Overview

18 Days Tour From Casablanca Overview

18 Days Tour From Casablanca Itinerary 

 Day 1: Arriving in Casablanca City

One of our team will meet you at the airport in Casablanca; he will be waiting outside of the terminal with a sign. You will then be transferred to your accommodation.

Day 2: Casablanca - Rabat

After breakfast, you will meet your team and first stop will be the magnificent Hassan II Mosque for a guided visit of one of the only two mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Next, a driving tour along the Corniche and through the city to take the road for the capital city of Rabat. Lunch on the way. In the afternoon, a visit to a few of Rabats most important and interesting monuments; the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Oudayyas Kasbah, the Hassan Tower and perhaps the gardens near the Kings Palace. Overnight in Rabat.

Day 3: Rabat - Chefchaouen

We follow the Atlantic coast, crossing the river from Rabat to Sale; one of the oldest medinas, passing through Larache to reach the small coastal medina of Asilah. An annual festival brings international artists to this city to paint huge murals on its walls. Discover its fortress on the sea walls. Local fish and seafood is particularly good here too. After lunch, we drive inland to reach Chefchaouen; the Blue City, in the Rif Mountains. The rest of the day is free to explore. Overnight in a traditional hotel or riad.

Day 4: Free Day in Chefchaouen

With so much to see, discover and photograph, you will love having the whole day free in Chefchaouen to wander the streets, learn about the different neighbourhoods, have lunch in the square and do a little shopping in the tiny shops and boutiques. If shopping is not your thing, perhaps an afternoon drive to the Akchour waterfalls for a small hike. Overnight in the same hotel.

Day 5: Chefchaouen - Meknes - Volubilis - Fes

Today we will be visiting two more of Morocco´s four Imperial cities. Ouazzane is a pretty region of woodlands, rivers and homesteads, also excellent olive oil and honey is produced here. Meknes was an important city as you will see by its huge Bab Mansour gate and crenellated walls. We will visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and drive along the huge city walls. The small square was once a busy market and trading spot, now, inside the covered market are delicious handmade cookies and sweets for sale. Next stop on our tour, is the 2nd century Roman site of Volubilis. Enjoy a guided tour and discover the mosaics and roadway, the columns and huge basilica. Last stop of the day is the mediaeval city of Fes where we will be spending the next 3 nights in a traditional riad once owned by wealthy merchants.

Day 6: Fes City (Fes Jdid and Fes el Bali)

Today, your Fes city Guide will come to meet you at your riad and start your day of exploring this amazing city. The new and the old; 9th and 14th century, its important monuments, artisan workshops including ceramics, zellig tilework, metalwork, carpets, woven sabra and of course the leatherwork which Fes is famous for. You will drive out to the look-out points to view this vast medina from a prominent view point. Discover the Jewish quarter or Mellah, learn about how these gifted merchants and artisans worked together with locals to produce some of the finest work. Enjoy lunch in the heart of the medina and gather your energy for the souks; a labyrinth of some 9000 streets in a car free zone makes up this maze.

Day 7: Free day in Fes (Extra: Cooking class)

Fes is considered the gourmet capital of Morocco and when you see the foods for sale on the streets you will see why. But why not dig a bit more, learn more about the cuisines with a traditional cooking class.

Day 8: Fes - Immouzer - Ifrane - Midelt

After breakfast, we leave Fes and drive towards the Middle Atlas Mountains passing through Immozzar Khandar with its university and through the massive Cedar forest of the Ifrane National Park. We will make a stop for a coffee break in Azrou and again in the forest where you can watch the indigenous Barbary Apes swinging through the cedar trees. Driving southwards, we cross differing landscapes; you may catch a glimpse of nomadic families with their flocks. Rivers, lakes and forests, pastureland, mountains like huge cathedrals and vast landscapes. In the afternoon, we reach Midelt, the Apple capital where we overnight in a hotel.

Day 9: Ziz Valley - Erfoud - Rissani - Merzouga

After breakfast, we continue our journey south following the Ziz Valley with its gorge full of palm trees and hidden villages, through the pass of Talghamt and following massive mountain walls we stop in Erfoud; the capital of fossils. Many of the slabs of fossils mined locally are brought here to be fashioned into beautiful objects for house and home. Next stop is the market town of Rissani; famous for its Madfouna or Berber pizza, we will have one made especially for you to try. After lunch, we continue to reach the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga in the Sahara desert. Overnight in a local Kasbah hotel with dinner and breakfast .

