Itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca - Rabat

After breakfast departure with the driver/guide from your riad/hotel in Casablanca in the direction of Rabat. Rabat is the capital of Morocco and is a modern city overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Besides being the seat of government it is the main centre of Moroccan cuisine and architecture. After Casablanca, Rabat is the largest city in the country. The medina is picturesque and characterized by narrow, cobbled alleys, art galleries and local craft shops. We recommend for a short visit the Hassan Tower, a minaret that was once part of the homonymous mosque that was supposed to be the highest in the world but was never finished, because it was destroyed in 1755 following a strong earthquake that had the epicentre in Lisbon. Today the bases of the columns remain of the mosque. The isolated minaret is 44 meters high and is reminiscent of the famous Giralda tower in Seville. Opposite is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V which houses the remains of the King of Morocco and his two sons, King Hassan II and Prince Abdullah. Free dinner Overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 2: Rabat – Volubilis – Meknes - Fès

After breakfast departure for Volubilis, the most famous Roman archaeological site in Morocco and included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites, short visit to the city. We will then proceed to Meknes, always for a short visit, the most recent and modest of the four Imperial Cities, it was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail inb Sharif. Its name derives from a Berber tribe, called Miknasa, in Arabian medieval sources. It is also known as the Versailles of Morocco or the city with a hundred minarets. In addition to the souks, not as big as those of Fès or Marrakech but equally interesting and lively, this city is full of beautiful buildings, beautiful gardens, houses with balconies of the Jewish quarter, narrow streets of the old mellah. Arrival in the evening in Fès. Dinner and overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 3: Fès

Fès is considered the true stronghold of the culture and identity of Morocco, located in the bottom of a fertile valley about 350 m above sea level. The old city, with its markets and mosques, is considered one of the most attractive centres of the entire Islamic world. Among the major cities of Morocco, Fès is the oldest of the four Imperial Cities and owes this prestige to its secular political prevalence and the importance of its ancient university on culture and art. After breakfast, departure with the official guide and the driver for the discovery of the city, Fès is divided into New Town, that is the imperial city built starting from 1200 where there are the station, the Royal Palace and the Jewish quarter, the Old Town or Medina, the oldest walled part of Fès, a real labyrinth of narrow streets with markets of all kinds and the Ville Nouvelle, the area where there are restaurants, bars, cafes and bookshops. We will visit the Madrasa Bou Inania, the Al Karaouine Mosque (closed to non-Muslims), the Medersa Attarine, the Najjarine square famous for its magnificent fountain decorated with mosaics, the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss and the tombs of the Merenids, We will then reach the famous tanneries in Fès and visit a pottery factory. Return in the afternoon to your riad/hotel. Dinner and overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 4: Fès – Ifrane – Ziz Valley – Merzouga

After breakfast departure with the driver/guide from your riad/hotel in Fès in the direction of Merzouga passing through Azrou where you can see the Barbary apes inhabiting the lush forests of cedars and oaks, then continue to Ifrane, nicknamed the "Little Switzerland "is located at over 1700 m altitude and will cross the Ziz Valley. Arrival in the afternoon in the village of Merzouga. Dinner and overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 5: Merzouga – Erg Chebbi – Merzouga

After breakfast departure from the village of Merzouga to discover the dunes of Erg Chebbi where you will be able to see and photograph unique landscapes, during the road a short visit will be made to the nomadic families who live in the area in the middle of nowhere. Continue to the Village of Khamlia inhabited by black populations originating from Mali, Senegal and Mauritania where you can attend a concert of gnawa music. Short visit to the Mifiss mines and return to the riad/hotel in Merzouga. Before sunset, departure by dromedary to reach the Berber tents also called "Haima" where dinner will be served under the stars and where you will listen to the traditional Berber music played with the percussion. Overnight at the tented camp.

Day 6: Merzouga – Rissani – Dadès - Draa Valley – Ouarzazate

Wake up at dawn to witness the sunrise in the middle of the dunes, return by dromedary to the riad where breakfast will be served and you can take a hot shower. After a short stop, departure in the direction of Rissani, where you can visit the famous and lively market. Continue to Valle del Dades, crossing the Valley of Roses, famous for the cultivation of damask rose from which the essence is extracted for the production of many cosmetics. We will visit the Gorges of Dades. The journey will continue in the direction of Ouarzazate, located in the Dades Valley, expanded in the twenties by the French as a military and administrative centre. Near the town are the Atlas Film Corporation Studios, the “Cinecittà” of Morocco, where several films were shot and set in the desert in the direction of Ouarzazate through the Draa Valley, rich in palm groves and Berber villages, arrival in Ouarzazate in the afternoon . Visit to the free Atlas Studios. Dinner and overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 7: Ouarzazate - Ait-Ben-Haddou - Marrakech

After breakfast, head north towards Marrakech passing through the Ait-Ben-Haddou kasbah declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, where you will make a short visit and then continue your journey through the mountains of the Grande Atlas until you reach the Tizi n'Tichka at 2,260 m (the highest mountain pass in the Atlas). Arrival in the evening in Marrakech. Free dinner. Overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 8: Marrakech

One of the major cities of Morocco, Marrakech is the most important of the four Imperial Cities and is located at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. After breakfast departure with the official guide and the driver for the discovery of the city also known as "Pearl of the South" and "Red or Ochre City" for the red walls that surround it and for the various buildings of this colour built in the same period using red stones and sand. Visit to the Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, the Saadien Tombs, the ancient Koranic school of Ben Youssef, the Menara Gardens, the Mosque and the Koutoubia Minaret. Short stop for lunch and a mint tea in one of the terraces overlooking the Jemaa el-Fna square, continuation to the Mosque and the Koutoubia Minaret, the Majorelle Gardens with the possibility to visit the new museum just opened, dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent. Return in the afternoon to your riad/hotel. Free dinner. Overnight in riad/hotel.

Day 9: Marrakech – Casablanca

After breakfast departure from Marrakech towards Casablanca the economic capital of Morocco where most of the country's foreign trade is managed. The city is located along the west coast and resembles a centre of southern Europe. It was built in 1906 where a 7th century Berber town once stood, destroyed by an earthquake in the second half of the 18th century. Outside the medina is the built city of the French, the Nouvelle Ville, full of gardens and avenues, shopping centres, hotels, banks and shops. The most important building to visit is the Mosque of Assan II, the largest after that of Medina and Mecca. Arrival at your riad/hotel and end of our service.