Tour the Imperial Cities of Morocco and the Desert in 11 Days

On your arrival at the airport, you will be met by the tour manager and a representative of SJ-Tours.  After your luggage has been transferred into the bus, you will be driven to your hotel.

After some rest, enjoy your first evening with dinner in the hotel.

After breakfast, your tour manager will meet you to start your half day tour of Casablanca.  For this city tour, you will also have a private tour guide.  You will first visit the Hassan II Mosque. This Mosque, one of the largest in the world, was built by Moroccan artisans from all over the Kingdom. The minaret is 60 stories high and has a laser pointing to Mecca on the top. Guided tours are offered at the entrance of the Mosque.  After your tour, you will tour the Corniche which is the promenade by the beach.

After lunch, you will start your journey to Marrakesh which takes 3-4 hours depending on the number of stops you make. If you leave at 2pm, you will be at your hotel around 5 pm.  There are several stations along the highway with coffee shops where you can stop for a cup of coffee and snack.

When you get to Marrakesh, the tour guide will take you to your hotel where you will have dinner and overnight stay

After breakfast, you will start your tour of the city of Marrakesh.  You will have a private tour guide for Marrakesh in addition to the tour manager.  Marrakesh, the first Imperial City on your tour, is known as the ‘Red City’ due to the pervasive red color of the buildings.  These buildings were made from local red sandstone from the nearby foothills of the High Atlas Mountains.

On the tour, you will explore several historical palaces such as the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs plus several sites, such as the Old Jewish Synagogue, the Koutoubia Mosque and the Menara Gardens.  You will walk through the old Walled Medina with your guide and will visit the Jemaa el Fna Square, the heart of the city, which is lively 24 hours per day and the Ben Youssef Madrasa plus the famous souks of Marrakesh.

You will have lunch before heading to the Marjorelle Gardens, which was once owned by the fashion designer, Yves St. Laurent.  Your final stop will be the Palmeriae, an oasis outside of town.  There you can ride a camel amongst the palm trees and enjoy views of the High Atlas Mountains.

At the end of the day, return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will pack up and board the bus for Ait Ben Haddou.  After you leave Marrakesh, you will follow the picturesque and winding Tizi-n-Tichka Pass through the High Atlas Mountains before you get to the central plains.  The trip should take about 5-6 hours.

When you reach Ait Ben Haddou, you will be driven to your hotel where you will have dinner and an overnight stay.

In the morning, after breakfast, you will visit the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, one of the best preserved kasbahs in southern Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This kasbah was an old fortress and was also a central trading post due to its location.

After your visit to the Kasbah, you will start your journey to the Sahara Desert.  As you drive eastward, you will see many small Berber villages and an oasis on each side of the road.  You will stop for lunch and picture taking along the way.  Towards the end of your trip, you will pass through the village of Rissani and then head towards Merzouga.

Merzouga is the gateway to Erg Chebbi, a huge expanse of sand dunes north of town. When you arrive, head directly to the Auberge Café du Sud for dinner and overnight stay.

In the morning, after breakfast, you can explore Merzouga.  You will have lunch at the Auberge Café du Sud and in the afternoon, you will begin your camel ride to the bivouac in the desert.  After you reach the bivouac, you will watch the sun setting beyond the massive dunes.

Then enjoy a delicious fire-cooked dinner around the campfire.  After dinner, enjoy traditional Berber music before retiring to your luxury tent.

After watching the sunrise and having breakfast in the dunes, you will ride your camel back to your auberge where you will board your bus for your trip to Fes.  The trip takes 8-9 hours, and you will stop for lunch along the way.  After Erfoud, you will drive past a beautiful oasis which is lined with palm trees and greenery.  As you head north, you will drive through an everchanging landscape over the winding roads through mountains, forests, and verdant mountain villages.

When you reach Fes, you will go to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will start your tour of the city of Fes.  You will have a private tour guide for Fes in addition to the tour manager.  They will pick you up and you will start your tour from the Fes-Jdid.

In Fes, the second Imperial City on your tour, you will visit historical sites such as the Royal Palace, one of the oldest and largest in Morocco, the Mellah or Jewish quarter founded in 1438 and the first in Morocco, as well as the famous Merinid Tombs dating from the Merinid dynasty.

Later, you will enter the winding old and fortified city of Fes el Bali, proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. There you will see the magnificent mausoleum of Moulay Idriss and the medieval University of al-Qarawiyyin, as well as the leather tanneries which have changed little in the last 1000 years.

After the tour, you will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, the tour manager will pick you up and you will drive to Volubilis, one of the best-preserved excavations in Northern Africa dating from the Roman Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This archeological site provides you an opportunity to explore an ancient Roman city which is full of archaeological treasures with revelations about an ancient way of life.

Then you will drive to Meknes, the third Imperial City on your tour and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Your tour of Meknes will include the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, the Bab Mansour, a famous landmark, and the Royal Palace.  After your tour, you will have lunch in the Old Town.

Then you will head to Rabat and drive along the highway.  When you reach Rabat, your tour manager will take you to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will start your tour of the city of Rabat.  You will have a private tour guide for Rabat in addition to the tour manager.  You will then embark on a sightseeing tour in Rabat, the 4th Imperial City in Morocco and its Capital.  You will see one of the oldest monuments in the city, The Chellah, a medieval fortified necropolis located on the outskirts of the city, and then one of the newest, the Museum Mohammed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art which opened October 2014.  You will also visit the old Kasbah of the Udayas and the Hassan Tower with a 12th century minaret.

After the tour, you will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Today, after breakfast, your tour manager will pick you up at your hotel.  You will be transported to the Casablanca Airport in plenty of time for your return trip home.