Day 10: Merzouga - Erg Chebbi

After a traditional breakfast, we will be visiting the local region in this part of the desert. Khamlia is a small village where descendants of Sudanese slaves who used to work in the mines have settled. They perform a gnawa music show telling stories of their history which we will visit for you to watch. We will visit nomads in their tents and discover their lifestyle. In the afternoon, we return to the hotel to prepare for the evening. Your camel team will be waiting to take you across the dunes to your nomad camp for the night under the stars. On the way you can watch as the sun sets and the stars come out. Dinner will be prepared by the camp staff and music played around a campfire. The night will be in typical tents.

Day 11: Merzouga - Dades Valley

If you would like to watch the sunrise, one of the camp team will make sure you are woken in time. You will then ride the camels as the colours change across the dunes with the rising sun, back to the hotel for breakfast where you can freshen up ready for the day. We travel north to reach Tinghir passing through palm groves and villages. From there we take the road for Todra Gorge, a 300 metre high canyon with a crystal clear river running at its floor. You can relax here and take a walk along or in the river. Returning to Tinghir, we take the Dades Valley west and at Boumalne Dades town, we will take the road up into Dades Gorge. If you would like to include a few hours hiking in this amazing location to discover the old kasbahs and villages, we will do so after lunch. Overnight in a guesthouse in this valley.

Day 12: Dades Gorge - Ouarzazate - Ait Benhaddou - Marrakech

After breakfast, we depart and take you to see what makes this gorge unique; its rock formations, which look like fat monkey fingers. Back down to Dades Valley and we follow this route passing through many villages with adobe kasbahs and lush gardens filled with rose bushes. In May, they harvest the fragrant pink blossoms and extract their precious oils; we can visit one of the cooperatives so you can see the range of products made. After this green valley, we cross barren lands to reach Ouarzazate; the Hollywood of Africa and home to several film studios. Next stop is Ksar Ait Benhaddou, a fortress village which is best known for its use in the movie The Gladiator. You can walk up through the fortress to reach the look-out point at the top. After a lunch stop, we take the mountain road to Marrakech, crossing the pass at Tichka and winding our way down through many villages to reach the medina on the plains below. Overnight in a typical riad in the old medina.

Day 13: Marrakech

Today you will have a guided walking tour in the medina with a city guide and a driven tour to visit the beautiful Majorelle gardens and parts of the new city. With a 1000 years of history, Marrakech has some interesting and impressive monuments to visit as well as the winding streets of the souks and the UNECSO square of Jemaa el Fna. Overnight in the same riad.

Day 14: Marrakech - Imlil

After breakfast, we leave the bustle of the city and head back towards the mountains to visit the villages of the High Atlas valley of Imlil. On this day trip we can take a hike to visit a waterfall and have a picnic lunch out in nature will stunning views. Imlil is the trailhead village for the international climbers and trekkers that come to summit Mount Toubkal and her surrounding peaks. Overnight in a local hotel with dinner.

Day 15: Imlil - Taroudant

Today, we follow the mountains to reach the medina of Taroudant. Leaving Imlil, we return to the market town of Asni, take the road for Ouirgane and follow the Nfis River through remote Berber villages in the Ijoukak region. Tinmel Mosque is a 12th century Almohad building currently undergoing renovations, it is worth a visit and a local guardian will give a guided tour and explanation. Once we reach Taroudant, you will have time to wander this mini version of Marrakech with its similar walls. Overnight in the medina.

Day 16: Taroudant - Agadir - Essaouira or Mogador

From the mountains to the sea; we descend to the coastal city of Agadir with its long beaches and great seafood. We follow the coast through Argan forests where you could see goats climbing to reach the fruits. We also pass through banana valley where small sweet bananas grow. With the Atlantic seaboard to your left, we pass surfing communities where the surf is at its wildest and best, eventually arriving in Mogador or Essaouira with its historical medina on the edge of the sea. Time to wander this charming city and sample some of its fine fish and seafood. Overnight in a typical riad.

Day 17: Essaouira - Assfi - Oualidia - El Jadida - Casablanca

Staying with the coast, we drive to Casablanca through the pottery capital of Safi or Assfi and to Oualidia and El Jadida. You will see the invaders from Portugal and Spain have left their mark all along this seaboard where pirate ships and slave trading was big business. We will stop to visit some of the more interesting places and of course a last chance for a delicious seafood lunch. Overnight in Casablanca.

Day 18: Casablanca Departure

Our driver will collect you for your airport departure.