The Grand Tour of Morocco (14 days / 13 nights)

Early wake-up and breakfast, then departure towards Fes via the Middle Atlas Mountains through Beni-Mellal, an agricultural area and a growing commercial center located at an altitude of 625 meters. We continue our journey through an alternating series of spectacular landscapes: limestone plateaus, cascading rivers, volcanic peaks, and dense, dark cedar and oak forests. Dinner and overnight stay in Fes.

After breakfast, the entire day will be dedicated to discovering Fes, the oldest of the imperial cities, renowned for its spiritual and educational contribution to Moroccan culture. You will visit the ancient medina, where you will also explore the famous souks, where artisans still work according to traditional Eastern craftsmanship methods. Lunch will be served in a traditional Moroccan restaurant before continuing the visit in the afternoon. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit Meknes, one of the most significant imperial cities of Morocco. It was once the capital under Sultan Moulay Ismail. You will visit the royal granaries and stables, El Hedim Square, and Bab Mansour, the most famous gate in North Africa. Lunch will be taken in Meknes, followed by a visit to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the best-preserved archaeological site in Morocco, as well as the birthplace of Moulay Idriss, founder of the Idrissid dynasty, the first Islamic dynasty in Morocco. You will have time to explore these 2,000-year-old ruins and discover the history of the Roman Empire. The journey then continues to Chefchaouen, one of the most beautiful small towns in the Rif Mountains, famous for its entirely blue-painted streets. Dinner and overnight stay in Chefchaouen.

After breakfast, we will visit the beautiful city of Chefchaouen, known as the “Blue City,” located in the high Rif Mountains. This town was founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain. Chefchaouen is a haven of peace and tranquility. The main square is the heart of Chefchaouen, featuring the Kasbah (built in the 18th century), the central mosque, and cafés serving authentic local dishes. We then depart for Tangier via Tetouan, the “white pigeon” city and a center of Andalusian Morocco, affectionately nicknamed by locals “The daughter of Granada.” In Tetouan, we visit Place Guersa Kebira, one of the city’s lively souks, followed by a walk through the medina, one of the most fascinating in the country and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also visit the beautiful Royal Palace, a fine example of Hispano-Moorish architecture. We then continue to Tangier for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, visit Tangier, the mythical city that has fascinated many artists over time. Then we walk towards Cape Spartel. Key highlights include the Grand Socco and Petit Socco, the two main lively squares of the city; the Kasbah, located on the hillside overlooking the port and made up of steep, narrow streets; and Dar El Makhzen, a former palace with remarkable architecture, now serving as a museum of Moroccan art. We then visit the Hercules Caves before departing for Asilah, now an artists’ town home to many galleries. Do not miss the old Portuguese city dating back to the 15th century. We continue to Larache, visiting its medina, a maze of narrow streets leading to the sea, and then to the village of Moulay Bousselham, named after its founder, including a visit to the small fishing port. Arrival in Rabat for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, visit the capital city of Rabat, which has always been a key imperial city. Explore the ruins of Chellah, an ancient Roman and medieval site with monuments dating back to the 13th century. Visit the Hassan Tower, originally intended to be one of the largest mosques in the Muslim world. Continue to the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the architect of Morocco’s independence in 1956. This mausoleum is a true masterpiece of Moroccan architecture. The late King Hassan II and his brother Prince Moulay Abdellah are also buried there. Rabat today is a modern city and a garden city, home to the Royal Palace, embassies, Parliament, and ministries. Then depart for Casablanca, the economic capital of the kingdom and the second-largest city in Africa. It is the heart of business and industry in Morocco. The Ain Diab coastline features cafés, restaurants, private clubs, hotels, and lively seaside activity. A guided visit will take you outside the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, the second-largest mosque in the world. Continue towards El Jadida, a Portuguese city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you will visit the famous citadel, a reminder of the Portuguese occupation in the 16th century. Lunch and continuation to Oualidia for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, enjoy a short visit to Oualidia, a unique fishing village known for its incredible diversity of landscapes and its rich historical and cultural heritage. Departure for Essaouira via Safi, an important port since Roman times, particularly known for its sardine fishing industry. During that period, it was known as Asfi. The Almohads later surrounded the city with ramparts and transformed it into an intellectual and spiritual center. Once open mainly to the Western world, the city is now open to visitors from all over the globe. Lunch will be served en route before continuing to Essaouira. Dinner and overnight stay in Essaouira.

