Sahara Desert, Chefchaouen, Imperial cities Morocco tour – 12 days

Our driver will greet you at the airport in Casablanca and transfer you through the beautiful Moroccan countryside to the city in an air-conditioned vehicle. Welcome to Morocco! Once in the city centre, you can visit the Hassan II Mosque, which was opened in 1993. Built to mark Hassan II’s 60th birthday, it is the second largest religious building in Africa, with the second highest minaret in the world. On Fridays and religious holidays, visits are only possible at restricted times. Due to high visitor numbers, there may be waiting times at the ticket office. The tour of the imposing building takes about one hour and tickets cost about 120 dirhams at the time of publishing. Afterwards, continue to the capital Rabat where you can visit the historic, fascinating and recently additionally excavated Chellah. Built on Roman foundations, the 14th-century necropolis is one of the most unique sites in Morocco. You will spend the night in a beautiful riad at the heart of the medina. FYI: Guided tours of the Hassan II mosque are limited on Fridays or religious holidays. Please check the schedule here: Hassan II Mosque Tours and Tickets.

After breakfast at the riad, you will have the opportunity to visit the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, built in homage to the late king who passed away in 1961. His son and successor, Hassan II, who died in 1999, is also entombed here. The intricate tilework inside the mausoleum is truly remarkable with every tiny tile cut and set in place by hand. Afterwards, you will take the motorway via Ouazzane through the mountains to your next tour destination, the “blue town of Chefchaouen” in the Rif mountains. You can then spend your free evening exploring the many dreamlike streets and alleyways. You will certainly find plenty of the little Moroccan cafés in the town to relax and watch the world go by. You will spend the night in a riad.

Chefchaouen, the enchanting blue and white-washed city nestled in the Rif Mountains, stands as one of Morocco’s most captivating destinations. The day is spent at your own pace, exploring the city’s beautiful attractions and perhaps engaging in some local activities. The following sites are of interest: Plaza Uta el-Hammam: At the heart of Chefchaouen, this lively square is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and shops. The red-walled Kasbah and the Grand Mosque, which dominates the square, add to the vibrant atmosphere. Chefchaouen Medina: Strolling through the narrow, blue-painted streets of the old town provides a surreal and picturesque experience. The distinctive blue and white buildings create a charming backdrop, and local craft shops offer handwoven textiles, pottery, and traditional souvenirs. Kasbah Museum: The Chefchaouen Kasbah houses a small museum featuring local history, artefacts, and art, offering an opportunity to learn more about the region’s culture and traditions. Spanish Mosque: A 30-minute uphill walk from the city leads to the abandoned Spanish Mosque. From here, breathtaking views of Chefchaouen and the surrounding countryside can be enjoyed, with the nearby spot being ideal for watching the sunset. Akchour Waterfalls: If time allows, a day trip to the Akchour Waterfalls, located about an hour from Chefchaouen, offers a rewarding hike through the scenic Rif Mountains. Once there, the cascading waters and natural beauty provide a peaceful retreat. The night is spent back in your riad.

After breakfast, you will drive south to the oldest Moroccan imperial city of Fes, located in the Middle Atlas Mountains. With a guide, you will be able to explore the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site, Volubilis Roman Ruins, a most rewarding excursion to the ruins of the former capital of the province of Mauretania Tingitana. Founded around 25 AD under Juba II, Volubilis formed the administrative centre in the region. This World Heritage Site is the largest Roman archaeological site in Morocco, with temples from the Punic-Moorish period. Looking up from this ancient setting, you can see and later visit the small hillside holy city of Moulay Idris. It is the most important place of pilgrimage in the country and houses the tomb of Moulay Idriss, the first ruler of an independent Moroccan empire and founder of the Idrisid dynasty. NOn-Moslems are not permitted entry, however. The onward journey takes you through a tranquil hilly landscape past numerous farms to Fes. There you will spend the night in a riad.

