11-Day Morocco Tour: Imperial Cities, Sahara Desert & the Blue City

Arrival Airport: Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)

Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival at Marrakech Menara Airport, you'll be greeted by your English-speaking driver and transferred to your riad or hotel in the historic medina.

After checking in, meet your local guide for an afternoon gastronomy tour. Explore Marrakech's vibrant Djemaa el-Fna square and medina, sampling authentic Moroccan specialties including fresh orange juice, warm msemen, snail soup, olives, dates, traditional pastries, and mint tea. Learn about spices, cooking techniques, and cultural traditions.

Return to Djemaa el-Fna at dusk to see it transformed with storytellers, musicians, and performers. Enjoy a welcome dinner at your riad where you'll meet fellow travelers and your tour director.

Begin with a guided tour of Marrakech's historic sites. Visit the iconic Koutoubia Mosque with its 77-meter minaret, the stunning Bahia Palace showcasing 19th-century Moroccan craftsmanship, and the Saadian Tombs dating from the 16th century.

Explore the Ben Youssef Madrassa, once North Africa's largest Islamic college, featuring intricate zellij tilework and carved cedar. Walk through the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) to learn about Morocco's Jewish heritage.

After lunch, experience a hands-on traditional Moroccan cooking class. Begin with shopping in the souk for fresh ingredients and spices. Learn to prepare a complete Moroccan feast including salads, traditional tagine, and couscous. Sit down to enjoy the meal you've prepared while your instructor shares stories about Moroccan food culture.

After breakfast, depart Marrakech for one of Morocco's most scenic drives through the High Atlas Mountains. Wind through the Tizi n'Tichka Pass reaching 2,260 meters elevation, with panoramas of terraced Berber villages, deep valleys, and rugged peaks.

Stop for lunch at a mountain restaurant. Continue descending through increasingly arid terrain toward the desert.

Arrive in Ouarzazate and visit the Taourirt Kasbah, once the residence of the powerful Glaoui family. This impressive fortress showcases traditional earthen architecture.

Continue to Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This fortified ksar sits dramatically on a hillside dating back to the 11th century. Climb through the earthen buildings for panoramic sunset views. This stunning location has appeared in films including Gladiator and Game of Thrones.

Today's journey takes you from Aït Benhaddou to the edge of the Sahara Desert. Travel along the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs," passing through Skoura Oasis, Dades Valley, and the Valley of Roses where thousands of Persian roses bloom each May.

Visit the spectacular Todra Gorge, where massive limestone cliffs tower 300 meters above you. Walk into this narrow canyon carved by the Todra River over millions of years.

Stop for lunch, then continue through Erfoud, gateway to the Sahara. As you approach Merzouga, the spectacular Erg Chebbi dunes appear—massive sand dunes reaching heights up to 150 meters.

Arrive at your hotel and freshen up before your camel trek into the Sahara. Ride into the dunes as the late afternoon sun casts long shadows. Watch the spectacular Sahara sunset paint the sand in brilliant colors.

Arrive at your luxury desert camp nestled among the dunes. Climb a dune for stargazing under the brilliant Sahara sky. Gather around the campfire for traditional dinner and Berber music performed by your hosts.

Wake early for optional sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast, ride camels back or take 4x4 to begin today's Sahara Desert exploration.

Drive to Khamlia village to experience Gnawa music and culture. Visit a local home for tea and enjoy a live Gnawa music performance with traditional instruments. This hypnotic spiritual music is recognized by UNESCO.

Continue to the seasonal Dayet Srij salt lake, which attracts pink flamingos and migratory birds (seasonal). Visit a traditional Berber nomad family still living in the desert. Share mint tea while learning about their nomadic lifestyle.

Return to your hotel for lunch and relaxation. In late afternoon, choose your adventure: sandboarding, quad biking (additional cost), 4x4 dune driving, hiking, or photographing the changing desert light.

Position yourself for another spectacular Sahara sunset.

