The Morocco Classical Tour

Morocco Travel » Morocco Tours » The Morocco Classical Tour

Discover the best of Morocco with this 11-days Morocco Classical Tour, featuring the imperial capitals of Rabat, Meknes, Fes, and Marrakech, as well as several days in the south-east of Morocco, exploring the magical Sahara Desert. You will discover also the labyrinth of the old Medinas, enjoy panoramic views, ride camels over the shifting sands dunes in Erg Chebbi, explore mud-brick Kasbahs & Ksours lined alongside the famous 1000 Kasbah caravans’ trade route, and explore desert Oases crossing the high stunning peaks of the Atlas Mountains.

Highlights

Marvel at the intricate craftsmanship of the iconic Hassan II mosque in Casablanca.
Explore the brilliant blue streets of Chefchaouen
Uncover the secrets of the imperial cities in Morocco: Rabat, Meknes, Fes, and Marrakech
Sleep under a veil of stars in elegant Bedouin-style tents in the Sahara Desert.
Travel along the ‘Road of 1,000 Kasbahs’ and enjoy spectacular views of the Todra Gorges.
Stroll in the colorful markets of Marrakech & immerse yourself in the lovely Majorelle gardens.

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Morocco Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Morocco – Casablanca

Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival at the airport in Casablanca (CMN), you will be greeted by your private morocco tour guide who will escort you to your perfectly located Boutique Luxury Hotel to check in and unwind. While you’re getting settled, enjoy a local pastry and a cup of Moroccan mint tea. Depending on your arrival time, you might start your private tour in Morocco by a visit to the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in the Africa, this architectural masterpiece was built partially on the farthest western point of the Maghreb over the Atlantic Ocean, estimated to house 25,000 worshippers inside with additional room for 80,000 in its courtyard. Admire its exquisite craftsmanship, painted and sculptured cedar woods, colorful plasterwork, decorative writings, and traditional geometrical motives. Later, we continue on to the elegant residential district of Anfa famous for its green parks and Art Deco villas, a fine example of the Mauresque architecture. Visit the exterior of the King’s Palace, with its magnificent doors, the Habous quarter in the new Medina and the court “Pasha’s Mahkama” of Islamic Law.
The last part of your private tour takes you to the busy United Nations Square before a stop to taste mint-tea at ricks café in the old Medina (a local restaurant featured in the classic film Casablanca). On now to the Corniche where a stop will be made for dinner overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Day 2: Guided Tour in Rabat →Chefchaouen

Today, you will travel North to the imperial city of Rabat, visit the 12th century Oudaya’s Kasbah, the Hassan Tower, a minaret of the incomplete mosque and check out the nearby Mausoleum of Mohammad V, where the kings of the royal family are buried. Continue on to explore the medieval fortification of the Chellah Necropolis in the heart of Rabat and explore its Roman and Islamic ruins. Visit the 20th-century Andalusian Gardens before walking around the extensive complex of Dar el-Makhzen (the 18th-century royal residence). After lunch at a great local restaurant, carry on northward to the blue city. Nearing Chefchaouen Known as the “Blue City”, you will see the landscape change from flat plains and rolling hills to the rocky terrain of the Rif Mountains. Chefchaouen is made up of winding narrow alleyways and blue-washed buildings, spend your evening time in the compact medina, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and friendly locals. Savor a delicious dinner in Plaza Outa el Hammam, before returning to Riad for an amazing overnight.

Day 3: Chefchaouen : Explore the Blue City – Free Time for Photography

Chefchaouen is known as one of the prettiest must-visited cities in Morocco, it is the perfect destination for disconnecting from the noise, nestled between two peaks in the stunning Rif Mountains. Get lost in its alleys and admire the whitewashed houses, artistic doorways, and red-tiled roofs. Stroll through the medina and discover the most beautiful traditional crafts in Morocco. In fact, this is the best city in northern Morocco for buying crafts. Enjoy your morning guided tour of the sights, sounds, and smells of the medina, and discover the Andalusian architecture, visit the 15th-century Grand Mosque and the walled fortress of the Kasbah. Stroll in the tranquil gardens inside and check out the ethnographic museum. Immerse yourself in the blue streets lined with fresh vegetables, wide variety of woven blankets and wool garments, local spices and olives, sweets and Goats cheese.  Soak in wonderful views from the hill near the Spanish Mosque. Alternatively, you might prefer to get out of this Berber blue town and enjoy a short hike trip and picnic in the surrounding hills or to Akchour waterfalls. In the evening, how about experiencing a traditional Moroccan Hammam or sip min tea sitting on a terrace over the blue old Medina. Next, you will enjoy a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant, which will give you the real taste of the Moroccan food, before going back to the Riad/ hotel to relax and unwind.

