Majestic Morocco

DAY 1: CASABLANCA [D]

Welcome to Casablanca, one of the largest and most important cities in all of Africa, where you’ll be greeted at the airport by your tour director. Two shuttles will be available for the transfer to your hotel

A welcome dinner awaits you this evening. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 2: CASABLANCA (City Tour) – MARRAKECH [B]

After breakfast, you’ll have an orientation by your tour manager who will accompany you. Begin the city tour of Casablanca with the only Jewish Museum in the Arabic-speaking world. This institution is set in an attractive garden villa that once functioned as a Jewish orphanage. It traces the 2000-year history of Jews in Morocco, focusing on Casablanca’s Jewish community (most of the country’s Jews live here today). Afterwards, continue for an interior visit of the Mosque Hassan II. It is the largest mosque in the country and the seventh largest in the world. You then continue to the Ain Diab Corniche for a pleasant stroll along the coast. Your next stop is Mohammed V Square. The city tour includes also the Habous Quarter, one of the oldest areas in Casablanca. 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 – even the mosque fronts onto a strip of grassy lawn just like a village Christian church. After the visit we leave Casablanca to Marrakech.

DAY 3: MARRAKECH (City Tour) [B,D]

After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Marrakech, the “Red City”, a majestic town filled with palaces, gardens, markets, and mosques. Begin with a visit to the Koutoubia Mosque with its 282 ft minaret, an architectural landmark dating back to the late 12th century. You will continue to the 19th century stunning Bahia Palace and discover the intricate work done by the local artisans to decorate this splendid home built by a powerful Vizir for his harem. The building includes one hundred and fifty rooms, countless courtyards and interior gardens, a veritable labyrinth of corridors, a Koranic school, hammams, a harem, and stables. From there we will start exploring the artisan quarters and the colorful souks to intermingle with daily life of Marrakchi people. Continue to Dar El Bacha which houses the Museum of confluences. Built in 1910, it was the residence of Thami El Glaoui, named Pasha of Marrakech by Sultan Moulay Youssef in 1912. It is one of the medina’s finest examples of Riad architecture, dripping with Moroccan Zellige (colorful geometric tilework), intricate white plasterwork and heavy carved cedar-wood lintels. Before sunset we will be strolling in the Square of which the city is so famed, Jemaa El Fna, where hundreds of locals and tourists spend time watching jugglers, dancers, fortune tellers, story tellers and traditional musicians. After the tour, head to your hotel to freshen up, then transfer to a local restaurant in the medina to enjoy a typical Moroccan dinner with entertainment. After dinner, back to your hotel for overnight.

DAY 4: MARRAKECH – OURIKA VALLEY – MARRAKECH [B,D]

Today is a day at leisure to explore Marrakech. Or you may want to sign up for one of our optional activities listed below. Later this after, a unique gastronomic experience awaits you, 30 minutes away from Marrakech. The cooking class takes place on the terrasse with its spectacular setting of the Atlas Mountains in the background. The 3 star New York Times Chef Azzeddine Bennouna and his wife Marie will help you discover the secrets of the Moroccan cuisine. Best of all, the food you prepare is served for dinner. This visit includes a tour of the property with picking fresh produces from the garden if season permits,  a preparation of a Moroccan dish. While the food is cooking, you are welcome to jump in the pool -if season permits! After dinner, back to your hotel in Marrakech.

Optional Activities:

Berber Experience in the Atlas Mountains:

After breakfast, enjoy a rich program in Amazigh (Berber) landscapes. You’ll drive to the valley of Imlil, famous for its fruit trees (apples, walnuts, almonds, peaches, etc.). Imlil is a favorite hitching post for mountain trekkers. Get ready for a trek (a mule to ride to the hilltop will be at your disposal), where you’ll be greeted by a local family and invited into their home to share a traditional Berber lunch with bread and mint tea. With the help of the private guide, enjoy the opportunity to talk with the family, immersing yourselves in their fascinating way of life. After lunch, you’ll cross the Kik Plateau to return to Marrakech in mid-afternoon.

Traditional Hammam and Massage:

The hammam is a ‘not to be missed’ experience in Morocco. Historically, the hammam was a public bathhouse and it still is a therapy for cleansing, and a place of relaxation. 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, make your way to the massage room where you will experience a 30-min. traditional Moroccan massage to eliminate tensions and gain energy and vitality.

