10 Days private Morocco tour from Marrakech

Day 1: Depending on arrival time, pick-up from Casablanca airport, visit the Hassan ll Mosque, and drive to Rabat (1 1/2 hour drive), the capital of Morocco. Then you will visit Chellah ancient ruin, El-Hassan Tower and picturesque Oudayas Kasbah. And you will have a visit to Mohamed V tomb; who refused to allow Vichy’s government occupying during the WW ll.  Overnight in Rabat.

Day 2: Your journey will take you to Tangier.  While strolling through Tangier, smell the scent of African spices as they waft on the salty breeze, and navigate the narrow alleyways of the medina past snake charmers, merchants, and bakers.  Explore the medina to see the kasbah and souk, admire colonial-era buildings of the new town, and sites along the coast viewing the punic-roman necropolis and Cape Sparkle and Caves of Hercules overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar.  Continue to the wonderful city of Chefchaouen via the Rif Mountains where you will stay the evening.

Day 3: Today explore the simply beautiful city of Chefchaouen where everything is set dramatically climbing up the mountains. Load up your cameras! Its blue-washed houses, narrow cobbled streets, and mountainous backdrop create a tranquil and photographic setting.  In the afternoon you will head to Volubilis and explore the ruins of this Roman city. You will visit the holy city of Moulay Idriss, a place of pilgrimage of all Moroccans. Continue to Fes with a visit to the synagogues which goes back to the 17th century. You will have the chance to see the ancient Jewish cemetery near the gates of the Royal Palace and the house where Maimonides once lived. Overnight in Fes.

Day 4: Today, you will spend the morning exploring the ramparts of Fes, seeing the Tomb of the Merinids, visiting the 14th-century Bou Inania Medersa and the excellent museum with its collection of illuminated manuscripts and ceramics. You will have lunch in the Medina then explore the fascinating cobbled lanes of the Medina, and richly decorated Attarin Medersa, and the Neijarin Fountain. View the medieval tannery, the mosques, the Fondouks where the donkeys and their owners gather, and the infinite variety of merchandise of handcraft’s and edible goods to copperware and pottery. Spend another night in Fes.

Day 5: After breakfast you will travel to Ifrane, the Swiss mountain village, and the cedar forests of Azrou where you will have the opportunity to wander amongst the famous Moroccan monkeys in their natural environment. You then pass through the Middle Atlas Mountains and the only tunnel in Morocco, and through the Valley of Ziz with miles of palm trees and high cliffs. Your excursion will take you deeper south to the Sahara Desert where you will stay the evening at a Kasbah alongside the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Day 6: Here in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, the largest in Morocco, enjoy the panoramic scene of black volcanic rock on the plains, the bright blue sky, the green palm trees, white salt beds, mirages of water, and golden shifting dunes. Visit Rissani for the weekly markets where Nomads come to sell. Have lunch with our Berber family and friends. Pass the lake in Merzouga to see the flamingos before beginning your trip via 4 x 4  into the beautiful Erg Chebbi dunes. You will spend the evening in a bivouac (camp), enjoy a Moroccan dinner, and sleep in a traditional Nomad Berber tent. 

Day 7: Wake-up to a spectacular sunrise in the desert and enjoy breakfast. Bivouac trekkers will return by camel, and then travel to Tinerhir for lunch and to visit the dramatic Todra Gorges. Next you will continue through the Dades Valley to the spectacular “Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs”.  Spend the evening in the Dades Valley. 

Day 8:  Enjoy breakfast and continue the journey to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït Benhaddou that is situated on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. This beautiful example of southern Moroccan architecture has been used as a backdrop for over 20 films including Lawrence   of Arabia, Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, and Gladiator. You will then continue to Marrakesh over the Tizi N’ Tichka Pass while enjoying superb views of the High Atlas Mountains and of the Berber villages. Night in Marrakech.

Day 9:  After breakfast, you will have a full day tour to discover Marrakech.  Visit the souks, Koutoubia Minaret, Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs, Medersa Ben Youssef (Coranic University), the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) and Cemetery, Moulay Abdsalam Park and gardens and/or Majorelle Gardens and Musee Yves Saint Laurent.  Early evening return to the Djemâa el Fna Square in the center of the medina were it comes alive. There you will be delighted by the dancers, snake charmers, jugglers, narrators, and singers as well as the refreshing orange juice carts lining the square.  Spend another night in Marrakech. 

Day 10: Today, your excursion will take you to the charming seaside haven of Essaouira.  It's houses, cool breezes, relaxed atmosphere along with its friendly cafes, numerous craftsmen and the delicious fresh fish make this a charming place to stay the night.

Day 11:  Wander the ancient streets and imagine what life has come before us. See the ramparts and the old town, full of medieval architecture at its finest. The streets have a genuinely Portuguese feel, after they renamed the city in the 16th century and used it as a port city of their own. You will explore the port and have the opportunity to enjoy a seafood lunch. Have the opportunity to explore or relax on the beach of this coastal city. After that travel to Casablanca along the Atlantic Ocean and via Asafi and el Jadida. Overnight in Casablanca.

Day 12: Depending on Flight departure, transfer to the airport of Mohamed V in Casablanca (3 hours), and end your tour.