8 Days Desert Tour From Casablanca

Your driver/guide will welcome you and assist you at your arrival. If you arrive at Casablanca early in day, it can be a good idea to visit the Hassan 2 mosque in Casablanca, (the 3rd largest in the world).  Then, continue to the capital city of Rabat One hour later we reach Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Much more tranquil than the hectic metropolis of Casablanca, Rabat has also a much richer history, having been an important city during the various dynasties that succeeded on the throne. In Rabat we will visit the 12th century Oudaya Kasbah to explore its Andalusian Gardens and the Hassan Tower. We can dwell further into the past and visit the Roman city of Sala and the Merenid necropolis of Chellah ( chellah a fortified Kasbah dated back to the 10th century and the royal tombs of Merinid royal family). Dinner and overnight in Rabat.

We will leave Rabat and head towards Meknes, an imperial city that dated to the 17th century and founded by the sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727) who set the capital of Morocco to Meknes and gave it its golden age by building his imperial palace, city walls and kasbahs. Places of interest include the gate Bab El Mansour, Masoleum of Moulay Ismail, the imperial Palace and the royal granaries and stables. After lunch on site, we will continue our journey to reach shortly the Roman ruins of Volubilis with its old pilars, basilica, capitol and forum, not far from Volubilis, we will visit the sacred village of Moulay Idriss. Moulay Idriss was Prophet Mohammed great grandson and he fled Mecca during the 8th century AD. He established himself at Volubilis, converted the locals to Islam and founded the first Moroccan imperial dynasty. An hours later we arrive in Fes in the evening to have dinner and spend the night in a beautiful Riad.

The third day is dedicated to the discovery of Fes. Your local guide and your driver will meet you at your accommodation and start a guided tour through the narrow streets to discover all the charms of the most cultural of the first imperial cities of Morocco. One day is hardly enough to visit all the wonders of the most ancient of the imperial cities and world famous for its leather and metalwork as well as the historical monuments including Medersa Bouinania(Koranic school), Bab Boujloud (blue gate), the leather tanneries, Najjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts. You might also want to just roam around some of its 9500 narrow alleys and just take in all the sounds, smells, sights and spells. Whatever your choice, nothing can prepare you for this assault on the senses. Fes conjures the image of the quintessential fabled Arab city as Baghdad at the time of the 1001 nights… Within the walls of its Medina lies the world’s largest intact medieval city which was to become the first Arab designated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

Today we will leave Fes behind, after breakfast, meet your driver/guide again for a new journey to the desert, our first stop is Ifrane, a colonial alpine resort built by the French in 1929. With its alpine houses and palaces, trimmed gardens, leafy park surrounding a mountain fed lake, you could almost be in … Switzerland. The surrounding countryside is pigmented by apricots, walnuts and plum trees and pictures of rural Berber life as we approach Midelt, a city in the middle Atlas Mountains, here we will stop to have lunch. After lunch and a few hours later, we arrive in Erfoud, the capital of the main dates producing area in Morocco. The change in landscape is quite noticeable since we are now getting closer to the Sahara. Given the time we will visit the ancient Jewish district and fossils manufactory if time allowed, dinner and overnight in a romantic Kasbah in Erfoud.

A journey dedicated to exploring the desert and discover its wonders, after breakfast we will head towards Merzouga village, the last village before the dunes. From here we change the 4×4/ minivan for camels, and we reach the dunes of Erg Chebbi, some of the highest in Morocco. With all the expectations building up along the road still nothing quite prepares you to the spectacle stretching in front of your eyes from the top of the dunes. For as far as you can see, there is nothing but sand, an ocean of it as set to conquer everything that stands in its way. All worldly matters loose sense and the feeling of peace are overwhelming… For the rest of the afternoon, you are free to choose among the activities offered on the spot (quad biking, buggies, sand boarding, etc.), indulge in some bird watching or simply do nothing and enjoy the immensity of the dunes waiting for the afternoon the start a new adventure on camel to enjoy a beautiful and lifetime sunset over the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Dinner and overnight in a private Bedouin tent in the dunes.

