Morocco Great Escape

From €839EUR

9 Days

Starts in Casablanca

+212 677 365 421

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SUMMARY

Tour Overview

Carefully selected hotels, Kasbahs, Riads. Includes one night in a traditional Berber camp

Qualified multi-language guide fluent in English, French, Spanish

Air-conditioned 4WD vehicle(s), mini bus or motor-coach

Casablanca, Rabat, Volubilis, Meknes, Fes, Merzouga, camel trekking & night in desert, Todra canyon, Dades valley, Atlas Mountains, Marrakech

INcluded in your tour

Tour Highlights

We have over 20 years of experience crafting a Moroccan experience perfectly tailored to our guests needs. These are our most common itineraries, to be used as starting points in developing yours.

Itinerary

Tour Itinerary

We are experts at creating a Moroccan experience perfectly tailored to our guests needs. These are some of our most popular itineraries, and they may be customized to the utmost extent of your imaginations.

Arrival at Airport, Sightseeing in Casablanca + Rabat

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We will meet you upon your arrival in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, after which we will take a short tour of the city. We will visit the grounds of the immense Hassan II Mosque, one of the Islamic world's greatest monuments, which features the world's tallest minaret and is the only working mosque in Morocco that can be visited by non-Muslims. After our tour we will depart to Rabat, Morocco's diplomatic and administrative capital. We will briefly introduce you to some of the city's most important sights, including the Kasbah des Oudayas and the Mohammed V Mausoleum, before taking you to your riad or hotel to let you settle in. We will spend the night in Rabat.

Romain Ruins and Imperial Cities

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Following breakfast we will visit the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa. Despite the damage caused by an earthquake in the year 1755, this important Roman town still preserves detailed mosaics and architecture offering a unique perspective on Morocco's ancient history. We will then continue our journey passing through Meknes, an imperial city often called the "Versailles of Morocco" owing to the grandeur and intricacy of its buildings and monuments, before making our way to Fes, the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco. In Fes we will check into your hotel before having dinner and settling in for the night.

Fes Sightseeing with Official Local Guide

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Following breakfast at the hotel, our accredited local guide will accompany you on a walking tour of the Fes medina. Step back in time as you wander through the labyrinth of twisting alleyways - donkeys and mules pass through the narrow streets, savour the aromas from the market stalls where countless spices and perfumes are traded, and explore the leather tanneries where men treat leather using century old techniques. We’ll cap the day with dinner at one of the many local restaurants of the medina then settle in for the evening at your hotel.

Fes to The Sahara + Camel Trek

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We continue our journey onwards from Fes to Ifrane, through hills blanketed in forests of cork oak and giant cedar, where a few Barbary apes still call home. Passing through the Middle and High Atlas ranges, we will catch our first glimpse of Southern Morocco’s unique architectural style and stop for lunch overlooking a breathtaking view of the dramatic peaks of the High Atlas rising behind the town of Midelt. As we descend into the desert plains, the view changes from dramatic mountain peaks to an expansive oasis punctuated by countless Ksours (fortified villages), which then give way to a vast stony plain that marks the edges of the Sahara. As the mid-day sun wanes, we will mount our camels and trek into the pink sands of the Moroccan Sahara; here, we will have ample free time for you to explore and take in the beauty and vastness of the desert dunes. Once the sun sets, a Moroccan dinner will be served alongside live music around the campfire, after which you are free to explore again - this time in the company of a million stars exploding against the pitch-black sky, and the all-encompassing silence of the Sahara at night.

A Desert Sunrise, Along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs

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If you would like, your camel guide will wake you 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 a cup of tea, we will ride the camels back to the kasbah, where we will be able to freshen up before heading into the Draa Valley. Besides the natural, historical, and architectural wonders found in the valley, there are also countless villages that seem to have remained untouched by the modern world. Fully veiled women can be seen washing clothes on the riverbanks and the men seem watchful and unaccustomed to foreign visitors. These local people, besides speaking a vernacular Arabic dialect, also speak Imazighen, the language of the Berber or Tamazight people, the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa for thousands of years. Our route will continue along the "Road of 1000 Kasbahs", which will take us to Ouarzazate (pronounced Warzza-zat), a city in the middle of a barren plateau at an altitude of 1160 meters, established at the crossroads of all routes going north, south, east, and west. Its geographical position has made it a key trading post since ancient times. The capital of a large province, the town's northern limits run along the foothills of the High Atlas, and its southern borders disappear into the vastness of the Sahara Desert. The area is still mostly populated by the Berber people, who were the original builders of the numerous fortified kasbahs and dwellings for which the region is famous. After checking in at our hotel, you can enjoy an afternoon beside the swimming pool and enjoy the clean desert air.

