9 Days Morocco Highlights

General

Visit the 4 majestic Imperial Cities in 1 week including an amazing night in Berber camp in the Desert and many other worthwhile highlights.

Day 1:

Marrakech

Welcome to Morocco! Following your transfer from the airport to our joining hotel you can relax by the hotel pool before the pre-departure meeting at 18.00 where you will meet your fellow travelers.

Day 2:

Casablanca

En-route this morning we travel to Morocco’s Capital city Rabat. After Lunch we have the guided tour of the city where we will be visiting the Oudaia Kasbah in the oldest part of the city and we have the opportunity to see the Hassan Tower Rabat’s most famous landmark, the Royal Palace and Chellah are also a must see whilst we are here.

Day 3:

Fes

After breakfast before we set off on our travels, we have the option to visit the Hassan II Mosque. Whilst traveling through to Fes we make a stop in Meknes, one of Morocco’s imperial cities, you have some free time to meander and visit the spectacular 12th Century Grande Mosque with its impressive green tiled roof, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail where you can see the magnificent tomb of the sultan Moulay Ismail or just sit and relax in Medina and watch the world go by. After Lunch we move off to the Roman settlement of Volubilis for a guided tour, it is the largest ancient site in Morocco and is a UNESCO listed site dating back to AD 40. We then move on to Fes tonight.

Day 4:

Fes

Today we take the guided tour of Fes. Fes is the oldest and largest medieval city in the world. It’s Medina, home to 400.000 inhabitants, with only donkeys and bikes as a means of transportation, is a heady mix of aromas, sights, and sounds. There are plenty of mosques and palaces to visit, but be aware that only Muslims can enter Mosques in Morocco. After exploring the dye-pits, tanneries, pharmacy, pottery, and restaurants, we

return to our hotel to freshen up for tonight, where we have the chance of an optional traditional meal and entertainment in the city with live Moroccan entertainment including traditional dancing, belly dancing, and magicians.

Day 5:

Sahara Desert

Today we enjoy a stunning drive and are rewarded by a fantastic Moroccan lunch and an afternoon relaxing and swimming. It is then time to head towards the great desert and Merzouga, where we transfer to camels for a trek into the Sahara Desert for a night at our Berber Camp. We enjoy local food, music and an amazing night out under the Saharan stars.

Day 6:

Todra Gorge

Leaving the desert, we move on to Todra Gorge. This 1000ft gorge is hemmed in on all sides by vertical limestone cliffs and is also called Morocco’s Grand Canyon. We will have an early lunch at the Berber co operative where you can see and buy authentic, Berber handmade rugs, kilims and carpets. The afternoon can be spent exploring the Gorge, walking through the Palmerie or trying our optional activity of Rock Climbing. The charm of Todra lies in its changing colors as the sun slowly moves from east to west.

Day 7:

Ait Benhaddou

We must bid a fond farewell to Todra this morning en-route to Ait Benhaddou via Ouarzazate. We will stop for lunch along the way and have a chance for an optional tour of the Film studios in Ouarzazate, famous for films such as Gladiators, The Last Temptation of Christ and the Living Daylights. On a hill along the Ouarzazate River, we find Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which boasts great examples of Kasbahs, some of which remain inhabited. This afternoon we have a guided tour of the famous Kasbah and village.

Day 8:

Marrakech

We traverse the High Atlas today enjoying stunning views en-route to Marrakech. We will take a guided tour of the city this afternoon. Marrakech set against the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. It’s great pride and landmark is the Koutoubia Tower, sister to the Tower of Hassan in Rabat and the Giralda Tower in Seville. It is said that after the third of these was completed, the sultan had the eyes of his architect put out, lest he should build another more beautiful tower elsewhere. No visit to the city is complete without a visit to the city’s UNESCO-listed medina & Djemâa-el-Fna, an extraordinary gathering and market place (Guided city tour included). The rest of the afternoon you have free time to relax by the pool or do a little shopping for souvenirs before we meet for the last group evening meal.

Day 9:

Marrakech

Your adventure tour ends after breakfast.