12 Days Tour From Marrakech To Desert, Coast And Imperial Cities

You start a guided city tour of Marrakech after breakfast at your place of accommodation. The tour includes stops at the Koutoubia, a representative structure of Almohades art, the Museum of Marrakech (which features ceramics, pottery, and jewels), and the Palace of the Bahia, a masterpiece of Moroccan architecture with patios and gardens. Saadian tombs, where the exquisite decorations and the crossing of the tourist destination Djemaa El Fna Square will awe you. Visit the city's outskirts in the afternoon, including the tower walls, the olive tree-planted Garden of Menara, the French painter Jacques Majorelle's botanical garden, Medersa Ben Youssef, the crown jewel of Arab-Andalusian architecture, and Majorelle Garden. Spend the night with breakfast at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

We take you west of Marrakech after you have breakfast at your place of accommodation. You will pause along the way to soak in the scenery and snap pictures, including to watch the goats scale the Argan trees. You can visit one of the many Berber women's cooperatives that produce Argan oil if you'd like. This multipurpose oil is well-known for its applications in both cooking and cosmetics. On a scenic walking tour of the ancient city, learn the fundamentals of Essaouira's history while admiring the beach town's characteristic rhythm and blue-and-white architecture. In addition to seeing other quaint locations like the old Jewish quarter and the jeweler's district, the UNESCO-listed Medina is teeming with stores owned by artists and craftspeople. After the tour, you can spend the remainder of the day exploring on your own. You can visit the historic Portuguese fortification of Sekkala or go down to the water to watch the fishermen bring in their haul. You can also eat a fish lunch near the port or at a local restaurant. Spend the night with breakfast at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

You will be driven through the TiziN'Tichka (2260 m) after breakfast at your place of accommodation. We will stop briefly along the way to see various points of interest. Stop for lunch at the Pass of Tichka before continuing on to the Kasbah of Telout, which is only 40 kilometers from Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. This Kasbah was once the route taken by caravans traveling from the Sahara across the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, and it was the seat of the El Glaoui family's power after King Moulay Hassan granted them political authority in Morocco south of the High Atlas Mountains. The palace is still open for tours, although it is gradually deteriorating and falling apart. The Glaouis were nearly as powerful as the sultan himself. The property was undergoing restoration in 2010. We take a car to Ait Ben Haddou hamlet. Explore the unique Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend the night with breakfast and dinner at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

Following breakfast at your accommodation, we will travel to Ouarzazate, where you will see some of the city's tourist attractions, such as the Kasbah of Taourirt, which was constructed in the early 20th century by the Glaoui dynasty. A third of this rammed-earth residential castle has been made accessible to the public for tours. It is still in excellent condition. Film studios that produced internationally acclaimed films are another reason for Ouarzazate's fame. The Cinema Museum in the heart of Ouarzazate is another amazing sight. Since it is directly across from the stunning Kasbah Taourirt, it is simple to combine a visit to both sites. Exhibited here are statues, decorations, costumes, film equipment, and other items from past motion picture productions. We travel through Boumalne du Dades, El-KelaaM'Gouna, and Skoura on our way to Toudgha after lunch. While driving, take in the sights of the Skoura oasis, Rose Valley, and the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. We will make a few quick stops along the route to see interesting locations before reaching the Toudgha Gorges. Spend the night with breakfast and dinner at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

Following breakfast at your place of accommodation, we will travel via the Toudra Valley to the Merzouga desert. After taking some breathtaking pictures of the vast canyon in the Gorges of Dades, we'll go to the settlement of Todra. We will visit Erfoud, the city of fossils and dates, after touring the Todra Gorges. We will have lunch there before continuing on to the Merzouga desert. Visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty of Morocco, which is situated on the town's southern boundary after crossing the village of Rissani. A camel ride takes approximately one and a half hours to get to the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga. There, you can see the most spectacular sunset over the dunes, listen to music and folklore at night in a Saharan desert camp, and spend the night with breakfast and dinner in a Saharan desert Beber tent at the heart of the dunes.

NB: If you book a luxury tour, then you will have breakfast and shower at the desert camp; otherwise, the breakfast and the shower will be at the hotel after your camel rides back in the morning.

