On this 12-Day Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour, we take you to explore our exquisite country: Morocco. Join us to discover all of your favorite Moroccan cities as well as the Moroccan Sahara. The hustle of Casablanca, the history of Fes, and the spartanism of Merzouga and Moroccan Sahara are all things to look forward to on our Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour.
Upon your arrival time in Casablanca Airport, we will pick you up to start your day with a visit to Hassan II Mosque that is considered to be the largest in the world outside of Mecca. You will have an optional lunch at El-Corniche. You will move to Rabat in the afternoon, the capital of Morocco.
In Rabat, you will visit Chellah’s ancient ruins, El-Hassan Tower, and picturesque Oudayas Kasbah. You will also see Mohamed V’s tomb. You will have your dinner at the hotel you will spend the night in.
After having your breakfast at the hotel, you will begin your day by heading to Moulay Idris who designed the country’s first dynasty of Muslims. Then, you will move on to the Roman Volubilis. Afterward, you will go to Meknes and visit Bab Mansour which is decorated in green and white ceramic tiles. We continue to Fes with a visit to the synagogues which go back to the 17th century.
On our Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour, you will have the chance to see the ancient Jewish cemetery near the gates of the Royal Palace and the house where Maimonides once lived. You will have dinner at your hotel you will spend the night in.
Begin your day tour in the holy city of Fes, which is a precious diamond of Spanish-Arabic civilization. It is a city of secrets and to find out its mysterious beauty, you will see the architecture of Medrsa and Medina. Also, you will visit Moulay Idris’s city – the first sanctuary of human and moral sciences. You will also have the opportunity to see The Karaouiyne University and move to the Atlas Mountains.
You will be able to visit The Andalusia Mosque, which is dating from the 9th century, an imposing minaret decorated with green faience crowns the Rsif Mosque. The Medersas around the Karaouiyne Mosque, former lodging houses for students coming from outside the city, attest to the importance of its thousand years of history. So is the famed Kissaria which is the commercial center.
A multitude of locally produced goods is on sale in this incredible maze-cotton fabric, silk, brocade work, slippers, and many more. Proceed with your visit to El-Attarine Souks where the craftsmen offer the visitor non-stop spectacles. Leaving El-Souk through the gate with its green decoration and blue faiences, we move towards the amazing Moroccan Museum with its marvelous contains Art. You can have lunch at El-Medina where you can also shop in the afternoon. An overnight stay awaits you in Fes.
After breakfast, you will travel to Ifrane – the Swiss mountain village, and the cedar forests of Azrou where you will have the opportunity to wander amongst the famous Moroccan monkeys in their natural environment. You then pass through the Middle Atlas Mountains – the only tunnel in Morocco, and through the Valley of Ziz with miles of palm trees and high cliffs. Your excursion will take you deeper south to the Sahara Desert where you will spend the evening.
Here in the Erg Chebbi dunes, the largest in Morocco, you can enjoy the panoramic scene of black volcanic rock on the plains, the bright blue sky, the green palm trees, white salt beds, mirages of water, and golden shifting dunes. We also visit Errissani for the weekly markets where Nomads come to sell.
We pass the lake in Merzouga to see the flamingos. You will have lunch with our Berber family and friends before beginning your camel trek into the beautiful Erg Chebbi dunes. You will spend the evening in a bivouac (camp), enjoy a Moroccan dinner, and sleep in a traditional Bivouac Camp Nomad camel hair tent.
Wake up to a spectacular sunrise in the desert and enjoy breakfast. Bivouac trekkers will return by camel and then travel to Tinerhir for lunch to visit the dramatic Todra Gorges. Next, you will continue through the Dades Valley to the spectacular “Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs” and on to the former French Foreign Legion outpost of Ouarzazate where you will spend the evening of day 6 of the Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour.
Enjoy breakfast and continue the journey to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït Benhaddou which is situated on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. This beautiful example of southern Moroccan architecture has been used as a backdrop for over 20 films including Lawrence of Arabia, Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, and Gladiator. You will then continue to Marrakesh over the Tizi N’ Tichka Pass while enjoying superb views of the High Atlas Mountains and the Berber villages. We spend the night in Marrakech.
After having your breakfast at your hotel, you will begin your day to discover Marrakech. Your first visit of the day will be The Koutoubia Minaret (The twin tower of la Giralda in Sevilla, Spain) and the Saadian tombs. The tombs consist of splendid mausoleums built in the sixteenth century. Then, we continue on to Medersas Ben Youssef (Coranic University), domed Koubba and Dar Si El-Said Museum.
We pay a visit to the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) and Jewish Cemetery. We also stop by the Majorelle Gardens of Yves St. Laurent. You will have lunch in El-Medina. Afterward, we return to El-Fna Square in the early evening when it comes alive with storytellers. Your dinner will be served at your hotel where you will sleep for the night.
After breakfast, we drive to the charming seaside haven of Essaouira to explore the port and eat a seafood meal for lunch. After a day of exploring Essaouira, we spend the night in a local hotel to end day 9 of our Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour.
Day 10 of our Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour in Essaouira can be devoted to bathing and relaxing on the beach of this coastal city. On the fortifications of the old town, you’ll be able to trace Portuguese, French, and Berber architecture. Its whitewashed houses, cool breezes, and relaxed atmosphere. Numerous craftsmen and delicious fresh fish make this a charming place to stay for another night.
We travel along the coast to Casablanca, which was founded in 1912 and is Morocco’s principal commercial town. We stop by the Hassan II Mosque and spend the last of the Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour night in Casablanca.
After breakfast, we transfer you to Mohamed V Airport to catch your flight. That ends our Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour. We hope you would enjoy it!
Hurry to book your tickets to our Imperial Cities and Moroccan Desert Tour. We will do our best to show you so much around Morocco that you will feel like a local! For more information do not hesitate to contact us.
