14 days cultural Morocco tours from Fes to Marrakech

At the Fes Saiss airport, we are met and driven to our traditional accomodation Riad in the ancient city of Fes (Medina).

Full private A daylong walking tour of Fes El-historic Bali's medina with an English-speaking guide.

The tour will lead you through the labyrinth of souks and attractions, including the renowned Fes ceramic souqs, musical instrument manufacturers, metalworkers, carpet souks, and the Tanneries. Chaowara There are more than 9000 old cobblestone lanes that wind through marketplaces, mosques, Koranic schools, riads, and secret fountains.

Zaouia Moulay Idriss or the shrine, Bad Boujloud ornate gate, Al-Kairaouine Mosque, and University – the world's oldest university, Al-attain Medrasa, Nejjarine fountain, King's place, and the Jewish district or 'Mellah' are all worthy of a visit.

Your guide will pack as much into your day as possible. Evening in the Riad

Chefchaouen, often known as Chaouen, is a popular tourist destination because of its closeness to Tangier and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Our day excursion to Chefchaouen will begin at 08:00, and it will take 3 hours to reach the "blue city" and 3 hours to return to Fes. The name is derived from the appearance of the mountain peaks above the city, which resemble the two horns (chaoua) of a goat.

Chef Chaouen stems from Shawn, the Berber term for horns. There are around two hundred hotels that cater to the inflow of European visitors throughout the summer. Chefchaouen is distinguished for its blue-washed homes and structures. Chefchaouen is also a popular shopping destination, since it provides numerous indigenous products unavailable elsewhere in Morocco, such as woven blankets and wool clothing. The local goat cheese is also a favorite among visitors.

The surrounding land has a reputation for being a rich source of kief. Chefchaouen is one of the leading cannabis-producing regions in Morocco.
The expanding tourism business caters specifically to Spanish visitors, who are notably numerous around major Catholic holidays such as Holy Week and Christmas. In 1967, Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell visited Chefchaouen. They thought it was "quite 'Golden Bough-like.'" Orton recalls their journey in the Orton Diaries.

The city has a variety of unique mosques. In addition to the mosque at Place Uta Hammam in the medina, there is also a mosque dedicated to Moulay Abdeslam Ben Mchich Alami, the patron saint of the Jebalah area in northern Morocco. His mausoleum and the surrounding community are around an hour's drive from Chefchaouen along the ancient route to Larache.

There is also a Spanish-built mosque in ruins, with steps still present in the tower. return to Fes in the afternoon.

We will spend the whole day traveling from Fes via the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud, the capital of fossils, in the desert. As you leave Fes, the route gradually ascends over breathtaking views.

Amazing views of the Middle Atlas Mountains. In these mountainous regions, the indigenous Berber tribes of Morocco continue to maintain their culture and customs. Along the way, we travel through the Azro cedar trees and have the opportunity to watch the Barbary apes who live this area.

The rural village of Midelt, the apple capital, serves as our midway point and lunch break. Then, we will continue through the Col du Zad, pass the Tizi N'Tairhemt Camel Pass, and go through the Ziz Valley and Gorges.

Before arriving in Erfoud, often known as the "gateway to the desert," we will cross Meski Oasis on the edge of the vast Sahara. We will spend the night at our first faux-Kasbah, constructed in the form of historic Berber and Touareg tribal castles and giving comfort and stunning desert vistas.

Today we officially reach the Sahara. There is a little distance to go (about 2 hours), so the morning is free to unwind at the hotel after yesterday's lengthy journey. After lunch at your accommodation, we will follow the River Ziz through the Tafilalt Oasis and on to Rissani, the last significant market town before the Sahara. Along the route, there are fossil workshops and an archaeological museum to explore.

You may alternatively travel the Touristique circuit, which detours by crumbling mud-built towns, kasbahs, and palm-groves that mark the location of the ancient destroyed city of Sijilmassa, which was once the wealthiest city in North Africa due to its trade caravans and gold. You may also find time to visit the shrine or Zaouia of Moulay Ali Shereef outside of Rissani, which is accessible to non-Muslims and has exquisite mosaic and sculpted plaster interiors. By late afternoon, you arrive at Merzouga, a little town on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, in the desert.

You may opt to spend the night in a regular or luxury class bivouac, a kasbah-style hotel, a traditional riad/auberge, or a mud-built eco-lodge at the edge of the dunes. We propose desert camping so that you can fully absorb the unique ambiance of the desert, as well as the beautiful star constellations and stunning dawn over the dunes. Those who want to appreciate the tranquillity of the dunes must complete their trek on camel! The night beneath the stars at a typical Berber camp.

Breakfast in a desert camp in the heart of the Sahara desert, followed by a camel ride back to your 4x4 vehicle. After a night under the desert sky, we travel from Merzouga Village to the Dades Gorges through the ochre cliffs of the Todra Gorges, the Todra Valley, and the Dades Valley.

