Morocco 2020 Itinerary
Day 1: January 15
When you arrive in Casablanca, after going through customs and retrieving your suitcase, exit the airport and our guide will be waiting for you with an Alliance Française sign. He will accompany us to the hotel in Casa where you can settle in before our group convenes for a welcome dinner. We’ll try to keep each other awake until at least 10 pm to help offset jet lag.
Dinner
Night in Casablanca
Day 2: January 16
After breakfast we’ll visit the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. It is the largest mosque in Africa and the fifth largest mosque in the world. Its 60-story high minaret is the tallest in the world at 210 meters, a magnificent structure!
Then, we are off to Rabat, Morocco’s capital and one of its four Imperial cities (the others are Fes, Meknes and Marrakech). There, we will visit the Hassan Tower, the tower of an incomplete mosque and The Chellah, a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis, and enjoy lunch. Then, we’ll go on a driving tour of northeastern Morocco through populated and rural areas, making our way to Fes, the cultural capital of Morocco. A group dinner will be served at our guesthouse in Fes.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night in Fes
Day 3: January 17
Enjoy breakfast at the guesthouse and then we will meet a certified city guide who will take us on a walking tour of the Fes medina. We’ll meander through the narrow (and super narrow!) streets of the medina, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, visiting souks and historical sites throughout the day. We’ll visit the Mellah, or Jewish district, religious schools, and the tannery. We’ll also tour a tile factory where we will see the tile-making process from beginning to end. At the end of the day, we’ll return to our guesthouse in Fes at the end of the day, where dinner will be served or you can decide to go and explore on your own.
Breakfast, Dinner
Night in Fes
Day 4: January 18
After breakfast, we will spend the day at the archaeological site of Volubilis, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Volubilis is a partially excavated Berber city built in a fertile agricultural area and is considered to be the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauritania. Our guide will lead us through the Roman ruins and after our visit, we’ll enjoy lunch together. We’ll return to our guest house in Fes at the end of the day for dinner together.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night in Fes
Day 5: January 19
We will spend the better part of the day visiting Meknes, once the ancient capital of Morocco, on a walking tour with a certified city guide. This impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style, is surrounded by high walls with great doors, where the harmonious blending of the Islamic and European styles of the 17th century Maghreb are still evident today. We’ll enjoy lunch on our own in the city and then tour a vineyard (either Château Roslane or Domaine de la Zouina, TBC) on our way back to Fes for our last dinner at our guesthouse.
Breakfast, Dinner
Night in Fes
Day 6: January 20
Today, we set off to Marrakech via the scenic route. We will see the Moyen (middle) Atlas Mountains, the Cedre Gouraud Forest (cedar forest) and its sub-population of Barbaray macaques monkeys, before moving on to Ouzoud Falls, several tall waterfalls that empty into the El-Abid River gorge. We will stop along the way for lunch. We’ll arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon, just in time to get settled at your guesthouse and have mint tea and pastries. Dinner will be served at your riad, or guesthouse in Marrakech.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night in Marrakech
Day 7: January 21
After breakfast you will meet a guide at your riad who will give you a walking tour of the Marrakech medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This will help orientate us to the city. We’ll have an opportunity to shop in the souks, see historical sites, and to learn a bit about the city. We’ll find a place for lunch along the way and return to our riad in the late afternoon where dinner will be served later in the evening. For those who interested, our guide will accompany us to Jmaa el Fna to see the main square by night.
Breakfast, Dinner
Night in Marrakech
Day 8: January 22
We’ll have an early breakfast at about 7h30 so that we can arrive at the Jardin Majorelle, when it opens at 8h30. This garden in Marrakech is one of the most visited sites in Morocco. Just over two acres, it is a lovely and relaxing place! There is a Berber museum inside that is magnificent. Next to Jardin Majorelle is the recently opened Yves Saint Laurent museum which showcases the designer’s work and includes famous works that you’re bound to recognize on the likes of Lady Diana and other famous people. There are wonderful cafes and shops in the area surrounding the gardens, most notably 33 Rue Majorelle, an eclectic and artsy store with clothing as well as other Moroccan-designed goods, a must-visit stop! Enjoy lunch on your own, either inside the gardens at the café or across the street. After lunch, we will go to the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, two magnificent historical sites in Marrakech. Dinner will be on your own but recommendations will be available from our hosts and guide. For those who wish to stay in, dinner can be prepared at our riad as well.
