10-Day Morocco Tour from Fes

After picking you up at the airport and checking you into your hotel, we’ll have the rest of the day to discover: Fez. If you arrive early, our driver will suggest a few interesting places for you to visit in Fez. This will give you the opportunity to get familiar with the surroundings and fully prepare for the exciting tour the following day.

We will begin at the Seven Golden Doors, a magnificent set of ornate gates that mark the entrance to the Royal Palace. From there, you’ll stroll through the Jewish Quarter (Mellah), offering a glimpse into Morocco’s rich Jewish heritage and history. Next, head to a panoramic viewpoint where you can take in a breathtaking view of Fez, with its sprawling medina below, surrounded by mountains. Then we’ll visit the Ceramics area, renowned for its stunning pottery and traditional craftsmanship. Finally, we’ll return to explore Fez’s ancient medina, the biggest urban car-free zone in the world. Fez, a UNESCO sight, is a massive labyrinth of dusty alleys, sumptuous houses and palaces, hectic markets, and innumerable stories. The joy of visiting Fez consists largely in simply meandering through this medieval urban maze. Among the many things we’ll discover are the recently restored leather tanneries, the Foundouk Nejjarine woodworking museum, the Dar el-Magana water clock, the hilltop Merenid Tombs, the serene Bou Inania Koranic school, the Moulay Idriss II Mausoleum, and the Karaouiyne University (the oldest university in the world).

After a morning pick up at your hotel in Fez, we will hit the road heading west. You decide which route we take: the highway, or take the scenic route with opportunities for taking pictures of the Oulad Shaker reservoir and the surrounding rolling countryside dotted with wheat fields, olive groves, fruit trees, and vineyards. Our first stop will be the ruined Roman city of Volubilis. French archeologists began excavating Volubilis in the early 20th century, though half of the immense sight still remains beneath centuries of topsoil. Marvel at the famous sights, like the basilica, the triumphal arc, and the many palaces with their exquisite mosaics. The tour of Volubilis can be done either with or without a local guide. Next we will make a quick stop in the adjacent small town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. During this stop, we will go to a panoramic view point, visit the town center, and get lunch, a snack, or a beverage. Our last stop will be the mighty walled Imperial City of Meknes. Meknes’s old city offers a trove of sights for a curious visitor: Moulay Ismail’s massive stables, capacious granary, and cavernous underground prison. We will also visit Moulay Ismail’s mausoleum (one of the only mosques in Morocco open to tourists), the monumental Mansour Gate, the covered food market, and the El Hidem Square. Once finished with this busy day of sightseeing, we will take the highway back to Fez. We will drop you off at your hotel in the late afternoon/evening.

Following an early morning pick up at your accommodations in Fez, we will hit the road and drive directly to our destination, the Erg Chebbi Dunes on the cusp of the vast Sahara Desert. On our way you’ll enjoy watching the beautiful scenery change as we pass through different natural environments. First, we will pass through the alpine climate of Middle Atlas Mountains, with rich natural features, such as oak and cedar trees, lakes, and Barbary ape colonies. Climbing higher up and passing through oak forests, the next stop on our drive will be in the famed ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, the town of Ifrane. Ifrane is famous for the world renowned Al-Akhawayn University, which attracts the best and brightest of Morocco each year. We will also make a stop at the Ifrane National Park to admire the ancient cedar trees and try our luck at finding a colony of Barbary apes. In Ifrane, we will go to a great local restaurant for lunch. Driving just a little further, our last stop of the day will be in the town of Azrou, the ancient capital of the Amazigh people in the Middle Atlas region, famous for its cedar forests, butterflies, and Barbary ape population, Azrou is a perfect place to get back to nature. During our time in Azrou, we will visit the old town center with the possibility of also taking a walk in the abundant nature. Once finishing our tour of Azrou and the Middle Atlas Mountains, we’ll hit the road to Midelt where we’ll have dinner and spend the night.

After breakfast in Midelt, we’ll head towards the Erg Chebbi Dunes, visiting the beautiful scenery on the way. Once over the Middle Atlas Mountains, the climate will become ever drier as we enter into the picturesque arid Ziz River Gorge at the tail end of the adjacent High Atlas Mountains. Soon thereafter, we’ll find ourselves overlooking the Tafilalt Oasis, a stunning region of abundant palm groves, underground rivers, and traditional mudbrick architecture. The Tafilalt Oasis is also a region rich in history from which the current Moroccan royal dynasty descends. To explore this history, we’ll stop at the Moulay Ali Sherif Zaouia. Driving through the Tafilalt, we’ll also stop in Rissani to explore the traditional souks and get some exotic Berber pizza for lunch. By late afternoon, we’ll arrive at our day’s destination: the Erg Chebbi Dunes.

