12 Days Tour From Casablanca To Marrakech Via Desert
12 Days Tour From Casablanca To Marrakech Via Desert
12 Days Tour From Casablanca To Marrakech Via Desert
Overview
In this 12 days tour, you will have the opportunity to visit important Moroccan cities and traditional villages, admire the natural beauties of Morocco, and also experience the life and hospitality of Moroccan desert people.
The tour begins from Casablanca, the “white” city, and we will drive to Rabat and Chefchaouen, the "blue city". We will head to Volubilis, Meknes, and Fez, where you will be acquainted with Moroccan history. After exploring Fez, we will visit Ilfrane, Azrou, Midelt and we will end up in Merzouga. You will visit the village of Khamlia to see the Gnawa musicians, and a nomad family in their tent, and in the afternoon your camels will take you to a Berber camp, where you will spend the night, reviving the nomadic Berber lifestyle. The tour continued by visiting Erfoud, Tinghir, and Todra Gorges, Dades Gorges, Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”, exploring Ait Ben Haddou village, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and through the High Atlas Mountains, we will reach Marrakech. We will continue our journey heading to Essaouira, a coastal city, and on the last day, we will drive back to Casablanca airport, where the tour ends.
Included/Excluded
- Private tour & Transportation with A/C and seat-belt.
- Pick you up & drop you off at Casablanca airport.
- 8 nights hotel accommodation & breakfast in Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fez, Marrakech & Essaouira.
- 2 nights hotel accommodation, dinner & breakfast in Merzouga & Dades Valley (Vegetarians are welcome).
- 1 night accommodation in desert camp.
- Experienced driver/guide English speaking.
- Local guide in Fez & Marrakech.
- Fuel, tolls and all associated expenses.
- Camel warden.
- Camel ride for 1 hour. (If you are not interested to ride the camels, it is possible to drive you to the camp with the 4x4).
- Sand boards (available in the camp without charge).
- Airfare (Flight Ticket)
- Noon meal. (Possibility of picnic or restaurants).
- Dinners in Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fez, Marrakech & Essaouira.
- Drinks at the meals.
- Tips and personal miscellaneous expenses.
- Entry fees to Monuments / Museums / Kasbahs
- Travel insurance
- Anything not mentioned in the program
Tour Plan
Day 01 : Airport – Casablanca
You will be welcomed by your driver /guide at the airport of Mohamed 5 in Casablanca and take you to your hotel in Casablanca. Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 02 : Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen
At 8:00 AM you will start exploring Casablanca, the “white” city, where culture and economy meet. You will visit the biggest mosque in Casablanca, Hassan 2 mosque. Also, you can have sightseeing in other places in the city, and after that, you will go to the capital of Morocco Rabat, a city right in front of the Atlantic ocean. We will start with the Bad challah, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and one of the main gates of the royal palace and the Oudaya Kasbah. You will have your lunch in a local restaurant. Then we will drive straight towards the blue city of Chefchaouen. On the way you will pass through many small towns and stop for breaks; we will reach Chefchaouen a bite early in order to have time to walk inside the bleu alleys of the medina, take pictures and also experience the local food of the little city. Overnight stay in a hotel.
Day 03 : Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Fez
In the morning, at 9:00 AM we will drive to Fez. Before you get to Fez you will visit the historical site of Volubilis. After a tour with the local guide, we will head to Meknes for sightseeing. Meknès, which is known as “the Moroccan Versailles”, symbolizes the power of Sultan Moulay Ismail with an imposing setting epitomized by the Bab-El-Mansour Gate You will start with the beautiful gate of Bad Mansour, the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, Sahrij, and the Jewish quarter. You will take your lunch in a local restaurant inside the old medina of Fez. After lunch, we will drive to Fez. Overnight in a riad in the medina.
Day 04 : Exploring Fez
After breakfast, you will start exploring the oldest city in Morocco by walking in its alleys and small streets. Fez will enchant you with its mysterious medina, which is part of the World Heritage List. Our visit starts by visiting the Royal Palace gate, the Jewish quarter, the first Mellah ever built in Morocco, constructed during the 14th century. We will ensure that you visit all sites with cultural and historical interest, including the famous Al Karaouine University, which is considered to be the oldest one in the world, the Tanneries, and the Moulay Idriss mausoleum. After lunch in a traditional Moroccan restaurant, you will visit the tiles cooperative and then experience a wonderful panoramic view over the whole Medina of Fez. Overnight in the riad.
