Luxury Morocco: Imperial Cities and Sahara Desert, Atlantic Coast – 15 days

Morocco, welcome! You’ll be taken to Rabat from the airport after you have landed in Casablanca. After checking into your luxurious accommodations, you will be accompanied by your driver and guide to explore the city.

After you have sated your appetite, go for lunch at a place that is delicious. Rabat, Morocco’s capital, is home to the royal family. It exudes imperial glamour, with relics from empires past and modern eateries that specialize in fine dining. You can take advantage of the Atlantic’s amazing bounty if you are looking for traditional cuisine. You’ll find delicious, fresh delights in the medina like creamy sea urchins and briny oysters. No matter what your taste buds are, your guide can give you great recommendations for the best places to eat your first meal.

Enjoy lunch at the Oudaya neighborhood, which is blue and perched high above the Atlantic Ocean. The Kasbah of the Oudayas is the jewel of this enclave. Take a stroll through the lush Andalusian Gardens or explore the complex. Return to the ramparts for a spectacular sunset. The Hassan Tower is one of the most impressive buildings in the Almohad Dynasty. The curious landmark Hassan Tower, which is the minaret of a mosque built in 12th century, was abandoned.
After exploring the ruins, visit the Mausoleum Mohamed V. This is a great place to get a taste of the intricate tilework and mosaics that can be found throughout the country. Enjoy Rabat’s vibrant culinary scene tonight. There are many good Moroccan restaurants in the city. But if you want something more international, the New City embassy quarter (just inland of the medina), has some of the finest French and Italian cuisines in the country.

Today you’ll be heading to Chefchaouen. This tiny city is filled with blue. Walls, doors, windows and stairways are all made of pastel sky and vibrant, saturated colors. The Rif Mountains are located in the heart Chefchaouen, giving travelers a feeling of old Morocco. You can explore the town at your leisure or relax after you have checked in to your luxurious riad. Outa el-Hammam is the ideal place to see the world go by. To discover the daily life of the town, walk up the narrow alleyways away from tourist areas.

This is a great place to find handcrafted wool garments and woven blankets as well as cedarwood furniture and other artisanal work of Northern Morocco. You can order a Maqlouba (upside down) coffee while you watch the women wash their clothes in the nearby spring. Your driver will make recommendations and you can cook your own dinner.

Today’s focus is on royal vibes. Enjoy breakfast in Chefchaouen, before setting off to discover some imperial cities culminating in Fes. Your first stop will be Meknes. This historic town boasts a smaller medina than what you’ll find in Fes. Shopkeepers here are friendly and open-minded, so you can really take your time and explore the many souks full of spices, slippers and other treasures. Your driver will make sure you make the most out of your time here by taking you to the scenic Ville Imperiale area. You can find a variety of palaces, gardens and architectural sites depending on your time.

Next is Morocco’s oldest city, Moulay Idriss. The city is considered a holy place by many. It was established in the 8th Century by Moulay Idriss I of Morocco, the first major Islamic ruler. You can learn more about the Idrisid Dynasty and visit the emerald green minaret. It’s the only circular minaret in the country. You will be accompanied by your driver to find a wonderful place to have lunch in the charming hilltop town.

Continue the royal treatment with a journey through the centuries in Volubilis. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to some of the best-preserved ruins dating back to the Roman Empire. This sprawling complex includes examples of merchant houses (and their clever heating systems), intact mosaics and temples, as well as other architectural treasures. Your English-speaking guide will take you on a private tour that is tailored to your needs if you are inspired to explore deeper and wish to prolong your stay.

When you’ve had your fill of sightseeing, you’ll end your day in Fes at a luxuriously-appointed five-star riad. Your accommodation is a oasis in the imperial capital. It will have a central courtyard that you can relax and cool down. Depending on where you are staying, it may also include a hammam on ground floor. You can also enjoy a relaxing massage at one of Fes’s Hammams. No matter where you decide to relax and unwind after a hard day, there is always a great dinner waiting for you. You have two options: relax in your luxurious riad, or go out to one the best restaurants in the city.

After breakfast, your tour guide will meet with you to begin your exploration of the Fes medina. The old quarter, which is UNESCO-protected, is filled with charming streets and alleyways. Your guide will tell you stories and take you to hidden corners of the medina. This allows you to see both the daily grind and the grandeur of the madrasas, palaces and churches. Your local guide will show you the best places to eat lunch or dinner in Fes.

Enjoy Fes’ artisanal side in the afternoon. You can meet Moroccan artisans and learn more about their history and importance. To see traditional craft methods in action, you’ll be able to visit tanneries or mosaic workshops.

For a moment of peace, return to your riad. Relax for the remainder of the day, or go back to the medina to learn more about the city. If you are looking for more cultural immersion, you might consider taking a private cooking class with an English-speaking teacher and chef. You will learn the complex connections between tradition, food, and how to use North African ingredients such as briny preserved lemons, Ras El Hanout (an essential spice mix), and the tiny pearls of Couscous. Enjoy your learning by sharing your creations with others!