Ouarzazate to Marrakech, Fantastical Kasbahs

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Following breakfast we will explore the nearby Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, the most famous kasbah in Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the backdrop for many of the films and shows shot on location. We then continue north across the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech - a fantastical Arabian Nights city with myriad alleyways, souks, and market stalls. Marrakech is the second oldest imperial city, known as the "Southern Pearl" of Morocco, and has for centuries been an important stop for traders and travelers alike; this remarkable city never fails to satisfy the curiosity of adventurous travelers, and we’re sure you’ll love it too. We will arrive in Marrakech by the afternoon, giving you plenty of time to explore the vibrant streets at your leisure before settling in for the evening.

Marrakech Sightseeing with Official Local Guide

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Breakfast will be served at your Riad, after which a knowledgeable local guide will lead you through the labyrinth of Marrakech's winding alleyways, hidden gardens, and secret souks. You will continue to the Djemaa el Fna, the principal cultural space in Marrakech and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beside which the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque can be seen towering into the sky. In the evening this square overflows with food stalls, dancers, acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians, and henna artists. Following your tour you will have the full day to spend at your leisure, whether its pampering yourself at a local spa with massage or further exploring the souks of the medina. We will spend the night at our hotel in Marrakech.

Marrakech at Your Leisure, Casablanca in the Afternoon

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Marrakech is a sensory-rich city with a unique blend of ancient traditions and modern conveniences. In the morning, you may want to try a Moroccan hammam or a spa, try your hand at a local cooking class, or perhaps take a ride on a donkey cart around the city. Whatever it may be, our guide is at your service to help with suggestions, information, and arrangements. In the afternoon we will return to Casablanca, where we will have plenty of time to relax and settle in the night.

Casablanca at Your Leisure, Transfer to the Airport

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As we bid you farewell, we will help you with any departure formalities and arrange for your transfers to the airport. We hope you enjoyed your journey with us, and hope to see you again soon.

Itinerary

Tour Itinerary

We have over 20 years of experience crafting a Moroccan experience perfectly tailored to our guests needs. These are our most common itineraries, to be used as starting points in developing yours.

DAY 1: Arrival at the airport then visit Casablanca (Casablanca sightseeing) → Rabat sightseeing

Meet and greet at Casablanca airport, then discover the economic capital of the kingdom and its largest city. Start your Casablanca city tour with a visit to the exterior of the splendid Hassan II Mosque, then visit Habous Charter, the oldest area in Casablanca. Depart along the coast to visit the political capital of Morocco: Rabat. Begin your discovery of this imperial city with a walk around the entrance to the Royal Palace with its beautiful mosaics and lovely gardens. Next to the palace, you will see the impressive and unmatched Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Hassan Tower, the landmark of Rabat and one of the oldest mosques.

DAY 2: Rabat → Meknes → Moulay Idriss → Volubilis → Fes.

After breakfast, continue touring the city of Rabat with a visit to the Oudaya Kasbah: Rabat’s old medina and Chella Necropolis where the Roman and Islamic ruins lay side by side whispering endless stories of centuries past. Leave Rabat passing vast agricultural fields to the second imperial city of Meknes to take pictures of the massive Bab El Mansour Gate. The city tour of Meknes includes the Harri Souani stables, the old medina and the beautiful royal palace. Depart for the sacred city of Moulay Idriss. You may have time for a stop at this beautiful little city before visiting the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Volubilis is a truly impressive setting selected by UNESCO as a cultural heritage for humanity.

DAY 3: Fes escorted sightseeing tour

Today, around 9 AM, you will get under the skin of Fes's ancient medina and historical highlights on this full-day tour; With a knowledgeable local guide, you will discover the largest old Medina in the world, Morocco’s spiritual and intellectual capital and home. The city’s numerous monuments have thousands of stories to tell, visit Jemaa El Karaouyine (the first university to be established in the world), the Mederssa Bounania, the tanneries and artisan quarters and the fascinating souks are just some of the many places to see.

DAY 4: Fes → Ifran → Azrou → Midelt → Ziz Gorges → Erfoud → Merzouga → Erg Chebbi → Camel trek in the Sahara and overnight in the golden dunes in a Berber camp.

