DAY 1: Arrival at Marrakech Airport  → Marrakech at Leisure

We will pick you up directly from the airport where you will see our Best Travel sign, from where we will take you right to your hotel. An optional dinner is available where you would be able to get to know your fellow travelers. (HB)

DAY 2: Marrakech Sightseeing

After a morning at leisure, experience the hustle and bustle of Marrakech on a half-day walking tour. You will visit the dramatic Almohades Koutoubia Minaret and admire the 14th-century Ben Youssef Madrasa. Explore the colorful and aromatic souks of the Marrakech Medina as you wind your way through the labyrinth of narrow alleyways. The tour finishes in the famous UNESCO-listed Djemaa el Fna Square, where you will discover mysterious bazaars selling hand-made rugs, spices, and souvenirs, and see acrobats, snake charmers, and gnawa musicians compete for the attention of the crowd. Later, you will have the option to enjoy traditional Moroccan cuisine and entertainment at an extravagant live show. You will experience African folklore dancers, the tray dance, and of course exotic belly dancers as you savor a selection of Moroccan salads, tagines, and couscous. Overnight in Marrakech. (BB)

DAY 3: Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → High Atlas Mountains → Ait Benhaddou → Ouarzazate

After breakfast in Marrakech we will depart for Ouarzazate through the High Atlas Mountains. Our path will take us over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass at an altitude of 7,415 feet, the highest vehicular pass in Morocco. On the way we will be able to see unforgettable mountain landscapes and various villages typical of northern slopes of the mountains, where corn can be seen ripening in the sun on the packed earth roofs of the stone houses. Once over the mountains we will visit Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, a must-see UNESCO World Heritage site and the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters such as “Gladiator” “Indiana Jones” and “Lawrence of Arabia”. From Ait Benhaddou we will continue to Ouarzazate, known as the Hollywood of Morocco, where you will have the option to visit the local film studios, Taourirt Kasbah, and the cinematographic museum. Overnight in Ouarzazate.

DAY 4: Ouarzazate → Skoura Oasis → Roses Valley → Boutaghrar → Dades Valley

We will leave the bustling southern city of Ouarzazate in the morning for the Todra Gorge. On the way we will pass the Skoura Oasis, where numerous ancient kasbahs, some sadly in ruin, stand among the palm trees. From here our route will take us through Kelaa M'gouna, the Valley of Roses, where we will stop to see locally-made cosmetics made from the valley's abundant roses. These products are famous and highly valued throughout Morocco. From there we will go off-road along the Boutaghrar piste to visit Berber nomads in their caves and join them for a glass of tea. Afterwards there will be plenty of time to stroll along the banks of the river before continuing to the Todra Gorge. We will stay overnight in the Dades Valley.

DAY 5: Dades Valley → Todra Canyon → Rissani → Merzouga  → Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes

We will head to the Todra Gorge on the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs", passing the village of Tinghir on the way. When we arrive in the Todra Gorge, there will be an optional 1-2 hour hike through the villages of this charming area, where we will pass fields cultivated by the local Berber women and have the spectacular peaks of the High Atlas Mountains as a fitting backdrop. Back on the desert road after the Todra Gorge, we will journey to Merzouga via Erfoud and Rissani. In the afternoon we will mount our camels (-if you can’t ride the camel 4X4 is also an option-) and ride out of Merzouga into the pink sands of Morocco's highest dunes. We will have time to wander around the dunes before watching the sunset. In the evening we will dine on Moroccan cuisine and enjoy traditional live music around the campfire. You will spend the night in a warm Berber tent in the silence of the desert, and you can relax outside and marvel at the crystal-clear Milky Way like few people have been able to see it.

DAY 6: Merzouga Culture and Traditions → Tea with Nomads

If you would like to wake up early so that you can watch the spectacle of sunrise, when the color of the sand contrasts beautifully with the play of shadows on the dunes - after which you might want to try your hand at sand-boarding down them. After a refreshing shower and breakfast, we will ride the camels or fun 4X4 off-road drive through the dunes back to the kasbah in Merzouga town before taking a 4WD vehicle To visit the village of Khamlia, the origin of gnawa music. We will have the opportunity to hear it played by the local people, who are descendants of ex-slaves that found their way to Morocco from Senegal via the Salt Route. We will also visit the nearby Dayet Srji Salt Lake, which is the resting point for many kinds of migratory birds including flamingos, and is a bird lover's paradise. Afterwards we will return to Merzouga, where we have selected a charming kasbah hotel on the outskirts of the Erg Chebbi golden sand dunes from where you will be able to relax beside a swimming pool while watching the sunset over the desert.

