The 12-day Morocco Tour from Marrakech is the perfect itinerary for those who are landing in Marrakesh and want to explore the Red City alongside other notable Moroccan attractions (such as the blue pearl Chefchaouen and the cultural capital Fes), as well as a Moroccan Sahara desert adventure.
Our 12-Day Morocco Tour from Marrakech begins when our driver/tour guides will meet and greet you at Marrakech Menara Airport upon your arrival time. Then, they will bring you to your hotel.
After breakfast, you will have a guided Tour of Marrakech, the southern pearl of Morocco. You will discover the Palace of the Bahia, the Saadian Tombs, and many other hidden treasures.
After lunch, you will continue with the tour on to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque and the famous Djemaa el-Fna, one of the center attractions of Marrakech.
The tour will end with an exploration of the souk (market) lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets, and many other art objects of Morocco. You will spend the afternoon in the Majorelle gardens. An overnight stay awaits you in a Riad/Hotel.
We go from Marrakech to Rabat via Casablanca on the third day. After breakfast, we will drive 3 hours to Morocco’s commercial center, Casablanca, where you will have the opportunity to visit Hassan II Mosque, the world’s tallest at 210 meters, which was completed in 1993, designed by Michel Pinseau and built by Bouygues.
The minaret is 60 stories high and topped by a laser the light from which is directed toward Mecca. The mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean where worshippers can pray over the sea.
The walls are of hand-crafted marble and the roof is retractable. A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer: 25,000 inside the Mosque hall and another 80,000 can pray on the mosque’s outside grounds.
We, then, head to Rabat – the capital of Morocco – where you will see the Hassan Tower and walk around the Oudaya Kasbah before you check in to your overnight accommodation in a Riad at the heart of the Medina. Dinner will also be served at your Riad.
The 4th day of our 12-day Morocco Tour from Marrakech starts after breakfast in your riad. We will drive to Chefchaouen via the city of Asilah. Most of the drive will be by the coast. Our first stop will be in Asilah, where you will have the opportunity to explore the city.
Asilah is known for its annual festival for art – most of the walls of the Medina are painted by various famous artists from all over the world. Your visit includes the Skalla fortress, where you will experience a wonderful view of the Medina and the ocean.
If time allows, you will have a drive through Tanger to get a feel of the city. Afterward, you will continue over the foothills of the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen to explore the blue city of Morocco.
After breakfast in your riad, we will walk around to take pictures in the morning. Then, you will travel to Fes via Ouazzane and the Roman Site of Volubilis.
After a couple of hours drive, you will get to Volubilis, the well-preserved Roman empire dating to 225 BC, where you will see the most beautiful Mosaics in Morocco dating back to 3rd century BC.
Here, you will have a guided tour of the site and learn a lot about the Roman Empire. After that, on day 5 of our 12-day Morocco Tour from Marrakech, we travel to Meknes, the Ismaili capital of Morocco.
In Meknes, we see the fascinating gate Bab Mansour that was built by sultan My Ismail, and the granary and the Sahrij Souani that are used for irrigation and plantation. Your visit includes also the Mulay Ismail Mausoleum. We, then, continue via the highway to Fes where you will have dinner at your Riad.
After breakfast in your riad, you will start exploring Fes the “the Spiritual City of Morocco”. You will spend the whole morning of your Tour from Marrakech exploring the Medina and its alleys, visiting most of the sites with cultural and historical interest – including the famous Al Karaouine Mosque and University (the oldest in the world), the Madrasa Bouanania, the Tanneries, and the Najjarine fountain.
After lunch, we will drive you outside the Medina to see the Royal Palace gate, walk through the Jewish quarter “the Mellah”, and then guide you through the pottery cooperative.
In the afternoon, we will drive you to one of the fortresses to experience an amazing panoramic view of the whole Medina of Fes. Dinner will be had in a restaurant of your choice in Fes.
After breakfast in your riad, you’ll start travelling southeast to Merzouga via Midelt and Errachidia. Your first stop will be at Ifrane, referred to as “the Switzerland of Morocco,” and then to Merzouga via Midlet and the Ziz Valley.
