Welcome to Morocco! Upon your arrival at Casablanca airport, you will be transferred to your accommodation to settle in. Your exploration begins in a city where modern life is built upon layers of history, starting with its origins as the ancient 7th-century Berber town of Anfa. Our tour will take you through Casablanca's most significant landmarks. The highlight is the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, an architectural marvel perched dramatically over the Atlantic Ocean. As one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, you will have the chance to admire its stunning interior, which famously includes a glass floor offering views of the sea below. We will also visit Mohamed V Square, drive along the scenic Corniche, and explore the old medina, the historic heart of the city rebuilt by Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah in the 18th century. A stop at the Sacred Heart Cathedral reveals a fascinating piece of 20th-century history. Built in the 1930s, its unique design blends European Art Deco with Moroccan style. While awaiting restoration, its grand, dilapidated beauty remains profoundly impressive. After the tour, you will return to your riad for the night. Breakfast is included.
Our journey begins as we depart from Morocco's economic hub and head to its administrative capital, Rabat. Named the capital during the French protectorate in 1912, Rabat was also an imperial city in the 12th century. Its old city's rectilinear layout is impressively unique, standing in stark contrast to the traditional maze-like streets of other medinas. Here, you will explore the ancient Chellah necropolis, with origins dating to the 3rd century B.C., and the picturesque Kasbah of the Udayas, built during the Almohad dynasty. Nearby, the magnificent Hassan Tower stands majestically against the sky—the sole remnant of a monumental mosque envisioned in the 12th century. On the same esplanade lies the Mohammed V Mausoleum, a palace in miniature. Its interior is a masterpiece of finely crafted marble, bronze, and painted wood beneath a mahogany dome perforated with stained glass. This opulent setting houses the royal tombs, carved from a single block of white onyx and resting on a slab of dark blue granite that shimmers like water. Afterward, the gardens of Mechouar Square invite you for a pleasant stroll near the Royal Palace. We will also visit the Archaeological Museum, which displays artifacts from the country's most important excavation sites, including Volubilis and Lixus. Next, we continue to Meknes, the imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismaël. The Sultan transformed it into one of Morocco's most powerful cities, protecting it with nearly 40 kilometers of defensive walls. Today, Meknes retains its imposing monuments, including grand gates with beautifully sculpted canopies, numerous fountains, mosques, palaces, and gardens. In the afternoon, we will explore the city's highlights, including the monumental gate of Bab al-Mansour—the entrance to the imperial medina—and the bustling Place Lahdim.
The next morning at 9:00 a.m., our exploration of Meknes continues. We will visit its remaining treasures, including the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismaïl, the city's founder, and the elegant Jamaï Palace, which now houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts. From there, we drive to the magnificent Roman ruins of Volubilis, the largest archaeological site in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wander through this open-air museum and discover the city's former splendor. Its Triumphal Arch, Capitoline Temple, and intricate mosaics in the House of Bacchus all testify to its historical importance as a prosperous Roman outpost. Nearby, we will visit the holy town of Moulay Idriss, a site of great significance where Moroccan Muslims gather annually for a pilgrimage known as a "Moussem." Our journey then takes a relaxing turn as we travel a scenic route to the thermal spa of Moulay Yacoub. Here, you can unwind in its naturally hot (54°C) mineral waters, which are rich in sodium and sulphur and are renowned for their therapeutic qualities. Feeling refreshed, we will continue to Fes, the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. As the greatest of the imperial cities, its entire ancient medina is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your accommodation will be in a traditional riad, with breakfast included.