DAY 5: MARRAKECH – AIT BEN HADDOU – DADES   [B,D]

After breakfast, bid farewell to Marrakech and journey across the High Atlas Mountains and the stunning Tichka Pass on your way to Boumalne Dades. Stop for a brief tour of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a giant fortification and unique example of pisé clay architecture and one of the filming locations for several movies and TV shows, including Gladiator or Game of Thrones. Enjoy lunch on your own before arriving to Dades, located at the edge of the Sahara Desert, where you’ll depart for your orientation tour by the magnificent canyons and breathtaking landscape. Arrive at your hotel where you’ll enjoy your dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 6: DADES – ERFOUD [B,D]

Today, travel to Erfoud, described as the Oasis of the Sahara Desert. Along the way, marvel at one of Morocco’s most visited natural sights, the lush Todra Gorge, with its dramatic 985-foot-high walls that will make spectacular photographs along your walking tour. Continue to Erfoud, also described as the Gateway to the Desert, where you’ll check in and relax with dinner at your hotel.

DAY 7: ERFOUD (Sahara Desert Experience) [B,L,D]

After breakfast, enjoy an unforgettable, full day included excursion through the Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco. You’ll begin by discovering the town of Rissani, formerly a caravan center and still an important commercial center in the region, with a large and vibrant souk at its center. Then, head into the desert via a 4×4 caravan and discover various small villages until you reach Tissardmine, a serene village where you’ll enjoy a lunch before ascending to the peak of Erg Chebbi. This stunning view of the vast surrounding desert will take your breath away, and you’ll trade motor vehicle for camels for an authentic Sahara desert experience. One of the highlights of the trip, a journey through the Merzouga dunes on camelback, should leave you with memories that will last a lifetime (and amazing pictures as well)! Return to your hotel after sunset for dinner and overnight.

DAY 8: ERFOUD – FEZ   [B]

Today, we will head to Fez through the beautiful Middle Atlas Mountain range, with its thick woods filled with lush cedar and oak trees. Along the way, you’ll pass through Ifrane, a picturesque ski town, and Azrou, known for its cedar wood handicrafts. As you enter Fez, there is a breathtaking view of the ancient city from a hill overlooking the medina. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 9: FEZ – CITY TOUR  [B,L]

A full day is devoted to exploring Fez, which was the capital of Morocco for more than 400 years and which is the oldest of the imperial cities. With the help of a local expert, tour the Fez el Bali Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Life here takes place as it did centuries ago in one of the largest and best-preserved medieval fortified cities in the world. Wander the famous souks known for authentic Moroccan carpets, leathers, and ceramics. Eat at a traditional Riad for a lunch within the medina. You will also have the chance to visit the Nejjarine Fountains and Museum and the 14th-century Attarine Medersas (coranic school). In the afternoon, visit Fez Jdid, the modern district of the city, where you’ll explore the Jewish Quarter and the Royal Palace. Overnight in Fez.

DAY 10: FEZ  (Day at leisure)   [B]

Day at leisure to explore Fez on your own or you may want to sign up for the following optional activity:

Moroccan Wine Tasting with Lunch at Domaine de la Zouina:

Explore the world of Moroccan wine with a visit of the vineyard Domaine de la Zouina and the beautiful vineyards of the French winemaker Christophe Gribelin. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy a tour of the vineyard, and impressive facilities where Christophe and his crew produce three ranges of wines: red, white, and rosé. Learn about the origins of grapes, what it’s like to grow vines in Morocco, and how the production process works. You’ll also learn about the unique Moroccan Gris Wine (an interesting blend of rosé and white). Let yourself be guided through the cellars then discover the vineyard’s local products during a lunch where five wines from the Domaine will be served. 

DAY 11: FEZ – VOLUBILIS – RABAT   [B,D]

After breakfast, drive to Rabat, Morocco’s capital and fifth largest city of the country. En route, we will make a stop 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. After a quick stop en route for lunch on your own, continue to Rabat for a visit of the many fascinating historic sites in Morocco’s coastal capital. You’ll see the 19th-century Royal Palace and the city’s “Gate of the Winds” (also known as Bab Rouah). Visit Hassan Tower, the minaret of an incomplete mosque that was originally intended to be the world largest. Its construction started in 1195 and then came to a halt in 1199 after Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour passed away. Continue to the picturesque Kasbah of the Udayas, built in the mid-12th-century, where you’ll walk through the French-colonial gardens and explore the fortress built to shield royalty from attacks. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with your group at a local restaurant followed by overnight at your hotel. 

DAY 12: RABAT – CASABLANCA AIRPORT   [B]

After breakfast at the hotel, 2 shuttles to be provided for transfer to Casablanca airport. 

 Please Note: B = Breakfast | L = Lunch | D = Dinner. MAPI Members: Optional Indian meals available upon request

Prices are land only per person based on double occupancy. Restrictions apply. For our complete terms and conditions, click here.