8 DAYS FROM CASABLANCA AND DESERT

As soon as you arrive at the airport of Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, you will find us waiting to take you on a wonderful tour of the Hassan II mosque, one of the largest in the Islamic world, before continuing the journey to Rabat: the capital. administrative of the Kingdom. In Rabat we will visit: Kasbah of the Oudayas, the royal tomb Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Hassan Tower. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

On the way to Meknes, we border the Mamora forest. Arrival in Meknes, a city that reached its peak thanks to Sultan Mulay Ismail. About 20 km from Meknes we will visit the ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis, the best preserved archaeological site in this area of North Africa. Considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1997. Then, we will visit the holy city of Moulay Idriss. Small mountainous city where the mausoleum of Moulay Idriss I is located. A city perched on a rock, it dominates the Oued Erroumane valley and the Volubilis plain. Upon arrival in Fes, we will have dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

The third day of the trip will be free to explore Fes at your leisure. We will walk through the narrow alleys and streets of the old medina, we will discover another different lifestyle, in which local people still use donkeys as means of transportation, we will see magnificent mosques and Koranic schools. In addition, you can walk through the streets of Fez-Jdid, where the royal palace, the Mellah (Jewish quarter) and the oldest mosque in Fez are located. Dinner and accommodation at the Riad.

Fez will be our starting point towards Merzouga. On the way we passed through Ifrane. Small mountainous city with European style and cold climate all year round; hence its name «Switzerland of Morocco.» Then, we will visit the city of Azrou located in the middle Atlas and whose population is of Amazigh origin. Later, we will pass through Midelt, where we will have lunch before continuing to Errachidia, Erfoud, and Merzouga. After reaching the impressive Merzouga Dunes, we will have a glass of hospitality tea. We rest a little, we will leave our suitcases at the lodge and we will go in a camel caravan to the camp in the heart of the desert. In a walk of an hour and a half we will enjoy the impressive landscape and the beautiful sunset over the dunes. At night we enjoyed a delicious dinner accompanied by a wonderful little drum music show. We will sleep in a Berber tent while contemplating the starry sky.

We will wake up early to watch the sunrise from the Great Dune. Return by camel to the lodge for a shower and breakfast. Then, we will leave for Rissani; one of the imperial cities and containing the largest souk in all of Southern Morocco.

Market where many desert nomads go to make their purchases. The landscapes that we will see along the way to the Draa Valley are impressive.
There, we plan to make several stops to enjoy the valley where the longest river in Morocco is located. Dinner and overnight in Ouarzazate

After breakfast, we will leave in the direction of Marrakech, but before that, we will have the opportunity to visit a film studio in Ouarzazate. The spectacular landscape that we will see will take us to one of the best preserved and most famous kasbahs in all of Morocco: the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, famous for being the setting for more than twenty films, such as Babel, Gladiator, Obelix, Sahara with Penelope Cruz. Lunch will be in Ait Benhaddou. We will cross the Tizi N’Tichka pass (2260 m) and make some stops to enjoy the panoramic views and take photos. We will enjoy the beauty of the landscape. We will follow the route through the Ounila Valley, where there are kasbahs built in caves; We continue through Telouet, strategically located at 1870 m, and Marrakech. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel or riad in Marrakech.

Free day to explore Marrakech, a city famous for its square, Jemaa el Fna, a square full of life and colors, where you will find storytellers, dancers, sellers of different products, etc. In addition, Marrakech is known for the numerous historical monuments it has, such as: the Majorelle Gardens, the Menara, the Saadian Tombs, the medina, the mellah (the old Jewish quarter), and the modern city (Gueliz), part with western lifestyle. Accommodation in a hotel or riad in Marrakech.