GRAND TOUR OF MOROCCO

Day by day

The itinerary

1. Day 1 · Casablanca

   Arrive Casablanca

   Welcome to Morocco, considered the 'Jewel of North Africa'! On arrival and after customs and baggage collection, walk to the arrival hall where you are welcomed by our representative. Look out for a welcome sign with our Tourcan Vacations logo. After luggage is loaded into the vehicle, depart Casablanca Airport for your accommodation. Dinner is included at the hotel tonight.

   Barcelo Anfa hotel or similar
   Dinner

2. Day 2 · Casablanca

   Casablanca

   Breakfast at the hotel, then a day at leisure in Casablanca.

   Barcelo Anfa hotel or similar
   Breakfast

3. Day 3 · Casablanca

   Casablanca

   Breakfast at the hotel and a further day at leisure in Casablanca.

   Barcelo Anfa hotel or similar
   Breakfast

4. Day 4 · Fez

   Casablanca - Rabat – Fez

   After breakfast, check out of the hotel and enjoy a city tour of Casablanca. The tour begins with an outside visit of Hassan II Mosque. It is the largest mosque in the country and the seventh largest in the world. You continue to the Ain Diab Corniche for a pleasant stroll along the coast. Your next stop is Mohammed V Square in the city center. The city tour includes also the Habous Quarter. The district was built by the French in the 1930s as an attempted solution to the ongoing housing shortage. It marries the best of traditional Moroccan architecture with modern facilities and French ideals. (There is a strip of grassy lawn in front of the mosque, as in front of the churches of French villages). Depart for Rabat, driving along the main highway which links these two major cities. Embark on a city tour which highlights Rabat's cultural influences and the superbly preserved relics of its Moorish past. Rabat's most famous site is the 12th century Hassan Tower (an excellent example of the gorgeous Moroccan style artwork), and the incomplete Minaret of the great mosque built at the same period. Located alongside is the Mausoleum dedicated to Mohamed V, the grandfather of the current king. You’ll also enjoy a visit to the Kasbah of the Udayas, which was built on a cliff overlooking the city and the Atlantic Ocean. Its gate is one of the most beautiful illustrations of Moorish architecture. Within its walls, you'll discover a wonderful Moroccan garden, with melodious fountains and sweet-smelling orange trees. Continue then overland to Fez (approximately a 3-hour drive) for dinner and overnight to your hotel.

   Riad Salam or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

5. Day 5 · Fez

   Fez City Tour

   Breakfast at the hotel. Today you take a step back in time into the Middle Age with the visit of one of the most imperial, timeless, and untouched cities in the world, the cultural heart of Morocco, Fez El Bali (Old Fez). Enjoy exploring some of the 9,000 narrow lanes and alleys in the souks (open air markets) that make-up the labyrinth of the city's old quarter, originally founded in the 8th century. The Imperial capital was a renowned medieval learning center, and at its heart remains the Karaouine, one of the oldest, still functioning universities in the world. Nearby is the Attarine Medersa (Koranic college), a jewel of Hispano-Moorish architecture, built in the 14th century. The tour also includes Nejjarine Square, with its beautiful fountain, a mosaic of elaborate tilework, and the Fondouq (Caravanserai) that has been converted to a Museum of Carpentry. In the 13th Century the Merinide Dynasty built Fez El Jdid (New Fez) with its Royal Palace, mosques, madrasas (Koranic schools), souks and the city walls. Most notably, Fez El Jedid is home to the Mellah (Jewish quarter), which provides an interesting insight into Jewish architecture. The wrought iron decorated windows and splendid carved wood balconies of the old mansions are particularly outstanding. The medieval Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

