11 DAYS MOROCCO AUTHENTIC TOUR

Day 1: Arrival to Casablanca - Rabat

Welcome to Morocco! Arrive to Med V airport in Casablanca where you will meet your driver. The driver will provide a brief overview of your tour. You will explore the city of Casablanca starting with the mosque of Hassan II built by King Hassan II and shows wonderful sample of Moorish influences in Morocco. We will also take a smooth walk by the seaside of Casablanca. Casablanca is the economic capital and the largest city in Morocco, linked to the 1942 movie Casablanca, with modern architecture and white building with distinct French art deco influences. We will also visit the main square of Med V, and the Cathedral of Sacred Coeur, which blends Moroccan and European influences. We drive towards the main capital Rabat. Check in and overnight with dinner at the hotel or Riad.

Meals: Dinner included

Day 2: Rabat - Chefchaouen

After breakfast, we will travel to the administrative capital Rabat. We will see the unfinished mosque tower of Hassan dated back to the 12^th century. You will also visit the mausoleum of Mohamed V, built by King Hassan II and dedicated to his father, Mohamed V, for honoring him as the father of the independence. You will visit the 12^th century Kasbah of Oudaya with its beautiful white and blue buildings with a fantastic view over the Atlantic beach and Bouragrag River. Afterwards, you will drive towards the blue washed town of Chefchaouen, a picturesque town nestled in the Rif Mountains. You will enjoy a walking tour through the rambling medina where streets, doors and buildings are painted in brilliant blues. This city has a powerful charm that you really can feel in the main square, in the cobblestone medina. Sit on the terrace of a cafe and take in the view of the grand mosque whose octagonal minaret is inspired by that of the Torre de Oro in Seville. This Andalousian architecture can be found in the Kasbah and its gardens, at the center of the medina. Its walls and its 11 crenellated towers, of which one used to be a dungeon, house an interesting ethnographic museum. The colorful souks are decorated with their traditionally dressed inhabitants boasting their straw hats. Spend the overnight with dinner at the hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 3: Chefchaouen - Meknes - Volubilis - Fez

Today we drive from Chefchaouen to Meknes to enjoy a guided tour of Meknes. We start our guided tour in front of the impressive 18th century Bab Mansour, the ornamental gate to the imperial city of Meknes built by Sultan Moulay Ismail. We continue our tour to the small but impressive Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Then we will pass by the entrance of the Meknes Royal Palace and end up at Moulay Ismail’s massive Heri es Souani. This was his personal stable & granary for his 12,000 horses. After lunch, we'll make our way through the rolling hills for a guided visit of the impressive Roman ruins of Volubilis, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best preserved Roman ruins in this part of Northern Africa. Listen to your certified local guide explain about life in the Roman Empire as you peer into old bathhouses, marveling at the still-present mosaic floors and gazing up at the towering marble pillars. We leave the Roman Empire to make our way to Fez. Spend the overnight with dinner at the Riad or hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 4: Fez City Tour

After breakfast, you will meet your private tour guide to enjoy a guided city tour to explore the first imperial city of Morocco, Fes; this UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century, and is home to the world's oldest university. The first stop of the morning is a visit to the entrance of the largest royal palace in Morocco. Afterwards, we will drive for a wonderful panoramic views of the whole medina from the southern tower of Fes, visit a pottery co-operative where tiles and Moroccan mosaic are made. We will visit the tanneries, to watch the locals working with the skins of animals such as goat, camel and cow. We will explore a Medrassa (Koranic school), the Nejjarine fountain, the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, and the Karaouine Mosque University. Enjoy a Moroccan lunch at a traditional restaurant in the Medina. Afterwards, continue to explore the medina and its narrow alleys house hundreds of merchants and craftsmen selling a range of products such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns and musical instruments. Spend the night with breakfast at the Riad or hotel.