During this journey, you’ll experience glimpses of the Middle Atlas and Higher Atlas mountains. We stop at the famous cedar forest – the largest in Morocco – where you will see Barbarian apes. You’ll notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city Er-Rachidia.
After lunch in Midelt, your journey continues along the luxuriant Ziz Valley while stopping for panoramic views along the way. We will drive through welcoming Berber villages to Erfoud, Rissani, and the foundation of the Alaouite dynasty – the current ruling royal family in Morocco.
You will arrive in Merzouga at the end of day 7 of our Tour from Marrakech. You’ll be welcomed with a glass of mint tea before you check in to your Riad where you will have dinner.
After breakfast in the Riad, you will start an explorative journey of the area. You’ll visit the Gnawa people, originally slaves brought from Sudan, to experience their music and lifestyle.
Not far away there’s the lake of Merzouga, filled with birds. You may also visit the souk in Rissani, a traditional town that was the origin of the ruling family in Morocco and the meeting place of the Caravans trading as far as Timbuktu in Mali.
Here, you will see a lot of men hooded and women veiled. In the afternoon, you will start your guided camel ride, led by an experienced camel man to explore within the sand sea of Merzouga. An overnight stay awaits you at our desert camp where you will have dinner. Traditional singing and dancing around the bonfire are also part of your night in our Tour from Marrakech.
Early in the morning, your camel guide will wake you up to watch what may be the best sunrise of your life. Afterward, you will trek back to the village of Merzouga. On the way, you wouldn’t fail to appreciate the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand dunes – changing lights as the day progresses.
After breakfast in your riad, you’ll leave for the Dades Valley, visiting Todra Gorges – the highest, narrowest gorges in Morocco. After lunch within the valley, you will have an optional hour’s hike through the fields where you will enjoy visiting an old mud village, meeting locals, and learning about the culture.
Through the Dades Valley, you will have the opportunity to see majestic sandcastles and the amazing rock formations known as “monkey toes”.
From there, we’ll drive towards Kalaa M’gouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is the way of the thousand kasbahs, providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip.
We’ll stop at Kalaa Mgouna, “the rose city”, to purchase the rosewater, which will make your linen smell good long after your trip is over.
We continue to Skoura and the Birds valley to visit the Kasbah Ameridil, a well-preserved kasbah in this area, and then continue to Ouarzazate “the Hollywood of Africa”, whose geography and beautiful landscapes have attracted many world-class movie producers. Dinner will be served at your riad.
After breakfast in your Riad, you will set off towards the High Atlas Mountains via Ouarzazate. Tucked away in the High Atlas Mountains is one of the jewels of Morocco: Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. In typical Moroccan fashion, the true treasures must be searched out and discovered…usually off the beaten path.
This area has been used for more films than any other location in Morocco. Films including, Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and recently The Gladiator were shot there. Lunch can be taken at Ait Ben Haddou. In the afternoon of day 10 of our Tour from Marrakech, you will head over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech where you will spend the night.
Breakfast will be served at your riad. Then, we will drive to Essaouira where you’ll visit the Skala Fortress, the port, and the souks. You will see Thuya wood carved by artisans, walking through the alleys of the medina and past the hundreds of handicrafts.
Essaouira is known for its strong winds most of the year so it is known as the “City of the wind”. Thus, it attracts surfers from all over the world. Essaouira has known many civilizations – including the Portuguese occupation, which affects much of its architecture – however, it remains a small village with a big history.
Because of its size and its characteristic blue doors and washed walls, it’s also regarded as Morocco’s “Jewel of the Atlantic”. Your visit includes the Mellah – the Jewish headquarter and the sandy golden beach.
There is also an annual festival of “Gnawa music”, where many musical groups come from different parts of Africa and the world held in late June. In the afternoon, you’ll travel back to Marrakech where you will have dinner at your Riad.
After breakfast in your Riad, we drive you back to the airport for your departure flight back home. Your 12-day Tour from Marrakech ends at the airport. Hope you enjoyed this one!
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