Morocco Express: A One-Week Journey

Today, after breakfast in your riad, you will have a private guided tour of Marrakech Medina with an official guide. You will see the famous Mosque of Koutoubia, the Medina, and its souks, and explore some more of Marrakech’s secrets such as  Ali Ben Youssef Koranic School, the Saadian tombs, the Bahia Palace, and Majorelle Gardens. In the afternoon, the best option is to explore the medina on your own, approaching the square that in the evening is full of narrators, jugglers, diviners, snake charmers and musicians. Overnight in a traditional riad.

Our driver will pick you up from your accommodation at 8 a.m., to depart for the subrange of Moroccan Atlas mountains, going through Tizi N´Tichka pass with stops for panoramic views and taking pictures of the Berber small villages that camouflage in the landscape. Then, our journey continues south to the ksar (fortified village) of Aït Ben Haddou where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot on this spectacular stage, including Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, and Sahara, with Penélope Cruz…etc. Free time for lunch in the town.

Later on, we continue to Ouarzazate, also known as “The gate of the desert” which in the Berber language means “noiseless or without confusion”. Here we´ll see the Taourirt Kasbah, one of the most spectacular ksars in Morocco. The next site to visit is the Rose Valley going through the big Skoura palm grove, a beautiful place to contemplate more than 700.000 palms and numerous kasbahs that are built in the surrounding area. In this valley, damascene roses are raised for cosmetic use such as the valued rosewater. Finally, we reach the Dades Valley where you will spend the night. Dinner and overnight in a cozy hotel/riad.

After breakfast, we drive back through the valley to see the amazing rock formation “the monkey toes”, and the still-standing 19thcentury Kasbah of Ait Yul. We leave the Dades valley and after some stops, we´ll reach the Todra Gorges. The scenery is spectacular. At the Gorge, you’ll walk under the 300m high red cliffs, where many rock-climbers come to enjoy their preferred sport. After a short walk in the Todra gorges, our trip continues to Erfoud and Rissani where we’ll have lunch and afterward, we’ll leave for the village of Merzouga. In the afternoon, you will have a camel ride, guided by an experienced camel man, to explore inside the mysterious sand-sea of the Sahara desert. Here, you’ll spend your night in a traditional Berber camp under the starry Moroccan sky. Dinner and overnight in a desert camp.

Very early in the morning, we have a “Date with the sunrise”. In the middle of the desert, waking up early in the morning is a “must-do” to enjoy the most spectacular sunrise you´ve ever seen from the top of a nearby dune. After having breakfast, we start our trip to the north, through the Tafilalet palm grove, the biggest in the world. You´ll see thousands of palm trees along the 20km of road. This route leads us to the Ziz valley, where the river comes down from the high Atlas and feeds the palm grove. Here we make a stop and from this high viewpoint, enjoy a magnificent view of the valley and the town of Aoufous.

We make another stop in Midelt, just in the heart of the Atlas Mountains where you´ll have free time for lunch. Later, we continue our way through the Cedar forest where, if we are lucky, we´ll see some monkeys. The next place we´ll visit is the city of Ifrane, situated on the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1630 meters above the water level. Ifrane feels misplaced in Morocco. Its broad avenues, its urban development with perfect cleanness, the gardens, the green areas, and its architecture, make this city look like a Swiss town. About 6 pm, we arrive at Fes and check in at a traditional riad in the medina.

After breakfast, you will meet with a local tour guide to explore Fes, the most ancient and holy of the Imperial cities. Your cultural and historic tour will take you through the 2000-year-old living medina. A labyrinth of narrow streets, alive with markets and souks, craftsmen, donkeys, and mules transporting their loads. Visit the Attarine and Bou Anania Medersas (Islamic universities), the Nejjarine fountain, the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, the Karaouine Mosque and the famous Chouara tanneries. About 3 pm, we will depart for Casablanca via the highway. In the afternoon, we will reach Casablanca and make the check in to the hotel. Overnight in a cozy hotel.

This morning, our driver will pick you up from your accommodation, to transfer you to the airport of Casablanca before your scheduled departure time, and this is the end of your “7 days private tour from Casablanca”.