12 Days Moroccan Culture tour starting in Casablanca 

Day 1 : Casablanca – Rabat – Meknès

The first day begin with a drive starting from your hotel. Visiting the Hassan II Mosque on the way, he head to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. There, we’ll visit the royal palace, the Chellah ruins, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Hassan Tower! The next stop on our list is
Meknès, where we’ll have lunch in a lovely restaurant – right in front of the Bab-el-Mansour gate marking the entry to the city’s Medina and traditional Jewish quarter. We spend the night in a hotel in Meknès.

Day 2 : Meknès – Volubilis – Fes

After breakfast in Meknès, we start a city tour, visiting the El Hdim Square, the Bab-elMansour gate, the royal [Getreidespeicher; Pl.] and the old city walls. Afterwards, we drive to Fes, stopping at the city of Volubilis along the way. You can visit antique Roman ruins and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II. there. The latter is part of the “sacred city” and thus an important [Pilgerort], as the founder of the first Moroccan royal dynasty is buried here. We stay in Fes for the night, as well.

Day 3 : Sightseeing in Fes

This day will be spent exploring Morocco’s oldest city: Fes. Taking a walk through its narrow alleys and beautiful streets first, our guided tour begins at the gates of the royal palace, followed by the Jewish district, where the first Mellah was built in the 15th century. We’ll make sure not to forget Fes’ other culturally and historically important places like the Qarawiyīn University, the traditional tanneries and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss. You are free to spend the afternoon in the older parts of the city before we have dinner together with a panoramic view of the city. The night will be spent in a local hotel.

Day 4 : Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Merzouga

On this day, we drive to Azrou to stop by its famous cedar woods, home of the Berber apes. If we’re lucky, we may see and feed some of them! The next stops are Midelt and the Ziz valley.
There, we have lunch and refresh in order to continue our way to Merzouga, passing Rissani on the way.
Having arrived at the Erg Chebbi desert dunes in Merzouga, we’ll trade in our 4×4 for camels and ride for about 90 minutes above the dunes, being guided by experienced camel herdsmen.

The sunset above these dunes is a memory to behold ! Our destination is a desert camp promising an unforgettable night with delicious meals, Berber music, a warming campfire and the star-filled sky above us.

Day 5 : Merzouga – Khamlia – Rissani – Erg Chebbi dunes

Today, we’ll take the time for an extensive tour around the Erg Chebbi dunes in the Merzouga desert. You’ll be stunned by the widths of the desert and the nomad style of living. On our list, there’s the black valley of Khamlia, which offers Gnawa music. For lunch, we’ll enjoy a
traditional Berber pizza in the antique city of Rissani! Then, in the late afternoon, the sun will set over the dunes with us riding on camels towards the camp again. Tagine will be our dinner, accompanied by Berber music and exquisite mint tea. The night will be topped of by a
campfire under the night sky.

Day 6 : Merzouga – Todra Gorges – Dadès Gorges

Starting early to catch the sunrise, we then ride on camels to a local hotel for breakfast and freshening up. Our journey then continues the Todra Gorges, the highest and narrowest canyon in Morocco. During the subsequent drive through the Dadès Gorges, we can see a
geological phenomenon known as “Monkey Toes”, being an impressive rock formation. We’ll settle for the night in a hotel in the Dadès Gorge.

Day 7 : Dadès Gorges – Ouarzazate – Aït-Ben-Haddou – Marrakech

Our tour continues with a drive to Kalaat Mgouna and into the province of Ouarzazate, which is internationally known as “African Hollywood”. Many famous films have been shot there, such as the HBO series Game of Thrones. Here, we may visit a local film studio and a local
kasbah, a fortress of antique origin. Subsequently we continue to the small city of Kalaa Mgouna, Morocco’s “city of roses”, which is home to another famous kasbah, being the largest in all Morocco and an UNESCO world heritage site. We then drive over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, where we’ll spend the night in a Medina hotel.

Day 8 and 9 : Sightseeing in Marrakech

On this day, a private guide will lead you through the city of Marrakesh, visiting the main attractions and monuments like the Djeema el Fna Square, the Koutoubia Mosque, the local suqs as well as palaces and, possibly, museums. We’ll also have the chance to explore city districts like Gueliz, the gardens of Menara or the Jardin Majorelle. In the afternoon, you are free to explore the city on your own before spending the night in our hotel.

Day 10 and 11 : Marrakech – Excursion to Essaouria

After breakfast, we take the Tizi n’Tichka Mountain pass leading us to the Atlantic Coast, as the city of Essaouira is located here. Called the “pearl of the Atlantic”, this city is a very special experience. We check into a local hotel first and then go visit the Murallahs, the old
city walls. You’ll experience an unforgettable sunset there! In the evening, we’ll have dinner in a restaurant serving fresh fish. You may go for a walk in the nightly city alleys before returning to the hotel.

The 11th day’s planning is up to you! We recommend exploring the ancient city of Essaouira by foot, diving into the mix of colorful streets, old buildings and bright beaches. This night will be spent in the same hotel.

Day 12 : Essaouira – Marrakesh

Our last day’s program in Essaouria is once again up to your liking. In the afternoon, we drive back to Marrakech, arriving there at 4 p.m. and thus ending our tour.

Included in the private tour :

• Round-trip transportation within Marrakech (to/from hotel, airport, or any
other desired location)

• Private transfer in a comfortable four-wheel drive vehicle with air conditioning

• Experienced English or French speaking guide and driver

• Camel trekking in the Merzouga Desert

• Overnight at desert camp in Merzouga

• Breakfast and dinner

NOT included in the private tour :

• Lunch and drinks

• Flight ticket to and from Morocco

• Entrance fees to monuments / museums

• Anything, any insurance not listed in the itinerary