Grand Tour of Morocco 8 days

FIRST DAY TARIFA - TANGER - CHEFCHAOUEN - FEZ

Collection of boarding passes.

Departure of the fast ferry to Tanger. From the deck  can be seen  the hills of the city, a landscape dominated by two high towers: the Mosque of Mohammed V and the Spanish Cathedral. In the background, we can hear the relaxing sound of the waves, and the call to prayers from the Mosque guess, indicating we have reached our destination, Morocco: the country of the senses.

 

When we reach the port of Tanger, we will meet with the driver and depart to Chefchaouen, a town located in the unique intercontinental natural park, declared a nature reserve. Chaouen is a village perched in the mountains, white and blue, with wise, kind and friendly people, who offer visitors beautiful urban panoramas, precious samples of local crafts and a peaceful and serene atmoshphere, which is hard to find nowadays.

 Guided tour of the city with a local guide.

 Free time for lunch.

 Departure to Fez, the first of the Imperial Cities, whose history goes back to eighth century. It is also one of the first holy cities of Muslim worship in Morocco, and a city  proud to  have one of the oldest universities in the world.

 Arrival, check-in and dinner at the hotel.

SECOND DAY -  MEKNES - FEZ

Breakfast at the riad.

 City tour of Fez with a local guide. We will begin with an panoramic overview of the city, including the Merinides tombs. Then, we will visit Fez el Jedid, including the Alawites Square, outside the Royal Palace, and Dar el Makhzen. We will continue with a walking tour of Fez el Bali. We will Visit the Attarin spice souk and the souk of Jenna., before reaching the Nejjarin Square where we'll see the founduk, which has the same name; and visit the madrassa Bounania. We will end our  morning by reaching the Seffarin beach, and reach the neighborhood of the tanners  to see the tanneries, representing the city's major industry.

 Free time for lunch.

 Mirrors, perfumes, chickens, pigeons, silver, gold, slippers, sandals, chadors, chilabas, drums, vegetables, fruits, pottery, ceramics, herbs (nothing illegal), spices, portraits of the king, cereals, books, glassware and everything imaginable, you will find everything here. The constant rattle of donkeys  with goods from various sources will transport you to another world.

Return to the riad.

Dinner.

THIRD DAY - FEZ IFRANE MERZOUGA

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.

 Departure to the great southern Morocco. Our first stop will be when reaching Azrou, located in the High Atlas in the middle of a valley surrounded by cedar forests. Some trees are over 40 meters high, and monkeys can be seen living freely.

 After crossing the Atlas, we will arrive in El Tafilalet, which was another stop required for the salt and gold caravans  that went to Guinea or Sudan, actually the last stop before entering the Sahara at the time. In the Tafilalet was located the legendary Sijilmassa (Rissani), capital of an empire composed of  600 strongholds. Nowadays, Er Rachidia represents an important economic and military power.

 We will continue via Er Rachidia. Located in one of the most beautiful regions of Morocco, its  extraordinary past will amaze all those interested in the morrocan culture.

 In the afternoon, we continue our route to Erfoud, where we will stop at our hostel in Merzouga to spend the night in tents, next to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, at the doorstep of the  Sahara desert; and we will be able to  contemplate a spectacular starry sky.

 Dinner and overnight at the hostel.

 Beautiful view sleeping under the stars.

FOURTH DAY -  MERZOUGA DESERT

Sunrise in the Sahara. Dunes stretch to the horizon, and some rise up to over 150 metres.

The experience of waking up for the first time in the Sahara is a once in a lifetime experience.

Today, we will wake up early, for an unforgettable date with the sunrise. We will leave at night to see the sunrise from the dunes, and we will admire the different shades formed by the reflection of the sun on the dunes,  as the sun rises.

 After a good Berber breakfast, we will go for a camel ride through the dunes, and half-day, we will enjoy an excursion in 4X4 in which we see the virgin wilderness, passing the small oases visited by Berber nomads. We will also discover the Hamada (stone desert). During the trip, we will stop to take pictures, and to observe anything that might catch our attention on the way.