Sleep in or take our advice and wake up early to catch the sunrise over the sand dunes. If you’re feeling groggy, you can also ride over the sand dunes on camelback. It’s an experience you’ll never forget. After breakfast you will be able to spend your day exploring the desert surrounding Merzouga as you like. Possible activities to do: visiting the historical towns and palm groves around the Tafilalt Oasis (Rissani, Merzouga, Erfoud), taking a 4×4 excursion into the desert to explore black volcanic rock formations and fossils, visiting a nomadic family living in a tent, riding quadbikes around the sand dunes, visiting Khamlia village to hear Gnawa music, or relaxing around the desert tents. In the late afternoon, once the day’s heat has subsided, we’ll trek out via camelback to a Berber camp site in the middle of the sand dunes, far, far away from the worries of the world. Here your Berber hosts will cook traditional desert meals for you, while teaching you about their culture, spend the evening huddled around the campfire, venture out into the desert, or lie on a sand dune and gaze at the stars.

Sleep in or take our advice and wake up early to catch the sunrise over the sand dunes. After a hearty breakfast, we will ride out of the desert on camelback to the town on the edge of the desert. There you will be able to shower and refresh yourself in a hotel before we set out on our way. Leaving the desert, we’ll get back on the road and make our way towards Ouarzazate, exploring traditional mudbrick towns and beautiful desert landscapes as we go. Our day’s first stop will be in Tinerhir, an ancient Berber town built of traditional mudbrick architecture. In Tinerhir, we’ll turn off the main road to make a stop in the amazing Todra Gorges, where climbers from around the world fight gravity and their fear as they scale vertical cliffs. Don’t worry—we’ll be exploring this fascinating area horizontally on foot. Driving a little further on, we’ll arrive at the Dades Valley, a region famous for its sprawling palm groves growing over an underground river. Along our way, we’ll visit the famous little town of Kelaat Mgouna, known across Morocco for its traditional Rose Festival in May. A little further down the road, we’ll discover Soukora, a traditional mudbrick town in the heart of 25km² of lush palm groves. We’ll finish this exciting day in Ouarzazate, where we’ll have dinner and spend the night.

After breakfast, we’ll start our day exploring the sights in Ouarzazate before hitting the road to Marrakesh. Ouarzazate, a clean, quiet, and sunny city, is the capital and biggest city of the surrounding province. Even the etymology of the word ‘Ouarzazate’ comes from the Berber expression meaning ‘without noise’. We’ll begin by visiting the old town with its large ancient Taourirt Kasbah. Its noble founders have long since moved out, leaving its many towers to families of White storks. We’ll move on to visit what modern Ouarzazate is most famous for: Morocco’s largest movie studios. Over the years, thanks to their prime desert location, these studios have helped turn out classic films like Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), and, most recently, certain episodes of Game of Thrones. Leaving Ouarzazate, we’ll turn off the main road to visit the UNESCO world heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. An ideal model of the many mudbrick villages and Kasbah’s that dot the south of Morocco, the ancient town of Ait Benhaddou enchants its thousands of visitors with its curious towers, surrounding desert scenery, and place in Morocco’s history. Once done visiting Ait Benhaddou, we can get lunch at one of the numerous restaurants that overlook the picturesque town. Starting our drive to Marrakech, the environment will change as we climb higher into the High Atlas Mountains. The arid desert plains and hills will give way to forests, mountain streams, and, depending on the time of year, snowcapped mountains. We’ll follow the road to the very top of these mountains where we’ll stop at the Tizi n’Tichka pass before heading down the other side. Once over the mountains, it will be a straight shot to the ochre city, Marrakesh, where we’ll drop you off wherever you like.

Today we’ll spend the whole day exploring the legendary red city of Marrakesh. Highlights include: – Marrakesh’s old medina – Smaller than the Fez medina, but no less riveting, Marrakesh’s old medina feels worlds away from the fancy modern hotels, clubs, and restaurants that gild its new town. Main attractions in Marrakesh’s old medina include the Mellah (Jewish neighborhood), the ornate 19th century Bahia Palace, and the crumbling 16th century Badi Palace. What’s more, we’ll explore the Koutoubia Mosque and the world famous Jemma el-Fna, a UNESCO site, with its fabled snake charmers, monkey tamers, acrobats, musicians, orange juice sellers, and story tellers. – The Majorelle Gardens – Taking a little excursion into Marrakesh’s new town, we’ll visit the lush Majorelle Gardens. Designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and 1930s, the Majorelle Gardens feature a striking array of cactus species from all over the world in Art Deco inspired grounds. Famous for its iconic blue walls, the Majorelle Gardens also house an excellent museum devoted to Berber culture and history.

On the last day of our exciting tour through Morocco, we will drop you off anywhere you’d like (Rabat/Casablanca/Marrakech). <h4 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default"