17 Days Guided Morocco Tours From Casablanca

Upon arrival in Casablanca airport, you will be welcomed and greeted by our driver
with a sign has your name on it, while on our drive in Casablanca, you will see the
port city, and the commercial hub of western Morocco fronting the Atlantic Ocean. In
this charming city you will see the Hassan the 2 nd  mosque which is the second largest
functioning mosque in all of Africa, and the 7th largest in the world. We will then
continue the drive to see the famous Ricks Cafe that is mentioned in the movie
“Casablanca”. We will continue our drive to Rabat, the administrative capital of
Morocco, where you will be accommodated overnight in a hotel or riad.

After breakfast in your hotel riad, you will start exploring Rabat, where you will see
the Kasbah des Oudayas and its beautiful Andalusian gardens which is located at the
mouth of the river Abu Regrag. This was originally built in the 12th century by Al
Mohades dynasty as you will see also the incomplete mosque Hassan tower as a
main attraction in the capital was built by the same dynasty at 12th century, just a few
meters further from the mausoleum of Mohamed the 5th and Hassan the 2 nd  with its
own stunning architecture. Next, we will head on the road to Tangier via Asilah via
the beautiful coast of Morocco. We will stop for lunch at Moulay Bouslham before
Asilah where you will have a chance to walk the beach and enjoy the atmosphere of
this little charming town facing the Atlantic. We will be arriving in Tangier by late
afternoon check in to your hotel. Overnight accommodation in a hotel or riad BB

After breakfast at your hotel riad, you will then explore Tangier before you heading on
the road to Tetouan. Tangier is considered the bride of the north of Morocco. Many
civilizations and cultures have influenced the history of Tangier starting from before
the 10th century BC, between the period of being a strategic Berber town and then a
Phoenician trading center to Morocco’s independence era around the 1923, it was
considered as having international status by foreign colonial powers and became a
destination for many European and American diplomats, spies, bohemians, writers
and businessmen. The tour includes the walk of petit socco which was once the heart
of the medina, will move on to visit the grand mosque, built on the site of a
Portuguese cathedral, then will also lead you to visit the kasbah decorated with
mosaics, ornamental stucco, and wood carvings. Lastly, we will visit the caves of
Hercules and Cape Spartel.  Here, we may your lunch before leaving Tangier and
drive to Tetouan, which is another charming Mediterranean town. We will arrive in
Tetouan in the afternoon to check-in to your hotel or riad BB.

After your breakfast at your hotel riad you will explore Tetouan before you head the
road to the blue town Chefchaouen. The city of Tetouan sits at the foot of the
spectacular Rif Mountains, in a valley of orange and almond orchards. Tetouan’s
history began in the late 13th century when it was founded by members of the
Marinid dynasty in the 15th century. It became a refuge for Andalusian refugees,
who left their mark on the city’s architecture, art, and cuisine. In 1913 it was chosen
as the capital of the Spanish protectorate of Morocco. The medina of Tetouan was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.  The tour of the city includes a visit to the medina, view the exquisite exterior of the Royal Palace and a stroll through the
mellah, or Jewish Quarter. You will have the option for lunch here before continuing
the drive. After lunch, we will continue on to Chefchaouen, a mystical, blue-hued
town nestled between two mountains, and arrive in the late afternoon to check-in to
your hotel or riad BB.

After breakfast at your hotel riad, you will start exploring the medina and its alleys
Chefchaouen, the blue city of Morocco. The town is filled with cobalt-stained streets

set amid the majestic Rif mountains with a rich history. It was established in 1471 by
Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, when Moorish and Jewish settlers fled here to escape the
Reconquista of Spain. This town is extremely visually stimulating, and you will enjoy
getting lost in the enchanting alleyways of a hundred different blue hues, and
enjoying the natural water spring in the medina.  Overnight accommodation in a hotel
or riad BB.

After breakfast at the hotel riad you will be picked up and head the road towards the
roman ruins of Volubilis where you will have the opportunity to visit some interesting
historical sights. After your drive through the foothills of the Rif mountains you will
arrive at the roman ruins of Volubilis. The site is a preserved roman empire dating
225BC where you will see the most beautiful mosaics in Morocco dating back to 3rd
century BC. You will have a guided tour of the site which is included and is sure to
increase your knowledge of the roman empire.
We will continue on the road to Meknes, which is the Ismaili capital at the 17th
century, where you will see the gate of Bab Mansour that was built by the sultan My
Ismail during the 17th century. You will also see a granary and the Sahrij Souani,
used for irrigation and planting and irrigation. We will stop for lunch at one of the
local restaurants before heading the road back to Fes. Overnight accommodation in a
hotel or riad.   BB.

