10 DAYS ROUTE FROM TANGER – IMPERIAL CITIES – DESERT

As soon as you arrive in Tangier, you will be welcomed at the city’s port or airport. Then, we will depart to Chefchaoun, and there will be the possibility of visiting Tetouan. Once in Chefchaouen you will have free time to discover the area as you wish and be delighted by the beautiful streets where all the houses are painted blue and white. Accommodation will be in a riad.

The itinerary of the second day of the trip includes a visit to the Roman ruins of the city of Volubilis. We will visit the ruins with an “optional” local guide. Afterwards, we will continue to Meknes, a city that reached its heyday thanks to Sultan Mulay Ismail. There, we will visit the famous Bab Mansour Gate and Lahdim Square. After the visit we will go to our destination, Fez. Upon arriving in Fez, you will have free time to explore the city at your leisure. Accommodation will be in a riad.

The third day of the trip you will be free to explore Fez at your leisure. You can walk through the narrow alleys and streets of the old medina. You will discover another different lifestyle, in which local people still use donkeys as means of transportation, you will see magnificent mosques and Koranic schools. Other sites to visit in Fez include: Medersas (Koranic schools), Chahrij, Bouinania Attarin, Souks, Fes El-Jedid, the Karaouine Mosque (first university in the world). You will have plenty of free time and then will spend the night in a riad.

Fez will be our starting point towards Merzouga. On the way we will pass through Ifrane. It is a small mountainous city with European style and cold climate all year round; hence its name “Switzerland of Morocco.” Then, we will visit the city of Azrou located in the Middle Atlas Mountains where the population is of Amazigh origin. Later, we will pass through Erfoud, known for its fossils.

After reaching the impressive Merzouga Dunes, we will have a glass of hospitality tea. We will rest a little, leave the suitcases at the lodge, and we will go in a camel caravan to the camp in the heart of the desert. During the hour and a half camel ride we will enjoy the impressive landscape and the beautiful sunset over the dunes. At night we will enjoy a delicious dinner accompanied by a wonderful drum music show. You will sleep in a Berber tent while contemplating the starry sky.

After a delicious breakfast in Merzouga, we will board the 4X4 to discover the Berber village of Khamlia where you can enjoy a small Gnawa music show that is well known in the area. Then, we will pass through one of the tracks used in the “Paris-Dakar Rally”, visiting the Khol mines and the remains of a French and Berber town. We will make a stop to enjoy a panoramic view of the entire Erg Chebbi desert. Later, we will visit some desert nomads in the process of becoming sedentary. If you want you can enjoya glass of tea with them and get closer to their lifestyle and customs.
Free afternoon and night in a hotel.

After breakfast, we will start our journey to Ouarzazate. The first stop will take place in Rissani, known for the largest souk in all of Southern Morocco. The second stop will take place in the Todra Gorges, famous for its high walls that were once a paradise for climbers around the world. The third stop will take place in the Dades Valley and the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. The fourth and last stop will be in Ouarzazate. The so-called “Hollywood of Africa”. Accommodation will be in a hotel or riad.

The planning of the seventh day of the breakfast trip includes visits to: the Kasbah of Taourirt and the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, and is the backdrop for a series of films such as: “Lawrence of Arabia ”, “The Protective Heaven” and “Babel”. We will continue towards our destination, crossing the famous port of Tizi N’tchka. Free time in the afternoon and overnight in a riad or hotel.

Once breakfast is finished, your private transportation will pick you up at an agreed location and we will begin our trip to Essaouira. This coastal city has as another name “Mogador”. In ancient times it was occupied by the Portuguese and hence its architecture is very similar to the Portuguese style. In Essaouira you will have free time to discover the traditional life of the inhabitants. You can do a wide and varied sample of activities offered on the city’s beaches, tour the beach on horseback, camel or quad. If you prefer you can take an extensive walk along the shores of the Atlantic, go to the coastal dunes, or sunbathe. More options include various water sports such as surfing,  kite surfing, wind surfing. If you choose there is the option to take a pleasant walk through the streets of Essaouira, you will find many shops, artisans and artists who offer their works at a good price. Essaouira is very famous for its fishing port, so you will have time to taste the excellent fish and seafood that is fished daily from the coast. Free afternoon, and overnight accommodation will be in a riad.

Free day and then you will be transferred to Marrakech airport, according to the agreed time.