12 Days from Casablanca to the desert

Day 1: Arrival at Casablanca Airport

We will pick you up from the Airport at Casablanca , and transfer to your hotel or Riad, where you will have dinner and spend the night.

Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat

In Casablanca, you will see the Mosque of Hassan II, the largest outside of Mecca and the coastal coast of Cornwall. Then, we will go to Rabat. Here you will see the Hassan Tower and the Oudaya Kasbah, before registering in your Riad in the Medina. We will spend the night in Riyadh.

Day 3: Rabat – Meknes – Volubilis – Fez

After breakfast in your Riad, you will start traveling to Fez through Meknes and Volubilis. In Meknes, another important imperial city in Morocco, known as the Ismaelite capital of Morocco, you will see the famous Bab Mansour gate, Sahrij Souani Bassin and the Mulay Ismail Mausoleum.

After lunch, your trip continues to the Roman city of Volubilis, where you will have the opportunity to see the original mosaics wonderfully preserved, the Roman road and the design of the city. As you travel through the Moroccan countryside, we will pass through the Holy City of Moulay Idriss for a photography opportunity. You will arrive in Fez at the end of the afternoon, and you will register in your Riad inside the Medina.

We will spend the night in Riyadh.

Day 4: Full Day Exploring Fez

Breakfast in your Riad, and then start an exploratory trip through the Medina, where you will visit the many hidden treasures that only the inhabitants of the place knows. Fes was the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world. Your guided tour will take you to the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the fountains of Nejjarine and the tanneries. After lunch, you can also see the exterior of the Royal Palace and walk through the famous Jewish quarter ‘Mellah’, where you will have the option of visiting one of the few synagogues that live in Morocco. Your tour of Fes includes a brief visit to the famous ceramic factory, and then you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the entire Medina of Fez. Overnight accommodation in your Riad.

Day 5: Fes – Azrou – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert

After breakfast in your Riad, you will exit southeast, following the roads of the caravan towards Merzouga. During this trip, you can glimpse the mountains of the Middle Atlas and the High Atlas. Stopping in the cedar forest, the largest in Morocco, on the mountains of the Middle Atlas, where it is very possible to see barbarian monkeys. After lunch at Midelt, continue through the large open desert, and observe how the landscape changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city of Errachidia.

Your trip continues along the luxuriant valley of Ziz and the palm grove of Afilalet, famous for its cultivation of dates. This area is the base of the Alaouite dynasty, the current ruling royal family in Morocco. You will arrive in Merzouga at the end of the afternoon to be greeted with a glass of mint tea before checking into your Riad.

Day 6: Merzouga – Camel trek and accommodation in Berber tent

After breakfast at the Riad, an exploratory trip through the area will begin. You will visit the people of Gnawa, originally slaves brought from Sudan, to experience their music and lifestyle. Not far away is the lake of Merzouga, with its bird populations.

You can also visit the souk in Rissani, a traditional city that was the origin of the ruling family in Morocco and the meeting place of the caravans that trade up to Timbuctou in Mali. Here you will see many men with hoods and veiled women. Back to the village of Merzouga to rest, in the afternoon you will ride your camel, guided by an experienced camel to explore within the sea of sand of Merzouga.

We will spend the night in our desert camp, where you will have your dinner. For your convenience, the camp is equipped with western baths.

Day 7: Desert of Merzouga – Gorges of Todra – Palms of Tinghir – Gorges of Dades

Early in the morning, your camel guide will wake you up to see what the best sunrise of your life may be. After sunrise, you will return to the village of Merzouga. On the way, I could not help but appreciate the unique beauty of Erg Chebbi’s spectacular dunes, changing with light as the day progresses.

After breakfast in your Riad, you will depart for Rissani, Tinghir and Todra to enjoy the highest and narrowest gorges of Morocco.

After lunch in the heart of the gorge, we will drive through the Dades Valley, where you will see the majestic sand castles and the incredible rock formations known as ‘monkey fingers’. Overnight accommodation will be in a luxury hotel overlooking the Dades Valley.

Day 8 Dades Valley – Kasbah Amridil – Palm Grove of Skoura – Ouarzazate

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaat Mgouna and Ouarzazat. The route through the Dades Valley is the way thousands of kasbah offer numerous opportunities to take some of their best photographs of the trip.

We will stop at Kalaat Mgouna, ‘the pink city’, to buy rose water, which will make your clothes smell good long after your trip ends. Continue to Ouarzazate through the Kasbah of Amridil, one of the last Berber caciques during the 18th century, now the Kasbah is a house of many Glaoui. At night, it will stop at Ouarzazate.

Day 9: Ouarzazate – Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou – Pass of Tizi n’Tichka – Marrakech

After an early breakfast at the Riad, we set off on our journey to reach the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been filmed in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, Sahara with Penélope Cruz … etc. After visiting the kasbah we will go to Marrakech, we will see the port of Tizi Ntichka, which. With 2,260 m it is the highest point in our country.

We will enjoy beautiful landscapes from the viewpoints on the way, and we will make some stops to take pictures of the Berber villages at the end of the afternoon and check in at their Riad inside the Medina. We will spend the night in Riyadh.

Day 10: Trip to Essaouira

After breakfast in your Riad, you will start traveling to the coastal city of Essaouira. Arrive there after approximately one and a half hours drive to start exploring the city. Walk through the alleys of the Medina and see hundreds of crafts. This ‘Wind City’ attracts surfers from all over the world. Essaouira knew many civilizations, including the Portuguese occupation, which affects much of its architecture, however, it is still a small town with a lot of history.

Due to its size and its characteristic blue doors and washed walls, it is also considered as the ‘Jewel of the Atlantic’ of Morocco. He will also visit the women’s cooperative of Argan oil. Here they extract the oil that is famous for its culinary, cosmetic and medicinal properties. Lunch will be free in the Medina or at the port. In the afternoon, you will travel back to Marrakech. We will spend the night in Riyadh.

Day 11: Full Day in Marrakech

Free day in Marrakech to see all the previously unseen places: after breakfast in the Riad, you will enjoy the places with historical and cultural interest, including the Menaret Koutoubia; the Saadian tombs; the beautiful Bahia Palace and the Ben Youssef Coranic School. Finally, end the morning walking through the alleys of the Medina, with the opportunity to admire all the craftsmen who make their crafts before arriving at the famous Jamaa El Fna.

Lunch in a restaurant near the square, and then in the afternoon visit the gardens in Majorelle, and make a brief visit to Gueliz, the new city of Marrakech. After dinner, you will have the option of walking through the plaza entertained by magicians, storytellers, tooth extractors and food vendors. Overnight accommodation in your Riad.

Day 12: Marrakech – Casablanca Airport

After an early breakfast in your Riad, we will take you to the Casablanca airport to take your flight back home. End of the 12 days Visit to the Casablanca Desert.