Leaving Fez with its fantastic history, head to a totally different part of Morocco. On the way to Erfoud pass through many Berber cities and villages, the first of which are the cities of Ifrane and Azrou. Ifrane, nicknamed Morocco’s Switzerland, is a very beautiful little town with very charming European style homes and Azrou, a Berber village known for its handicraft cooperatives. Continue via Midelt, the Ziz River and a series of fortified villages’ en route to Erfoud. From Erfoud, it’s another 40 minutes across an immense palm oasis and a vast area of stony desert to get Merzouga, where we’ve selected a charming kasbah hotel on the outskirts of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Then at 4 pm we will ride our camels, trekking across the desert, will take us to a Berber camp in the middle of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, some rising of 820 feet), the highest in North Africa. The camp consists of six luxurious Berber tents equipped with mattresses, linen, toilets, a restaurant, and a kitchen. dinner is included followed by a traditional music show,  then shooting stars show.

DAY 5: Merzouga → Todra Canyon → Dades valley → Roses Valley → Skoura Oasis → Ouarzazate

If you would like, your camel guide will wake you 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. Afterwards you may even want to try to sand-board down some of the dunes. After a cup of tea, we will ride the camels back to the kasbah, where we will be able to freshen up before heading out of town and through Tinghir, a beautiful green valley more than 40km in length and filled with palm trees, olives, almonds, and many other local crops. We will continue to the Todra Gorge, known as "Morocco's Grand Canyon", as well as the Valley of the Roses, famous for its Rose Festival in May, and over the "Road of 1000 Kasbahs" by the Skoura Oasis before arriving in Ouarzazate (pronounced Warza-zat), a city in the middle of a barren plateau at an altitude of 1160 meters, established at the crossroads of all routes going north, south, east, and west. We will stop here to have dinner and spend the night.

DAY 6: Ouarzazate → Ait BenHaddou Kasbah → Atlas Mountains → Marrakech

After breakfast we will take some time to explore Ouarzazate, which is known as the "Hollywood of Morocco". Ouarzazate's studios have produced films including "Lawrence of Arabia", "Alexander the Great", "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "The Living Daylights", and you will have the chance to visit Atlas Studios, one of the most famous studios in Africa, to see where many of these blockbusters were shot. You will also have the chance to visit the iconic Taourirt Kasbah, which was once the seat of power for the powerful Glaoui clan that once controlled this region. We will leave Ouarzazate for Marrakech, first stopping at the nearby Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, the most famous kasbah in Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the backdrop for many of Ouarzazate's films including notably "Lawrence of Arabia". In the afternoon we will continue north across the High Atlas Mountains. The road, completed by the French Foreign Legion in 1936, winds up over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass and offers stunning views over the mountains before descending past Berber villages to the plains surrounding Marrakech. Even today, the name Marrakech conjures up scenery from Arabian Nights - alleyways, souks, and market stalls. This remarkable city, with the graceful architecture of the renowned 11th-century Koutoubia Minaret dominating the skyline, never fails to satisfy the curiosity of adventurous travelers. We will have dinner in Marrakech and spend the night.

DAY 7: Marrakech sightseeing guided by an official local guide

We set off on a guided tour in the morning (on foot) to see the spectacular sights of Marrakech. Our city guide will take us to the Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs, which date back to the 16th century, and the Dar Si Said Museum. There is then some free time to visit the largest mosque in Marrakech, Koutoubia, and venture through the old streets of the medina to the Koranic School and the Museum of Marrakech. The afternoon is free to explore the labyrinth of souks off Djemaa el Fna Square and try some bartering techniques or simply enjoy a freshly squeezed orange juice in one of the many rooftop cafés overlooking the square.

DAY 8: Marrakech at leisure → Transfer Casablanca

Your last day of travel will be in Marrakech, where you will be free to wander through the winding alleyways of the old medina and search for souvenirs or last-minute gifts for friends among the bustling souks and the stalls of Djemaa el Fna square. In the afternoon we will return to Casablanca, where we will have plenty of time to relax and settle in the night.

DAY 9: Casablanca transfer to airport (Subject to your flight schedule)

We will help you with any departure formalities and you will be taken directly to Casablanca airport with plenty of time left over to catch your departure flight.


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We are experts at creating a Moroccan experience perfectly tailored to our guests needs. These are some of our most popular itineraries, and they may be customized to the utmost extent of your imaginations.

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