Discovering the Secrets of Morocco: Chefchaouen, the Sahara, the Mountains and the Ocean
On quad bikes, camels, buses and on foot, we will explore the mysterious Morocco from all sides. We’ll visit the blue streets of Chefchaouen for the juiciest shots, spend a night in the desert and feel like wandering Bedouins with caravans, learn the secrets of Fesian pottery production and taste mint tea. Sand dunes of the Sahara, the ancient medina and bustling city squares, the Atlas Mountains and alien canyons, sandy beaches and alpine style houses – we will see all facets of Morocco in 8 days.
Comfort
Accommodation. We will stay in 4* hotels along the route, 2-bed accommodation in comfortable rooms. Hotel in Agadir – on the beachfront.
Hotel rooms are equipped with the necessary furniture and appliances, including TV and refrigerator, hair dryer and toiletries. There is also free Wi-Fi.
Meals. Breakfasts, picnics and 2 national dinners are included. Other lunches and dinners are extra.
Program
Start of the tour: Casablanca Airport, until 3:00 p.m.
Finish: Agadir, you can plan your return flight at any time. For an extra fee you can take a shuttle to Casablanca Airport (about 7 hours away) or fly to it from Agadir.
Welcome to Morocco
We will meet at Casablanca airport and go to the hotel. Then you will have free time to relax, and after 3:00 pm we will walk around the city and enjoy a Moroccan dinner.
Hassan II Mosque and 50 Shades of Blue in Chefchaouen
We will have breakfast at the hotel and drive to the Mosque of Hassan II. You will see a luxurious complex richly decorated with the work of local artisans. The floors of the shrine are made of gold, marble and onyx, and the minaret is 210 meters high, which is a world record. The opulent structure resembles a fairy palace that a carpet plane is about to fly past.
Then we drive to Shefshauen. The drive will take about 3 hours. After lunch we will start walking through the most photogenic town in the country. To visit Morocco and not take pictures against the background of azure houses, sidewalks, and even flower pots, painted in all shades of blue, blue and turquoise – impossible!
Then we check into a hotel and rest.
The Beauties and Labyrinthine Streets of Fez
After breakfast we will drive to Fez past the picturesque massif of the Rif Mountains.
We have already seen the official and political capitals of the state, and today we will find ourselves in the cultural and religious center, where the ancient medina is preserved, from where Fez began to grow in the 8th century. In the narrow medieval streets, which number nearly 9,000, it is easy to get lost – even locals do not always know their way around the many labyrinthine alleys.
After lunch we will get acquainted with the handicraft life of the town. We will visit the dyers of the 11th century Shuar and see many stone vessels with dyes of different colors for dyeing leather goods. Then we will learn how the famous Fesian pottery is made in a local factory.
In the evening we will check into the hotel-riad (a traditional Moroccan house in the shape of a well) in the old part of town with windows overlooking the inner garden with fountains, tables and benches. Then we will have dinner.
If you wish, you can attend a musical show with dinner in an old restaurant.
Across the Sahara on camels and a national show in the desert.
After breakfast we will settle in the car and drive into the desert. The trip will take about 7 hours. On the way we will stop at the resort town of Ifrane, founded by the French. It will seem as if we were in Switzerland all of a sudden: the streets are lined with Alpine houses with red tiled roofs in the European style. We will admire the Atlas cedars, feed the wild macaques, and continue our journey.
We will have lunch at Midelt and then drive through the gorge into the Ziz River Valley. Gradually the green canvas behind the window changes to orange hills and then to golden sand dunes. We leave our luggage in Merzuga village, get on camels and set off to Bedouin camp in the desert in the setting sun.
In the evening we’ll have a delicious dinner and national show by the fire.
Dawn among the sands and the Atlas Mountains
We’ll start the day early to catch the sunrise on top of the dune. We’ll watch the sands turn a soft orange light. Those who wish can add a pinch of extreme and go snowboarding on the dunes.
