11 days in Marrakech and end in Tangier

Day 1: MENARA AIRPORT – MARRAKECH

Pick up at Marrakech Airport at 10:00 am with a sign with your full name and transfer to the Riad where you spend the night. Possibility to have a first contact with the Famoza Plaza Jamaa Lfna. Night in Riad.

Day 2: MARRAKECH – MARRAKECH

Breakfast and start of the guided tour of Marrakech to see the most important places. City famous for its Jemaa el Fna square, which will occupy much of your time: an amalgam of aromas, sounds and sensations unrepeatable. The city also has countless places to wander and enjoy: the Majorelle Gardens, the Menara, the Saadian Tombs, walks through the medina or the mellah (the old Jewish quarter), the route of the ramparts and the modern city (Gueliz) with its western ways of life.

Day 3: Marrakech – High Altas – Ouarzazate – Valley of roses – Dades Valley.

After breakfast we start our route towards Ouarzazate passing through the High Altas, crossing the port of Tizi n Tichka making stops to see the magnificent views offered by the mountains of the highlands, we continue our route to the city of Ouarzazate, city known as the gateway to the desert (Hollywood of Africa) possibility to visit the film studios, where they shot movies as famous as gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia jewel of the Nile etc ….

After several stops we head towards the Valley of the roses where we will make a stop to see the valley and the product that is taken from the rose bushes.

Finally we will finish our day in the Dades Valley, accommodation and dinner in riad / hotel next to the river Dades.

Day 4: Dades Gorges – Todra Gorges – Erfoud – Erg Chebbi desert (Merzouga).

Today will be a special day to experience the Sahara of Merzouga one of the most beautiful places in the country.

After breakfast we start our day heading to the gorges of the todra, a canyon of vertical walls that extends from its entrance about 15 km, its highest walls reach approximately 300 m high, its narrowest point being about 10 to 20 meters wide. These gorges open into the lush valleys of the Draa where crops and palm groves intermingle with small villages. Arrival in the area of Merzouga in the afternoon. At sunset camel ride (40 mins approximately) in a sea of dunes of the desert of erg chebbi, arrival at the camp of luxury tents, accommodation and dinner.

Day 5: Merzouga desert – nomadic families

On this day we have to get up early to enjoy one of the best sunrises of the trip, we go down to shower and have breakfast we can choose to return by 4×4 or camel. We arrive at the hotel where we are going to stay the same day, we leave the luggage and from there we start our desert day in 4×4 our first stop will be in a small village far from the center of Merzouga called Khaamlia (original village of black people) original from the south of African where we will enjoy a concert of Berber music with their original instruments and a mint tea, 

we continue our way to the marble mines and cabbage where and a panoramic view of the entire desert of Ergchebbi, From the mines after 5km of track we arrive to the nomad village setuado about 35km from the border with algeria, visit the nomad house (authentic berber tent) we explore the way of life taking another tea with a tasty bread made with love, Then we continue our day passing through the Dakar track (last time we pass there 2004) returning to our accommodation in Merzouga afternoon free, if you want to do the activity in Quad or Buggy to see the sunset in the high dunes of Merzouga (ergechebbi) accommodation in riad at the foot of the dunes.

Day 6: MERZOUGA- ERFOUD-ERRCHIDIA-ZIZ VALLEY-MIDELT-BOSQUE OF SEDROS-IFRAN-FEZ.

After a magical night in the dunes of erg chebbi, we continue our journey to fez, making our first stop after an hour and a half of road to stretch our legs or take a coffee in the ziz valley, one of the largest palm groves in Morocco to rest and enjoy the magnificent views offered by the valley, we continue our route to a city called midelt the symbol of the city is the apple, whose cultivation represents the first activity of the region and one of the main sources of work for its inhabitants. 

Stop at the local bus station where we will take advantage of a traditional local lunch, we continue our route about 2 hours we will make another stop in the cedar forest (michelifen) where we will see and alementar the macaques, original are from North Africa area giblaltar, about 15 km from the forest will reach the city called Switzerland of Africa by the roofs of houses in the city by the amount of snow that falls we make a stop of 10/15 mins to know the city center. After about an hour we will arrive at our destination Fez accommodation and breakfast in a riad.

