DAY 1: Casablanca – Transfer to the hotel
We will pick you up at the airport in Casablanca and take you to your hotel. Depending on the time of your arrival, we may visit the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, and enjoy the The Corniche Boulevard.
DAY 2: Casablanca – Chefchaouen
After breakfast, we will head to Chefchaouen, Morocco’s blue city. It is located in a natural biosphere reserve nestled in the mountains. The town has a beautiful medina with buildings painted in white and blue, various samples of local crafts, kind people, and a relaxed atmosphere. Overnight stay in a riad.
DAY 3: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez
After breakfast, we will visit the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, over 2000 years old. We will have lunch in Meknes, one of the imperial cities of Morocco, and then head to Fez, the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco. Overnight stay in a riad.
DAY 4: Fez, World Heritage Site
We will have the whole day to discover Fez with a local guide. This is not only the oldest imperial city of Morocco, but it is also its most intellectual one. We will visit several monuments: Medersas (Koranic schools), Chahrij, Bouinania, Attarin, Souks, Fez El-Jedid and the Karaouine Mosque (the oldest known university in the world). Accommodation in a riad.
DAY 5: Fez – Ifrane – Azrou – Erfoud – Merzouga
After breakfast, we will head to the Merzouga desert by crossing the Middle Atlas and its cedar forest. We will visit Ifrane, known as Morocco’s “Little Switzerland”. The next stop will be Azrou (which means “rock” in Berber), a town known for its handicrafts, carpets and wood carving. After passing Midelt, we will continue to the Tizi Talghemt pass, or Camel’s Neck, located at 1,907 meters of altitude. The landscape is impressive, the mountains are completely bare. Passing Errachidia, we cross the Tafilalet massif up to the palm grove of Erfoud. We finally head to the Merzouga desert and arrive at the hotel.
DAY 6: Merzouga – Khamlia Village – Nomad families – Erg Chebbi – Dromedary ride – Overnight stay in jaimas (Berber tents)
This will be a day full of adventures in which we will discover another side of Morocco! We will start the trip in a 4×4 car and make our first stop in the Khamlia village to enjoy the Gnawa music. The inhabitants of this village are descendants of slaves who arrived from Sub-Saharan Africa. We will continue through mountains that at first glance seem rocky, but from close by, one realizes that they are made of fossilized sand deposited millions of years ago. We will walk to a place where dinosaurs remains are extracted. Experience the daily routine of an explorer at first hand by visiting the interior of one of the excavations and enjoy the calm of the arid landscape by the small village of Bega. We may also search for the Desert Rose and whoever finds it will have a surprise prize! Next, we will continue our trip along cobbled paths close to the border with Algeria until we reach an area where marine fossils are extracted. We will stop for a Berber-style picnic with a nomad family at a unique landscape, on one side the mountains and on the other the orange dunes of the Sahara. We will visit the French Cemetery at an abandoned town from the colonial era. We will then set off in a caravan of dromedaries that will take us to the Great Dune in about an hour and a half. There, we will watch a beautiful sunset. Dinner and overnight will be in a camp in the heart of the desert. At night, we will enjoy traditional Berber drums, singing, and dancing under a spectacular starry night sky.
DAY 7: Merzouga – Ramilia – Tafraoute
Wake up early to watch one of the best sunrises of your life and admire the unique beauty of the breathtaking Dunes of Erg Chebbi, where the light changes over the course of the day. After breakfast, we will leave for Ramlia, a remote village in the middle of the desert. You will meet the local people and experience the real rural Morocco. We will spend the night in a hotel or riad in Tafraoute.
DAY 8: Tafraoute – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley
After breakfast, we will head towards Rissani, once home to the Alaouite Dynasty and the first imperial city of Morocco. We continue to Erfoud, known for its fossilized black marble, and reach the palm grove of Tafilalet. We will visit the Todra Gorges and arrive in Dades Valley. Accommodation in a kasbah.
DAY 9: Dades Valley – Boutaghrar – Skoura – Ouarzazate
After breakfast, we will head to The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, a road dotted with all kinds of beautiful kasbahs. We will visit Dades Gorges and take the route of the High Atlas, where we can get a glimpse into the life of the Berber mountain dwellers. We will see the caves where they continue live as they did many years ago. We will pass the Boutaghrar village and the Valley of the Roses, where its habitants produce body creams, soaps and rose water. We will continue to the famous Skoura palm grove and finally arrive in our hotel in Ouarzazate.
DAY 10: Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – High Atlas – Marrakech
After breakfast, we will visit the Taourirt Kasbah, a World Heritage Site. The once residence of one of the most powerful tribal rulers in the region is nowadays the headquarters of the organization in charge of the conservation of the architectural heritage of southern Morocco. Inside the residence, you will find beautiful rooms, such as the one of the favorite wife with a large balcony on the patio, and the main room decorated with quotes from the Koran. We will then take a detour to the site of Aït Ben Haddou, which is the famous ksar (fortified village) declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. This is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. Renowned films such as Gladiator, The Jewel of the Nile, and Sahara (starring Penelope Cruz) have been shot in this spectacular setting. One the way to the High Atlas, we will visit the Argan oil cooperative to learn about the making process and the benefits for the human body. Arrival in Marrakech in the late evening. Accommodation in a hotel or riad.
DAY 11: Visit the Red City: Marrakech (with a local guide)
You will have the day free day to learn how to bargain in the souks and to discover the most hidden gems in the medina.
DAY 12: Transfer from your riad to Marrakech airport.
You will have the morning free up to two hours before your flight, when we will take you to the airport. We will help you with your luggage and with the check-in.