Highlights
- The medina of Fes and its working tannery
- The Roman ruins of Volubilis and Bab Mansour in Meknes
- A night in the Merzouga dunes under a nomad tent
- Aït Ben Haddou and a guided day in Marrakech
What awaits you
This private tour crosses Morocco from the Atlantic to the Sahara and back to Marrakech. You spend three nights in Fes to see the medina, the tanneries and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, then drive south through the cedar forests and the Ziz valley to the dunes of Merzouga. The return follows the road of a thousand kasbahs, the Todgha and Dades gorges and Aït Ben Haddou, ending with a guided day in Marrakech.Each day includes lunch at a hand-picked restaurant. Nights at Riad La Porte Bleue in Fes, a luxury desert camp, Dar Daif in Ouarzazate and Riad Nashira in Marrakech.
Itinerary
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Casablanca – Fes
Airport pick-up and a short city tour: the Habous district, the Royal Palace and the Hassan II Mosque. Lunch at Riad Ma Bohème, then on to Fes. Night at Riad La Porte Bleue.
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Fes
The Royal Palace, the Jewish quarter, a panorama over the old city and a ceramics workshop, then the medina’s mosaics, carved plaster and cedar, the minaret of the world’s oldest university and the great tannery. Lunch at Le Tarbouche.
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Fes – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes
The Roman ruins of Volubilis and their mosaics, then Meknes, the city of Moulay Ismail, with Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani basin and the mausoleum. Lunch at Aicha and back to Fes.
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Fes – Azrou – Ziz valley – Merzouga
Through the Azrou cedar forest and its macaques, down the palm-filled Ziz valley to Erfoud, then by 4×4 to the big dunes of Merzouga for a night under a nomad tent.
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Merzouga – Rissani – Todgha – Dades – Ouarzazate
Sunrise over the dunes, then Rissani, cradle of the Alaouite dynasty, the Todgha gorge, the road of a thousand kasbahs, the Rose Valley and the Skoura oasis. Night at Dar Daif.
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Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Marrakech
The kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, seen in Gladiator and Babel, then over the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka past Berber villages. Lunch in Ait Ourir and night at Riad Nashira.
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Marrakech
A full-day guided tour: the Koutoubia, Majorelle Garden, Bahia Palace and Dar Si Said, a walk through the souks and a sunset drink over Jemaa el-Fna.
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Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Marrakech or Casablanca airport.
Timings are a guide. Your guide adapts the pace to the group and the weather.
Route
Starts at Casablanca
Historic sites along the way
Aït Ben Haddou
17th century · 1 km from the route
A fortified earthen village on the old caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, listed by UNESCO and seen in many films.
Volubilis
3rd century BC – 11th century · 1 km from the route
Roman city with superb mosaics in the countryside near Meknes, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Kasbah Amridil
17th century · 1 km from the route
One of the best-preserved kasbahs in Morocco, in the palm oasis of Skoura.
Bahia Palace
19th century · 1 km from the route
Painted cedar ceilings, zellige and quiet gardens in the medina of Marrakech.
Taourirt Kasbah
19th century · 1 km from the route
A maze of earthen towers and courtyards in the heart of Ouarzazate, once a Glaoui residence.
Koutoubia Mosque
12th century · 1 km from the route
Marrakech’s landmark minaret, 77 m tall, next to Jemaa el-Fna square.
What’s included
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or riad
- Private tour in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional driver and guide
- Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
- Breakfast and dinner
- Lunches
- Camel trek and one night in a Sahara camp
Not included
- Drinks and alcohol
- Tips for guides and drivers
What to bring
- Comfortable clothes and walking shoes
- Warm jacket for desert nights
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
Season
All year
