6 DAY TOUR OF THE DESERT OF MOROCCO FROM CASABLANCA

Details of the program for the 6-day Morocco desert tour from Casablanca to Marrakech:

Day 1 – Casablanca – Rabat – Fes

6-Day Tour of the Desert of Morocco Welcome to Morocco! Upon your arrival in Casablanca, your guide will receive you and start your tour. Once you leave the city, the trip to Fez will take about five hours. If you arrive earlier, we can include a visit to the Hassan II Mosque. Along the Atlantic coast, we head north to the imperial city and capital Rabat, where we can stop for lunch if you wish. Continuing the journey, we will arrive at wooded hills and lakes that will bring us closer to the intellectual capital of Fez. You will spend the night in a typical hotel or in a traditional riad.

Day 2 - Fez with local guide

This morning, after breakfast in your riad, you will start your tour of the city 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 at the beginning of the 14th century by the Merinids, the Karaouin/Karaouin Mosque and the University (former centre of Islamic education), 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. Then visit the souks (local markets) where traders 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 to the large cedar forests with their mountain villages of Ifran and Azrou. In the woods, you will surely see the macaque monkeys that live here. Midelt is known as the apple capital, as many varieties of apples are grown here. This is the place to have lunch. From here the landscape changes several times as you pass large rivers, mountains and palm groves. The Ziz valley is a breathtaking view. The next stop is at the fossil and mineral laboratory in Erfoud. Many fossils and even dinosaur bones have been found in this area. You will notice that the colors change and soon you will see the dunes in the distance. Upon arrival at the dunes of Merzouga, a cup of mint tea awaits you in your tent. Relax and enjoy the weather, walk and enjoy the silence of the desert.

Day 4 - Merzouga - paseo en camello - noche en el desierto

After breakfast, you will embark on a fascinating journey through the desert to explore oases, mines and nomads and visit the city of Hamliya where you will listen to the special music of the Gnawa. In the afternoon you will meet your camel team and get ready to cross the dunes. You will spend the night in a nomadic camp with dinner and music by the fire. It is an unforgettable experience, and the light of the stars will be just amazing.

Day 5 - Merzouga - Rissani - Todra Gorges - Dades Gorges

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

Day 6 - Dades Gorges - Valley of the Roses - Ouarzazate - Marrakech

After breakfast, visit the amazing rock formations and kasbahs hidden in this gorge. Back in the Dades Valley, we continue our journey passing by the numerous 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 capital of cinema. Here you will find several movie studios where films like Cleopatra were shot. Continue to the famous Ksar Ait Ben Haddou, which was used in particular for filming Gladiator. Here you can take a break to visit it and have lunch. In the afternoon we cross the High Atlas mountains with its Berber villages and farms on the slopes and rivers that were born in their place. We cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m and return to Marrakech by road in the afternoon. End of the 6-day tour through the Moroccan desert.