Day 05 : Fez – Ilfrane – Azrou – Midelt – Merzouga
Early in the morning, you will travel through the middle Atlas via Ifrane “Moroccan Switzerland” and Azrou. You will have a stop at the cedar forest for a visit to Cedre Gouraud Tree, where you will see Barbary apes. From here we will drive further south, passing by several towns and you will get the opportunity to observe nomads living in tents along the way. You will also see the volcanic rocks. Our next stop is in Midelt where you will enjoy your lunch. Later on, we will continue our drive by crossing the Tizi N’Talghomt Pass (1907 m) while enjoying the panoramic view. You will also pass through Ziz Gorge and the tunnel. Near Errachidia, you will see the Barrage Hassan Al-Dakhil, which has turquoise blue water. Driving to Erfoud, you will have a stop for a panoramic view of Aoufous palm trees along the Ziz River. Your journey continues to Merzouga through the oasis of Tafilalet, the largest date palm grove in Morocco. Merzouga is a small enchanting village, considered to be one of the gates of the Sahara. We will reach Merzouga in the afternoon, where you will check in to your riad. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 06 : Merzouga area and the Camel Trek
After breakfast in the hotel, you will start an explorative journey of the area; you will visit the nomads in their goat-hair tent and learn about desert life. Afterward, you will visit the Gnaoua people, originally slaves brought from Sudan; here you will have the opportunity to listen to their music and learn about their culture and lifestyle. Depending on what time of year you visit, you may have a visit to the lake of Merzouga and its bird population such as the “Flamingos”. In the afternoon, the camels will join us on our trek. The camels will take us to a Berber camp in the middle of an oasis amidst the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. 20 km long and 5 km wide; it is also reputed as the highest sand dunes in North Africa. It is a unique and diverse environment. The camel trek takes about 1hr 30 min to the camp, where we will set up in the Berbers' tents for our magic night in the desert. The camp and the tents are well equipped with all facilities, making you feel at home. In the middle of the desert, as the sun is hiding behind the dunes, you will enjoy your nomadic Berber dinner. After dinner, we will gather around the fire and enjoy the sound of traditional Berber drums under the stars. It will be a night hard to forget.
Day 07 : Merzouga – Rissani – Erfoud – Tinghir – Todra Gorges – Dades Gorges
Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the sunrise on the top of the dunes in the Sahara desert, then have your breakfast. After these beautiful moments, you will ride your camel back to the hotel, where you can shower. We depart towards Tinghir passing by Erfoud and Tinejdad. We will have a break for lunch. In the afternoon, we will continue to Todra gorges via Tinghir. The journey reveals a diversity of incredible landscapes, from the vastness of the desert to breathtaking mountains, green valleys, and palm trees. We will stop along the way for photos and admire the landscape. Upon arrival to Todra Gorges we will enjoy its marvelous Canyons view while hiking on foot, and finally, arrive in the Dades Valley where we will have dinner and spend the night in the hotel.
Day 08 : Dades Gorges – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – High Atlas Mountains – Marrakech
After breakfast, we will drive through the Dades Valley towards Kelaat Mgouna and Ouarzazate. The route through the Dades Valley, the way of the thousand Kasbahs, provides numerous photo opportunities. We will visit the Roses valley and Skoura village, then continue to Ouarzazat, “the Hollywood of Africa”. You will have lunch at the famous Ait Ben Haddou kasbah, the largest Kasbah in Morocco. After touring this UNESCO World Heritage site, our journey will continue through the majestic Tizi n'Tichka pass, reaching an altitude of 2260m, over the High Atlas Mountains. We will stop to enjoy the impressive scenery and visit the argan oil cooperative. We will arrive in Marrakech late in the afternoon. Overnight stay in the riad.
