Marrakech to Casablanca: 8 Days Desert & Imperial Cities Tour

Duration

8 DAYS

Start in

Marrakesh

End in

Casablanca

Pickup

Airport/accommodation

OVERVIEW OF 8 DAYS FROM MARRAKECH TO CASABLANCA

This 8-day tour provides a wonderful mix of ancient and historical places. Begin your Tour From Marrakech and end it in the commercial city of Casablanca. Start in Marrakechto experience the city’s vibrant marketplaces and architectural diversity, then head more to the southeast to discover kasbahs and spend the night under a starry sky in a desert tent surrounded by sand dunes.

Before heading west, explore the historic medina of Fez and its winding, narrow passageways. Head north to the blue city of Chefchaouen before traveling to the Moroccan capital Rabat, where you may visit the Hassan Tower and Oudayas Kasbah before traveling to Casablanca to explore the Hassan II Mosque and its highest minaret in the entire World.

Tour Highlights

  •  Explore the Medival Ait Benhaddou Kasbah
  •  Discover the spectacular Dades Valley and Toudra Gorges.
  •  Enjoy your Stay in the Desert and beautiful sunset and sunrise over the Sand dunes
  •  the winding and Narrow streets of the cultural city of Fes 
  • The Bleu city of Chefchaouen and its bleu street 
  •  Visit the massive Mosque Hassan II in Casablanca

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01 Marrakech - over the High Atlas to Dades Valley - Ait Benhaddou Kasbah - Rose Valley - Boumalne Dades

Morning departure and venture into the desert. Leaving Marrakech behind, travel toward Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, passing through beautiful scenery and villages built among farms of oak trees, walnut groves, and snow patches.

Admire the typical mud-brick homes along the way as you drive through the High Atlas Mountain Range. Go up the Tizi n’Tichka Mountain Pass (2,260 m / 7,415 ft), which connects Marrakech to Ouarzazate and the desert. Stop to take photos and stretch your legs while admiring the panoramic views of the winding road and the beautiful Atlas Mountain Range.

Descend the Tizi n’Tichka Pass and drive down to Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Upon arrival, it is time to visit the UNESCO-listed Ait Benhaddou Village.

Before climbing to the old granary, which is the ideal place to enjoy panoramic views of Ait Benhaddou Kasbah and the surrounding areas, wander through the adobe village built from a mud-and-straw mixture, exploring its covered alleyways and stone walls.

Ait Benhaddou is a 17th-century structure and a former caravan trade route that once linked Marrakech with the Sahara Desert. It is also a famous filming location for movies and series such as Game of Thrones, Gladiator, The Jewel of the Nile, and Lawrence of Arabia.

Leave Ait Benhaddou Kasbah and arrive in Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Sahara Desert. Join an optional visit to the Atlas Movie Studios to see and learn how many films were produced there.

Continue to the Dades Valley, passing through Skoura and its immense palm grove, Kelaât M’gouna, and the Valley of the Roses along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, until reaching your hotel in the Dades Valley.

Day 02 Dades Valley to the Sahara Desert via Toudra Gorges - Erfoud & Sunset and Camel ride in the Sahara Desert

Start your morning driving down from the Dades Valley to the Todra Gorges, located within an immense Todra oasis featuring 48 km of palm groves following the Todra River.

Enjoy a walking tour through the Todra Gorges, where towering red limestone cliffs rise up to 300 meters (984 feet) high as the Todra River cuts its way through the canyon.

Continue driving through the dry landscapes and small towns along the route, including Tinjdad, Mellab, and Erfoud, which is well known for its date palm trees and fossils.

Catch your first glimpse of the enormous Erg Chebbi sand dunes as you approach Merzouga. The dunes rise over 150 meters (493 feet) high and cover an area of approximately 14 square miles (35 square kilometers).

Mount your camel and venture into the desert to admire the sunset from the top of the dunes. Afterwards, return to your Erg Chebbi desert camp, where you will stay in a traditional Berber-style tent, enjoy dinner, and relax around the campfire while listening to traditional Berber music under the vast, star-lit sky.

Day 03 The Sahara Desert- Khamlia Village – Rissani

Try to get up early to catch the sunrise, then return to the Berber camp for breakfast before exploring more of the desert by 4x4 vehicle.

Head to the traditional Saharan village of Khamlia to enjoy Gnawa music and dance. Continue toward Rissani, which served as an important caravan trading point until about a century ago. Gold and silver trade took place in the Tafilalt region as late as the 1900s. Before that, the major trading city in Morocco was Sijilmasa, whose ruins are still visible outside the modern city.

Stop in Rissani to visit the local market, where residents gather three times a week to shop for their needs. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, locals come to buy and sell various products, including dates, fruits, and more. The market also serves as a social meeting place where people gather to exchange news.

There is an option to rent quad ATVs or buggies to test your skills on the sand dunes, or you may choose to relax by the pool at your hotel.

Day 04 From Merzouga to Fez ,Ziz Valley – Midelt - over high Atlas and Middle Atlas - Cedar Forest – Ifran- Fes

Start early and drive down from Merzouga to Fez, which takes about Eight Hours, your driver-guide will stop at some attractions, as you enjoy the huge and sweeping views across a distinctive landscape. Enjoy the lofty mountains, boundless plateaus, and arid plains. As you pass through the different villages and town of Erfoud to Reach Aoufous, where you will Your First stop will be, to Admire the oasis of thousands of palm trees, the valley known as the Ziz Valley, which is the Ziz Valley, which is home to many Berber villages and stunning palm grooves, and famous for its hidden Berber village known as Ksar which it was built from Mud-straw mixture.