Day 4: Chefchaouen→Roman Ruins in Volubilis →Meknes →Fez

After breakfast, you will set out in the morning to the ancient Roman ruins of Volubils, where you will explore the 2000-year-old ruins and getting a picture of life during the Roman Empire, this UNESCO listed site features baths, oil presses, bakeries, aqueducts, drains, and shops that take back to the Roman life in North Africa. Lunch will be taken in Meknes, Morocco’s third imperial city. Your private tour guide will lead you to explore the old Medina with its massive ramparts, quiet winding streets, and glorious gates. Visit the glorious gate of Bab Mansour, stroll in the bustling Square of El Lhdim, admire the sweeping view of Meknes from the top of the Bou Inania Madrasa, check out the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail surrounded by arches and mosaic tiling, and end your tour at the Royal stables near the famous Sehrij Essouani. From here, head off towards Fes, the Morocco’s spiritual and cultural capital. Dinner will be served in the hotel/Riad.

Day 5: Fes: Full Day Guided Tour in Fez – Explore Morocco’s Spiritual Capital

Welcome to this different world, Fes is the most religious city  and the oldest imperial cities in Morocco, famous for its ancient ramparts set against a backdrop of the splendid Middle Atlas Mountains. Today, your professional knowledgeable guide will take you to visit the bustling maze of alleyways of this fascinating old Medina and colorful souks offering every possible combination of beautiful pottery, Jewish-originated silverware, traditional jewelry, local brassware, beautiful leather garments, aromatic spices and herbs. After breakfast, you will make a tour for the impressive Dar el Makhzen and a 20-minute stop at the Royal Palace with its magnificent seven bronze gates. Now, walk through the bustling Mellah with its fine examples of Mauro-Hispanic architecture. From here, drive to the Borj Sud to contemplate the panoramic view overlooking the old Medina. Off now down to start your Walking Tour of the labyrinth of the ancient Fes Medina and Mellah (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); visit the Bou Inania Mosque, the Maimonides’ clock; the colourful es-Sabbaghine with its Street of the Dyers; and see the brass workers at es-Saffarine; marvel at the impressive al-Quarawiyyin Mosque – University and visit the el-Atterine Medersa, passing the aromas of the Souq el-Atterine area of spices and groceries to the delightful el-Nejjarine Square with its fountain and caravanserai, stopping nearby for a a sumptuous lunch. On now to the renowned Tanneries on the bank of the Oued Fes and continue on to the potteries, perfumes and beauty products at the Souq el-Henna, before leaving the Medina at the blue gate “Bab Boujloud”, tour the magnificent ramparts with its beautiful ‘Babs’ as you make your way to the 16th century Saâdien watchtower at the North Borj and the Dar Batha Museum with its collection of carpets, woodwork to arrive back at your hotel or riad after a day full of contrasting culture and journey into deep rich history.

Day 6: Fez →Ifrane →Azrou →Cedar Forest →Middle Atlas Mountains →Midelt →Ziz Palms Oasis →Erfoud

After breakfast, you’ll set off south to the Sahara through a variety of spectacular scenery, fertile valleys, forests contrasted with barren and rocky landscapes. This will be all 6 hours’ drive, with “comfort stops” and many photo shoots opportunities.  First stop in the Swiss town of Ifrane, a beautiful winter ski resort and a summer destination to escape the hustle and heat. Continue on through the Berber village of Azrou and the stunning Middle Atlas Mountains, populated with wandering nomadic shepherds. Drive through cedar forests which are home to monkeys “Barbary Apes”, and on to your destination of Midelt, a Berber town, nestled in a valley, surrounded by farmland and orchards. Explore the nearby Berber villages, take a closer look at local farming life and stretch your legs as you taste the local traditional food. From here, the route takes you on through striking countryside, marking the change from Mountains to Desert.  As you carry on down alongside the notorious road of caravans and the Ziz Valley – the biggest manufacturer of dates in Morocco. Upon closer observation, you will see that not all the palm trees are tall, as the height of the trees relies upon the assortment, of which there are 283 perceived ones growing in the nation – the tastiest (and costliest) of them being Mejhoul. In the afternoon, you reach the French-built town of Erfoud, known for fossils, and stop at a local artisan collective to learn everything there is to know about the types of fossils found in the area. which will give you your first impression of the over-powering proximity of the Sahara.
Conclude your Today’s journey with a dinner at your terrific traditional Kasbah, relax and unwind in the large beautiful rooms to be ready for some desert experience tomorrow.

Day 7: Sahara Desert Experience: Erfoud →Rissani →Merzouga→Erg Chebbi Dunes

After breakfast, pack a small bag for your overnight trip in Sahara Desert. Leave Erfoud to explore Sijilmassa ruins, wander around the magnificent Kasbahs, visit the market town of Rissani, discover the live animal auction and nearby ‘donkey parking lot’. After a Berber local Pizza lunch, continue on to the traditional Saharan village of Khamlia to experience traditional music, drumming and dancing before taking a light walk around the village and its farmed plots in the sand. From here, you will head off in comfortable 4-wheeled drive vehicles across the barren land to the majestic Sahara sand dunes. You will set off by camel for hour-long journey through the stunning sandy trails onto the mesmerizing golden ridges of the Saharan Desert to enjoy a magnificent panorama and witness Nature’s incredible light show of sunset over ever-changing colors of dunes. a shower and a dinner over the fire, accompanied by drums music party and dancing at your authentic Carpeted Bedouin style camp. You will spend the night in your Deluxe Berber tents, perfectly equipped with complete sheets, blankets and proper western bathroom facilities.