Day 09 : Exploring Marrakech
After breakfast in the riad, you can start exploring Marrakech " the red city of Morocco”. Your guide will ensure that you will see the most important places of historical and cultural interest, including the Saadian tombs, the Palaces of El Bahia and El Badi, and the Ben Youssef Coranique school. You will have lunch at a restaurant near the square; then in the afternoon visit the gardens at Majorelle, Menara, and the Koutoubia tower. Overnight accommodation will be in your riad as above.
Day 10 : Marrakech – Essaouira
This morning after breakfast, we will leave Marrakech “the red city” toward Essaouira, the old Portuguese city. . Essaouira, a coastal city with crenelated walls and houses with white and blue facades, is the "Bride of the Atlantic". You may visit an Argan factory run by women and get to know about the process of making Argan oil. You will explore the port of Essaouira and enjoy a fresh seafood lunch in the medina. The afternoon is at your leisure for a personal exploration; you can swim and relax on the beach. Enjoy your evening meal and spend the night in a Riad.
Day 11 : Free day in Essaouira
After breakfast, you will have a free day to discover the rest of the places in Essaouira. Overnight stay in the riad.
Day 12 : Essaouira – Casablanca airport
After breakfast, we will drive to Casablanca airport, where the tour ends.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.
- Note that due to the long distances, approximately 7 hours will be spent driving each day.
- Infant seats are available on request if advised at the time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Wheelchair accessible, please advise at time of booking if wheelchair assistance is required
- DEPARTURE POINT: Casablanca airport.
DEPARTURE TIME: Time of your arrival.
DURATION: 12 days
RETURN DETAILS: Casablanca airport.
Reviews
Customize Morocco Tours
Everyone has different tastes and passions. Our objective is to create your Morocco Tours – personalized to suit your budget, the length of your trip, and the aspects of Morocco you wish to experience. Just let us know the days of your visit, the number in your party, and what you want to see and do. We will design a trip for you that you will never forget.
Your driver will pick you up from any Moroccan airport or riad in (Fez, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Casablanca and other cities) and escort you to your desired destinations in a comfortable, air-conditioned, 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser. Although an itinerary will be prepared, you will have the flexibility to stop anywhere you like and travel at your own pace.
With us you can explore and enjoy all Morocco has to offer – Camel Trekking in the Sahara Sand Dunes, sleeping under the stars in a well organised camp with Berber tents, hiking the high Atlas Mountains, basking in the beautiful Atlantic coast, and exploring the historic imperial cities.
Please check into our suggested Morocco Tours for ideas for your trip. Tours may last a single day to several weeks and can start at any time of the day, any day of the week, and anywhere in Morocco. Airport transfers are provided for all our guests.
BOOK THIS TOUR
PRICING PER PAX
CONFIRMATION & PAYMENT
- If you are interested to book Morocco Tours with us, we would raise a detailed itinerary with payment details.
- In order to book your any quoted tour, we require a deposit of 20% of the total amount. Balance can be paid upon the beginning of the tour.
You can pay the deposit via PayPal, Western union or bank transfer. The balance can be paid by cash in Euros or US Dollars, PayPal or Credit card in Mad adding 5% for the bank commission.
PRICING INFO
- Your Private Morocco Tours includes transportation via an air-conditioned 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser, all fuel expenses, and the services of your local driver/guide.
The cost will vary based on the following factors:
- The total number of the guest – the more of you traveling, the cheaper the tour gets as you are sharing the cost of 4×4-wheel car & fuel & driver (friends, family and loved ones).
- The number of days.
- Most of the hotels and riads, we recommend are 4* hotels; however, luxurious accommodations 5* are also available. In the desert we recommend special luxury tents with private bathrooms.
- The activities you may choose: camel trekking, sand boarding, quad & buggies riding, horses riding, air ballooning, etc.
- Adult & Child prices are available. Children under 10 years old can have a discount.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Full refund of your deposit will be available, if due to an emergency you cancel 30 or more days prior to the arrival date.
If you cancel between 30 and 14 days prior to the arrival date, we will keep the deposit.
If you cancel 14 days or less prior to the arrival date, we will require the full amount.
Please contact us for a complimentary quote of your desired itinerary, based on the number of travelers, dates of your trip, and the places you would like to see. This service is free and there is no obligation to reserve.