After breakfast at your hotel riad, our informative humble local guide meets you at the
lobby of the hotel riad to start exploring Fes or Fez which is the same, the spiritual
city of Morocco. Today you will have an adventure through the intellectual capital of
Morocco. Fes is the country’s cultural capital, and is primarily known for its Fes El
Bali, or walled medina, with medieval architecture, vibrant souks and old-world
atmosphere. We will start from outside the medina to see the royal palace gate, then
walk through the Jewish quarter or “the mellah” the first Jewish quarter ever built in
the country. Following that, you will enter the medina where you will spend the entire
morning visiting most of the sites with cultural and historical interest, including the
famous Medrasa Bouanania, the Karaouine mosque and university which is the
oldest university in the world that was built by a woman, without forgetting the famous
tanneries and the najjarine fountain, before you experience a tasty Moroccan lunsh in
one of the local restaurants in the heart of the medina. After lunch, you will be driven
to one of the fortresses to experience an amazing panoramic view of the whole
medina of Fes, followed by a visit to pottery area where you will see the pottery
cooperative. Time permitting, we will drive to a new city of Fes to experience a
beautiful drive through a different modern atmosphere, before we take you back to
your hotel or riad BB.

You will be picked up from your accommodation in Fes then start traveling southeast
to the destination of Merzouga.  The first stop will be at the town of Ifrane, referred to
as the “Switzerland of Morocco” as it has alpine style architecture and nearby slopes
and forests. The second stop will be at the cedar forest in Azrou to see Barbary apes.
We will pass many traditional Berber villages where you can interact with local
inhabitants. Through this journey you will be amazed with the stunning contrast
during the drive, as today you will cover so much land with so much of diversity. A
stop for lunch can be at whatever time you decide. As we continue south, the scenery
becomes especially beautiful where the Ziz valley meets the High Atlas Mountains
and creates a breathtaking gorge.  Our drive will contain several stops along the way
to take beautiful photographs and will continue through the welcoming Berber
villages to Erfoud and Rissani, the foundation of the Alaouite dynasty. After arriving
in Merzouga in the late afternoon, you will be accommodated overnight in a hotel
BDB.

After breakfast in your hotel, you will start an explorative journey of the area. We will
begin the day with Gnawa music at the village of Khamliya 7 kilometers south of
Merzouga which is a little desert village with a big story whose inhabitants are direct
descendants of the slaves that been brought from Sudan. You will get to enjoy their
music and life style. Not far from there is Dayet Srij - a seasonal salt lake that is often
dry in summer, when full it attracts a wide range of migratory and desert birds,
including desert warblers and flamingos. This area attracts the photographers from all
over the world when the birds are present. You may also visit the souk of Errissani if
you are there on the right day as the souk takes place here three times a week, on
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays where locals come to trade anything necessary
from fruits, vegetables, meat, dates, nuts, crafts, spices and even donkeys, sheep
and goats. This souk is also a social meeting place where the local communities
come to meet each other and hear the news of the whole area and from their
relatives. this souk market without a doubt is the most fascinating in the town, after
then we will make sure to try one of the tastiest lunches in one of the local
restaurants in the area.
In the afternoon, you will start the guided camel ride, led by an experienced camel
man to explore and enjoy within the sand sea of Erg Chebi. The camel man will make
sure to give you the chance to watch what may will be the best sunset of your
lifetime. Overnight accommodations at a desert luxury camp equipped with flush
toilets and hot shower, where you will be served the dinner and breakfast. Desert
Camp BDB.

Today your camel man will make sure to wake you up to watch a beautiful sunrise
where you will see the sunshine cover the small golden sand dunes of Merzouga and

the rocky barren Sahara Desert.  After your breakfast at the camp, you will trek back
by camel, or if you feel you’ve had enough of riding the camels, you have the option
for a 4wheel drive back from the camp.
You will then head on the road to the Dades Valley for another excellent day. First,
you will visit the Todra Gorges, the highest narrowest gorges in Morocco where you
might get a chance to hike for an hour in the area. After lunch the drive continue to
the dades valley where you will be amazed by the beauty of the town such us the
rock formations known as “monkey toes” and the sand castles that cover the area.
Overnight accommodation at the hotel with BDB.

