10-Day Private Morocco Highlights Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech

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Day 01

Arrival in Casablanca and Hassan II Mosque

• Welcome to Morocco! As soon as your flight lands at the airport in Casablanca, pick up your luggage and walk outside the terminal to meet your local driver holding a sign with your name on it.
• Start the tour by visiting the spectacular Hassan II Mosque.
• Then check in at your hotel for the overnight stay.

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Day 02

Casablanca to Rabat and Chefchaouen

• After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven towards the capital, Rabat.
• You will see the unfinished mosque tower of Hassan, dating back to the 12th century.
• You will also visit the mausoleum of Mohamed V, built by King Hassan II and dedicated to his father, Mohamed V, in honour of him as the father of independence.
• You will visit the 12th-century Kasbah of Oudaya, with its beautiful white and blue buildings and a fantastic view over the Atlantic beach and the Bouragrag River.
• Afterwards, you will drive towards the blue-washed town of Chefchaouen, a picturesque town nestled in the Rif Mountains.
• Check in at the riad for the overnight stay.

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Day 03

Chefchaouen, Volubilis, and Fes

• After breakfast, you will start exploring Chefchaouen, known as the blue city. It is a small, charming, clean, and fresh town.
• You'll stroll around the old medina with its old Retorted Kasbah and Plaza Utta Hammam. The square at the heart of the town is an ideal place to relax. Its steep, narrow cobbled streets, white-washed walls, blue doors, windows, and mountains as a backdrop make Chefchaouen a wonderful place for fascinating pictures.
• After that, you will see the natural spring water of Ras In. Unlike other parts of Morocco, this town was occupied by Spain.
• Therefore, there is much Spanish and Moorish cultural influence. You can meet locals, wander in the souks (markets), and enjoy this amazing town.
• We leave Chefchaouen and cross the Rif Mountains to arrive at the ancient Roman town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will discover its mosaic floors, basilica, temple, and triumphal arch, and then continue our journey to Fes.

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Day 04

Fes Medina and Historic Landmarks

• After breakfast, you will meet a local guide with whom you will start your city tour by first visiting the outer part of the medina (old city), including the Royal Palace Gate and the Jewish Quarter, Mellah, which dates back to the 14th century.
• You will also visit the Ceramics Cooperative to see traditional Moroccan crafts.
• Afterwards, you will cover the most important sites inside the medina with cultural and historical interest, including the superb architectural masterpiece of Bou Inania Medersa, Blue Gate, the Karaouiyine Mosque, the big Chouara Tanneries, and Medersa Seffarin, where people work on metal and make beautiful lamps and teapots, as well as other decorated architectural masterpieces like Attarin Medersa and the Neijarin Fountain.
• In the afternoon, we will take you to the tombs of the Merenids to admire a beautiful panoramic view over the medina.

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Day 05

Fes to Ifrane, Ziz Valley, and the Sahara Desert

• After breakfast, you will travel through the Middle Atlas Mountains.
• On the way, you will stop at Ifrane, a small, charming, clean town known as the Switzerland of Morocco because of its similarity to a Swiss alpine resort.
• You continue south, passing through the largest cedar forest in North Africa, home to Barbary monkeys.
• You will have a chance to take fascinating pictures and feed the monkeys.
• After lunch in Midelt, you head south via Talghomt Pass, admiring nature's beautiful views and landscapes.
• You arrive in the region of Ziz Valley, where we will stop for a breathtaking panoramic view of these hidden oases filled with palm groves. Around sunset, we end our day at the camel parking area to ride a camel trek next to the high dunes of Erg Chebbi.
• Overnight in the dunes camp (nomad tent).

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Day 06

Merzouga to Rissani, Erfoud, Todra Gorges, and Dades Valley

• After breakfast, you will leave the desert and travel towards the city of Rissani, once a major stopping place on the Saharan caravan route. If it coincides with the market days, which take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, we will have an opportunity to visit the souk, the largest one in the region.
• You then set off to Erfoud, the fossil town, where you will see stalls selling crystals, precious stones, and fossils.
• The workshop using Marmar is open to visitors. Then continue our journey to Dades Valley, passing through villages such as Millab, Tinjdad, and Toroug to arrive at Todra Valley, a green valley surrounded by mud villages and mountains.
• After driving for around 30 minutes, we get to Todra Gorges, a narrow vertical passage with cliffs rising 300 metres dramatically on each side. It is a popular destination for climbing lovers.
• After lunch in town, continue to Dades Valley, where you will see the fascinating rock formation known locally as monkey fingers or the snake road.

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Day 07

Dades Valley to Aït Benhaddou and Marrakech

• Today, you will travel to El Kalaa Mgou'na, or Rose Town, where over 400 tonnes of rose petals are picked every spring to be processed into rosewater or exported to perfume industries.
• The Festival of Roses is held here every May. As you travel from Rose Town to Skoura, you will see many kasbahs among the greenery of Dades Valley. Thousands of palm groves surround the small town of Skoura, and some of the most beautiful kasbahs in southern Morocco are found here.
• Continue our journey to Ouarzazate, the Hollywood of Africa, home to the biggest cinema studios in Morocco, and then to the most famous, filmed, and photographed kasbah of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• You will have free time to visit it and have lunch in the village. Afterwards, you head to Marrakech via the High Atlas Mountains (2,260 m), admiring the impressive mountain views and special Berber villages on the mountainsides.
• Arrive in Marrakech in the evening.

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Day 08

Guided Exploration of Marrakech

• After breakfast, meet your local private guide, who will lead you through the old city of Marrakech.
• As you explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will encounter lively souks and maze-like alleys.
• You will surely be dazzled by displays of djellabas, brightly coloured babouches, intricately pierced lanterns, conical mounds of exotic spices, and the intense hubbub of medina life. Along the way, your knowledgeable and energetic guide will regale you with the history and stories of the medina, the souk, and the Mellah neighbourhoods of the Red City.

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Day 09

Free Day to Discover Marrakech

• Take the morning to explore the Kasbah area south of Jemaa el-Fna. Once there, check out the Saadian Tombs and discover the 500-year-old craftsmanship that went into their construction.
• Visit the sunken gardens of the 17th-century El Badi Palace as you make your way through the Mellah and on to the 19th-century Bahia Palace.
• If there is time, you may also visit the Dar Di Said Museum, also known as the Museum of Moroccan Arts, to see exhibits of clothing, antiques, jewellery, and beautifully carved Hispano-Moorish cedar wood decorations.

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Day 10

Departure Transfer to Marrakech Airport or Casablanca

• It's time to say goodbye to beautiful Morocco. Your driver will ensure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time before your flight. Have a safe and comfortable journey home or to your next destination.