   Riad Salam or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

6. Day 6 · Fez

   Fez – Volubilis & Meknes – Fez

   Breakfast at the hotel. Journey overland to explore the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa. With its triumphal arches, basilica, forum, and capitol, the Volubilis skyline brims with iconic examples of Roman architecture. Among its greatest treasures, however, are the amazing mosaic floors of former family dwellings, which include depictions of Orpheus charming animals with his lyre, nine dolphins signifying good luck and a portrait of Amphitrite in a seahorse-drawn chariot. Continue to Meknes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well, and one of the imperial cities of Morocco. Meknes is replete with fantastic historical sites, from minarets to museums, to enormous mosaic doors and royal golf courses. Among the most popular attractions are the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, the Nejjardine Mosque and Grand Mosque (outside visit) as well as the Bab Mansour, Bab Lakmis, and Bab Berdaine gates. Return to Fez for an evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

   Riad Salam or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

7. Day 7 · Erfoud

   Fez - Ifrane - Midelt - Erfoud

   After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart Fez. Pass through many amazing cities and villages, the first of which is Ifrane, nicknamed The Switzerland of Morocco. It is a charming ski town filled with European-style chalets. Continue to Midelt, which serves as the commercial center of a large agricultural hinterland. It is also one of Morocco's principal cities for the mining of several minerals. You will have some free time in Midelt, before you continue your journey through the dramatic Ziz Gorges to arrive in Erfoud. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

   Chergui Hotel or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

8. Day 8 · Merzouga

   Erfoud - Khamlia - Merzouga

   Pick-up: 10:00am After breakfast, check out of the hotel and in 4x4 vehicle to continue your adventure by heading towards the dunes of Erg Chebbi, possibly the largest dunes in the Sahara-desert. Enroute, visit the Berber villages to get a close interaction with this amazing culture. We will visit a camel milk cooperative and continue to Rissani where we will visit one of the best traditional markets in Sahara, "a place where they sell just donkeys and other commodities for sheep, goats and cows”. Stop in the village El Khamlia for lunch (included). Continue to the African village or Gnawa Village. Then continue to your desert camp with round trip 4x4 transfers from Merzouga village.

   Merzouga Luxury Camp or similar
   Breakfast, lunch, dinner

9. Day 9 · Dades Valley

   Merzouga- Tinghir - Dades

   Early this morning, you will be picked up for a sunrise camel ride. To see Merzouga, no one ever regretted getting up at 5:30am to witness the unique sunrise: admire and watch the pink disc of the sun appearing over the gigantic dunes of Merzouga. Return to the camp and enjoy breakfast before being driven to Tinghir, we’ll stop at the Todra Gorges, the highest and narrowest gorges in Morocco situated on the East side of the High Atlas Mountains and recognized around the world as one of the most spectacular canyons. Here, both the Todra and Dades Rivers have carved out cliff-sided canyons on their final 25-mile stretch through the mountains, leaving behind a series of reliefs and etches in the rock. Todra is the name of the last 600 meters of the canyon. In places, this gorge measures just 10 meters wide, but the cliffs are more than 160 meters tall on either side! The river has since dried up, leaving only the imagination to picture the powerful natural forces that once carved this region. The gorges, though in a remote, are popular among rock climbers. There are hiking paths with a well-maintained dirt road for visitors to share with mules and other pack animals. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

   Riad Bahamou or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

10. Day 10 · Ouarzazate

    Dades - Skoura -Ouarzazate

    After breakfast, check out of your hotel and you will drive through the Dades Valley with its majestic sandcastles, and incredible rock formations known as monkey toes. The route through Dades Valley is also known as the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs. You’ll catch a spectacular view of a vast valley dotted with small oases and hundreds of ancient fortifications. The sand-colored walls of the Kasbahs may all start to look the same, but each holds a special historical treasure and offers innumerable opportunities for remarkable photos. Continuing to Skoura, a quiet little village speckled with palm tree groves. Indeed, Skoura is surrounded by acres of palm groves, Les Palmeraies, which are a paradise of palm and olive trees peppered with kasbahs and small villages. You’ll see the Kasbah Amridil that stands out from the rest. Originally built in the 17th century, it is one of Morocco’s most iconic living museums that has survived the test of time. Then we drive to Ouarzazate for dinner and overnight.