After breakfast you will head on the road to Ouarzazate crossing the Dadès Valley.  We will pass through the beautiful Berber villages including Kalaa Mgouna.  It is called the “rose town” as it is famous for the cultivation of rose petals.  One of our main stops will be the Skoura Oasis.  Here numerous ancient kasbahs are found amongst the palm trees, some sadly in ruins.  You will visit the famous Amridil Kasbah, a historic fortified residence.  Built during the17th century, it is considered one the most impressive kasbahs in Morocco.  It is also renowned for the filming of the movies ‘Ali Baba and 40 Thieves” and “Lawrence of Arabia”.  After lunch, if time permits, we will visit the Taourirt Kasbah, Ouarzazate’s main landmark.  This impressive 19^th century fortress has approximately three hundred rooms and twenty riads, or traditional houses built around a courtyard.  Near to this kasbah is a movie studio, said to be the biggest in the world.  The movies Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, Body of Lies and Star Wars were filmed here.  Overnight accommodation in a hotel.BB

Today we are travelling to Taroudant via Taznakht and Taliouine.  But first we will stop at the Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, 25 kilometers from Ouarzazate.  This spectacular fortified village, a UNESCO world heritage site, was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the T-hami El Glaoui.  In recent years, this ksar has become an attractive location for movie producers.  We will stop for lunch in Taznakht, then continue to the Taliouine region, which is the saffron capital in Morocco.  We may stop at a saffron co-operative to watch the processing of saffron.  We will arrive in Taroudant in the evening.  Taroudant, built in the sixteenth century, is in the Sous valley in southeastern Morocco.  As it resembles a small Marrakech with its surrounding ramparts, it is known as the “Grandmother of Marrakech”.  Today, the town has the feel of a small fortified market town on a caravan route.  Overnight accommodation in a hotel.  BB

After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a short tour of the highlights of Taroudant. Then we leave for Essaouira via the resort city of Agadir.  Here we will stop for lunch and a walk along one of Morocco’s beautiful beaches.  After lunch we will continue the drive along the magnificent coastal road.  As we near Essaouira you will see herds of goats climbing the argan trees looking for fresh argan nuts.  We will arrive in Essaouira in the late afternoon.  Overnight accommodation in a hotel. BB

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be met by our knowledgeable local guide for a wonderful tour of the town.  You will visit the Skala fortress, see the magnificent canons and watch falcons, and gulls hover above the nature reserve on the Purpuraires Islands.  To the north of the Skala you may see surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers all taming the waves.  Be sure to ask your guide to show you the many places in Essaouira immortalized in film.  Your guide will take you to the fishing port with its bustling fish market and through the medina where you will learn more of the town’s fascinating history and see many artisans at work including the Thuya (a local wood) carvers.  Essaouira is rated as the most beautiful cities in Morocco by UNESCO.  And the beaches surrounding Essaouira are rated as ‘Blue Flag’ meaning they have met high environmental and quality standards.  In the afternoon you might choose to browse the shops and art galleries in town, walk along the skala or enjoy the atmosphere of the beach.  Overnight accommodation in a hotel. BB

After breakfast in your hotel, you will have some free time to wonder and take photographs in the morning light of this charming small town.  We will leave Essaouira in the late morning for Marrakech. The 3-hour drive will include several stops to see the Argan forests and visit one of the women’s Argan cooperatives.  Argan oil is produced for use in cosmetics, medicine, and cuisine.  We will continue to Marrakech to check in to you overnight accommodation in a hotel. BB

After your breakfast in your hotel a local guide will meet you at your accommodation to begin a day full of fascinating sights.  Marrakech, a former imperial city, is a major economic center and home to many mosques, Palaces and Gardens.  The densely packed, walled medieval city dates from the 12^th century of the Berber Empire.   Your guide will take you through the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to experience the sensory stimulating souks - exotic spices, vibrant materials and beautiful metal works - are just a few of the many souks you will see.  You will also visit sites with historical and cultural interest, including the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Koutoubia Mosque, and of course, the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa Square.  Lunch will be at a recommended restaurant nearby.  After lunch you will be driven through the new city to visit the beautiful Majorelle Gardens.  You will be driven back to your accommodation at the end of the day. BB

After your breakfast and depending upon your departure time, we will drive you to the airport in time for your flight  here in marrakech or  casablanca airport .  Here we say goodbye and your tour ends.