Tangier, Imperial Cities and Desert 10 Days

We will meet you at the airport or ferry terminal. We will tour the city of Tangier and then head to Chefchaouen, a city about 2 hours away by car.

It is a magical town, dreamlike and as if pulled from the pages of a thousand and one nights, a beautiful blue and white-washed Andalucian town nestled in the Rif Mountains. The town is relaxed, with small winding alleyways and market squares where the women of the surrounding Rif come to sell their handmade crafts. We will take dinner and overnight at the Hotel or Riad in Chefchaouen.

After breakfast, we will head to Fez. Travel to Morocco’s most fascinating city and the world last surviving medieval city. You will tour the medina with its souks (markets) and winding streets. We will stop at the gateway of the Royal Palace to see the large golden gates and lush gardens. We will also visit the 9th-century Karaouiyine Mosque and University which is thought to be the first university ever built. You will also visit the tomb of the city founder, MoulayIdris II. We will takelunch at one of the traditional restaurants in the old medina. After lunch you will continue to explore the old city, seeing sights such as theNajarine Fountain, the gateway of Bab Boujloud, the old harem gardens and the Batha Museum.

We will depart from Fes on our way to Meknes, we will first make an excursion to nearby Volubilis, the remains of a Roman city which has some very beautiful floor mosaics and roman ruins, alsoMoulayIdriss, the burial place of the founder of Morocco’s first imperial dynasty. For some Moroccans it is a place of pilgrimage with a large tomb and nearby mosque. You continue to Meknes, the smallest and friendliest of the five imperial cities of Morocco. The old part of Meknes is beautiful and has a feel of the oriental and the Mediterranean at the same time. The immense city walls and gates lead the visitors’ imagination into times long gone.

Experience the Sun rise in the Sahara Desert! Enjoy a typical Saharan breakfast, then the camel ride back to your hotel for a shower etc… We will then leave for the Palm Plantation of Tafilalet passing through Rissani, the old Alaouite Sahara capital of the ancient Alaouite Sultans. We will then continue on to Alnif where lunch will be waiting. We will follow the road throughTazarine, N’kob oasis and Tansikht from here we will go off road crossing the Draa Valley and its procession of palms until Zagora. We will take Dinner and spend the night at a Hotel or Riad in Zagora

After breakfast we will departure from Zagora on our way to Ouarzazate along the Draa valley with its thousands of palm trees and plantations. We will continue through Agdez a typical village for this area, we will cross the Anti-Atlas via TiziN’Tinifift, a mountain pass that sits at an altitude of 1660ft. Continue to Marrakech through TiziN’tichka Pass. We will take dinner and spend the night at a hotel or Riad in Marrakech.

We will spend the morning exploring and absorbing this mystical city.You will discover the majestic silhouette of the Koutoubia that overlooks the red houses, the tombs of Saadian and then visit the Bahia Palace, seat of the Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed dating from the late nineteenth century, which is now a museum of Fine Arts. The souks offer an incredible shopping experience with a myriad of narrow winding streets that lead through a series of smaller markets clustered by trade.

After lunch we will depart to Essaouira. The journey to this former Portuguese fishing village offers up only a few roadside towns and the occasional Berber village. Jimi Hendrix made the pilgrimage, as did Bob Marley and Cat Stevens. Also the inspiration for Hendrix’s song “Castles Made of Sand”. Essaouira, known also as Mogador is famous for its annual festival of “Gnaoua music”. Old Portuguese ramparts guard the walled city where you can watch silver craftsmen and wood carvers at work in one of the most charming medinas in all of Morocco. We will take dinner and spend the night at a Hotel or Riad in Essaouira.

After breakfast we will depart to Safi, the main fishing port for the country’s sardine industry and famous for its pottery. We will continue to Oualidia via the coastal road with its superb view and have our lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we will drive to El Jadida, famous with its beaches and resorts. Our tour includes a visit to the famous citadel, a reminder of the Portuguese occupation of the 16th Century. After the tour we will continue to Casablanca where we will takedinner and Overnight at Hotel in Casablanca.

After a breakfast of freshly squeezed orange juice, baguette and fresh fruit, we will leave from Casablanca to visit Tanger, driving along the Atlantic coasts to Asilah, which is a small village of artists and fishermen. The Medina is small and the houses are mostly blue and white. After having lunch we head to our Last destination which is Tanger. Spend the evening exploring the city before dinner and overnight at a Hotel in Tanger.

After breakfast we will drop you at the airport or ferry terminal.