CASABLANCA to MARRAKECH (8 days) Moroccan Highlights

Welcome to Morocco! Following your transfer from the airport to our joining hotel you can relax by the hotel pool before the pre-departure meeting at 18.00 where you will meet your fellow travellers. Overnight Casablanca.

We recommend arriving a day before or early in the morning so you are able to join the group who started in Marrakech and visit the Hassan II Mosque in the afternoon. This is the only mosque in Morocco (that we know of) which allows non-muslims to enter.

After breakfast before we set off on our travels to the capital Rabat. We have a guided tour of the city were we will be visiting the Oudaia Kasbah in the oldest part of the city and we have the opportunity to see the Hassan Tower Rabat’s most famous landmark, the Royal Palace and Chellah are also a must see whilst we are here. We continue our journey through to Fes after a lunch stop in Meknes, one of Morocco’s imperial cities. After Lunch we move on to the Roman settlement of Volubilis for a guided tour, it is the largest ancient site in Morocco and is a UNESCO listed site dating back to AD 40. We then move on to Fes tonight.

Today we take the guided tour of Fes. Fes is the oldest and largest medieval city in the world. Its medina, home to 400.000 inhabitants, with only donkeys and bikes as a means of transportation, is a heady mix of aromas, sights and sounds. There are plenty of mosques and palaces to visit, but be aware that only Muslims can enter Mosques in Morocco. After exploring the dye-pits, tanneries, pharmacy, pottery and restaurants, we return to our hotel to freshen up for tonight, where we have the chance of an optional traditional meal and entertainment in the city with live Moroccan entertainment including traditional music, belly dancing and magicians.

Today we enjoy a stunning drive and you have the opportunity to have a fantastic Moroccan lunch (optional) and an afternoon relaxing and swimming (except in Winter months). It is then time to head towards the great desert and Merzouga, where we transfer to camels for a trek into the Sahara Desert for a night at our authentic Berber Camp.

We enjoy local food, music and an amazing night out under the Saharan stars.

Leaving the desert, we move on to Todra Gorge. This 1000ft gorge is hemmed in on all sides by vertical limestone cliffs and is also called Morocco’s Grand Canyon. We will stop at a Berber co-operative where you can see and buy authentic, Berber handmade rugs, kilims and carpets. The afternoon can be spent exploring the Gorge, walking through the Palmerie or trying our optional activity of Rock Climbing. The charm of Todra lies in its changing colours as the sun slowly moves from east to west.

We must bid fond farewell to Todra this morning en-route to Ait Benhaddou via Ouarzazate. We will stop for lunch along the way and have a chance for an optional tour of the Film studios in Ouarzazate, famous for films such as Gladiators, The Last Temptation of Christ and the Living Daylights. On a hill along the Ouarzazate River we find Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which boasts great examples of Kasbahs, some of which remain inhabited. This afternoon we have a guided tour of the famous Kasbah and village.

We traverse the High Atlas today enjoying stunning views en-route to Marrakech. It is possible to join an otional guided tour of the city this afternoon. Marrakech set against the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Its great pride and landmark is the Koutoubia Tower, sister to the Tower of Hassan in Rabat and the Giralda Tower in Seville. It is said that after the third of these was completed, the sultan had the eyes of his architect put out, lest he should build another more beautiful tower elsewhere. No visit to the city is complete without a visit to the city’s UNESCO-listed medina & Djemâa-el-Fna, an extraordinary gathering and market place.

The rest of the afternoon you have free time to relax by the pool or do a little shopping for souvenirs before we meet for the last group evening meal.

Your adventure tour ends after breakfast. For those flying out of Marrakech on this day you can arrange airport transfers with your guide, and these can be booked any time for this day – there is luggage storage at the hotel should you need to check out before your go to the airport. Additional nights in Marrakech can also be booked upon request, please contact us for details.