15 Days Morocco Tour from Casablanca

15 Days Morocco Tour from Casablanca

15 Days Morocco Tour from Casablanca – Private 15-day grand tour from Casablanca: Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga luxury camp, Ait Ben Haddou, Marrakech, Essaouira and the Atlantic coast.

Our grand tour of Morocco from Casablanca, at a slow pace: two nights in the blue city of Chefchaouen, the imperial cities, the Sahara with a night in a luxury camp, the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, Marrakech, two nights in Essaouira and the Atlantic coast back to Casablanca.

Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca

Pickup at Casablanca Mohammed V airport. Depending on your arrival time, visit the Hassan II Mosque on the ocean and walk along the Corniche. Overnight in Casablanca.

Your driver-guide meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign and helps with a SIM card and money exchange. Casablanca is Morocco's economic capital: its Art Deco centre, the Habous quarter and the seaside promenade of Ain Diab are a gentle first taste of the country. In the evening we brief you on the whole route and answer your questions.

Overnight: hotel in Casablanca
Meals: breakfast.

Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen

Morning in Rabat: Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Kasbah of the Udayas. Continue into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

In Rabat, the royal capital, you walk among the unfinished columns of the 12th-century Hassan Mosque and through the white and blue lanes of the Udayas kasbah above the river. After lunch the road climbs through green hills, cork oaks and olive groves of the Rif to Chefchaouen, reached in the late afternoon. Take an evening stroll to the main square for mint tea as the lights come on.

Overnight: traditional riad in Chefchaouen
Meals: breakfast.

Day 3: Chefchaouen

Free day in the blue medina: Outa el Hammam square, the kasbah, Ras el Ma spring and the sunset view from the Spanish Mosque. Optional walk to the Akchour waterfalls. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

Chefchaouen is best enjoyed slowly: early morning is the quietest time for photos of the blue stairs and doorways. Visit the cool garden and small museum inside the kasbah, browse for wool blankets, goat cheese and woven hats, and see the Ras el-Ma spring where locals wash wool. Those who like walking can hike in the Talassemtane hills, or relax on a rooftop terrace with a view of the mountains.

Overnight: traditional riad in Chefchaouen
Meals: breakfast.

Day 4: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

Drive to the Roman ruins of Volubilis (UNESCO) and the holy town of Moulay Idriss, then visit Meknes and the Bab Mansour gate. Arrive in Fes in the evening. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

Volubilis was a prosperous Roman town and its mosaics of Bacchus, Orpheus and the labours of Hercules are still in place. Nearby is the holy town of Moulay Idriss on its two hills. In Meknes, the imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, you see the monumental Bab Mansour gate, Lahdim square and, if open, the royal granaries and stables. Fes is about an hour further.

Overnight: traditional riad in Fes
Meals: breakfast.

Day 5: Guided tour of Fes

Guided visit of Fes el-Bali with a local guide: Al-Attarine and Bou Inania madrasas, Al-Qarawiyyin, the Chouara tannery and the artisan quarters. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

A licensed local guide leads you through the 9,000 alleys of Fes el-Bali, founded in the 9th century. You see craftsmen at work: coppersmiths, weavers, tile makers and the leather dyers of the Chouara tannery seen from a terrace. Stop at the Nejjarine fountain and the Attarine madrasa, and in the afternoon visit the Merinid tombs for a panoramic view over the whole medina.

Overnight: traditional riad in Fes
Meals: breakfast.

Day 6: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Merzouga

Cross the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, home to Barbary macaques. Lunch in Midelt, then the Ziz Valley palm groves and Erfoud. Arrive in Merzouga at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Dinner and overnight at a desert hotel.

This is the longest drive of the tour, broken by regular stops. Ifrane looks like an Alpine village, and in the cedar forest you can see wild macaques. After lunch in Midelt, at the foot of the Ayachi mountain, the road crosses the Ziz gorges with their palm groves and kasbahs before the first view of the great dunes of Erg Chebbi, glowing orange at sunset.

Overnight: hotel at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga
Meals: dinner and breakfast.

Day 7: Merzouga desert day and luxury camp

4x4 trip to nomad families, the Mifis mountains and Khamlia village for Gnawa music, with a Berber pizza lunch. Late-afternoon camel ride to a luxury camp in the dunes: sandboarding, sunset, dinner and drums under the stars. Overnight in a private tent with bathroom.

Your 4x4 driver shows you the many faces of the desert: a nomad family who offers tea in their tent, old fossil and mining sites, the black stony desert and Khamlia, where descendants of West African musicians play Gnawa music. After lunch with Berber pizza (madfouna), the camels take you into the dunes for about 1 h 30. At the camp enjoy dinner, drums by the fire and a sky full of stars.