Day 8: Erg Chebbi→ Merzouga →Erfoud –> Tinghir→Todra Gorges →Dades Valley →Kelaat Magouna →Kasbahs of Skoura

 Your last brilliant sunrise, equal almost to last night’s unforgettable sunset, Your breakfast at your Bedouin camp, then board your 4WD vehicles, and set off taking a delightful drive westwards across the Jorf Oasis famous for its “Khatarat” , continue through Mellab to Tinejdad with the low-lying Jbel Ougnat as a backdrop and on to the small town of Tinghir, located at the mouth of the fabulous Todra Gorges, overlooked by a Glaoua Kasbah and which town boasts of the oldest Jewish cemetery in Morocco. Now you set out up the Oued Todra for some 15km into to the deepest, narrowest and most spectacular part of these further wonders of Mother Nature. Now ever-further west along the Route of 1000 Kasbahs to the small town of Boumalne Du Dadès situated at the mouth of the Dadès Gorge. Lunch will be served here. After this, will venture up between the wide, high limestone cliffs with their strangely-shaped erosions and green vegetation, Ksours, Kasbahs and pisé houses ranging in colors from dark red to greenish black and startling lime-white, passing the Glaoua kasbah at Aït Youl as far as a group of Ksours at Aït Arbi built against a volcanic twist in the rocks. You return to the mouth of the Gorge before continuing westwards via Qlâa’t Des M’Gouna (Citadel of the M’Gouna Tribe) where thousands of small, pink roses, first planted by French settlers, are grown to make the rose oil essence – “Rose Water” – so beloved of the Berber people, on through to the Kasbahs at Skoura and the living museum of Amerhidl Your dinner tonight will be served dinner at your  your Riad / Kasbah.

Day 9: Skoura Palms’ Grove →Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah →Telouate Kasbah →Tizin Tichka Pass→Marakech

Waking up refreshed after an amazing overnight! Travel from Skoura, to Ouarzazate, visit the Taourirt Kasbah, a fortress of the Pasha El Glaoui who once governed the south of Morocco. From here, drive alongside the Assif Ounila Valley to the magnificently exotic Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, which is declared, and rightly so, a World Heritage Site. This beautiful Kasbah was featured in many historical and new films, including The the Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, the Mommy, Last Temptation of Christ and the Games of Throne; Here you will visit this Jewel Kasbah controlled the route to Marrakech until the French blasted a road through the Tizi n’Tichka in the late 1920s. You’ll also get a chance to visit the hidden jewel “the Telouet Kasbah”, where you will have a unique lunch experience with locals. A magnificent view of the kasbah and surrounding area before continuing on up into the High Atlas Mountains. Your journey continues ascending the High Atlas mountains and stop near the top of of Tizi n’Tichka pass to enjoy the vista and the highest peak. Continue onwards, via Ait Ourir Taddert and down across the Glaoua Plains to end your trip at your Riad in the old red Medina of Marrakech.

Day 10: Marrakech: Exploring the Red City

Marrakech is nicknamed “the Red city” due to the natural red pigment on its buildings and ramparts of beaten clay. Today remains a major economic center and one of the must-see places in Morocco. Marrakesh is an extremely spontaneous city; it will affect all your senses with their fullness of colors and scents.  Walking through the narrow streets of the Medina, you will discover the everyday life of the inhabitants and the specific architecture of the city, whose history dates back to the 11th century. Meet your private tour guide, then start your guided visit from the famous Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech’s tallest minaret. On now to explore the glittering souks of Marrakech, Morocco’s wonderfully colorful markets that abound with the sights, sounds and smells. Move next to marvel at the exquisite arabesques, Islamic calligraphy, and colorful geometric tile work in the amazing Ben Youssef Madrassa (Islamic school). From there, continue on to visit the 19th-century Bahia Palace, admire its Moroccan artisanship, intricate woodwork and painted ceilings. Visit also the El Badi Palace famous for its sunken gardens, before heading to Marrakech’s Mellah. Check out the Saadian Tombs and then you will take a walk around the Menara Gardens and immerse yourself at the botanical gardens of Majorelle. In the evening, when the city lights up, you will be venturing out to main square in Marrakech, the famous UNESCO World Heritage site of Jemaa el-Fna, it will tell through its storytellers, dancers, water sellers, acrobats, musicians, snake charmers about the history of Morocco. You will get the opportunity to wander the many stalls and begin to orient yourself around the square.

Day 11: Depart form Casablanca-CMN / Marrakech-RAK

Rise early and complete any last-minute gift and souvenir shopping. After breakfast, your private driver will assure your direct transfer the airport in Marrakech-RAK / Casablanca-CMN to catch your return flight to your next destination, leaving Morocco with an unforgettable experience about the real culture.