After breakfast, depart for Fes. Drive through the Ziz Valley, one of Morocco's most impressive oases with hundreds of thousands of date palms. Stop at panoramic viewpoints overlooking the palm groves.

Stop for lunch in Midelt, nestled between the High Atlas and Middle Atlas ranges at 1,500 meters elevation.

Enter the Middle Atlas Mountains and the magnificent Cedar Forests of Azrou, home to ancient Atlas cedar trees. Stop to observe Barbary macaques (Barbary apes) living wild in the forest.

Pass through Ifrane, known as "Morocco's Switzerland" for its Alpine-style architecture. This immaculate town sits at 1,665 meters elevation.

Arrive in Fes in the late afternoon or early evening.

Discover Fes with a comprehensive walking tour of Fes el-Bali (Old Fes), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 789 CE, this medieval medina is the world's largest car-free urban zone with over 9,000 narrow lanes.

Enter through the ornate Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate). Visit the Bou Inania Madrassa, a stunning 14th-century Islamic school. See the Al-Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 CE—the oldest continuously operating educational institution in the world.

Navigate the vibrant souks. Visit Fes's famous tanneries, where leather has been dyed using traditional methods for over a thousand years.

Afternoon: Pottery & Mosaic Workshop

Visit the potters' quarter where Fes's famous ceramics are produced. Tour a working pottery cooperative and try painting traditional Moroccan designs on ceramic tiles.

Learn the art of zellij (mosaic tilework). Watch master craftsmen demonstrate hand-cutting geometric tiles. Create your own small mosaic piece to take home.

Depart Fes for Chefchaouen, with important stops along the way.

Visit Volubilis, Morocco's largest Roman archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through remarkably intact ruins dating back to the 3rd century BCE, including the Triumphal Arch and stunning floor mosaics. Storks nest atop ancient columns.

Continue to Meknes, one of Morocco's Imperial Cities. Stop for lunch, then tour Bab Mansour, one of North Africa's most impressive gates, and the massive Royal Stables built to house 12,000 horses. Visit Moulay Ismail Mausoleum.

Climb into the Rif Mountains and arrive in Chefchaouen in late afternoon. Nestled in the mountains, this town is famous for its blue-washed buildings.

Evening exploration of the Blue City's enchanting medina. Wander narrow lanes painted in every shade of blue. Explore Uta el-Hammam Square with its kasbah and cafes. Shop for local handicrafts and enjoy dinner at a rooftop restaurant.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and final morning hours to explore Chefchaouen's blue streets in beautiful morning light.

Mid-morning, depart for Rabat, Morocco's capital city. Arrive around lunchtime.

Afternoon tour of Rabat: Visit Hassan Tower, the 44-meter minaret of an ambitious mosque begun in 1195. Adjacent stands the magnificent Mausoleum of Mohammed V, housing the tombs of King Mohammed V and King Hassan II. Non-Muslims can enter certain areas.

Explore the Kasbah of the Oudayas, a 12th-century fortress with whitewashed houses overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Visit the Andalusian Gardens and walk to the terrace for ocean views.

Visit Chellah, an ancient walled necropolis containing Roman ruins and medieval tombs. Dozens of stork nests crown the ruins.

After breakfast, depart Rabat for Casablanca (approximately 1-1.5 hours).

Morning tour of Casablanca begins with the Hassan II Mosque. Completed in 1993, this is the 7th largest mosque in the world with the world's tallest minaret at 210 meters. Built partially over the Atlantic Ocean, it can accommodate 105,000 worshippers.

Join a guided interior tour to marvel at the stunning prayer hall with massive chandeliers, intricate zellij tilework, carved cedar ceilings, and marble floors. The craftsmanship is extraordinary—10,000 artisans worked for seven years.

City tour highlights include the Corniche (Atlantic coastline), Mohammed V Square, and the Habous Quarter for last-minute shopping.

At the appropriate time, transfer to Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) for your departure flight.

Depart Morocco with unforgettable memories!