10-Day Morocco Highlights Tour from Casablanca with Sahara Camp

• Your journey begins by meeting your driver at 8 am.
• In Casablanca, you will see the Hassan II Mosque, the largest one outside Mecca, and experience the coastal Corniche seaside.
• Continue to Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
• Here, you will see the Hassan Tower and the Oudaya Kasbah before checking in to your riad in the Medina.

Overnight at riad - bed and breakfast (BB), Riad Kalaa or similar.

• After breakfast in your riad, you will start travelling to Fes via Meknes and Volubilis.
• In Meknes, another significant imperial city in Morocco, known as the Ismaili capital of Morocco, you will see the famous gate Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani Basin, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.
• After lunch, your journey continues to the Roman city of Volubilis, where you will get a chance to see the wonderfully preserved original mosaics, Roman road, and city layout.
• As you travel through the Moroccan countryside, you will pass by the Holy City of Moulay Idriss for a photo opportunity.
• You will arrive in Fes at the end of the afternoon and check in to your riad in the Medina.

Overnight at a riad (BB), Riad Salam Fes or similar.

• Have breakfast in your riad, and then start an explorative journey of the Medina, where you will visit the many hidden treasures that only the inhabitants of the place know about. Fes served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world.
• Your guided tour will take you to the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, the Nejjarine Fountains, and the Tanneries.
• After lunch, you will also view the exterior of the Royal Palace and walk through the famous Jewish quarter, "the Mellah," where you will have the option to visit one of the few living synagogues in Morocco.
• Your tour of Fes includes a short visit to the famous ceramic factory, and then you can enjoy a fantastic panoramic view over the whole Medina of Fes.
• In the afternoon, you will visit the new city for a drink.

Overnight accommodation at your riad (BB), Riad Salam Fes or similar.

• After breakfast in your riad, you will leave towards the southeast, following the caravan roads to Merzouga.
• During this journey, you will experience glimpses of the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountains.
• Stop at the cedar forest, the largest one in Morocco, in the Middle Atlas Mountains, where you may well sight Barbary apes.
• After lunch in Midelt, you will continue through the large open high desert and notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city of Er Rachidia.
• Your journey continues along the luxuriant Ziz Valley and the Tafilalet date palm grove, famous for date cultivation. This area is the foundation of the Alaouite dynasty, the current ruling royal family in Morocco.
• You will arrive at Merzouga at the end of the afternoon, where you will be welcomed with a glass of mint tea before checking in to your riad.

Half-board; Hotel Chebbi or similar.

• After breakfast in the riad, you will start an explorative journey of the area.
• You will visit the Gnawa people, originally enslaved people brought from Sudan, to experience their music and lifestyle.
• You may also visit the souk in Rissani. This traditional town was the origin of the ruling family in Morocco and the meeting place of the caravans trading as far as Tombouctou in Mali.
• Here, you will see many hooded men and veiled women.
• Back in the village of Merzouga, you will have some time to rest. In the afternoon, you will mount your camel, guided by an experienced camel man, to explore the sand sea of Merzouga.

Overnight will be in a luxurious camp (HB), Orient Desert Camp or similar.

• Early in the morning, your camel guide will wake you up to watch what may well be the best sunrise of your life. You will then trek back to the village of Merzouga.
• En route, you cannot fail to appreciate the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi dunes, changing with the light as the day progresses.
• After breakfast and a shower in your riad, you will leave for Rissani, Tinghir, and Todgha Gorges, the highest and narrowest gorges in Morocco.
• After lunch in the heart of the gorge, you will drive through the Dades Valley, where you will see the majestic sand castles and the unique rock formations known as "monkey toes".

Overnight accommodation will be in a fancy guesthouse overlooking the Dades Valley (HB), Dar Rihana Dades or similar.

• After breakfast, you will drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaat M'Gouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is the way of the thousand Kasbahs, providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip.
• You will stop at Kalaat M'Gouna, "the rose city," to purchase rosewater that will make your linen smell good long after your trip.
• Continue to Marrakech via the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Built by Et Hami El Glaoui, one of the last Berber chieftains during the 18th century, the Kasbah is a house of many Glaoui people.
• Your journey will continue through the majestic Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2260 m) over the High Atlas Mountains before arriving at your accommodation in Marrakech.

Overnight at the riad in the Medina (BB), Riad Bahia Salam or similar.

• After breakfast in the riad, you will enjoy a morning guided tour of Marrakech, "the Red City of Morocco."
• Your guide will ensure that you see all the sites of historical and cultural interest, including the Koutoubia Minaret, the Saadian Tombs, the beautiful Bahia Palace, and the Ben Youssef Koranic School.
• Finally, end the morning by walking through the medina alleys, getting a chance to admire the different artisans performing their crafts before arriving at the famous Jamaa El Fna Square.
• Have lunch at a restaurant near the square, and then visit the Majorelle Gardens and enjoy a short tour of Gueliz, the new city of Marrakech.
• After dinner, you will have the option to walk through the square, entertained by magicians, storytellers, tooth-pullers, and food sellers.

Overnight accommodation will be in your riad (BB), Riad Bahia Salam or similar.

• After breakfast in your riad, you will start travelling to the coastal city of Essaouira. You will get there after about a two-and-a-half-hour drive to explore the city.
• You will visit the Skala Fortress, see thuya wood carved by artisans, walk through the alleys of the medina, and view hundreds of handicrafts. This "City of the Wind" attracts surfers from all over the world. Essaouira knew many civilisations, including the Portuguese occupation, which affected much of its architecture. However, it remains a small village with much history. Because of its size and its characteristic blue doors and washed walls, it is also regarded as Morocco's "Jewel of the Atlantic."
• You will also visit the women's co-operative of Argan oil. Here, they extract the famous oil for its culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal properties.
• Lunch will be made the Moroccan way - fresh fish "cooked in order" at the fish market.
• In the afternoon, you will travel back to Marrakech.

Overnight at your riad (BB), Riad Bahia Salam or similar.

• After an early breakfast in your riad, you will drive to Casablanca.

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