After meeting your licensed local guide, a full-day sightseeing tour of Fes, the oldest of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities, begins. This tour offers the opportunity to explore some of the city’s most iconic and intriguing attractions, providing a deeper understanding of this historic Moroccan treasure. The following places can be visited, depending on time and your preferences: The University of Al Quaraouiyine: The tour may start at the prestigious University of Al Quaraouiyine, one of the world’s oldest continuously operating educational institutions. Established in the 9th century, it holds a significant place in history as a renowned centre of learning. Bou Inania Medersa: The Bou Inania Medersa, a religious school, is admired for its stunning mosaics, intricate stucco work, and impressive architecture. Non-Muslims are permitted to enter the magnificent courtyard, offering a chance to appreciate the splendour of Islamic artistry. The Royal Palace: Although the interior of the Royal Palace is not open to the public, the exterior is an architectural masterpiece. Pausing here to admire the intricately designed portal reveals a glimpse of Moroccan royal heritage. The Medina: In Fes’ UNESCO-listed Medina, the maze-like streets have preserved their medieval charm. The bustling souks, ancient mosques, and historic landmarks offer a vivid insight into the city’s vibrant past. Leather Tanneries: Fes is renowned for its centuries-old leather production. A visit to the tanneries reveals traditional techniques still used to craft leather goods, providing a fascinating look at the city’s enduring craftsmanship. Local Market: The lively markets of Fes brim with a wide array of products, including souvenirs, textiles, spices, ceramics, wooden crafts, silver jewellery, and leather goods, showcasing the diversity of Moroccan culture and artistry. Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts: The tour may conclude at the Nejjarine Museum, located in a beautifully restored caravanserai. This museum offers a wealth of wooden arts and crafts that are integral to Moroccan culture, with exhibits illustrating the fine craftsmanship that has defined Fes for generations. The sightseeing tour ends with your guide accompanying you back to your riad.

Today’s journey takes you south over the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing through Ifrane, a town at 1665 m above sea level in the Fes-Meknes region, known for its European appearance. Its sloping roofs are functional in winter, as Ifrane serves as both a summer and winter sports resort. Continuing via Azrou at 1278 m, known for its oak and cedar forests that provide an ideal habitat for Barbary apes, you’ll travel through Timahdite at 1800 m, in the heart of the Middle Atlas, and onward to Midelt in the Drâa-Tafilalet region. This town, once home to Tarik Ibn Zyad, a French governor, retains traces of its colonial past. Known as Morocco’s “apple capital,” it is surrounded by orchards and wheat fields and is famous for its Berber carpets. After lunch, the journey continues south along the N9, crossing the 2250 m Tizi-n-Talghemt Pass. This region, lined with palm trees, offers the chance to observe countless ksars (small villages). Passing through Errachidia, the route leads to Erfoud, often called the “gateway to the Sahara,” renowned for its date festival and ancient fortified villages. The nearby oases offer impressive fertility, and there is the opportunity to experience the lively atmosphere of the local souk, with stalls offering Berber handicrafts, fresh dates, olives, and fossils. We continue via Rissani to the famous and beautiful red dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga. From here you can take a camel ride to your camp for the night, or you can be driven to your camp, if you prefer.  You will have dinner in your luxury camp, which offers a private bathroom, king-size beds, exquisite Moroccan furniture and its own lighting. An evening of music in a traditional nomadic tent brings the day to a close for you in a special way.

After breakfast, you can either ride or walk alongside the camels as they carry everything needed to prepare lunch, which will be cooked out in the dunes by your camel handler. In the morning, you will trek for approximately three hours, followed by another three in the afternoon, returning to the bivouac for dinner and an overnight stay. Alternatively, after breakfast, you will have the opportunity to explore the desert more fully. Your first stop will be the village of Khamlia, home to the Gnawa people, who specialise in traditional Gnawa music brought to the region from sub-Saharan Africa during the slave trade. They will perform some of their music for you. Next, you will visit the historic town of Rissani, the birthplace of the Alaouite dynasty, Morocco’s current ruling royal family. Rissani is surrounded by 360 ksars (fortified villages with many towers) and is known for its large souk, which takes place three times a week. Here, you can explore the market, where you’ll find a variety of goods, including spices, vegetables, household items, and handicrafts. Rissani is also built on the ancient site of Sijilmassa, once the meeting point for salt caravans travelling from Timbuktu in Mali. In the afternoon, you will mount your camel and be guided by an experienced camel handler through the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga for about an hour to an hour and a half to enjoy the sunset. Dinner will be served at camp, followed by a night of drumming and music around the campfire. Please note that weather conditions in southern Morocco can be unpredictable. From May to the end of September, it may become too hot for trekking in the dunes, and we may recommend following this alternative itinerary instead.

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight.  After breakfast at the camp, we continue our Imperial Cities Morocco tour to Tinghir and the Toudgha Gorges. On the way, you pass the water channels – “khettarat” – which you can descend into to appreciate the architecture and genius behind this form of irrigation which prevents evaporation in the summer heat. The channels start at a higher gradient at one end until they finally emerge at the surface of the soil where they are fed into the fields. You can find out more about these channels by reading Andrew Wilson’s work. In the gorge and the valley, there are opportunities to walk beyond the gorge itself or by the village gardens and fields before you reach it. Later the itinerary continues to the Dades Valley. The area, which now forms the Dades Gorges, lay at the bottom of the sea millions of years ago. Great quantities of sediment were deposited around giant coral reefs, and over time this material became compacted into a variety of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone. Eventually, the movement of the earth’s crust caused the region to rise above the sea, forming the Atlas Mountains and surrounding landscape. The night is spent in a hotel or kasbah.

