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8 Day itinerary in Morocco, Africa

Fes, Sahara, Marrakech

Imagine Morocco in the 1st Century: an epoch of tumultuous transformation, where people from all over the Mediterranean and Northern Africa were migrating to the fertile Middle Atlas Mountains. Volubilis, located about 30 kilometers from Fes, is an ancient Berber and Roman city considered by many as... Read More

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Radia

By Radia

Overview

Physical Difficulty

Light
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Recommended Age

Everyone

Operated in

English

GUIDANCE

Tour Guide, Driver

starting point

Casablanca

trip type

Private

trip attributes

Food & Drink

Outdoors & Nature

Start

Night

End

Highlights

1

Enjoy traditional Moroccan street food

2

Visit the legendary tanneries, where ancient techniques are still used

3

Camels will take you on a beautiful path through the tall sand dunes

4

Drink some tea and enjoy lunch with a local Berber family

Itinerary

Mid-Range Accommodation expand_more

Day 1

place Arrival & Discovering Volubilis

Your dedicated driver and your guide will pick you up from the airport. You will find our driver carrying an Experience Morocco sign with your name on it. From Casablanca airport, you’ll head to Fes for a four-hour drive to your property. You’ll stop for lunch (not included) on the way as well as stop to see the Roman Ruins of Volubilis. Imagine Morocco in the 1st Century: an epoch of tumultuous transformation, where people from all over the Mediterranean and Northern Africa were migrating to the fertile Middle Atlas Mountains. Volubilis, located about 30 kilometers from Fes, is an ancient Berber and Roman city considered by many as not only the capital of the Kingdom of Mauretania but also the administrative center of Roman Africa. On this day, you’ll wander among the dramatic ruins up-close-and-personal through the homes, temples, and public buildings of the Greek, Syrian, and Jewish city dwellers. Exceptionally well preserved, the ruins offer beautiful and colorful mosaics adorning many of the floor spaces, and you can just picture what it was like to wander the cypress-lined city in its Golden Age! After your stop exploring Volubilis, you’ll head to check in at your property and enjoy the rest of the evening and dinner (not included) at leisure.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Day 2

place Exploring The Cultural Capital

After breakfast, you’ll depart for a jam-packed day of touring with your guide! Founded in 781 AD, Fes is now considered the world’s largest car-free urban zone. Beware of mule-drawn carriages that speed through the alleyways, and check out a local pharmacy with its mysterious canisters of roots, flowers, and powders. Your lunch is not included this day but, depending on availability, you will have the optional opportunity to be settling in for an amazing experience on Tasting Trails of Fes: You’ll visit three different food souks allowing the chance to try traditional Moroccan street food including dried meats, milawi, harsha, briwats, spicy sardines, spicy potato cakes, soups, olives and more. At the honey souk where you’ll be able to taste an array of delicious wild honey, discuss their flavors and health-giving properties, and find out why honey is so important in Moroccan cooking and Islamic culture. We’ll investigate traditional cooking methods by visiting a furnace where the water for the communal bathhouse ‘hammam’ is also heated, and a 400-year-old ‘furan’ or communal oven and bakery. Discover the world of spices and their uses and the secrets of the male-oriented domain of the tea den under the guidance of a culinary leader and storyteller. Your day will also include stops at the medina’s Jewish quarter, the medersas, and the legendary tanneries, where ancient techniques are still used to prepare Moroccan leather which is then used in a variety of goods from clothing to bags and other handicrafts. In addition, you’ll also stop by the world’s oldest and longest operating learning institution, the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 AD. Your dinner this evening is not included but we’ll be happy to offer recommendations for a tasty meal!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3

place Saharan Adventure

Your day begins as you embark on an early morning scenic drive that will lead you to the golden dunes of the Sahara! With several panoramic vistas as well as a lunch break (n/incl) en route, your drive will take a total of roughly eight hours and will lead you to the very end of the paved roads where you’ll hop out from the car and onto the camels that will take you on a beautiful path through the tall sand dunes arriving into your luxury camp. Mint tea will be served as you arrive, after which you’ll have some time to enjoy the camp and contemplate the peaceful quiet of the Sahara. Dinner (included) will be served at your convenience, followed by a campfire and some live music by the camp’s staff who will perform tribal music for you. You can then enjoy the starlit sky before going to sleep in the comfort of your well-appointed tent.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4

place Exploring Dades Gorges

Fresh from your Saharan adventure, this is the day you’ll explore the mesmerizing rock formations and twisty roads of the gorges of the Atlas Mountains! Your day begins with sunrise over the dunes in your luxury camp with optional sandboarding, followed by a hearty breakfast and a departure from your camp to head for a four-hour drive towards the Todgha Gorges. Located in a small canyon in the eastern part of the High Atlas near the town of Tinerhir, the Todgha Gorges were carved out by rivers running through cliff-sided canyons on their final stretch through the mountains. The last 600 metres (1,969 ft) of the Todgha gorges are the most spectacular - you’ll see how the canyon narrows to a flat stony track, in places as little as 10 metres (33 ft) wide, with sheer and smooth rock walls up to 160 metres (525 ft) high on each side. After lunch (not included) near the Todgha gorges, you’ll continue on to check-in at your property where you’ll have the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner this evening will be at the hotel (included).

