Culture, Heritage and History of Morocco

Arrive at Casablanca Airport where you will be met and welcomed by your driver guide who will drive you to your accommodation.

After breakfast you will be driven to visit one of the best highlights of Casablanca; the Hassan II mosque. Next stop will be the Imperial city of Rabat, the administrative capital of the Kingdom. Visit the Méchouar which are the ramparts and walls surrounding the Royal Palace, the Oudayas Kasbah, the magnificent Mausoleum of Mohamed V and Hassan II. Your accommodation will be in the hotel.

After your breakfast you depart from Rabat for Chefchaouen, this picturesque blue town is situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The city was founded in 1471 as a small fortress which still exists to this day, by Moorish exiles from Spain led by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. It was known as one of the main concentrations of Moors and Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous city after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco. Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956. Night in a riad situated in the heart of the medina.

After breakfast today we will be visiting the Roman ruins at Volubilis which was an important and strategic Roman settlement. It is located close to Meknes and 4 kilometres from the Islamic city of Moulay Idriss and dates from the 3rd century BC. Volubilis was a central administrative city for this part of Roman Africa, responsible for grain production and exports to Rome. It was also responsible for contact with Berber tribes who were never suppressed but cooperated for mutual benefit. From there we continue to Meknes for a visit of the Medina, surrounded by ramparts. We will also visit the Jewish quarter. Leaving Meknes, we drive to Fez, accommodation at the hotel/riad in Fez.

The whole day is dedicated for visiting the city of Fes, the oldest imperial city in Morocco which was founded in the 8th century by Moulay Idriss II. Fez was the capital of modern Morocco until 1925, and is now the capital of the Fez / Meknes administrative region. The city has two old medinas; the larger called Fes el Bali, is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and is considered one of the world´s largest car free urban areas and the new medina in Fez Jdid. There are many monuments, mosques, old schools and fountains around the medina. You will visit the Medina, the Attarine Medersa, Ennajarine Fountain, Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss and the Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859AD, which is the oldest still functioning medrasa or school in the world. In the evening you will check into the hotel/riad.

After breakfast we leave Fes and our route takes us through the cedar forests of Ifrane in the Middle Atlas Mountains, known all over the world for the indigenous Barbary monkeys and the scented wood. Cedar was already used from the Phoenician and Roman times for woodcraft, essences and building, even for ancient maritime boats. We pass through Ifrane, Moroccan Swiss style town of Azrou, and typical Zayan Middle Atlas Berber villages. We will cross the valley of Ziz and Ziz gorges on the way to the eastern Sahara town of Erfoud. From Erfoud we will take a rocky desert trail to Merzouga. Overnight will be in a hotel near the dunes.

The day is dedicated to discovering the eastern Moroccan Sahara desert. We will drive in the desert with 4×4´s, visiting the nomads, oases and the dunes of Erg Chebbi. We go to Khamlia, the village of the dark skin people to enjoy original and ethnical music of the Gnawa people. From there we return back to the hotel to prepare for the camel ride to the desert camp in time to catch the sunset. This a memorable experience, a caravan of camels winding its way over the dunes to a high point where you watch the sunset and continue on to the nomadic style camp, with its camp fire, Berber music and traditional dinner. The star studded sky is really spectacular. A day full of exciting adventure and culture.

The best part of the day is the early morning wake up for camel riding to watch the new day dawn. The camels then trek back to the hotel where you can shower and have breakfast. Leaving Merzouga, we will pass through the towns of Rissani and Tafilalet, the centre of Alaouite Dynasty and on to the stunning Todra Gorges overlooking the valley from the hillside. We drive through the great village of Dades and spend the night in a hotel.

After the Breakfast we continue our amazing trip in the Roses valley, known for its cultivation of the Damascus Rose which is used in the production of oils, perfumes and beauty products used the world over. We see many different coloured mountains and palm trees, sweet corn and fig cultivation. We come across numerous Kasbah ruins of all shapes and states of decline, some majestic and some rebuilt in traditional style. This is known also the route of a thousand Kasbahs. We arrive at lunch time to Ouarzazate. From here we will drive to Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, mother of all Kasbahs, an enchanting Berber architectural structure about 800 years old. Once you reach the top of the Kasbah hill, you have a panoramic view to the ancient caravan roads to Marrakech and the far Peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. From Ait Benhaddou, we take the track down the Ounila valley and visit Kasbah Telouet, what looks like a ruin from the outside hides a remarkable palace full of high quality craftsmanship and still reveals the ancient culture of the Kasbah inhabitants. We will continue on this road, about 8 km, on top of the mountains, that converge with the main road to Marrakech, passing through the valley of almond trees, the Berber Shluh of Amerzgan, Agouim and Ighrem. We will arrive at the high mountain pass of Tizi´n´ Tichka (2260mt). We will arrive in Marrakech in the evening time where you will stay in a hotel or riad.

After breakfast, the group will have a guided tour of Marrakech, the southern pearl of Morocco. You will discover the Bahia and Badi Palaces, the Saadian Tombs, the Menara basin and many other hidden treasures. Lunch will be in one of the finest traditional restaurants in Marrakech. After lunch, you will continue with the tour of the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque and the famous Djemaa el Fna, one of the central attractions of Marrakech. Coming alive at night with the local storytellers, entertainers, and mouth-watering barbeque, the square is well worth a visit.

Departure at 8am from your hotel or Riad to Essaouira; known as Mogador or the jewel of the Atlantic. After 1 hour and half of driving you will stop for short break in a cafe in Sidi lmkhtar. Continue the road for about 1/2 hour to get the second stop where you can take pictures of the goats climbing in the Argan trees. When we arrive in Essaouira you can then visit the fishing port with its ramparts, the old medina known as Scala and the museum of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abd Llah where there are roman coins and artefacts from the 3rd century. Essaouira has a colourful history and as a major seaport has been influenced by Romans, Phoenicians, Portuguese and other invaders. On the walled promenade, Dutch canons still sit in defiance to invaders. Walk in the Souk (market) and experience different the many crafts manufactured in the town. Enjoy the fresh fish and seafood in a local restaurant near the port or on the beach. After lunch we drive back to Marrakech, on the way you will visit a women’s co-operative of Argan oil where you will watch women manufacturing this famous product. Once in Marrakech you will spend the night in a riad.

End of the tour. We will transfer you to Casablanca airport for you return flight.