    Dar Chamaa or similar
    Breakfast, Dinner

11. Day 11 · Marrakech

    Ouarzazate-Ait Ben Haddou- Marrakech

    After breakfast, we visit Taourir Kasbahs, one of the most beautiful kasbahs in Morocco. After the French left in 1953, the movie business flourished in Ouarzazate. Optional (supplement cost) visit of the Film Studios where some of the most famous desert landscapes are filmed. You might recognize the sand-colored houses of this impressive Ksar (Arabic for “fortified city”) when you see the spectacular fortress of Ait Ben Haddou, the iconic landscape immortalized in such films as, Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Alexander. Ait Ben Haddou is a massive fortification made up of six Kasbahs all protected by UNESCO. You can spend time in its maze of winding streets until reaching a fortified granary at the top which provides an amazing view of the valley. We leave Ait Ben Haddou, crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the magnificent TizInTichka pass to Marrakech, our home for the next two nights. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

    Longue Vie or similar
    Breakfast, Dinner

12. Day 12 · Marrakech

    Marrakech City Tour

    Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then today unearth the secrets of Marrakech, beginning in the Medina, the old walled section of town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This thousand-year-old city was long a political, economic, and cultural center. Marvel at its architectural jewels, including the soaring Koutoubia minaret. Continuing to the Bahia Palace, an exemplary of privileged life in the 19th century. Your next stop is at the Tiskiwin Museum, founded by a Dutch anthropologist which houses an impressive collection of North African arts and crafts organized into geographically themed exhibits, with each room focusing on artifacts from different towns and regions along the ancient trade route from Marrakech to Timbuktu. Later you visit Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakech's main square, you will find orange juice stalls and vendors, along with fire-eaters, mime artists, snake-charmers, magicians, and street musicians performing at every turn. You may also take the opportunity to explore the city's fabled, labyrinthine souks, their bustling alleyways brimming with all manners of wares. Return to your hotel to get ready for farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

    Longue Vie or similar
    Breakfast, Dinner

13. Day 13 · Casablanca

    Marrakesh - Casablanca

    Spend the morning at leisure; Wander on your own or sign up for a morning farm retreat with cooking class, or a traditional hammam and massage. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Optional activities (Supplement cost) Day Retreat at Bennouna’s Farm with cooking class This retreat experience will start by a pickup from your hotel/riad at 10AM by our English-speaking driver aboard a deluxe car for a 20-min. drive to the Valley of Ourika. Upon arrival at the entrance to the trail you will switch to a camel/donkey/mule -depending on availability- for transfer to the Bennouna’s farm. A welcome drink is served by the Farm host, followed with a tour of the property that is surrounded by a spectacular décor with the Atlas Mountains in the background. Enjoy a 20-min. meditation on the roof of the farmhouse (yoga class optional upon request on your own expenses). Light lunch will be served. Swimming pool is available for use (if season permits) and fresh drinks are at your disposal (extra charge for alcohol drinks and wine) or enjoy a breathtaking walk in the surroundings. We will start to prepare for the cooking class at 4PM. First, we’ll pick up vegetables from the garden if season permits, then bring them to the kitchen to begin an immersed experience with the New York Times 3-stars Executive Chef. You will dine on the food you cooked. After dinner, witness the sunset on the terrace of the villa. Moroccan tea or coffee will be served. Return to your hotel. Traditional Hammam and Massage The hammam is a must-do activity in Morocco. Historically, the hammam was a public bathhouse for the locals to clean off the dirt and grime invariably accumulated after traveling through the desert. Today, the hammam still serves this purpose for the locals, but is brought to a higher level for the tourists. In the hammam, you’ll be submerged by a complete relaxation experience within an authentic oriental décor where you’ll be listening to your own body in an atmosphere filled with water, oils, essences and perfumes. Enjoy a 30-min. scrub with black soap or soothing spices eliminating toxins from your body. After Hammam, sway to the massage room where you will experience a 30-min. traditional Moroccan massage to eliminate tensions and gain energy and vitality. This afternoon we depart Marrakech and head to Casablanca and check into the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

    Gray Hotel or similar
    Breakfast

14. Day 14 · Casablanca

    Depart Casablanca

    Check out of the hotel after breakfast and you are transferred to Casablanca airport to start your onward journey.

    Breakfast