Create your tour

You can have a wonderful day out in the city by exploring Morocco’s unique Guerrouane farming region, located just outside Fes. Enjoy a private winery tour and tasting to learn more about the region’s history, crops, and flavours. Since the Roman period, Moroccans have been growing and refining grapes for large-scale production. Winemaking is a tradition that dates back to the area’s Jewish communities. French settlers later extended it. Vintners and growers focus on red blends, Rose and Vin Gris and local brandies called Mahia, which is the « water of life ».

Guerrouane, Morocco’s agricultural heartland is where rain, sun, and good soil combine to produce excellent conditions for fruit orchards like oranges, plums and apricots. It also produces some of the most prized grapes in the country. This hidden gem also houses Morocco’s only AOC wine, Coteaux de l’Atlas 1er Cru. After a informative and enjoyable vineyard tour, enjoy a tasting flight featuring different local wines. After the tasting, you will return to Fes for dinner. Relax in the courtyard of your riad as you open your wine selection for the day.

Get up early today to answer the call of the Sahara. After an early breakfast, your road trip will begin by crossing the Middle Atlas Mountains via the town of Azrou. The majestic Cedre Gouaud Forest is where you will find Barbary macaque monkeys laying in old cedar trees next to the road. Stop for lunch at Midelt on a high desert plateau. You’ll pass through a variety of terrains including narrow canyon passes, wide valleys, steep mountains, and broad valleys as you travel onwards. Your driver will drive you through the Ziz Valley. This is an important branch of the Saharan Trading Route. Look out of the window to see the ksars fortified houses that merchants built to guard the gold, salt and spices that were passed along this route.

You’ll soon see the first signs of Saharan dunes after you cross through the Ziz Gorge. You will also pass Erfoud a bustling market place known for its dates and fossils found in hillside mines. Stop by a local artisan group if you wish to learn more about the fossils in the area and how they are transformed into a variety of products. You will soon see the huge dunes of Erg Chebbi in the distance. The vast sand sea is 13 miles long (35 km) and some dunes rise to more than 650 feet (200m).

You will have a unique experience in North African luxury once you reach the Sahara. Ride a camel across the dunes at sunset. Enjoy the unobstructed view of the landscape and the golden glow. You can even see Algeria from a distance. You’ll be able to see the moon as it reflects off the sand. This will allow you and your camel to navigate you to your special accommodation at night, which is a camp set at the foot the Erg Chebbi dunes. Your glamping tent will allow you to relax in total peace. Enjoy a Berber-inspired dinner and then relax by the fire while listening to live music.

You can gaze up at the sky from your romantic spot or stargaze from the top of the dunes before retiring for the night.

You will be rewarded by a sunrise over the dunes if you rise early. Enjoy breakfast at camp before you travel back across the desert towards Merzouga. After meeting your driver, you will begin your journey towards Tinghir, an oasis town at the foot the Atlas mountains. Before you set out across the plains, stop in the desert community Rissani. It is a great place to walk around the traditional market where many animals can be bought and sold. While you are here, make sure to stop at the « donkey parking area ».

You will be amazed at the changes in the landscape once you reach Tinghir. Local farmers grow dates, figs and wheat in the town’s weekly market. They also live in the ksars. Enjoy a tasty lunch, then take some time to enjoy the scenic area. Continue on your road trip through the green valley until you reach the vertical Todra Gorge. Explore the canyon’s rustic trails.

Then, head back down into the Todra oasis, where you’ll spend the night in a sumptuously-appointed kasbah, a fortified hilltop town featuring mud bricks and furnished with the finest local products and fossils. After relaxing in luxury, you can explore the valley to find a great restaurant. You can explore the oasis after you’re done with your meal by talking to the locals.

Today you can travel along the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, following ancient trade routes that run from Tinghir to Ouarzazate. You’ll pass many fortified villages along the route. The town of Boumalne Dades will be your first stop along the route. This is an oasis town located at the mouth of Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. You can also visit the Dades Gorge if you turn to the north. This dramatic area is made up of rusty and mauve-striped mountain ranges. Below is an oasis of olive, fig and almond orchards, dotted with crumbling Berber villages and kasbahs.

After having lunch at Boumalne Dades you will head south towards the Valley of Roses. This is the heart of Moroccan rose oil production. The scent of the fragrant Provence roses makes the landscape heavenly every spring. The day ends in Ouarzazate. This town is well-known for its participation in the Moroccan film industry. You’ll find more to Ouarzazate then movies. Just a short drive away is the famous ksar of Ait Benhaddou. This site is believed to have been a major point along the trans-Saharan route between Marrakech and Ouarzazate in the 11th century.

You can later retire to your own kasbah on a dry riverbed near Ait Benhaddou. You can also go out at night to take a stroll through the valley, as the light from the sun reflecting off the white sandy sand makes it glow. It is breathtaking.

You will be rewarded by a sunrise over the sand dunes if you wake up early. Enjoy breakfast at camp before you travel across the desert to Merzouga. You will meet your driver at the hotel and start your long journey to Ouarzazate. Before you set out across the desert plains, stop in Rissani. It is a great place to stroll around a traditional market on days when many animals are sold and bought. Rissani even has a « donkey parking area »!