After breakfast, a visit to the Dades gorges and a short walk there is scheduled. Back at the car, the trip to Ouarzazate continues, going off-road along the Boutarar piste to visit Berber nomads in their caves and partake of a glass of tea with them. This visit makes it clear to the visitor just how hard existence is for these nomads in this very dry landscape, trying to feed their goats and bring up their children. From here, we continue through the Valley of the Roses, famous for its Rose Festival in May. Cosmetics and toiletry items are produced and valued throughout the country.  Further on in Skoura and the oasis there, Kasbah Amredhil waits for a very worthwhile visit.  The kasbah has been beautifully restored and gives a clear idea of life within such housing.  It is made entirely of adobe, an excellent building material; warm in winter and cool in summer, due to the thickness of the walls.  45 minutes later you reach Ouarzazate, where you spend the night in a guest house.

After breakfast, the route goes on to Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou, one of Morocco’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters. It is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and some of the buildings date back to the 17th century. From here you drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley, full of bends in the roads and surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs. We continue to Telouet set right in the midst of the mountains and once the seat of the last Pasha of Marrakech, El Glaoui, from where the highest pass in Africa, Tizi-n-Tichka was controlled. Each addition to the building now stands in ruins exposed to the wind and the rain, having been abandoned and plundered after the last Pasha’s property was confiscated for conspiracy against the King. Wait to be pleasantly surprised by the traditional interior decoration as you reach the farthest end of the Kasbah. Sadly, the entire Kasbah is presently closed due to the destruction caused by the earthquake that hit Morocco in September 2023. Nonetheless, you can still enjoy the exterior with a local guide to uncover its fascinating history. At the end of the afternoon, having crossed the Tichka pass, we arrive in Marrakech.

Marrakech — a Royal City Between Tradition and Modernity Marrakech is best known for its lively Djemaa El Fna, a bustling square filled with juice stalls, dried fruit and nut vendors, henna artists, snake charmers, storytellers, and a host of food stalls that come alive at night. The following attractions can be explored, depending on your time and preferences: The Majorelle Gardens: Designed by Jacques Majorelle and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent, these serene gardens feature fish ponds, exotic plants, and the iconic “Majorelle blue” pots. The site also includes a small Berber museum, a café, and a restaurant offering Moroccan-inspired cuisine. Le Jardin Secret: A restored Islamic Paradise Garden, divided into four sections by narrow water channels. It offers a peaceful setting with lush greenery and fountains, with displays detailing its reconstruction. The Koutoubia Mosque: As the largest mosque in Marrakech, the Koutoubia Mosque stands as the city’s landmark. Its name derives from “al-Koutoubiyyin,” reflecting its historical role as a centre for booksellers. Built in the traditional Almohad style, its 69-metre minaret is adorned with four copper globes. El Bahia Palace: Constructed between 1894 and 1900 for Ahmed Ibn Moussa, the Grand Vizier of Morocco, this grand palace showcases 160 rooms arranged around courtyards, with intricate stucco panels, zellij tilework, tiled floors, carved cedar ceilings, and marble finishes. The palace is set within an eight-hectare garden. Ben Youssef Medersa: This Quranic school, originally founded by Sultan Abou el Hassan in 1331 and later rebuilt by the Saadians in the 1560s, once housed 800 students. The medersa displays stunning examples of Moroccan architecture, with intricate zellij tiling, stucco plasterwork, and beautifully carved cedar wood. The Saadian Tombs: Dating back to the reign of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603) and rediscovered in 1917, these tombs are the resting place of around sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty, making them a significant historical attraction. The Jewish Mellah: Like many Moroccan cities, Marrakech has a Jewish quarter, the Mellah. Historically, it was home to non-Muslim communities, not just Jews. While many synagogues remain standing, few are still in use today, and in smaller villages, these quarters are often forgotten. The Souks: The vibrant souks are the heart of Marrakech, offering an array of handicrafts, spices, traditional medicines, and more. Visitors can discover Moroccan slippers (babouches), leather goods, textiles, pottery, and silver jewellery, with plenty of opportunities to bargain for a good deal. With its people, places, scents, colours, and architecture, Marrakech feels as if straight out of “A Thousand and One Nights.” FYI: You can buy entry tickets at each monument during your guided tour of Marrakech, but Majorelle Garden tickets must be booked online in advance. Optional Experience: For those interested, a traditional Moroccan cooking class can be arranged instead of a city tour, available for an additional fee. The night will be spent in a riad.

Transfer from your riad to Casablanca airport in time for the check-in before your flight. Your Chefchaouen, Sahara Desert and Imperial Cities Morocco tour comes to an end as your driver escorts you to the airport.