You can enjoy the sunrise over the Erg Chebbi desert dunes as you wake up early, eat a traditional breakfast in the desert camp, ride your camels, and then return to your hotel in Merzouga village. From there, you will meet the driver to begin a new exploratory journey towards Fes, Morocco's eldest imperial city. You will drive to Errachidia, passing through Erfoud, stopping at the Oasis de Aoufous (located in the palm grove of Ziz, providing a panoramic view of the oasis for photographers), and then continue on to Errachidia, stopping at the Dam, which offers visitors stunning panoramic views due to its blue/green water and ocher-colored mountains. Proceed across the Middle Altas and pass the 1,907-meter-high Pass of Tizi N'talghom. We arrive in Midelt, the Moroccan capital of apples, and after a typical lunch, we drive to the village of Azrou, where you can see an 800-year-old tree called Cedre Gouraud and observe the monkeys (Barbary apes) in the Middle Atlas' cedar forest. From there, we'll travel to Ifran, also known as the Switzerland of Morocco, which is situated in a mountainous region at a height of 1713 meters. Nearby is the Ifrane National Park, which is characterized by its statue of the lion, one of the animals that once called it. From Ifran, we drive you directly to Fes. Around 6 or 7 PM, you arrive in the imperial city. This desert excursion concludes with a drop-off at your Fes lodging. Spend the night with breakfast and dinner at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

Following breakfast at your place of accommodation, you go on a guided Fes city tour. With its many mosques, Medersas, walls and ramparts, fortified gateways, mausoleums, palaces, and squares, this thousand-year-old city is a cultural and spiritual hub that makes it easy to get lost in its past. A guided tour of the Andalusian districts, the Moulay Idriss zaouïa, the Marinids necropolis, the El Attarin Madrassah, and the magnificent Karaouyine will provide you the points of reference you need to examine the city of Fassie's religious and cultural heritage. With your guide, have lunch at a Moroccan restaurant. The atmosphere of the souks makes Fez a haunting city as well! Allow your senses to carry you away as you lose yourself in the vibrant, boisterous maze with delicate or delicious scents. To learn all the traditional secrets of eastern beauty, don't miss the henna souk. Explore the souk el-Attarine, a spectacular concentration of all the hues and fragrances of spices, for a feast for the senses. Go up the terraces of the leather goods businesses to get a panoramic view of the multicolored dye pools that are so beautiful and to get away from the lingering smells of the tanners' district. Overnight and accommodation in a hotel, riad, or guest house with breakfast.

Following breakfast at your place of accommodation, we will travel to Meknes, one of the imperial cities and the capital of the Ismailis. The royal stables, the granary, the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, Bab Al-Mansour, and the Sahrij Souani basin will all be visited. Lunch time is free. We then make the 30-kilometer drive from Meknes to the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. Because UNESCO has designated it a World Heritage Site, it has been well preserved. It features old pillars and archways, as well as numerous exquisite mosaics strewn throughout. After exploring the ruins, we travel north through Ouazzane to Chefchaouen, which is in the Rif Mountains and is referred to as the "Blue City" due to its blue-painted alleyways and buildings. Overnight and accommodation in a hotel, riad, or guest house with breakfast.

Following breakfast at your place of accommodation, you go on a guided tour of Chefchaouen's downtown. The full day is yours to stroll and discover the Medina. From the town's history to its hidden treasures, there is a lot to see and learn. Take in the stunning blue walls that have made this city well-known. Enjoy a walking tour with your knowledgeable guide through the Medina's charming small streets. You visit neighborhood stores and cafes and take in Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the major square. The Great Mosque, the Kasbah Museum, and the Ethnographic Museum—which features old weapons, musical instruments, and Old City photos—are good places to learn about culture. The Ras Elma River, which flows through the ancient town, is another place you can stop. Spend the night with breakfast at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

Following breakfast at your place of accommodation, we will travel to Rabat, the Kingdom's administrative capital, stopping occasionally to see interesting sites along the road. Explore the Royal Palace, the Hassan Tower, Rabat's most well-known landmark and a representation of the Almohad dynasty, and the opulent Mohamed V Mausoleum, which is embellished with marble, carved cedar, a gilded bronze chandelier, and white onyx. We travel to Casablanca in the evening, and if we have time, we explore Morocco's commercial hub, which includes Anfa, the location of the United Nations, and the road that connects the sky, earth, and sea. Hassan II Mosque. Spend the night with breakfast at a hotel, riad, or guest house.

Direct Transfer from your place of accommodation to the Casablanca airport in a modern, comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle according to flight schedules. Assistance with the return flight's check-in procedures. The tour program comes to an end.

NB: The price of this extended tour depends on the number of travelers in the group; please fill out the booking form to get the pricing. We can customize everything for you on this tour according to your needs, budget, timing, and preferences; just write us what you are looking for.