Highlights of Morocco-8 day
Get to know Morocco on this 8 day journey highlighting the best of the region
Join FlashpackerConnect on this 8 day tour starting from Casablanca, through the North of Morocco and the desert, before looping up to the High Atlas mountains and Marrakech. Experience the vibrancy of Morocco’s beguiling Imperial Cities and the famous blue citadel of Chefchaouen; camp overnight in the Sahara desert; stay en-route to Marrakech in the foothills of the Atlas mountains; and end the journey in the colorful Marrakech medina. This private tour takes in five of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1- Arrival to Casablanca or Fes airport
Upon your arrival, you will enjoy a private transfer to your riad hotel in the Fes medina.
Believed to be the largest car-free urban zone in the world, the Fes medina is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fes was also the seat of the founding Muslim dynasty, making it a very significant religious site as well. Also located in Fes medina is the al-Karaouine University, which dates back to the 9th Century! Al-Karaouine is considered one of the oldest universities in the world, and was once one of the leading intellectual centers of the Mediterranean and Arab world.
The medina also offers an insight into traditional Moroccan craft-working and Moorish architecture (influenced by emigration from the Iberian peninsula).
Day 2- Morning departure to Chefchaouen
After breakfast, we will begin the journey to Chefchaouen. Our arrival will be just about lunch time, and the total travel time for today is about 4 hours.
Upon arrival, feel free to spend your afternoon exploring the narrow alleys and unique, colorful passages. The ‘Blue City’ holds much to be discovered, nestled in the Rif Mountains. Tonight, we will rest our heads in a traditional guest house of Chefchaouen, adding to our unique and authentic experience.
Day 3- Fes via Volubilis and Meknes
Today will take the group to yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to the most well-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, Volubilis. You will see multiple great examples of Roman architecture dotted throughout Volubilis, its skyline peppered with basilicas and arches typical to the era. Not to be missed in Volubilis are the superb mosaic floors, which have been masterfully preserved over the years.
In Meknes, the impressive monuments recall the splendor of a city first built in the 17th century by the powerful sultan Moulay Ismail to rival the court of his contemporary, Louis XIV of France.
Highlights of Meknes are the monumental Bab Mansour gateway, considered to be one of the finest of the great gates of Morocco, the Granaries and the Royal Stables.
Day 4- Journey into the Desert
Today we begin to gain altitude, traveling through Morocco’s cedar forest region. As we cross the Middle Atlas mountains, we will then begin to descend by way of the Ziz Gorge. As we drive through the Tafilalt region, we will begin to see verdant date palms lining the edge of the great Sahara Desert. We now find ourselves in an area of great historical significance, as this region once marked the crossroads of the West African caravan routes, and is the origin of the establishment of the Alaouite dynasty.
You will meet your camel caravan at the end of the road and make the 1 hour trek to reach your Berber desert camp for the night. Enjoy sunset at the dunes and dine before enjoying the campfire and star-gazing.
Day 5- Journey west to the Atlas Mountains
Leaving the majestic Sahara Desert behind, we will travel westward to the foothills of the High Atlas mountains and the famous natural gorges, the Todra and Dades . Our journey today will be about 5 to 6 hours.
Tonight we will overnight in the Dades Valley, at a traditional guest house of the region.
Day 6- South Morocco to Marrakech
Today we will have the opportunity to visit some of south of Morocco’s most interesting kasbah monuments, en-route to Marrakech, before crossing the High Atlas mountains. The Kasbah Amridil at Skoura, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Ben Haddou, and the Telouet Kasbah.
Enjoy the patchwork of Berber villages in the river valleys in this region and the contrast of colors as the scenery changes; from arid pre-Saharan to alpine to farmland and olive groves.
Cross the mountains at the Tichka Pass and gradually descend to the plain of Marrakech, expecting to arrive late afternoon (journey time approx. 7.5 hours).
Day 7- Liesure day in Marrakech
Today we will enjoy free time in Marrakech. While the driver is available during the day, most of the medina sites are accessible only by foot.
Optional activities, at extra cost, would be a Moroccan cookery course at a cookery school and/or a traditional Moroccan ‘hammam’ (bathing/cleansing ritual in a heated room).
In the medina, visit the Maison de la Photographie, the Musee des Confluences (next to the Dar el Bacha), the Bahia Palace (19th Century) and le Jardin Secret. The afternoon can be spent in the ‘souks’ (the marketplace for Moroccan crafts such as leather, carpets, pottery and spices), or at the botanical Jardins Majorelle in the new town, or at the Yves Saint Laurent museum.
Today we bid farewell to Morocco. the group will be provided private transfers to either Marrakech or Casablanca airport.
Additional Trip Info
•7 nights accommodation (double/twin occupancy)
•Breakfast daily
•Evening meals on nights 4 and 5
•Guided camel trekking in the dunes
•Drinking water/hot drinks in the desert camp
•8 days with driver and 4x4 vehicle (including airport transfers)
•Lunches and other meals not specified above
•Drinks at the hotels
•City guide services
•Kasbah/museum entry fees
•Gratuity
•Personal items and souvenirs
•Laundry
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