Meals: Breakfast included

Day 5: Fez - Ifrane - Cedar Forest - Midelt - Ziz Valley - Erfoud

Begin your journey through the Middle Atlas with a stop to enjoy the charming ski area of Ifrane named as “the little Switzerland of Morocco” before you experience fragrant cedar forests filled with chatty Barbary apes and rustic Berber villages. – The largest in Morocco – Here you will have the opportunity to see the monkeys in the wild, and have the chance to feed them while taking some memorable pictures. Perhaps stop for lunch in the beautiful Midelt in its spectacular location between the Middle and High Atlas and enjoy breathtaking views of the eastern High Atlas. This particularly varied itinerary from north to south offers a diversity of impressions through the scenic Mountains where nomad shepherds live and move with their herds of goats and sheep across these Mountains. Admire this legendary valley named Ziz and which runs along a deep canyon all the way down to Erfoud where you will spend the overnight with dinner in a stylish Kasbah hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 6: Erfoud - Rissani - Merzouga - Erg Chebbi dunes

Start your desert tour from Erfoud with an optional stop to visit Fossils workshop. You can choose to visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Chrief, the founder of the Alaouite dynasty. You will arrive to a typical village to experience the local music as you listen to the rhythms of a Gnaoua band. You can try a sample of a delicious desert Pie or a Berber Pizza. Arrive to Merzouga where you will have some time to relax before you start the desert adventure on the back of camels. You will ride over the sands as the sun begins to set and as you reach the magnificent Erg Chebbi sand dunes, witness them turning a wonderful red hue. As night falls, listen to the intoxicating beat of Berber drum music and enjoy a Moroccan home-cooked feast before sleeping in a private tent with private bathrooms and hot showers.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 7: Erg Chebbi - Todra gorges - Dades gorges

Your day starts early with a picturesque sunrise before enjoying breakfast. You will take a camel ride back to the town of Merzouga where you will meet your driver and head towards Ziz Oasis where you will see the ancient irrigation system. The tour goes further to Todra gorges where you will enjoy a walk between the cliffs and river in this beautiful valley with date palms, ending with a spectacular Gorge, mainly used for rock climbing and picnics. After lunch, we will make our way to Dades Valley with its astonishing rock formation, created by erosion over millions of years. Spend the overnight with dinner at the hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 8: Dades gorges - Rose valley - Ouarzazate - Ait Benhdaou - Marrakech

After breakfast, we will leave Dades gorges towards the Rose Valley, the only place in Morocco where Damascus roses are harvested. Rose water and oil are extracted from the Damascus rose to use in the preparation of beauty treatments. We will stop at the rose city, Kalaa Mgouna, to purchase the rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over. The journey continues to Ouarzazate via Skoura with an optional visit to the Kasbah of Ameridil. Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”, whose geography and beautiful landscapes has attracted many world class movie producers. Here you may choose to visit the studios where some of the famous movies were filmed such as The Mummy and Gladiator. We visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah as a UNESCO heritage site. After that, we will begin to cross the high Atlas Mountains with many panoramic views and attractive Berber villages to reach Marrakech. Spend the night with dinner in the Riad or hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 9: Marrakech City Tour

After breakfast, you will be escorted by a local tour guide to explore the city of Marrakech. You will visit the main historical monuments including: the gorgeous Bahia palace built in 19th century, the Saadian tombs a 17th century Royal necropolis, the Koranic School of Ben Youssef, and the Koutoubia mosque built in 12th century. You will also visit the famous Souks; a great place for shopping where you can buy presents for your family, friends or yourselves. Relax in the Majorelle Gardens, a peaceful space in the New Town with exotic botanical plants brought from all over the world. You will finish your tour in the main square of Djemaa Lefna with its story tellers, snake charmers, musicians, acrobats and open air food stalls. You will also have free time to enjoy a soft drink in one of the cafes where you can get amazing panoramic views across the square. Spend the overnight with breakfast at the Riad or hotel.

Meals: Breakfast included

Day 10: Marrakech - Casablanca

Today you choose to have the morning at leisure in Marrakech or start an early drive towards the economic capital Casablanca. Upon arrival to the largest city Casablanca, you will check in at the hotel. The rest of time is at leisure to relax or have a smooth walk by the corniche. Spend the overnight with breakfast at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast included

Day 11: Casablanca - Back to the airport

Transfer to Casablanca international airport for your return flight with plenty of tales of Arabian and Berber days and nights.