Morocco Cities and the Sahara 8 Days

Morocco Cities and the Sahara takes you from the imperial cities of Morocco to the tranquil beauty of the Sahara. From lunch with the locals to the oldest Kasbahs. On this tour you experience the sights and sounds of this unique Kingdom and the warmth and hospitality of its people. You visit the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis and the oldest city in Morocco, Fes, where you’ll find the oldest tannery and the first university in the world.

 

Highlights Morocco Cities and the Sahara

• Volubilis
•  9000 streets of the Fes medina
•  Lunches with the cooperative and local families
•  Sahara and camel ride
•  Todra Gorge
•  Ait Ben Haddou
• Jemaa El Fna
•  Cooking class

Day 1

Arrive in the city of Casablanca any time. Transfer to your hotel. Prepare for the 6pm welcome meeting.

Day 2 City of Casablanca via Volubilis to City of Fes

We leave the city of Casablanca to start our adventure in Morocco. We head to the oldest Roman ruins in Morocco dating back to around 25AD. With our local guide you can explore the ruins and their unique mosaics along with the triumphal arch and Via Maximus.

We stop on the way to Fes in Elmhaiya to experience the work of the community foundation who serve you traditional Moroccan food with all the accompaniments. The foundation does some amazing work with local families providing training for local women and English lessons amongst other things. After lunch we give you a lesson in Arabic writing so that you can write your name.
We continue our journey and arrive in Fes late afternoon.After checking in to your hotel you are free to explore.
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Optional extra:

Experience a magical Moroccan evening filled with cultural delights! Gather in a beautiful old riad for a sumptuous banquet, savoring the rich flavors of traditional Moroccan cuisine. Belly dancers sway gracefully, enthralling the crowd with their rhythmic movements. A talented magician weaves his magic puzzling everyone with his tricks. The air is filled with the rhythm of traditional Moroccan music, creating an unforgettable experience that lingers in hearts and minds long after the night ends.

Day 3 City of Fes

This morning it’s time to explore some of the 9000 streets of the oldest medina with a local guide. He makes sure you get just a little bit lost. We make stops at the entrance to the Royal Palace, the Jewish Mellah and a ceramic factory where you see pottery being hand made in the traditional way.

We take you to the highest point in Fes where you can capture pictures of the Medina and soak up the amazing view. We experience the sights and sounds of the old medina including the oldest tanneries in Morocco and the weavers who weave their magic with agave silk, get lost in the atmosphere of the local market and marvel at the Quranic school and the oldest university in Morocco.
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Day 4 Cit of Fes to Merzouga, Sahara

Today we leave Fes for the magical Sahara crossing the unique and varied landscapes that make up Morocco. We pass through the alpine town of Ifrane and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Barbary apes in the cedar forests of Azrou. Ifrane is known as the Switzerland of Morocco because of its chalet style houses and unique climate. We make several stops along the way for a picnic lunch, at the Ziz valley, a beautiful palmeraie with amazing views.

We arrive in the dunes of the Sahara in the late afternoon. Take a dip in the pool or take a walk in the dunes. This evening we sit back on our camels and enjoy a ride into the desert, be ready to get some amazing shots of the sunset. Dinner is in the hotel and later we experience a traditional Moroccan evening of dancing and drumming around a campfire.
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Day 5 Merzouga, Sahara to Tinghir

This morning we leave the Sahara and continue on our way to Tinghir and the stunning Gorge of Todra. We make a few stops along the way, to buy dates, the best in world, in a fossil factory where we are able to see some amazing objects made from the fossils that are readily available in the nearby desert and finally to see the qanats, which are irrigation systems that date back to the 14th century and brought water from the mountains to the local villages.

The gorge is great for hiking or just taking in its sheer size. We visit the oldest Kasbah in Tinghir and a carpet cooperative where you can see the carpet weavers at work and try your haggling skills to buy a traditional handmade carpet. We have a short hike around the village before returning to the hotel for a relaxing evening.
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Day 6 Tinghir to Ait Ben Haddou

Travel the route of 1000 kasbahs to Skoura where we visit another amazing example of a Kasbah, Ameridil, for a guided tour before continuing on to Ouarzazate for lunch passing the Atlas film studio along the way. Many famous films have been shot here, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. Sample the wares of the Berber pharmacy before continuing on to Ait Ben Haddou a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Check in to your hotel where you can enjoy a cooking class and cook your own tajine and yes you get to eat it later. After cooking we hike to the top of Ait Ben Haddou where we have spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and you can see why the Kasbah was built here. Watch out for an amazing view of the sunset…..
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Day 7 Ait Ben Haddou to City of Marrakech

Today we continue our journey through Morocco on the windy roads of the High Atlas Mountains, passing through the Tizi N Tichka pass at a height of 2260 metres, arriving in the city of Marrakech in the early afternoon. We stop on the way for lunch with a local family.

After checking into our hotel, we meet our local guide and take a tour of the Medina, including Bahia Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque. After the tour you have free time to explore the bustling medina and the Jemaa El Fna square as it comes to life with performers and restaurants pop up out of nowhere
Tonight, we’ll have our last dinner together.
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Day 8

Depart for home. Say goodbye to the Cities of Morocco and the Sahara Desert. You can extend your stay if you’d like to discover more of Morocco. We can help with onward travel, accommodation or advice. If you need anything just let us know.

Optional extra:

To finish your trip why not take an early morning hot air balloon ride over the Marrakech countryside. Set off into the countryside in a 4×4 and watch the sun as it rises. You’ll have a ringside seat and amazing views followed by a delicious breakfast. A perfect end to a perfect adventure

Mount Toubkal Trek Morocco