After breakfast we will have a blast riding quad bikes through the desert and then take a bus to the Atlas Mountains with sheer cliffs, red canyons, and noisy mountain rivers flowing into the date groves.
We will have lunch and travel to Todra Gorge, formed by the flow of the river, and Dades Gorge, nestled between the mountain ranges. The picturesque cliffs are reminiscent of reddish Martian landscapes.
We will spend the night in a traditional oasis hotel. After checking in we will have dinner and then you can relax in the pool with panoramic views.
Atlas Film Studio, Ait-Ben-Haddou Ksar and transfer to Marrakech
We’ll have breakfast and hit the road. We will visit the “Moroccan Hollywood” – Atlas Film Studio, where Prince of Persia, The Mummy and Game of Thrones were filmed.
We will drive through Tizi-N-Tishka Pass, the highest pass in North Africa, which offers mesmerizing views of the Atlas Mountains.
The next point of the route is the 11th century Ait Ben-Haddou Xar, an example of Moroccan earthen fortress architecture. The ancient buildings have become the setting for Hollywood movies, including Alexander and Gladiator. Once the site was bustling with life and countless merchant caravans passed through, but now only a few families live in the empty town. We take a walk through the quiet streets, look at the abandoned houses, and feel as if we are transported back in time by a time machine.
Then we will stop at Ait-ben-Haddou and see the kasbahs, fortified settlements of mud-brick structures where the caravans that transported salt through the Sahara used to rest.
We will have lunch in a restaurant overlooking verdant valleys and ancient ruins. In the evening we arrive in Marrakech, check into a hotel and go for a walk around the main square Jemaa el-Fna. Everything here breathes with the Oriental exoticism: the magical sounds of pipes, with which snake charmer controls the reptiles, craftswomen paint the bodies of tourists with bizarre patterns of henna, someone tells incredible stories about the city, and someone sings.
In the evening, the square is filled with the sounds of live music and the aromatic smoke of vats of meat and rice – a real open-air restaurant.
The Majorelle Garden, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the Qutubia Mosque
After breakfast we will walk through the garden of artist Jacques Majorelle who collected samples of exotic plants from all over the world. You will walk past palm trees, thuyas, yuccas, banana trees, lilies and cypresses and admire the brightly colored garden structures of the “blue Majorelle” contrasting with the greenery of the plants. The unique architectural structures are a whimsical combination of Moorish style and Art Deco.
Let’s visit the museum of Yves Saint Laurent, who bought the Majorelle Garden and saved the unique object from demolition. It contains personal belongings of the couturier, sketches and items of collections inspired by the color of Morocco.
We will have lunch in a restaurant and finish our walk with a visit to the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque, the largest African shrine decorated with colored stucco and colorful mosaics. Then we will visit the 19th century palace of Bahia in Moorish style. As the legend says, the Sultan himself envied the beauty of the building!
We will walk through the labyrinth of rooms and corridors, we will admire paintings on the ceilings and luxurious doors made of cedar, we will see carved stone and wood works, mosaic and fanciful patterns.
In the evening we move to Agadir, check into a hotel and have dinner.
Relaxing on the beach in Agadir
A beach holiday awaits you at Morocco’s most popular resort. We will bask in the sun, get a velvety tan and swim in the ocean. Those wishing can try their hand at surfing.
The day is at your disposal: you can spend the day on the beach, walk around town, go shopping, or enjoy a massage. Lunch at the hotel.
Check out of the hotel before 11:00.
What is included in the price
Hotel/riad accommodations
Breakfasts, picnics, water for the road, a Moroccan dinner in the desert and a Moroccan dinner in Skoura
Transfers by minibus with air conditioning
Transfer from the airport
Escort of ingles speaking guide and organizer
ATV and camel riding
National show in the desert
To be paid separately
Flights to Morocco and back
Transfer to Casablanca airport from Agadir
Lunches and dinners (from 20€ per day)
Entrance fees to sightseeing sites (from 70 €)
Insurance
Leave a Reply