Travel to Midelt through Errachidia, Snacking down through the Tremendous Ziz Gorges through the tunnel du lègionnaire (built by the French colonization in 1928 ).and over the high Atlas mountain, over the pass of Tizi N'tlghmet (1900 meters - 6233 Feet), to get Midelt where you will stop to have Lunch. After lunch,  continue your Journey north , over the middle Atlas Mountains and over the Tizi N'Zad Pass (2178 m - 7146 Feet). Enjoy the Scenery, as you drive through the Cedar forest of the Azrou Region, on the way you will stop to see the Barbary apes families in cedar trees and along, the side of the road. You will arrive in Fes late through the city of Ifran, a little Switzerland city, as it is called for its scrubbed streets and red-roofed houses, white winter, and is set high up in the Middle Atlas mountains, you will arrive in the city of Fes late through Imouzzar town, Enjoy your stay in Fes.drop off in accommodation in Fes.

Day 05 Imperial City of Fes and its medieval Medina

Meet your guide and spend a half day learning about the history and culture of Fes. it considers the oldest imperial city in Morocco and its medina is one of the largest urban car-free in the world , in addition, Medina of Fes is listed as UNESCO world heritage SITE.  The Medina of Fes has two old medinas quarter, Fes el Bali and Fes el Jdid , the nouvelle Ville was built during the french colonial era.

Wander Fes el Bali was built in the 8th century and the 11th-century chouara tannery, the largest and busiest medieval tanneries and the world's oldest tannery processes leather from sheep .cows, goats, and other similar animals. The next stop is al Quarawyin university and its mosque (which was built in 859AD) by Tunisian-born Fatima al-fihri and is not the oldest institution but also the first university to be founded by a woman. Admire the intricately crafted woodwork and tile as you visit the Al Attarine Madrasa.

Visit the Mellah quarter (Jewish neighborhood and Fes el Jdid dates from the 13th century. afternoon back to your Riad.

Day 06 The blue city Chefchaouen over the Rif Mountain

Leaving Fes behind after your Breakfast in Riad and continue our trip to the stunning Blue-washed town of Chefchaouen is your Destination, upon arrival settle into your hotel and you will have a free day to discover the washed-bleu building city of chefchaouen. Visit the Outa Hamam square named after several hamamas which used to surround the square.

Visit the kasbah (old Fortress )which served as a permanent military base including a curtain wall flanked by 11 Towers, including the main towers more recent in the 16th century.

the kasbah includes a museum and garden, and while you explore the kasbah you can find prison cells that form some part of the kasbah. the grand mosque is not allowed for non-muslim but it is worth visiting due to the view from outside. Before sunset, head east along the washed-bleu streets and upstairs to the Spanish mosque to admire the view panoramic of chefchaouen for the last time as the sun set behind the mountains.

Day 07 The capital of Morocco Rabat and Hassan Mosque in Casablanca

Morning departure onwards the capital of Morocco Rabat, located on the Atlantic coast, but before you end your day in Rabat, start your visit  in Rabat by exploring Oudaya Kasbah, it was built in the 12th century in order to get a view of Abou Regrag or Ribat River .it was a military base for the Almohad dynasty led by the sultan abdelmoumen and Yaakoub al Mansour.

Explore the Andalusian Gardens which was built in the 20th century by the french occupation, the garden offers to get away from the crowds. and finally the Hassan tower, an unfinished mosque was built in the 12th century but was never finished, all that is left now are the 200 or so columns and the red stone tower stands for (44 m -145 feet ).

Discover one of the top destinations in Casablanca, The Hassan 2 mosque Its 690-foot (210-meter) minaret is the highest structure in Morocco and the Tallest minaret in the world. Even though the mosque's interior and surroundings are stunning, which makes it unique and one of the few mosques in the nation where non-Muslims are allowed to visit. end the day in Casablanca and settle into your accommodation.

Day 08 Casablanca Airport – Flight Back Home

Take a leisurely 50-minute ride in a private vehicle from your Casablanca Hotel to Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN). You will reach the airport in plenty of time for your trip. Have a pleasant and safe trip home!

Included/Excluded

  • Private transportation in an air-conditioned 4×4 Toyota Prado TX, including all fuel.
  • Pick-up and drop-off directly from your riad or hotel in Marrakech.
  • Professional Berber and nomad driver-guide fluent in English .
  • 4 nights in a hôtel or Riad on a ( breakfast), in rooms with private bathrooms.
  • 3 nights in a hotel or riad on a ( breakfast And Dinner ), in rooms with private bathrooms.
  • One night in a luxury desert camp in Erg Chebbi featuring a private bathroom with toilet and shower.
  • Everyday breakfast provided, with vegetarian and vegan options available.
  • Luggage assistance throughout the tour and at all accommodation points.
  • Traditional Berber drumming and musical entertainment.
  • Free time to explore key sites, such as Kasbah Ait Benhaddou , with opportunities for walking and photography.
  • Flexibility to request stops along the route whenever desired.
  • Guided tours of the Medinas of Marrakech and Fes with a certified English-speaking local guide.
  • Camel (dromedary) excursion in the desert.
  • Exclusive, private services (no other guests will be added to the group).
  • Guided camel ride; sandboarding can also be arranged directly with the camp team.
  • International and domestic flights.
  • Lunches
  • Beverages.
  • Entrance fees to monuments and attractions.
  • Tips and personal expenses.
  • Dinner : Fez , Chefchaouen ,Casablanca
  • Any services not explicitly listed under "Included" in the Price.

Tour Map

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