DAY 7: Merzouga → Erfoud → Ziz Oasis & Canyon → Midelt  → Azrou → Ifran → Fes

After breakfast, we will retrace our steps through Erfoud to the dramatic Ziz Gorge, a spectacular gash in the hills that surround the Ziz Oasis, the largest oasis in Morocco. The region is dotted with deserted kasbahs, palm trees, and mud-brick villages, and is a photographer's paradise. After passing through a barren plain of scrub and desert on the other side of the mountains, we will stop for lunch in the town of Midelt, from which we will have a fantastic view of the dramatic peaks of the High Atlas rising behind the town. The different landscapes we will cross is unbelievably diverse, ranging from rocky, sun-baked plains to cedar-covered mountains and deep, spectacular canyons. In the hills south of Azrou we might be lucky enough to spot a troupe of the Barbary Apes that still make their home in the local forests. We head onward to Ifran, the Switzerland of Morocco. After having crossed the plains we will arrive in the evocative city of Fes, which is the cultural capital of Morocco and one of the most complete medieval Islamic cities in the world. Our guide will help you find your riad and leave you to settle in for the night.

DAY 8: Fes Guided Sightseeing Tour

After having breakfast we will begin our tour of Fes at the Merenid Tombs, before stopping at the Musée des Armes, a fortress that once protected the city. Today it is possible to see a display of 8,000 pieces of artillery from Makina, the arsenal built by Sultan Moulay Hassan. We will enter the Fes el Bali, best described as a sea of rooftops embellished with minarets and domes, with streets much too narrow for cars. Aside from walking, donkeys and mules are still a popular transportation option within the old city's walls. We will make our way to the Karaouine Mosque, one of the oldest in the world, which functioned as the first university in Morocco. After our visit to the mosque we will continue along the streets, passing some of Fes' most important buildings including the Dar al-Magana, a 14th- century water clock, and the Zaouia al-Tijaniyya. We will stop to visit the Ech Cherabliyine Mosque (Mosque of the Slipper-makers) before browsing the souks, selling everything from henna and slippers to jewelry and spices. We will continue into the UNESCO-recognized Fondouk el Nejjarine. Within the fondouk's three floors we will find the Musée de Bois, which displays carved doors from the Bou Inania Madrasa. We will stop for lunch within the medina at one of the fine Moroccan palace-restaurants that serve an extravaganza of mezas (Moroccan tapas) common among the Fassis tradition. After lunch we will visit the Musée Dar Batha to view its collection of pottery, leather-work, wood, books, and 19th-century manuscripts. We will continue onward to the Bab el-Ftouh, the "Gateway of the Aperture", to explore the Andalusian Quarter, a residential part of the medina dotted with monuments. Our final part of the tour will take us into the Fes el-Jdid, a kasbah which functioned as Morocco's administrative center until 1912. We will explore the royal palace and many interesting quarters including the Moulay Abdallah Quarter, the Mellah (Jewish Quarter), and a little farther south, the Ville Nouvelle (New Quarter).

DAY 9: Fes → Volubilis → Moulay Idriss → Meknes → Rabat

After a traditional Moroccan breakfast in Fes, we will head to the breathtaking archaeological site of Volubilis (Walili), an open-air museum with remains of altars, sculptural fragments, and colorful mosaics. Once occupied by the Romans, Volubilis has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site and gained international acclaim when Martin Scorsese used it as the feature location for his film "The Last Temptation of Christ". The driver will briefly take you through the city of Moulay Idriss before making a stop in Meknes, or the "Moroccan Versailles", which was founded at the end of the 17th century by Sultan Moulay Ismail. Some of Meknes' highlights include: Bab Mansour, the 8 meter intricately patterned arch argued to be the most beautiful in Morocco; the Place El Hedim (Square of Ruins), surrounded by arches and protruding towers; and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, reminiscent of the Saadian Tombs in Marrakech. Next we will drive to see Koubba el-Khayatine and Habs Qara, an imperial pavilion that once received diplomats coming to negotiate the ransom of Christian prisoners. We will continue to the Dar el Makhzen, the "Palace of Labyrinths", and then to Bassin de l'Aguedal, a water tank built to supply water to the palace and imperial city. Afterwards we will depart to Rabat, where we will spend the night.

DAY 10: Rabat → Casablanca → Marrakech

After breakfast you will be led through the history of Rabat, the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. Your guide will escort you on a walk around the picturesque Almohad northern walls of the Oudaïa Kasbah, and then continue to the Hassan Tower, which towers over the Wadi Bou Regreg. The Hassan Tower is a gigantic mosque, emblematic of Rabat and famous for its unfinished minaret where storks make their nests. Next door, we will visit the beautiful Mausoleum of Mohammed V, decorated with stained glass windows, white marble, and a wrought-iron entryway with a stairway leading up to an impressive dome. After we finish we will depart for Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, where we will visit the grounds of the Hassan II Great Mosque, one of the Islamic world's greatest monuments. Afterwards we will return to Marrakech, where we will spend the night.

NB: Alternatively, you can choose to be taken to Casablanca airport if you don’t want to return to Marrakech.

DAY 11: Marrakech at Leisure → Transfer to the Airport

Today we will make as much use of our time as possible, wandering around the souks of Marrakech and finding souvenirs or gifts for friends before we take you to Marrakech Menara airport with plenty of time to catch your departure flight.