the port of Tizi n’Tichka. Arrival in Marrakech late afternoon and accommodation in a riad (traditional Moroccan house) / hotel.

Day 9 – Marrakech city tour

Today is devoted to a visit to Marrakech, the second oldest royal city, known as the «Pearl of the South», home to the Saadid tombs, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, and the Menara Gardens. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon we explore the bazaars and the famous Jemaa El Fna Square where various entertainers perform: storytellers, acrobats, snake charmers, magicians, etc.

Day 10 – Transfer from Marrakech to Casablanca

Arrive in Casablanca and drop off at the airport.