Upon arriving at Casablanca airport, you will be transferred to your accommodation in the ancient medina of Fes. On the way, we will pass through Rabat, the administrative capital of Morocco since the beginning of the protectorate in 1912. Here, you will explore the Chellah Gardens, founded in the 3rd century B.C., and the Kasbah of the Udayas, built during the reign of the Almohads. The Hassan Tower stands out against the sky, the remnants of a mosque conceived in the 12th century. On this same esplanade stands the Mohammed V Mausoleum, a veritable little palace. Inside, finely crafted marble, bronze, and painted woods under a mahogany dome with stained glass enclose the royal tombs, carved from white onyx. We will also visit the Archaeological Museum, which presents findings from several of the country’s archaeological sites, notably Volubilis and Lixus (Larache). Next, we continue to Meknes. Its founder, Sultan Moulay Ismaël, decided to make Meknes one of the most beautiful and powerful imperial cities in Morocco, protecting it with around 40 km of walls. It has preserved imposing monuments, such as gates with beautiful sculpted canopies, fountains, mosques, and palaces. We will then continue to Fes, the spiritual heart of Morocco and the greatest imperial city. The entire medina is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stay in a riad, 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 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 then 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 ascend 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 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).