15-Day Morocco Highlights Tour with Sahara Camp and Imperial Cities

• Following your transfer from the airport to our joining hotel, you can relax by the hotel pool before the welcome meeting at 18:00 hrs. Meet your Morocco tour guide and fellow travellers here.

Overnight stay at Marrakech (dinner included)

• After breakfast, depart for Casablanca, made famous by Humphrey Bogart in the film "Casablanca". We will have the option of visiting the stunning Hassan II Mosque, which has the tallest minaret and is the third largest mosque in the world. This mosque can hold 25,000 worshippers at any one time. Please note that the Hassan II Mosque tour will not take place during Ramadan.

Overnight stay in Casablanca (breakfast & dinner included)

• After breakfast, head straight to Rabat, Morocco's capital city. Spend the morning visiting:
  • Oudaia Kasbah: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this old kasbah is an important site adjacent to the old medina of Rabat.
  • Hassan Tower: a minaret of the mosque that Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur began to build in 1195.
  • The Royal Palace and Chellah: the primary and official residence of the King of Morocco.
• After lunch, we will move on to the third of our Imperial cities, Meknes. You will have the evening to spend at leisure.

Overnight stay in Meknes (breakfast included)

• After breakfast, we'll embark on a tour of the Roman ruins at Volubilis, the largest ancient site in Morocco. UNESCO-listed, the site dates back to AD 40 and was once the city that ruled the entire Roman province of Mauritania.
• Then, head on to Chefchaouen for a guided sightseeing tour:
  • High up in the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen boasts a beautiful blue door and white-walled medina that was originally a Berber post.
  • The main square is the heart of Chefchaouen, with the Kasbah, built back in the 18th century, the central mosque, and cafes with authentic menus.
• To end the day, visit the busy market, which is a mix of traditional Moroccan and tourist fare.

Overnight stay in Chefchaouen (breakfast included)

• Enjoy some free time in Chefchaouen this morning: spend your time exploring this beautiful city or relax at the hotel.
• Head out to have a leisurely lunch in Chefchaouen before moving on to Fes in the afternoon.
• Plan your sightseeing tour in Fes with your Morocco tour guide as per your interests. Fes is the oldest and largest medieval city in the world, and its medina is a heady mix of aromas, sounds, and sights. There are plenty of mosques and palaces to visit, but be aware that only Muslims can enter mosques in Morocco.

Overnight stay in Fes (breakfast included)

• This day, embark on a tour of the city of Fes in the morning. Explore the tanneries, souks, potteries, and the medina, and learn the fascinating history of the city.
• Return to the hotel to get ready for an optional night of Moroccan entertainment and food at a restaurant in town.

Overnight stay in Fes (breakfast included)

• This morning, we journey over the Moyen Atlas to stop at Midelt, a beautiful alpine area. Surrounded by huge pine trees and a tranquil mountain setting, this is a great spot to cool down and relax after the hustle and bustle of Fes.
• Visit a local Berber family to experience a few hours in their way of life. Through our financial support of the family, they have built a new toilet block for the extended family. Our visits will continue to further support local families.
• Enjoy a small hike in the afternoon and spend the night in this mountain location.

Overnight stay in Midelt (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

• Excitement is in the air as we head towards the mighty Saharan dunes after breakfast! En route, make an optional stop for lunch and, in the summer, you could even enjoy a relaxing swim.
• Head towards the great desert dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, where we transfer our mode of transport to camels and trek into the vast Sahara Desert until sunset.
• Return to the authentic Berber camp on the desert's edge to spend the night enjoying local food, music, and an amazing night under the Saharan stars.

Overnight stay in Berber camp (breakfast & dinner included)

• Leaving the desert, move on to Todra Gorge. This 1000 ft gorge is hemmed in on all sides by vertical limestone cliffs and is called Morocco's Grand Canyon.
• Stop at the Berber co-operative, where one can see and buy authentic Berber handmade rugs, kilims, and carpets.
• The afternoon can be spent exploring the gorge, walking through the Palmerie, or trying the optional activity of rock climbing. The charm of Todra lies in its changing colours as the sun slowly moves from east to west; enjoy the sunset.

Overnight stay in Todra Gorge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

• Bid a fond farewell to Todra this morning and head to Ait Benhaddou via Ouarzazate.
• Stop to buy lunch along the way and have a chance for an optional tour of the film studios in Ouarzazate, famous for films such as "Gladiator", "The Last Temptation of Christ", and "The Living Daylights".
• On a hill along the Ouarzazate River, we find Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasts great examples of kasbahs, some of which remain inhabited. This afternoon, we have a guided tour of the famous kasbah and village. This is where "Lawrence of Arabia" was once filmed.

Overnight stay in Ait Benhaddou (breakfast & dinner included)

• Set out from Ait Benhaddou after breakfast. This day's drive is truly stunning as we traverse the High Atlas Mountains on our way to Essaouira, a colourful fishing town situated within 15th-century Portuguese fortifications, where great beaches and surf beckon.
• Relax on the beach or alternatively explore the UNESCO-listed medina with its various souks and woodcarving workshops. Any city gate leads to the medina, so you're unlikely to get lost. The beach is in front of the medina, and there are plenty of cafes with terraces, both ideal for relaxing for a few hours.
• Blue doors and window frames abound, as do artists' shops; buy a carpet or Thuya wood carving, or sit on the beach sipping mint tea as the sun sets, an antidote to the hustle and bustle of the Imperial cities.

Overnight stay in Essaouira (breakfast included)

• After breakfast, set out from your accommodation and decide the sites that you would like to cover in the city with your Morocco tour guide. There will be no optional activities on this day.

Overnight stay in Essaouira (breakfast included)

• After breakfast, take either a minivan or a public bus from Essaouira this morning and return to Marrakech to explore the final one of Morocco's four Imperial cities visited on this tour.
• Marrakech is set against the snow-capped Atlas Mountains; its great pride and landmark is the Koutoubia Tower, sister to the Tower of Hassan in Rabat and the Giralda Tower in Seville. It is said that after the third of these was completed, the sultan had the eyes of his architect put out, lest he should build another, more beautiful, tower elsewhere.
• No visit to the city is complete without a visit to the city's UNESCO-listed medina and Djemâa-el-Fna, an extraordinary gathering place and marketplace. Spend the evening here to bring the day to a close.

Overnight stay in Marrakech (breakfast included)

• Imlil is a small town situated in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains. Today's journey will take you into a deep discovery of the local Berbers to learn about their traditions and customs of thousands of years. Interact with the Berbers and enjoy wonderful landscapes along the way.
• The village is at the foothill of Toubkal Mountain, standing at 4167 m, the main attraction for mountain lovers for walking, ice climbing, or skiing in Morocco. Learn about the Berbers' lifestyle in the valleys and visit several Berber villages with traditional architecture and terraced fields built at the foot of high mountains, with magnificent panoramas over the range of Toubkal and the surrounding mountains. A wide range of sublime views awaits you during this journey.

Overnight stay in Marrakech (breakfast included)

• Head out from Imlil after breakfast. No sightseeing will be done on this day. You will be dropped off at your accommodation in Marrakech.

Breakfast included.