Try to wake up early in the morning to admire a unique experience sun rise, there is nothing quite likes it… After breakfast, ride camel’s back the village of Merzouga to meet your driver/guide, to start another explorative day towards Rissani that used to serve as last stop on the great caravan routes south. Gold and slave auctions were taking place here as late as 1800’s. After visiting the local traditional markets, we will continue to the most spectacular gorges of Morocco, Todra Gorges, lie only 15 km from Tinghir city, presenting an arresting spectacle with its crystal-clear river emerging from it, its huge walls changing color to magical effect as the day unfolds. We are now in the mountains again as we pass Tinerir (1400 meters altitude), an important center for the Berber nomad tribes with its extensive palm grove, amazing traditional carpets and the Ksours built into the rocky hills. Our next stop is Kelaa des Mgouna, famous for its rose- derived products industry. The most looked after product is rose water and two factories in the area distil and export the product. The roses are picked by women before the sunrise ina hard work, as ten tonnes of petals turn into 2 to 3 litres of rose oil. Shortly later, we will reach the palm grove of Skoura. Dinner and overnight in a charming Kasbah.

Early breakfast hopefully will be served on the terrace of the Kasbah, from where we overlook the amazing 30-kilometer square stretch of land where, in the shade of thousands of palm groves, locals get the best out of their fertile land as olives, pumpkins, quinces, apples, pomegranate, grapes, wheat and barley all grow aroused by the centuries old system of irrigation (khattarat). After a delicious breakfast there, we will head to Ouarzazate, we can stop for a break to see the birds setting over the huge Mansour Eddhabi lake. In Ouarzazate, (if time allowing), we can visit the Atlas film studios where; Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator were filmed. Leaving the main road, we shortly arrive on the site of the most well preserved and famous Kasbah in Morocco – Ait Benhaddou, another world heritage UNESCO site. The different houses (units) composing it communicate with each other giving way to intricate light patterns and mysterious passages and makes for an ideal hide and seek playground. After the visit and lunch, we will follow the old road of caravans through the Ounila Valley to reach Telouet. The beauty of the valley underneath the route is beyond words. At Kasbah Telouet, that was once, the main residence of the ‘Lord of the Atlas’ – Pacha El Glaoui , used to accommodate his court, the stables, a Mosque and countless slaves at a time when the Pacha was reportedly having tea with W. Churchill and started the first bus company in Morocco. A visit is recommended if only to marvel at the extravagance of this modern-day dynasty and the contrast between the derelict exterior and the opulent interior. Shortly after Telouet, we continue driving and after innumerous twists crossing the Atlas Mountains to reach Marrakech. Dinner and overnight in a charming Riad/ boutique hotel.

A day dedicated to a guided city tour of Marrakech, the ‘Pearl of the South’. Maybe due to its snake- charmer, story- teller and local music bands filled Djemaa El Fna square, the constant flow of show biz celebrities owning properties here, its massive foreign resident’s community or its geographical location, Marrakech is much more famous than its counterpart Fes. One thing is sure: no other Moroccan city boasts such a demographic diversity: Arabs, Europeans and Berbers have always blended with the Touareg populations north of Sahara and the Black Africans whose ancestors worked at the court of the Sultan in a city always known for being a meeting point for caravans coming through its gates from the four corners of Africa. The streets of its Medina can prove hard to navigate and the street sellers can sometimes be intimidating therefore we recommend asking your guide to take you through the maze. Highlights include Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, the legendary Mamounia hotel or the Majorelle Gardens (Gardens owned by the stylist Yves Saint Laurent). If your flight is from Casablanca, forecast 3 hours’ drive from Marrakech to the airport in Casablanca on the highway. Enjoy your 8 days desert tour from Casablanca.