At 9:30 a.m., a local guide will take you to wander through the medina, with its souks and alleys that are unchanged since the Middle Ages. The exploration of the Fes medina includes the tanners’ quarter, the Blue Gate (Bab Boujloud), and the vast Bou Inania Medersa, with its cedar woodwork, sculpted stucco, and marble and onyx decoration. You will admire the Tijani Zawiya (a sanctuary of a religious brotherhood) and the instrument makers’ souk before arriving at the Mzara shrine, the place where Moulay Idriss decided to build the town. You will also see Nejjarine Square and the cabinetmakers’ souk. The magnificent carved foundouk (caravanserai) on the square houses the Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts. Next, you will visit the Kissaria (covered market), where jewelry and fine fabrics are sold, and Es-Seffarine Square, the coppersmiths' square. You will also see the old Dar Batha Palace with its Arabo-Andalusian style. The Moqri Palace houses treasures of a rare architectural refinement. After an active morning, it's time for a driving tour of the ramparts to visit the Royal Palace gate, the Jewish Quarter, and a borj (watchtower), followed by a stop at the pottery quarter. Return to your accommodation; breakfast included.
At 8:30 a.m., you will begin your ascent toward the Sahara Desert, crossing the Middle Atlas Mountains. Most of the morning will be spent winding your way through beautiful Berber towns like Ifrane (which means "caves" in Berber) and Azrou (meaning "stone"). Azrou is the hometown of the cedar forests, where we will stop to see the Barbary apes. You will see jagged rock faces as you cross the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountains and begin to travel through the Ziz Gorges (Morocco's "Grand Canyon"). You will then descend into Erfoud, the desert gate, before heading across the barren land to the majestic Erg Chebbi sand dunes. (Erg Chebbi is the name of the sand dunes that define the Merzouga Sahara desert.) Depending on the light, the dunes can be pink, gold, or red in color. Upon arriving at the hotel, your camel will be awaiting you. Before you set off, you will get a welcoming glass of mint tea. Then, you will embark on a two-hour camel trek out to the oasis where you will spend the night in Berber tents. This is optional: if you prefer, you can take a shorter camel trek to see the sunset and then return to the hotel to sleep (for an extra 20 EURO). Dinner and breakfast are included.
After sunrise, you will return by camel to the hotel for breakfast. You will then get the room where you will sleep for the night. Today, you have two options. You can either relax by the pool or take an off-road tour through the black desert around Erg Chebbi. This tour includes visiting the oases of Hassi Labied and Merzouga, seeing a nomadic tent, visiting Khamlia village (home of Gnawa musicians), and exploring the Mifiss mines. You will also meet Berber nomads in the desert and hunt for fossils at the Tissardmine oasis. You will arrive back at the hotel around 3:00 p.m. to relax, watch the sunset over the dunes, and enjoy the silence of the desert. Dinner and breakfast are included.
After breakfast, we will leave the Sahara Desert and head out on a different road to Rissani, the second Islamic city that was built in North Africa after Kairouan in Tunisia. If time allows, you can visit the local market with its donkey park; the area is also famous for million-year-old fossils. After that, you will head up to Erfoud and set out between the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountains on the route to the Todra Gorges. We will stop at Tinjedad for lunch at Ksar El Khorbat, an extraordinary ksar where you will get the chance to see a local Berber cultural museum. Then, we will continue to the Todra Valley, where you will take a walk up into the towering Todra Gorges (600 feet high). The picturesque river valleys make for a beautiful journey towards the southeast of Morocco. You will spend the night in the Dades Gorges.
After breakfast, you will set off for Marrakech via the dramatic Atlas Mountains. At its highest vehicle pass in Morocco, the Tizi n'Tichka, the Atlas reaches 2,260 meters (7,400 ft). The first big town is Kelaat M'gouna, the rose capital, where you will visit a rose oil distillery. We will then have a break in Ouarzazate to visit the Museum of Cinema or the Atlas Corporation Studios and have lunch. Next, we will continue to the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. This traditional Berber village has been a very important destination for international filmmakers (more than 24 films were made here) and was also one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road, where caravans brought slaves, gold, and ivory from sub-Saharan countries to Marrakech. After an hour's walk in the village, you will head over the mountains to Marrakech. The road winds up into the High Atlas in an amazing zigzag made by the French between 1925 and 1935 to replace the ancient Salt Road that connected Timbuktu to Marrakech. Your journey takes you over the pass, arriving in Marrakech at approximately 6:00 p.m. (18:00).