Morocco Highlights with Sahara Desert - 9 Days

Activities for today: Upon your arrival in Casablanca, your local driver guide will greet you at the airport exit, and then escort you to your hotel in Casablanca. The rest of the day is yours to relax at leisure.

Note:  1. We usually arrange an English-speaking driver for the entire trip. Whilst you tour at Fez and Marrakech, we will arrange private English speaking guides on sites, and your driver will be in charge of driving you from site to site and city to city, of course, he/she is also able to give you general information on Morocco. On your request, we are also able to arrange a private tour guide throughout the entire Morocco trip with a supplement.

2. Small hotels renovated from old houses are called riads or dars. These are often small (about 20 rooms or less) and could be filled up fast, we will recommend similar ones if proposed riads/dars are sold out.

Activities for today: After breakfast, head north to Rabat, the capital of Morocco. After arrival, visit Mechouar, Royal Palace, Hassan Tower, Kasbah Ouddayas, and Mausoleum of Mohamed V. Spend some time to wander around the bazaars and souks in the old medina of Rabat.

Royal Palace: Construction of Rabat's Royal Palace began in 1864, and a wall surrounds the sprawling building. The Fes el-Bali complex is not open to the public as the current king still uses the palace as his residence. You can get good photographs of the palace exterior from nearby the Sunna Mosque.

Hassan Tower: Built by the Almohads, the unfinished Hassan Tower was the work of ruler Yacoub al-Mansour and would have been the minaret for his grand vision of a mosque on this site. Upon his death in 1150, construction was abandoned and this 45 m tower is all that remains of his original plan. Beautiful and intricate motifs and designs cover the tower's facade, pointing to the sumptuousness of what al-Mansour had in mind. The Hassan Tower is next door to the Mausoleum of Mohamed V.

Mausoleum of Mohamed V: Mausoleum of King Mohamed V lies in state on the very place where, upon his return from exile in Madagascar, he gathered thousands of Moroccans together to thank God for giving independence to their country. The opulent tomb chamber is a showcase of Moroccan traditional design, and has a grand marble tomb and walls covered in zellige tiles. Only Muslims can visit the adjoining mosque.

Activities for today: After breakfast, you will be escorted by your English-speaking driver to Fez. En route, visit the Imperial City of Meknes, known as the Versailles of Morocco, to marvel at its elaborate monuments and impressive buildings. Proceed to the UNESCO listed Roman ruins of Volubilis and arrive at Fez in the late afternoon.

Roman ruins of Volubilis: It is Morocco's most famous Roman remnant. The city's hey-day was AD 24-285 when it served as capital for the Roman province, and most of the ruins date from this period of prosperity.

Activities for today: The first stop of your tour today is Medina of Fez - the old walled city founded in the 9th century and home to the world's oldest university. Later, visit Medersa el-Attarine, Qaraouiyine Mosque, Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, Souk Nejiarine, and the Hebrew district Mellah. Spend the rest of the day to stroll around the narrow alleys of the old town on your own.

Fez Medina: Founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina – madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - date from this period. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez has retained its status as the country's cultural and spiritual centre.

Medersa el-Attarine: Another example of fine Merenid architecture, the Medersa el-Attarine was built in 1325 by Abu Said. The courtyard here is a wonderful display of the intricate decoration from this period, with elaborate zellige tile-work and cedar woodcarvings. The upper floor is made up of a warren of cells, which were once home to students of the Qaraouiyine University (now mosque). If you climb up to the rooftop you can get great views of the Qaraouiyine Mosque itself.

Qaraouiyine Mosque: Built in 857 AD by Tunisian immigrants from the holy city of Kairouan, the Qaraouiyine Mosque was one of the medieval period's most distinguished universities. Today, in its function as a working mosque, it is one of Morocco's largest centres of worship with a prayer hall that can hold 20,000. The library is one of the oldest surviving in the world and contains over 30,000 books. Among the collection is a 9th century Qur'an. The Fes el-Bali complex cannot be entered by non-Muslims, but you can get excellent views of the mosque from nearby restaurant rooftops.

Activities for today: After breakfast, be escorted by your English-speaking driver to Erfoud. Along the way, you'll pass through a beautiful forest of cedars, drive across the Middle Atlas Mountain range, and reach to the mineral mining city of Midelt to have lunch. After arriving in Erfoud, take a 4X4 excursion to the desert of Merzouga, and enjoy a camel ride to admire the breathtaking sunset in the desert.

Note:  In case of snowing during November and February in High Atlas Mountains, we would drive more slowly than usual to ensure safety. In this case, you may reach Erfoud later than expected. If snow blocks the road, we will stay in Midelt for overnight, and head further south the following day.

Activities for today: Drive west toward to Ouarzazate, and make a stop in the Todra Gorge located just southwest of Tinerhir and some 110 km (65 miles) from Ouarzazate. You can take some beautiful pictures there before continuing the drive to Ouarzazate. En-route, make another stop in a charming oasis of Skoura, which is rather large and impressive.

Activities for today: After breakfast, drive to Marrakech via the stunning Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou – an ancient fortified village listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass. After arrival in Marrakech, enjoy time at leisure to explore the city at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Ait Ben Haddou: Ait Ben Haddou is an ancinet fortified village along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, in past years most villagers moved out to live in modern dwellings in a village on the other side of the river, although there are four families still living in the ancient village. Inside the walls of the ksar are half a dozen (Kasbahs) or merchants houses and other individual dwellings, and is a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture.

Ait Ben haddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and several films have been shot there, including: One night with the King; Gladiator; Prince of Persia.

Activities for today: Start the city tour from the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque with a gorgeous minaret dominating the city's skyline and visible from almost every approach to the city. Later, visit the El-Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and the Jardin Majorelle Garden. After this 4-hour tour, spend some free time to discover the colorful souks of Marrakech this evening.

Koutoubia Mosque: It is located in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh.The mosque is ornamented with curved windows, a band of ceramic inlay, pointed merlons, and decorative arches; it has a large plaza with gardens, and is floodlit at night.

Bahia Palace: Set up at the end of 19th century by Si Moussa, grand vizier of the sultan, for his personal use, this palace would bear the name of one of his wives.

Saadian Tombs: Date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603). The tombs were discovered in 1917 and were restored by the Beaux-arts service. The tombs have, because of the beauty of their decoration, been a major attraction for visitors of Marrakech.

Jaardin Majorelle Garderns: Full of cacti, palms and ferns, it was used to be the residence of painter Jacques Majorelle.

Note: Optional: Dinner at Riad Kniza at USD55/person