The rest of the day can be spent exploring the desert landscape that borders the Sahara. The landscape surrounding you will include high mountains, desert plains, and plateaus. You can stop briefly in Tinghir on the way to see a Berber community that once thrived. To get a feel for the past, walk through the streets in the old quarter. Continue on to the scenic Dades Gorge through dramatic scenery of mauve-striped and rusty-red mountains. Stop for lunch at nearby Boumalne Dades. End your day in Ouarzazate. This town has been used as a backdrop to many TV and film productions.

Meet your local guide and take a tour of the old city. You will find lively souks along with maze-like alleyways as you explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Displays of Djellabas and brightly colored Babouches, intricately-pierced lamps, conical mounds full of exotic spices, as well as the bustling medina atmosphere, will be sure to dazzle you. Your knowledgeable guide will share the history and tales of the Medina and Souk neighborhoods in the Red City. Your guide will be able to recommend the best places for lunch.

You’ll continue your private tour in the afternoon, visiting places such as the Bahia, El Badii Palaces and the Saadian Tombs. The Majorelle Gardens is another landmark garden, built by Jacques Majorelle over forty years and later inhabited Yves Saint Laurent. You can stroll through tranquil water gardens covering two-and-a-half acres, visit Morocco’s only museum devoted entirely to Berber culture and art, and then explore Yves Saint Laurent’s gallery within this urban oasis.

Marrakech is located where the High Atlas Mountains meet a vast plain. Hot air balloon rides over the Red City at sunrise are a great way to see these diverse landscapes. This morning, you’ll wake up at dawn and then transfer to the mountains in order to board your hot-air balloon. As the sun rises over the North African peaks, it will illuminate the city below. Before you fly, have a delicious and picturesque Berber breakfast.

You have the whole day to yourself, so you can spend it however you wish. You can take a cooking class with one the city’s top chefs, explore the area on your own, or go to a market to shop. Your driver will take you to any place you want in the city. Your specialist can also arrange private tours and bespoke experiences. Enjoy dinner at your luxurious riad tonight, or go out to one the great restaurants in the city.

Today you’ll travel to Essaouira. This town is known for its great surfing beaches and laid back vibes. You will travel over vast, rolling plains for the 3-hour journey. You’ll also pass through an exceptional forest that is the only place where argan trees can grow. An association of women from the area will be there to make argan oil. This oil is well-known for its beauty and health benefits. It is possible to see goats enjoying the argan oil’s fruits high up in the trees. It’s quite amazing!

You can explore the stunning seawalls upon your arrival in Essaouira and enjoy the delights of the Old Medina region. Essaouira is home to a well-preserved Jewish quarter in Morocco. This neighborhood is a perfect example of coexistence and charm.

The commercial heart of the town is Essaouira harbor. It’s a must-see spot for anyone interested in local cuisine. Many fishermen bring their catch ashore every morning to sell at the bustling market nearby, where they negotiate for the best prices. You can enjoy the products of their labor at nearby food stands where you can get delicious fresh grilled or fried fish. Fish can be ordered directly from the stalls, or you can do what the locals do and buy fish at the nearby market. Then commission a grill master to cook your fish for a small charge. Relax in Essaouira’s luxurious riads tonight and let the sounds of the waves soothe you to sleep.

Enjoy the sun on Essaouira’s sandy beach today. You can still enjoy a variety of fun activities here if the Atlantic waters are too cold to take a dip. There are also some important landmarks along the shore. You will find a fortress-like structure in the sand along the bay’s south shore. If the tide is low you can climb it and explore the area. Continue onwards to cross the stream and climb the hill. You’ll find the remains of another fortress complex. This is a great spot for children and adults of all ages to explore.

After lunch, you’ll be taken back to the town by a chauffeur. You can take a surfing or kitesurfing class on the beach (wetsuits are provided), or you can explore the area from the ground: you could arrange a camel ride along the sand, or a horseback riding tour through the coast forests. Enjoy a glass Moroccan mint tea while you watch the sunset from your riad. Enjoy fresh seafood prepared by the warm locals.

Today you will head out early to Casablanca via a coastal route. There will be a few interesting stops along the coast. First, you’ll visit Safi which is known for its great surfing beaches and stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean. El Jadida is the second stop. Here you can visit the impressive Portuguese cistern. After exploring the city’s ramparts, visit the Church of the Assumption.

Next, visit Azemour. This place has inspired many Moroccan artists throughout the years, and some have even chosen to live there. Despite its proximity to Casablanca’s cosmopolitan arts market, life in this community remains traditional. The crumbling 16th century medina is a great inspiration. It’s located between the Oud Er­Rbia (Mother River) and the ocean.

After arriving in Casablanca, check in to your hotel before you head out for dinner or exploring the city.

Morocco is over. You may be able, depending on your departure time, to visit Casablanca last-minute or have tea in one of the traditional cafes, then You’ll leave to Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport for your departure time .