Day 7: FEZ-LOCAL VISIT-FEZ

After breakfast, we will start our visit to the city, the first of the Imperial Cities, whose origin dates back to the eighth century. It is also one of the first holy cities of Muslim worship in Morocco and proudly hosts one of the oldest universities in the world. When you enter the streets of its medina (old city), you can feel time move backward: the guild structure still thrives, the narrow streets only accommodate mules as transport, and a constant tingling of people moves through the labyrinthine streets. We will encounter neighborhoods like the Andalusian and magnificent mosques and Koranic schools. Fez has always associated itself with study and religiosity and remains the spiritual capital of Morocco.

After visiting the medina another option is to walk aimlessly through the streets of Fez-Jdid, where you will find the royal palace, the mellah (Jewish quarter) and the oldest mosque in Fez. Overnight in Fez.

Day 8 : FEZ-MEKNES-ROMAN RUINS-CHEFCHAOUEN

Breakfast at the Riad. Early departure to Meknes, one of the 4 powerful imperial cities of Morocco. Visit with a local guide. The Medina is smaller and more relaxed than that of Fez. Founded in the 10th century by a Berber tribe, it became the capital of the country in the 17th century. It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Still today, it is protected by about forty kilometers of ramparts, where the “Bab al Mansour”, a large gate considered one of the most beautiful and well preserved in the country, stands out. The city is home to imposing monuments, including many mosques, hence the name “the city of a hundred minarets”. 

We will visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail the founder of the city of Meknes, the barn-stable “Heri es Souani” and the subway prison “Habs Qara”. After the visit we will head to Chaouen. On the way we will visit the Roman Ruins of Volubilis, the largest Roman archaeological site in Morocco: Triumphal Arch, capitol, house of Bacchus … form this outdoor treasure. After 2 hours of walking through the mountain, we leave the rif. Arrival in Chaouen, night in riad.

DAY 9: CHEFCHAOUEN- TETOUAN-TANGER

After breakfast time to visit Chefchaouen, mysterious village founded as a secret place from which to attack the Portuguese installed on the north coast of the country. The entrance to the village was totally forbidden to Europeans until the arrival of the Spanish troops in 1920. It is located within a natural reserve of the biosphere. Chaouen is a holy city perched on the mountain, its streets painted in white and blue, a village of wise, kind and respectful people, offering the visitor beautiful urban panoramas in decline, precious samples of local crafts and a peace and serenity that today is difficult to find. 

After the visit of the blue city, we will head to Tetouan, we will visit Tetouan, a city known as “the white dove” for its luminosity and the predominant color of its houses. We will visit the Medina, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, where we can appreciate the Andalusian influence as it should be remembered that for years this was the capital of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco. Accommodation and breakfast in riad.

Day : 10-TANGER-VISIT OF TANGIER.

After breakfast in riad, we will visit the Caves of Hercules and then, 5 km away, Cape Espartel, where the waters of the Mediterranean Sea converge with the Atlantic Ocean, we will reach the medina of Tangier, just after leaving the port, up the “street of the beach” where we find one of the most precious buildings of the colonial era, the “Cervantes Theater” in a sad state of neglect. 

Then we arrived at the market of the small souk and the square of the great souk, the nerve center of the city that gives us entrance to the medina with its streets full of artisans, bazaars, cafes and street stalls that we walk until we reach the Kasbah, noble and high part of the medina where we taste the traditional cuisine enjoying beautiful views of the Strait, Tangier and its bay. On the way to the Café Hafa where we take mint tea reminiscent of Bowles and others, we visit the Phoenician necropolis and in the evening, accommodation in riad.

DAY 11: TANGIER – PORT/AIRPORT OF TANGIER.

After breakfast transfer to the port/airport of Tangier according to your flight schedule, and end of our services.