After we take you to your hotel, we will accompany you to explore Tangier, the ancient diplomatic capital of Morocco, and the current summer vacation capital. It also a door to Africa and a crossroads to Europe (only 15 km from Spain). We will visit the medieval medina (Dar el Makhzen), the American legation, Grand stade de Tanger, and Forbes Museum of Tanger.
After breakfast, we will drive to Chefchaouen to explore one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco and a stunning village at the foot of the Rif Mountains. Chefchaouen’s medina has a Spanish-style square surrounded by many funky arts and crafts stores, roof-top restaurants, and cafes.
Today you will have a private tour of Chefchaouen. You have a full day to explore this pretty town. For a fantastic view of the sunset, walk to the Spanish Mosque situated on a hill overlooking the town.
After an early breakfast, you will set out for the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, where you will explore the 2000-year-old ruins. After lunch in Moulay Idriss, one of the holiest villages in Morocco, our driver will take you to discover the wonders of Meknes, a city famous for its 16 miles of protective wall. We will visit the Moulay Ismail Mosque and the former royal stables and granaries.
Today will be spent exploring Fes, the oldest Imperial City, founded in 790 A.D. We will visit the medieval medina, the Karaouiyne Mosque, whose central aisle is embellished with elaborate floral and Kufic script carved into the plaster, and the colorfully tiled Nejjarine Fountain. Don’t miss the fascinating Islamic universities, including the Abou Anania and the Attarine. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Fes.
After breakfast, you will head off to Merzouga through the cedar forest in the Middle Atlas Mountains, reaching Ifrane after 70 km (the Swiss-city of Morocco). After lunch in Midelt, we will follow the Ziz River through the valley and stop to see the Ziz Gorges on our way to Merzouga.
During this day, you will explore the desert area and the marvels of the Erg Chebbi dunes. You will have the opportunity to discover the nomads’ way of life and the amazing contrasts of the desert. You will visit the Khamlia to see the Gnawa musicians before we continue to Tafilalet with its 18th century ksour, an almost impenetrable warren of alleys. We then continue to the ruins of Sijilmassa. After a lunch of local food (Madfouna or Berber pizza), we will return to the dunes of the Merzouga desert.
In the afternoon:
You will ride the camels to see the sunset over the dunes and spend the night in the desert camp.
You will have a traditional dinner, drink delicious mint tea, and listen to Berber music while watching the stars and the rising moon in the amazing Sahara Desert.
You will wake up early to see the spectacular sunrise over the dunes before making your way back to have a shower and breakfast in the hotel. You will cross the palm-lined valleys of Tourog and Tinejdad to reach Todra Gorges and discover the marvels of Todra Gorges.
Dinner and overnight in Dades Gorges.
After breakfast, we will drive to Ouarzazate via the Rose Valley and Skoura. In Ouarzazate, we will visit the cinema studio. Then you will drive to the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). After visiting the Kasbah and the old village, we will leave in the afternoon for Marrakech via the Tizi-N-Ticha pass.
Today you will have a complete private tour of Marrakech. The souk is like a movie set, with exotic streets full of an amazing range of colors, sights, smells, and sounds, where artisans gather in separate streets, such as the silver street, shoe street, and metalworking street. You will also have a private tour of the Palais Bahia that was built as a replica of the Alhambra Palace in Granada. If time allows, we will visit the Majorelle Gardens, an enchanting site in the heart of the city.
After breakfast, we depart for Essaouira. You will have the day to enjoy this coastal city and its medina full of craftsmen, walls, and Portuguese beaches.
After breakfast at the hotel, we continue our journey along the coast, driving to Al jadida. We will visit the old Portuguese water tank and then end the day in Casablanca.
Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city and economic heart. You will visit the city, including an optional visit to the Hassan II mosque, one of the biggest mosques in the world. We will continue to Rabat, Morocco’s capital and a largely undiscovered tourist destination. Those who visit find a gem of a city with stunning colonial architecture, palm-lined boulevards, and a quiet medina with an authentic feel.
More laid-back and far less than the Marrakesh hustle, Rabat has a more European feel with cosmopolitan restaurants, art galleries, and a picturesque Kasbah with magnificent ocean views. Here you can see the palace of the King of Morocco and the minaret tower of the world’s second-most important historical mosque. After lunch, you will continue to your hotel in Tangier in time for dinner.
We will take you to the port or airport, and you will say farewell to Morocco!