Imperial Citys Tour Days From Casablanca Vie Sahara Desert

Day 1 : Casabalanca – Rabat :You arrive at Casablanca airport, where we will meet you and drive to Casablanca, and then to Rabat. In Casablanca, you will see the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque outside Mecca. Continuing to Rabat – the capital of Morocco, we will drive to Rabat, the capital of Morocco while You will arrive you can visite Rabat will include the medina, where the Hassan tower and mausoleum of Mohammed V are located. You will also visit the town across the river -Sale – which is quite charming along with the Chellah.The Chellah was a settlement built around the nearby freshwater springs. These then evolved into the Phoenician, then Roman city of Sale, before decaying into ruins, as Rabat moved towards the the north. The sultans of the Merenid dynasty chose to bury their dead here, and it is as a necropolis that the Chellah is most famous. The ruins of Roman Sala are exposed, but it is the minarets of the tomb complex, topped with stork’s nests, that provide the picturesque background to your visit here before you check in to your overnight accommodation in a riad at the heart of the Medina

.Day 2 : Rabat – Asilah – Tanger :After breakfast in your riad, we will drive to Tanger via the city of Asilah. Most of the drive will be by the coast. Our first stop will be in Asilah, where you will have the opportunity to explore the city. Asilah is known for it annual festival for the art – most of the walls of the Medina are painted by various famous artists from all over the world. Your visit includes the Skalla fortress, where you will experience a wonderful view of the Medina and the ocean. If time permits, you will have a drive through Tanger where You’ll visit Cap Spartel, the impressive Palace of the sultan, the caves of Hercules and you’ll explore the Kasbah, the medina and the souk. At the souk, you’ll have free time to stroll down its colour and aroma-filled streets and pick up a souvenir Overnight in a traditonal moroccan riad

Day 3 : Tanger – Chefchaouen :After breakfast in your riad, we will drive to chefchaouen “The blue city of Morocco”. Situated at the footstep of 2 higher mountains, Chefchaouen is a beautiful unique city, with its white washed walls and blue doors and windows. Unlike many parts of Morocco, Chefchaouen was occupied by Spain; therefore there is much influence from the Spanish civilisation and Moorish architecture. In the afternoon you will have your own time. This provides the opportunity to wander around unguided or just enjoy some time to yourselves. Overnight in the same riad

Day 4 : CHefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes :After breakfast in your riad, you will start travelling to Fes via Ouazzan and the Roman site of Volubilis. After a couple of hours drive, you will get to Volubilis, the well preserved Roman empire dating to 225 BC, where you will see the most beautiful Mosaics in Morocco dating back to 3rd century BC. Here you will have a guided tour of the site and learn a lot about the Roman Empire. After that we travel to Meknes, the Ismaili capital of Morocco. In Meknes we see the fascinating gate Bab Mansour built by the sultan My Ismail; the granary and the Sahrij Souani, used for irrigation and plantation. Your visit includes also the Mulay Ismail Mausoleum. We then continue via the highway to Fes. Overnight accommodation at a fancy riad in the medina

Day 5 : Exploring Fes :After breakfast in your riad, you will start exploring Fes the “the Sprititual City of Morocco”. You will spend the whole morning exploring the Medina and its alleys; visiting most of the sites with cultural and historical interest – including the famous Al Karaouine Mosque and University (the oldest in the world), the Medrasa Bouanania, the Tanneries and the Najjarine fountain. After lunch, we will drive you outside the Medina to see the Royal Palace gate, walk through the Jewish quarter “the Mellah”, and then visit the pottery cooperative. In the afternoon, we will drive you to one of the fortresses to experience an amazing panoramic view of the whole Medina of Fes. Overnight accommodation at the same riad

Day 6 : Fes – Azrou – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga :After breakfast in your riad, you’ll start travelling southeast to Merzouga via Midelt and Errachidia. Your first stop will be at Ifran, referred to as “the Switzerland of Morocco”, and then to Merzouga via Midlet and the Ziz Valley. During this journey you’ll experience glimpses of the Middle Atlas and Higher Atlas mountains. Stopping at the famous cedar forest – the largest in Morocco – where you may well sight Barbarian apes. You’ll notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city Er Rachidia. After lunch in Midelt, your journey continues along the luxuriant Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way. We will drive through welcoming Berber villages to Erfoud, and then Rissani, the foundation of the Alaouite dynasty – the current ruling royal family in Morocco. Arriving in Merzouga at the end of the day, you’ll be welcomed with a glass of mint tea before you check in to your hotel

