Authentic Morocco

Tangier port – Hotel DMeet and greet at Tangier port, then transfer to your hotel. Enjoy an orientation short tour. Dinner and overnight in Tangier.

Tangier – Chaouen BDAfter breakfast, start the city tour of Tangier to discover Morocco’s pearl of the north and its main gate to Europe. Begin with the visit of the world-famous St. Andrews Church. The first strip of land to build this landmark in Tangier was provided in 1880 by Hassan I, a former Alaouite king of Morocco. The church was re-built in the year 1894 to accommodate larger numbers of worshippers and it was consecrated in 1905. Continue through the neighborhood of villas and mansions of many celebrities including the royal palace. Transfer to Cape Spartel, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean to visit the Cave of Hercules. Later during the day, transfer to Chaouen, a fascinating little town tucked away in the Rif mountainside. Founded in the 15th century, Chefchaouen was settled by the Moorish and then abandoned by them until the 20th century, when it was resettled by Europeans. As a result, the town retains a characteristically medieval feel, which makes it a wonderful place to visit. Visit this lovely city then check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Chaouen – Meknes – Volubilis – Fes BDAfter breakfast, leave this fascinating city heading to Meknes, the fifth largest city of the kingdom. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail (1672–1727), before it was relocated to Marrakesh. The city tour of Meknes includes the massive Bab El Mansour gate. Stop to take pictures there. Enjoy an optional lunch at a local restaurant. The city tour of Meknes will include also the Harri Souani stables, the medina ramparts, and the entrance to the Royal Palace. Continue along to the UNESCO-sponsored Roman ruins in Volubilis where you will have a guided tour. Transfer to Fes for dinner and overnight.

Fes (city tour) BD Enjoy a guided city tour of the spiritual capital of Morocco, Fes. The first stop of the morning is a visit to the entrance of the largest royal palace in Morocco. This palatial complex rests in the center of the Fes El-Jedid area and is surrounded by high walls with an intricate and elaborately decorated gateway that is permanently closed. The doors are bronze but they shine like gold. The next stop will be the old Medina (Fes el Bali). This medieval centre of Fez has not changed for centuries. Its narrow alleys house hundreds of merchants and craftsmen selling a range of products such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns, musical instruments, etc. One of the most interesting sites in Fes is the leather tannery, which is the oldest in the world. The tannery dates back at least nine centuries. Visit Jamaa Al-Karaouine and a Medersa (Koranic school) to complete the city tour of Fes. Dinner and overnight.

Fes – Ifrane – Erfoud – Merzouga BDAfter breakfast, leave Fes heading to the heart of the desert. Stop first at Ifrane, a charming town and ski resort in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco. Ifrane is famous for its Alpine climate, European-style houses and its 1665 metres (5,460 ft) in elevation. The town experiences snow during winter months and a cool climate during summer. Ifrane is also the place where the lowest temperature was ever recorded in Africa, -24 °C in 1935. While in Ifrane, expect to find animals like the threatened Barbary Macaque and local tree species such as the native Atlas cedar, Scrub oak and the introduced London plane. Continue through many Amazigh (Berber) villages before getting to Midelt where you will stop for an optional lunch. Leave through Ziz River, passing through a series of fortified villages before getting to Erfoud. Enjoy an optional 4x4 transfer to the heart of the sahara desert. Dinner and overnight in a charming auberge by the dunes.NB optional overnight in a standard or deluxe desert camp (tents).<>

Enjoy an optional early morning sunrise camel ride along the golden sand dunes in Merzouga. Return to the auberge for breakfast before driving to Tinghir via Rissani and Tinjdad. Tinghir is a gorgeous, 40km oasis, which boasts one of the largest palm groves in the country. Walk above the Todra Gorge, a 300m wall, carved deep into the High Atlas Mountains. Transfer to Ouarzazate along Dades Valley and Kelaat M’Gouna. The drive is spectacular, with hundreds of Kasbahs lining the route, winding through stunning desert landscapes, villages, palm groves, and with the expansive Jebel Sarhro lunar-scape to the south. Dades valley is known as valley of figs. Continue to Kelaat M’Gouna, a large village which is famous for cultivating roses. Expect to find many fine, rose-infused products there. Transfer to Ouarzazate, also known as “Morocco’s Hollywood,” for dinner and overnight.

Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech BDBegin city tour of Ouarzazate with Taourirt Kasbah, which is considered one of the most beautiful kasbahs in Morocco. Next, visit the film studios where some of the most famous desert landscapes were and are still being shot. Continue on to the spectacular fortress of Ait Ben Haddou. The village is a great example of earthen clay architecture that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Ait Ben Haddou is an iconic landscape immortalized in such films as The Man Who Would Be King (film) (1975), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Gladiator (2000), Son of God (film) (2014), ect. After the visit of Ait Ben Haddou, transfer to Marrakech crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the magnificent Tiz In Tichka pass for dinner and overnight.

Marrakech (city tour) BDEnjoy the guided city tour of Marrakech after breakfast. The morning begins with a visit to the Kotoubia Mosque. The mosque is the largest in Marrakech and one of the oldest in the world. The minaret, 77 metres (253 ft) in height, includes a spire and orbs. It was completed under the reign of the Almohad Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur (1184 to 1199), and has inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and Hassan Tower of Rabat. Continue to the world-famous Jemaa el Fna Square, which houses arrays of food, snake charmers, local musicians, fortune-tellers, etc. There’s nowhere on earth like the Jemaa el Fna, the square at the heart of old Marrakesh. Your next stop is the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs. The Saadian tombs date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603). The tombs were discovered in 1917 and were restored by the Beaux-arts service. The mausoleum comprises the interments of about sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty that originated in the valley of the Draa River. Dinner and overnight in Marrakech.

Marrakech (Free day) BDEnjoy your day at leisure in Marrakech.