Morocco and Sahara Tour | See the Imperial Cities
Morocco and Sahara Tour – Your journey into the heart of Moroccan culture begins in Casablanca, from there you will travel to Meknes and witness the beautiful gate of the Victorius Renegade.
Day 2 will see you exploring Fes, the thousand-year-old city featuring stunning architecture, busy streets, and traditional Moroccan crafts… all waiting to be discovered.
The next day you will travel through the heart of the Middle Atlas region and take in the unforgettable landscape.
Next, you will cross the breathtaking Talghoumt Pass to the desert and find a hidden oasis. You will get a chance to ride a camel and explore desert villages and spend a night in a Bedouin camp experiencing the deep silence of the desert.
Day 5 takes you to a fossil town and on to Dades Valley… cliffs, impressive rock formations, and local nomads. You will visit the Valley of the Roses and the most famous Kasbah in all of Morocco. Then onto a night in a Berber village where you will encounter snake charmers and fortune tellers. Your tour will finish with a full day to discover the wonders of Marrakesh. Perfect.
Day 1
Casablanca – Meknes – Fes
You will be met at Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport and then head towards the Imperial city of Meknes. There you will see Bab Mansour el-Aleuj (Gate of the Victorius Renegade) said to be the finest gate in Meknes or even Morocco. Your visit along the medina ramparts will include the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail as well as Heri-es-Souani and the Bassin de l’Ageudal. We then set off for Fes, where you will stay overnight in a riad.
Day 2
Fes sightseeing
You will spend most of the day with a local guide exploring the attractions of Fes, which was founded 1,000 years ago by the second Moulay Idriss. Your tour starts from the Royal Palace gate and takes you through the narrow streets of the medina to the Jewish Quarter and the Tanneries. This tour highlights all the sites with cultural and historical interest including the Bou Inania Medersa and the Karaouiyine Mosque. Next, you will visit the ceramics cooperative to see traditional Moroccan crafts. In the afternoon we will take you to admire the panoramic view over the medina and visit the new city to experience modern Fes.
Overnight in your riad.
Day 3
Fes – Ifrane – Cedar Forest – Ziz Valley – Merzouga
After breakfast, we leave Fes and travel through the heart of the Middle Atlas Mountains. We will drive through Ifrane, known as “Little Switzerland” due to its likeness to a Swiss Alpine resort. We travel on to the Cedar Forest – the largest in Morocco – where you may see the Barbary apes that live here. After lunch we cross the Atlas Mountains through the Talghoumt Pass where you may see some nomadic shepherds with their flocks. Before arriving at your hotel/riad in the desert area of Merzouga we stop for an impressive view of the hidden oases of the region.
Overnight in a hotel or riad.
Day 4
Merzouga region / camel ride into the Sahara
Today you will explore some of the Merzouga villages before your camel ride. After breakfast we will take a short drive to Dayet Srji, a small lake which has a large and diverse bird population. From there we will visit the village of Khamlia to experience the music and life of the Gnaoua, descended from slaves brought to Morocco from Mali, Mauritania, Guinea, and Ghana. If it is a market day we will drive to Rissini for a traditional pizza or alternatively meet nomads in the Hamada “black desert” and take tea in their tent. You will learn about the culture and local environment and experience a little more of the real Morocco. Arriving later at Erg Chebbi, you will meet your camel guide who will take you across the sand dunes to a Bedouin camp where you will spend the night experiencing the immensity and silence of the desert.
Day 5
Sahara – Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley
After experiencing a beautiful sunrise in the desert you will camel trek back to your hotel for breakfast and a shower. We then set off for Erfoud – fossil town. Here you will see stalls selling crystals and semi-precious stones as well as fossils. The workshop Usine de Marmar is open to visitors. We then travel through Todra Gorge, a narrow corridor with sheer cliffs 300m (985ft) high rising up dramatically on each side. These are the most impressive cliffs in southern Morocco and they are well known to experienced mountaineers. You will have lunch before continuing to the Dades Valley where you will see some impressive rock formations known by locals as “monkey toes” as well as interesting mud Kasbahs.
Overnight in a hotel or riad overlooking the Dades Valley.
Day 6
Dades Valley – Skoura Oasis – Ouarzazate – Marrakesh
Today we travel to the Valley of the Roses. You will encounter the local nomads, some of whom still live in caves and tents. At El-Kelaa M’Gouna up to 4000 tonnes of rose petals are picked every spring to be processed into rosewater or exported for the perfume industry. The Rose Festival is held here in May. We then travel to the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, probably the most celebrated, filmed and photographed Kasbah in Morocco. Featured in numerous films (including Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky and Gladiator) it is the best-preserved Kasbah in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We cross the Atlas Mountains by the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass which at an altitude of 2260m (7417ft) is the highest pass in Morocco. You will enjoy amazing views of this fascinating landscape and Berber villages. Arriving at Marrakesh you will stay overnight in a riad near the famous Jemma el Fna square with its snake charmers, singers, teeth pullers, and fortune tellers.
Day 7
Marrakesh Sightseeing Day
In the morning your local guide will take you to see the historic sites of Marrakesh including the Koutoubia Mosque, Jemma el Fna square, the souks of the Medina, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and the famous Ben Youssef Medersa. In the afternoon your private driver/guide will take you to visit the Majorelle and Menara gardens. You will have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at your riad.
Day 8
Marrakech – Airport
Depending on your flight time, there may be an opportunity for that last minute shopping before we collect you for your transfer to the airport.
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