After breakfast, we will explore the medina of Essaouira, formerly known as Mogador and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The medina is home to numerous artisan workshops, particularly woodworking and thuya wood carving, crafts that have been practiced in Essaouira for centuries. The city enjoys a pleasant microclimate that attracts many visitors from other regions, especially from Marrakech. Many painters, musicians, and artists have chosen to settle here. Each year, Essaouira hosts renowned cultural events, including the Spring Musical Festival of the Alizés and the Gnaoua Festival, a celebration of spiritual music that attracts thousands of visitors. Departure from Essaouira towards Taroudant, the former capital of the Souss region and one of the most traditional cities in Morocco. A tour of the city walls will allow you to discover its impressive ramparts, followed by visits to the souks and an introduction to traditional Berber pottery. Taroudant offers a complete change of scenery and is famous for its jewelry market as well as its craftsmanship in copper, leather, and carved stone. Dinner and overnight stay in Taroudant.

We depart in the morning, as usual, for a journey through the Anti-Atlas Mountains, where the landscape gradually changes into a mix of desert scenery and rugged mountain terrain. After passing through the beautiful oasis of Taliouine, the saffron capital of Morocco, we stop in Taznakht, a Berber town renowned for its traditional handmade carpets. Lunch will be served before continuing towards Ouarzazate. Ouarzazate stands on an arid plateau and occupies a strategic location at the crossroads of the main routes leading to the Draa, Dades, and Souss valleys. Dinner and overnight stay in Ouarzazate.

Departure in the morning from Ouarzazate towards Agdz via the Tizi n’Tinfifite Pass (1,660 m). After a break to enjoy a glass of traditional Moroccan tea in Agdz, we continue through the Draa Valley, passing gardens, palm oases, and kasbahs nestled between the Draa River and the Atlas Mountains. We stop at the Kasbah of Tamnougalt for a coffee break. This kasbah is the oldest in the Draa Valley and is still partially inhabited. You will have the opportunity to stroll through the kasbah and discover its history with a local guide. Lunch will be served before continuing towards Zagora. Along the way, we pass through Tamegroute, where you will visit the famous Quranic library and the traditional pottery workshops for which the village is renowned. Dinner and overnight stay in Zagora.

After breakfast, departure for Merzouga through unique desert landscapes dotted with oases. This beautiful route, lined with numerous small oases, was once one of the main caravan routes crossing the Sahara. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant before continuing towards the dunes of Merzouga. You will enjoy a true camel trekking experience in the Sahara Desert, experiencing the vastness, silence, and solitude of this extraordinary landscape. You will spend the night under a star-filled sky, and we will arrange for you to witness the magnificent sunset over the dunes of Erg Chebbi. The Erg Chebbi dunes are genuine moving sculptures, shaped like flowing draperies whose colors change according to the intensity of the light. Rising like natural defensive walls at the gateway to the desert, some dunes reach heights of more than 150 meters.

Departure towards Tinerhir along the Ziz Valley, surrounded by tamarisk trees and palm groves. Visit of the palm oasis followed by an excursion into the Todra Gorges, reaching the end of the main road through this narrow and impressive canyon. Lunch will be served before continuing towards Boumalne Dades via the Dades Valley, along the famous Road of the Thousand Kasbahs. Dinner and overnight stay in Boumalne Dades.

After breakfast, we return to Marrakech via Ouarzazate, the unofficial capital of southern Morocco. On the way, we visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This former residence of the Pasha Glaoui has been carefully restored using traditional techniques, and the surrounding village, with its few hundred inhabitants, is a living treasure. It is one of the best places to admire the richness of local craftsmanship, including carpets, furniture, baskets, pottery, and traditional Berber jewelry.