It might be a good time for hammam, a traditional bath. There are many levels from which to choose: traditional to luxury spas. Traditional hammams separate men from women, some of the luxury spas allow couples to enjoy hammam together. If you’re interested, recommendations are also available.
Breakfast
Night in Marrakech
Day 9: January 23
After breakfast, we’ll learn some of the secrets of Moroccan cuisine with a cooking class. First, we’ll set off to the market with our instructor to select the ingredients and then, au travail! Once we’ve prepared our meal, we can enjoy for lunch the fruits of our labor. In the afternoon, you can explore Marrakech on your own and get to know the neighborhood, or you can relax, as needed. A farewell dinner will be held tonight at a local restaurant serving Moroccan and other fare.
Breakfast, Dinner
Night in Marrakech
Day 10: January 24
After breakfast, those who are departing today will enjoy the last hours in Marrakech before going to the airport. Those continuing on to the Sahara Desert will depart on their journey after breakfast.
Sahara Supplement
Day 10: January 24
(continued)
After breakfast, we’ll be on our way toward the Sahara Desert, traveling first through the High Atlas Mountains. We’ll pass through the highest pass in North Africa, Tichka Pass, a beautiful area where films are often shot including Mission Impossible 5. We’ll stop for lunch along the way and end our day in a small village in the Dades Gorges at the base of what we call the “Cadillac Road” since a Cadillac commercial was filmed here in 2014. A local guide will give us a walking tour and point out local flora and discuss the area, ending with tea in his family home. It’s the perfect way to get some exercise and to enjoy the outdoors after a day on the road.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night in Dades Gorges
Day 11: January 25
We’ll drive toward Merzouga, the village in the Sahara Desert where we will begin your desert adventure. Along the way we’ll stop at various sites and points of interest as well as for lunch, breaking up the long travel day. When we arrive at the hotel where we will get on our camels, we will get your gear ready for our overnight adventure. You won’t need much: something to sleep in, cosmetics, battery charger, shoes, water, etc. Hopefully, we will have time to enjoy a cup of tea before we mount up. Our camels will take us on a trek over the dunes in time for sunset, a spectacular experience! When we arrive at camp, we will have dinner in the dining tent and afterward can stargaze, enjoy a camp fire, and listen to Moroccan music and drums. Sleeping tents have typical beds with linens and a shower with hot water and good water pressure. There are lights in the room as there is electricity that runs on a battery generator. Charging devices is not always possible, as there are not always outlets in the tents. You may want to bring a portable battery charger. There is no WiFi at the desert camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night at the Desert Camp
Day 12: January 26
After watching the sunrise over the dunes and enjoying camp breakfast, we’ll board our camels and head back to the hotel to meet our driver. En route, we’ll visit the Toudras Gorges, a beautiful area with a stream running between two huge cliffs, where there are often people climbing and repelling. We can meander next to the water and get some exercise as well as enjoy the fresh air. We’ll also stop for lunch along the way. Then, we’ll make our way to the next stop, Agdz, in the Draa Valley amidst a vast oasis! We can stop and shop along the way and our driver can point out his favorite shops with authentic goods. We’ll stay at a beautiful and calm location in the oasis. This is a nice place to relax and walk around in silence.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night in Agdz oasis
Day 13: January 27
After breakfast and weather permitting, we will have an opportunity to take a hike in a picturesque area, ending in a village used in many movies and enjoy tea with our guide at his home. After the tour, you will head back to Marrakech, stopping to visit Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is spectacular, and a stop in a small village for lunch. Weather permitting (because the road can wash out), we’ll visit a remote Kasbah in the village of Telouet. We’ll arrive in Marrakech in time for dinner at the riads.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Night in Marrakech
Day 14: January 28
After breakfast, we will have free time until leaving for the Marrakech airport for departure. If you’re departing from Casablanca, the recommendation is to drive there today for your flight the following morning (lodging in Casa the evening of January 28 is not included in the price of the trip but we can assist with accommodations).