Day 7 : Merzouga Area And The Camel Trek :After breakfast in the riad you will start an explorative journey of the area. You’ll visit the Gnawa people, originally slaves brought from Sudan, to experience their music and lifestyle. After that, we will drive in desert area where you will have the opportunity to meet the nomad families still living in berber tents and explore their way of life. Today our lunch will be local meal ( berber pezza ) with a local family. You may also visit the souk in Rissani, a traditional town which was the origin of the ruling family in Morocco and the meeting place of the Caravans trading as far as Timbuctou in Mali. Here you will see a lot of men hooded and women veiled. In the afternoon you will start your guided camel ride, led by an experienced camel man to explore within the sand sea of Merzouga. Overnight at our desert camp where you will have your dinner. For your convenience, the camp is equipped with flush toilets

Day 8 : Merzouga – Todra Gorges – Dades Gorges :Early in the morning your camel guide will wake you up to watch what well may be the best sunrise of your life. Afterwards you will trek back to the village of Merzouga, enroute you couldn’t fail to appreciate the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand dunes – changing with the light as the day progresses. After breakfast in your riad, you’ll leave for the Dades Valley, visiting Todra Gorges – the highest, narrowest gorges in Morocco. After lunch within the valley, you will have an optional hour’s hike through the fields where you will enjoy visiting an old mud village, meet locals and learn about the culture. On through Dades Valley, where you will have the opportunity to see majestic sand castles and the amazing rock formations known as “monkey toes”. Overnight accommodation will be in your hotel overlooking the Dades valley

Day 9 : Dades Gorges – Rose Valley -Ouarzazate – Ait benhadou kasbah – MarrakechAfter breakfast, we’ll continue tour from Fes and we drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaat Mgouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is named the way of thousand Kasbahs – providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip. We’ll stop at Kalaat Mgouna, “the rose city”, to purchase the rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over. Continue to Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”. Lunch will be at the famous Ait Ben Haddou kasbah, the largest Kasbah in Morocco. It is recognized by UNESCO as a world patrimony. It is famous as a backdrop for many films, including ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘Gladiator’. Our journey will continue through the majestic Tizi ‘n’ tichka pass (2260 m) over the High Atlas Mountains where you can stop also to explore the process of making the argan oil at the women s cooperatives before arriving to your accommodation in Marrakech

Day 10 : Exploring Marrakech :After breakfast in the riad, you will start exploring Marrakech “the Red City of Morocco”. Your guide will ensure that you see most of the sites with historical and cultural interest – including the famous Jemaa El Fna square, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian tombs; the Palace of Bahia and the Ben Youssef Coranic School. Lunch at a restaurant near the square, then in the afternoon visit the Majorelle Gardens, and have a short visit to the new city of Marrakech. Overnight accommodation will be at the same riad

Day 11 : Marrakech Essaouira day trip :The hustle and bustle of Marrakech quickly slips away as you travel to and enter into the peace and beauty that is Essaouira. This ancient city on the West Atlantic coast of Africa literally means “wall” in the Berber language, and you’ll soon discover why. Travelers from all over the world come here to experience the very special weather, and explore its diverse and unique history.As we leave Marrakech, we drive through lush valleys filled with orange groves, ancient olive trees and working farms on the drive to the coast. After a short while, we arrive in Chichaoua, where we can take a short break for a coffee or snack. Once you have had the chance to refuel a bit, we will continue on, soon coming upon our first signs of the Argan trees. These special trees are valued for their nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties. The tree, a relic species from the Tertiary age, is extremely well adapted to drought and other environmentally difficult conditions of southwestern Morocco, and because they are now endangered, they are under the protection of UNESCO. After all of your morning travels, you arrive in Essouira, where you have the chance to wander the ancient streets and can imagine what life existed here in the past. The streets have a genuinely Portuguese feel, after they renamed the city in the 16th century and used it as a port city of their own afternoon we comback to Marrakech. Overnight in authentic riad

Day 12 : Marrakech to Casablanca Airport :After breakfast in your riad, we will drive you to the airport for your departure flight. Your tour ends at the airport.