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5

place En Route to Marrakech

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, before departing for your six-hour drive with a first stop at Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou--A UNESCO world heritage site located in the foothills on the southern slopes of the High Atlas Mountains where parts of Game of Thrones were filmed. The fort of Ait-Ben-Haddou is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. The fort is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings, with imposing defensive walls that are reinforced by angle towers and pierced with a baffle gate. It is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques. You’ll have the optional opportunity to take an exciting ATV Ride around the Kasbah. After lunch (not included), you’ll continue towards Marrakech on one of the most scenic drives you’re likely to take in your life, venturing through the peaks of the High Atlas mountains and back down on the other side into the dry flat plains of Marrakech. You’ll arrive in the early evening to your riad, your home base in Marrakech. Dinner this evening is on your own (not included), but we’ll be happy to make a recommendation of our favorite spots in Marrakech.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6

place Sightseeing in Marrakech

We won’t judge you if you want to have a morning at leisure and linger on a wonderful breakfast, but we hope you’ll be ready to go to tackle your jam-packed day of sightseeing in Marrakech! In the morning, you’ll see the Koutoubia Mosque (the iconic sight of Marrakech), the Bahia Palace (a stunning example of traditional Moroccan architecture), and the Saadian tombs. Afterward, you will head to the medina for lunch at Terrasse Des Epices (included), followed by afternoon visits to the medina and the souks. During this guided tour, you will visit the medina and the souks of Marrakech, including the Jewish quarter Morocco’s rich history includes a long period of Arab and Jewish communities accepting their differences and living and working together to bring success to their respective businesses. The Mellah in Marrakech refers to the area where the Jewish community resided. At its peak in the 1500s, the Mellah in Marrakech included bakers, jewelers, tailors, sugar traders, artisans, craftsmen, outdoor markets, fountains, and synagogues. While the Jewish population of Marrakech has substantially decreased, you can still see the shop fronts and a few synagogues as you walk around this part of town. As you walk through the medina, you will also see medersas or religious schools, and delve into the myriad pathways of the Souk. The term Souk refers to the markets, and the markets of Marrakech are located in a serpentine set of alleyways with twists and turns that can confuse even frequent travelers to the city! Our expert guide can give you an overview of how the souk is laid out and where the different sections are located, each focused on a different set of goods (Clothes, spices, lamps, shoes, traditional crafts, etc). As day turns to night, you will follow your visit to the medina by a guided walking tour of Djemaa El Fna Square. You should expect a sensory overload as you make your way around this legendary square!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7

place Hiking in the Atlas Mountains

After breakfast, you’ll drive an hour and a half to our hiking spot in Imlil and meet your local Atlas guide who will be your guide in your exploration of Berber culture. He’ll lead you through a myriad of hiking paths in the High Atlas Mountains that lead to small Berber villages you can explore. Take a short break from your hike to drink some tea and enjoy lunch (included) with a local Berber family. You’ll join them in their home with your guide to help translate and learn about the traditions and customs of the region first hand. Then take some leisure time to discover the area before heading back down for the hour and a half drive back to Marrakech. Return to your hotel to relax before dinner (not included) and savor your last night in Morocco!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8

place Departure

After breakfast, you’ll check out of your hotel and drive approximately 1 hour to Marrakech airport for your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast

What’s Included

Meals expand_less

  • Breakfast (8)
  • Dinner (2)
  • Lunch (2)

Transport expand_less

  • Airport pick up Casablanca Airport
  • Ground transfer from Casablanca Airport to Fes
  • Ground transfer from Fes to Sahara
  • Ground transfer from Sahara to Dodes Gorge
  • Ground transfer from Dodes Gorge to Marrakech
  • Airport drop off Marrakech Airport

Activities expand_less

  • Fes sightseeing tour
  • Admire the dodas gorges
  • Visit Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
  • Visit Koutoubia Mosque
  • Visit Terrasse Des Epices
  • Sahara desert exploring tour

Not Included expand_less

  • Meals not specified as included
  • Optional Activities
  • Tips for Guides and Drivers
  • International Flights
  • Alcohol

About Radia

TEAM LEAD

verified Baboo Certified

Expertise: 

Cycling

Hiking

Visit markets

Meet local people

Indigenous culture

Yoga

Outdoors & Nature

Classic Sights

Food & Drink

I grew up in Casablanca and I continue to travel around Morocco to uncover new experiences that help me in creating bespoke itineraries that give travelers unique and authentic experiences of Moroccan culture, history, and daily life.

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FROM PRICE PER TRAVELER

$2,941.00 USD