Overnight: desert camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes (private tent with bathroom)
Meals: dinner and breakfast.

Day 8: Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

Sunrise over the dunes, then Rissani market, the Tinjdad palm groves and a walk in the Todra Gorge. Continue to the Dades Valley. Dinner and overnight in a hotel.

Wake up early to climb a dune and watch the sunrise, then ride back by camel to shower and have breakfast. On the way west you pass Rissani, home of the Alaouite dynasty, and the long palm groves of Tinjdad. In the Todra Gorge, walk between the rock walls beside the clear stream. The evening road climbs into the Dades valley, famous for its strange rock formations called the Monkey Fingers.

Overnight: hotel in the Dades Valley
Meals: dinner and breakfast.

Day 9: Dades – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou

Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Rose Valley and the Skoura palm grove to Ouarzazate (Taourirt Kasbah, film studios). Afternoon visit of the UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. Dinner and overnight in a kasbah guesthouse.

The valley between the High Atlas and the Saghro mountains is lined with mud-brick kasbahs. Kelaat M'Gouna is known for its Damask roses and rose-water products, and the Skoura oasis hides the beautiful Amridil kasbah. In Ouarzazate you can visit the Taourirt kasbah or the Atlas film studios. Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO site seen in many films, is at its most beautiful in the late light.

Overnight: kasbah guesthouse in Ait Ben Haddou
Meals: dinner and breakfast.

Day 10: Ait Ben Haddou – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

Cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), with stops in Berber villages. Arrive in Marrakech in the early afternoon and enjoy Jemaa el-Fna square at sunset. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

Climb to the granary at the top of the ksar for a view over the valley, then cross the river to the road. The route over the High Atlas passes the Telouet area, Berber villages built in the colour of the mountain and many viewpoints. After the Tizi n'Tichka pass the road descends through walnut trees and red earth to Marrakech, where you check in to your riad in the medina.

Overnight: traditional riad in Marrakech
Meals: breakfast.

Day 11: Guided tour of Marrakech

Bahia Palace, Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, the souks and Majorelle Garden with a local guide. Free evening. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

Your guide explains the history of the Almoravid, Saadian and Alaouite dynasties as you visit the main monuments. Walk through the souks of spices, leather and lanterns, and finish in the Majorelle Garden with its famous blue villa and the Berber museum. At night Jemaa el-Fna fills with musicians, storytellers and food stalls: a must for dinner.

Overnight: traditional riad in Marrakech
Meals: breakfast.

Day 12: Marrakech – Essaouira

Drive to the Atlantic port of Essaouira (about 3 hours) through argan country, with a stop at a women’s argan cooperative. Evening on the ramparts. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

Along the way you may see goats climbing argan trees, a famous sight of this region. At the women's cooperative you can watch how argan oil is made by hand and taste amlou, a spread of almonds, honey and argan oil. Essaouira is a relaxed, windy port with an 18th-century medina designed by a French architect, perfect for walking.

Overnight: traditional riad in Essaouira
Meals: breakfast.

Day 13: Essaouira

Free day in Essaouira: the UNESCO medina, the Skala ramparts, the fishing port and the long sandy beach. Optional camel or horse ride on the beach, or a surfing lesson. Overnight in a riad with breakfast.

Start with the fishing port, where the blue boats return in the morning and you can choose fresh fish to be grilled for lunch. Walk the Skala ramparts with their old cannons, visit the woodwork shops of thuya wood, and spend the afternoon on the long sandy beach, famous for kitesurfing. In the evening, listen to Gnawa music in a small café.

Overnight: traditional riad in Essaouira
Meals: breakfast.

Day 14: Essaouira – Oualidia – El Jadida – Casablanca

Coastal road north via Safi, the lagoon of Oualidia, famous for its oysters, and the Portuguese city of El Jadida (UNESCO). Arrive in Casablanca in the evening. Overnight in a hotel.

Follow the Atlantic coast north via Safi, the pottery capital, and the calm lagoon of Oualidia, famous for its oysters, ideal for a seafood lunch. In El Jadida visit the Portuguese ramparts and the underground cistern (UNESCO). Arrive in Casablanca in the evening for your last night.

Overnight: hotel in Casablanca
Meals: breakfast.

Day 15: Departure

Private transfer to Casablanca Mohammed V airport.

Depending on your flight time, enjoy a last breakfast and a walk along the Corniche. Your driver drops you at the airport about three hours before departure. We hope to welcome you back in Morocco soon.

End of the tour: private transfer to Casablanca Mohammed V airport for your flight.