Following the tracks that represent the Paris-Dakar Rally, we will visit small villages where time seems to have stopped, with fossil beds and lost corners of untouched nature. And make a stop to drink some tea in a nomad camp with the locals!

 Lunch included.

 Then, we will return to Merzouga, where you will be surprised by the magnificient sculptures, all different in terms of both shapes and colors. We will have the opportunity to enjoy the silence of the desert, in peace and quiet, and enjoy a fantastic view of the dunes.

 Dinner and overnight at the hostel.

FIFTH DAY Tinerghir - Todra Gorges - Ouarzazate - Ait Ben Haddou 

Breakfast and check-out.

 Departure to the holy city of Rissani; on the road we will meet dozens of ksur kasbas, lost among the palm groves and dunes, as well as marabouts and mausoleums dotted between fields surrounded by adobe walls. There, we will see the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif.

 We will then continue to Tinerghir, where we will head off towards the gorges of Todra. There, we can admire the wonderful palm groves that help the locals survive the heat of these places.

 We will continue our journey to Ouarzazate, a former garrison of French troops, located in the southern part of the country, which is rich for its agriculture and famous for its palm dates, roses growing on its banks and henna. It is also a favorite of filmmakers, as it led to the creation of numerous related audiovisual companies, which employs many of its inhabitants. There remains the Kasbah of Taourirt, that was the main palace of Glaoui, Grand Pacha of southern Morocco.

 After that, we will head off to Ait Ben Haddou, one of the geological wonders of this planet. We will stop there to visit a grand fortress, that used to serve as the backdrop of such renowned films as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Gladiator" and "The Jewel of the Nile".

 Arrival in Riad, dinner and accommodation.

SIXTH DAY - TIZ N TICHKA - MARRAKECH

Breakfast at hotel and check-out.

 Departure to Marrakech, crossing the majestic mountains of the High Atlas and the port of Tzi n Tichka, gateway to the desert which is 2260 meters high. We will stop to admire the spectacular views that can be seen from that point.

 We will continue to Marrakech, the red pearl of southern Morocco, where every night the greatest show on earth takes place in the famous Djemaa el-Fna: jugglers, snake charmers, magicians and sorcerers, storytellers, acrobats, boxers... Marrakech was founded in 1062 by the Almoravids, and gained worldwide prominence during medieval Islam under the rule of Youssef Ibn Tachfine, who became one of the most important cities of medieval Islam.

Dinner and accommodation.

SEVENTH DAY - MARRAKECH 

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 hrs: we will begin our visit of Marrakech with the foreign visit of the Koutoubia, twin tower of Seville's Giralda sister and Menara Gardens. Then we will continue to the Bahia Palace and the Saadian tombs, the exterior of the Mosque of the kasbah. We will end the day in Jmaa el Fna Square.

Lunch at the hotel.

Free afternoon, and same for dinner.

We recommend enjoying Jmaa el Fna Square during the evening to enjoy the experience and to appreciate how it changes the atmosphere of the place, seen from one of its terraces.

EIGHTH DAY - MARRAKECH - RABAT - TANGIER - TARIFA

 Breakfast at hotel and check-out.

Departure to Rabat, the capital of the Kingdom, located on the Atlantic coast, on the southern shore of Bouregreg river mouth, which separates it from the neighboring town of Salé. Its foundation dates back to centuries,  yet still archaeological remains are preserved in a settlement known as Chellah.

 In 1195, during the Almohad dynasty, Yaqub al-Mansur projected the construction of a large city spread over more than four hectares, surrounded by imposing walls and fortifications with five large gates. Was erected a large mosque with four columns to beat the Giralda in Seville and the Koutoubia of Marrakech, but the works were stopped after his death in 1199. From that survived only the minaret, called Torre Hassan, of 44 meters, twenty less than initially projected.

We will stop to visit the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the famous Tour Hassan - the Hassan tower.

Free time for lunch.

After lunch, we will continue our route to Tangier.

Arrival at the port of Tangier; and boarding of the fast ferry.

16:00 hrs: departure of the fast ferry towards Tarifa.

End of our services.