Totally Morocco - 9 days

Totally Morocco - 9 days

Led by an expert local guide, this exciting 9 day group tour is an excellent way to see the country through the eyes of someone who calls it home. From Marrakech, travel by private vehicles to Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, before camel trekking across the Sahara. Take in the Imperial Cities of Fes, Rabat and Meknes and uncover many of Morocco’s key sites through the expertise of specialist guides. By night bed down in comfortable locally-owned 4-star hotels and enjoy many included meals.

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Marrakech

Stop At: Jemaa el-Fnaa, 38 Jemaa el-Fna, Rue El Ksour, Marrakech Morocco
Saturday. Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival at Marrakech airport you’ll be met and transferred to our hotel. This evening meet your fellow travellers and enjoy free time to explore the delights of Djemaa el Fna.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz Region
Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is a major economic center and home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: 4 star hotels

Day 2: Majorelle Gardens & Marrakech City Tour

Stop At: Majorelle Garden, Rue Yves St Laurent, Marrakech 43000 Morocco
After breakfast we head over to the beautiful Majorelle Gardens just a short drive from the hotel. These botanical gardens were designed by the French Artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and 1930s. He used a distinctive shade of cobalt blue for the majority of the garden and although a lot of his other work has largely been forgotten – this garden is seen as his greatest master piece. The garden has been owned by Yves Saint Laurent since 1980 and his ashes were scattered here after his death in 2008. The garden contains an extensive collection of exotic plants and trees and is home to 15 species of bird. There is also a Berber Museum representing the various indigenous tribes of Morocco including over 600 artefacts. The newly opened Yves Saint Laurent museum nearby is also well worth a visit - this museum was opened in 2017 and is dedicated to the life and works of Yves Saint Laurent himself. Please note entrance into the YSL museum is not included and costs 100 MAD per person if you would like to go in.

This afternoon you will meet up with the rest of the group who are coming in from Casablanca before embarking on a guided tour of Marrakech. Inside the rose coloured medina walls is a tangle of winding streets and alleys that open onto verdant gardens and bustling souks. At the heart of the medina is Djemaa El Fna, the city's exuberant market place and towering over it, is the famous Koutoubia Mosque, the tallest building in the city.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: 4 star hotels

Day 3: Ait Benhaddou - UNESCO World Heritage Listed

Stop At: Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, Douar Ait Ben Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou 45000 Morocco
Marrakech - Ait Benhaddou - Ouarzazate. Departing the city this morning we travel across the plains of haouz and reach the great High Atlas mountains. Climbing over the pass of Tizi n Tichka, we stop for lunch and then continue onwards with great views over the Mountains and valleys to Ait Benhaddou. This incredible ancient fortified Kasbah was built for defence purposes high on a hill and is a stunningly well preserved medieval city which has famously featured in many blockbuster movies, including Gladiator and Laurence of Arabia as its beauty is unequal to any other fortified kasbah in south Morocco. Carrying on we continue south to the Hollywood of North Africa – Ouarzazate (pronounced war-zazat). Ouarzazate is famous for being the filming location for many other Hollywood blockbusters and famous TV shows including James Bond – The Living Daylights, The Mummy and more recently Game of Thrones.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Riad

Day 4: Camel trek into the Sahara

Pass By: Merzouga Desert, Merzouga Morocco
Ouarzazate - Todra Gorge - Merzouga (Sahara). This morning we begin our journey into the Sahara with a medley of palm trees, rose fields and magnificent gorges. Travelling from Ouarzazate, there is a possibility of visiting the kasbah Amherdhil in Skoura before seeing the rose fields and reaching scenic Todra Gorge. Surrounded by towering vertical limestone cliffs reaching heights of 1000ft, it is known as Morocco’s Grand Canyon. The charm of Todra lies in its changing colours as the sun slowly moves from east to west. After time to wander through Todra we hit the road again for Merzhouga – our base before we head into the Sahara. Depending on the time of year, spend the afternoon relaxing and swimming before climbing aboard our camels for an incredible trek into the Sahara Desert to watch a beautiful sunset and spend the night at our remote Berber Camp, nestled amongst the towering dunes of Erg Chebbi. We enjoy local food, music and an amazing night camping in the Sahara. If you would prefer the comfort of a hotel with en-suite facilities this evening, opt for our Sahara hotel alternative at no additional cost. Please do let us know your preferred option at the time of booking.
8 heures , Entrée comprise


Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Berber Camp

Day 5: Fes

Stop At: High Atlas Mountains, 40000 Morocco
Merzouga (Sahara) - Fes. Departing early, we climb back on our camels disembarking for a truly stunning sunrise. After freshening up and breakfast in Merzouga we’re back on the road heading for Fes. It’s a long drive today however there is a lot to see on the way. We’ll pass through cedar forests full of Barbary Macaque monkeys on our way through the Moyen Atlas mountains. Just before Fes we stop at Ifrane – a beautiful town, often likened to a Swiss Alpine resort. Along the way we also start to see our first glimpse of Morocco’s nomadic Berbers – travelling across the mountains and often staying in make shift tents as they head to their next destination. We arrive into Fes in the early evening.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: 4 star hotels

Day 6: UNESCO listed Fes el Bali, dye-pits & tanneries

Stop At: Volubilis, Morocco
Fes - Volubilis - Meknes - Rabat. Departing Fes this morning we visit the fascinating UNESCO listed Roman ruins of Volubilis, which date back to AD40. Continuing on we stop at the Imperial City of Meknes, which became known as the Versailles of Morocco due to its impressive buildings and elaborate monuments. After lunch and some free time our final stop of the day is Rabat – Morocco’s capital where we overnight.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight: Rabat | Hotel 4 star

Day 7: Rabat & Casablanca

Stop At: Hassan II Mosque, Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, Casablanca 20450 Morocco
Rabat & Casablanca
Rabat - Casablanca - Marrakech. This morning we take a guided tour of Rabat and visit some of the capital’s highlights, including the impressive Chellah - a necropolis and complex of ancient, medieval ruins, the Royal Palace and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. After lunch we continue to Casablanca where we visit the Hassan II Mosque, which has the tallest minaret and is the third largest mosque in the world - it can hold 25,000 worshippers at any one time. After our visit to the mosque we say goodbye to our fellow passengers leaving us in Casablanca and continue on to Marrakech for the night.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight: Marrakech | Hotel 4 star

Day 8: Marrakech

Pass By: Medina of Marrakesh, Derb Fhal Zefriti n06 Derb Fhal Zefriti, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
Sunday. Our amazing tour of Morocco ends today after hotel check out. An included onward departure transfer to the airport is provided.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.