Our path comprises the Oasis of Tafilalet as well as the road and Valleys of Thousands of Kasbahs. The Todra Gorges and Dades Gorges, with the high Atlas Mountains to the north and the Jbel Saghro range to the south, offer us a glimpse of another sort of Moroccan landscape - no less stunning, but totally different from what we have seen in the last few days.

The rivers Todra and Dadès offer water for oases and palms in the area, and we will have the opportunity to wander under the shade of the date palms and olive groves that border the riverbanks. The day concludes at the Dades Gorges, where we will spend the night either in a beautiful guesthouse clinging to the high cliffs or in an original converted kasbah in the Dades Valley with superb amenities and rooms with an African theme.

From the Dades Valley, we travel to the renowned Roses Valley and the town of Kalaat Magouna, where the majority of Morocco's roses and rose water are produced. On the way, we will go off-road to a nomadic village at BouTharar where the Ait Atta Berbers live in caves carved into the rock.

We will pass through Skoura Village, an oasis, where we will visit the old Berber Place Kasbah Amredel and a small private museum, before ending the day in Ouarzazate, also known as the "Hollywood of Africa," where you will visit inside the walls of the old Kasbah Taourirt, an authentic 17th-century mud-built house that once served as the courthouse for Pasha el Glaoui. It has been turned into a first-class boutique guesthouse and is an excellent example of traditional building techniques utilizing local materials. Evening in a Traditional Riad.

Guests may choose between a self-guided or guided tour of the renovated Atlas Film Studios in the morning, before we hit the road again. Our path takes us via the settlement of Tazenakht and into the barren Anti-Atlas Mountains. After a two-hour ride, we stop here for lunch; you may visit one of the cooperatives selling the hand-woven carpets for which this area is renowned.

The road then leads us for around four hours past Taliouin, renowned for its saffron production, and on to the walled city of Taroudant in the lush Souss region. Village Taroudant, which served as the Saadian empire's capital in the 16th century until its relocation to Marrakech, is considered as the "grandmother of Marrakech."

Our drive from the city of Taroudant to the port of Essaouira goes via Agadir, the most popular beach resort in Morocco, and then proceeds north along the rocky Atlantic coastline. On the route, you will see sun worshipers, surfers, fisherman, and some of Morocco's finest bananas! You will find uninhabited beaches and, if you visit during the summer, beaches full with Moroccan families.

The route passes through protected forests of prickly argan trees, where women's cooperatives manufacture "Berber gold" - argan oil – by extracting this rich oil from the kernels of the argan nut. On the way, we will stop for a modest lunch. On arriving in Essaouira, we offer a variety of traditional riad accommodations inside the 18th-century UNESCO World Heritage-listed medina, as well as a luxury boutique hotel near the beach.

Essaouira Medina, entering galleries to explore the local handicrafts, admiring the sea views from a beachside café, strolling through the harbor or along the beach, and enjoying a meal of excellent seafood. We can organize watersports, camel rides, quad-biking, horseback riding, and hiking in the local forests and beaches for the more energetic guests. Upon request, we may also organise a morning cooking lesson.

We departed early in the morning for our last destination, the unique and lively "red city" of Marrakech. Your is the final of the four imperial Moroccan cities you will see on this journey. The travel from Essaouira to the old Marrakech medina takes around three hours, following which you have the afternoon free to explore and relax.

Place Jemaa El Fna is where we recommend grabbing lunch at one of the café restaurants with a beautiful roof-terrace view over the daily activities of the crowded main square, including acrobats, snake-charmers, singers, and henna-artists. The remainder of the day may be spent shopping for bargains at the world's largest covered market. For dinner, you can select from one of Marrakech's numerous restaurants or sample the delicious cuisine on the outdoor grills of Place Jemaa el Fna.

Half-day guided tour of Imperial City of Marrakech, popularly known as "the red city" for its famed pink-hued walls. In the morning, our English-speaking city guide will meet you at your hotel and lead you through the souks of the medieval medina, introducing you to artisans, bakers, carpenters, spice- merchants, and apothecaries, as well as visiting landmark monuments such as Ben Youssef Medersa, the Bahia Palace, and the Koutoubia Mosque.

Your journey concludes with the renowned Place Jemaa el Fna. The remainder of the day is at your leisure, or we recommend taking a horse-drawn carriage to the new town area of Gelize to explore the lovely Majorelle Garden, once owned by Yves St. Laurent and originally the private residence of the painter Jacques Majorelle. We recommend returning to the plaza for supper at one of the outdoor food-grills, where you can enjoy grilled meats, fried fish, fried aubergines, boiling snails, Harira soup, spicy ginger tea, boiled sheepshead, and other local delights.

Even if you choose to dine elsewhere, the atmosphere of the Place Jemaa el Fna at night is intoxicating, with smoke rising from the grills, the pounding rhythms of the street musicians, and the call to prayer echoing from the mosques as the masses assemble for this nightly 'circus'.

Our day journey to the Kasbah Ait Benhaddou begins around 8:30. Approximately returning around 6:00 p.m., the trip crosses the Atlas Mountains, allowing you to take in the gorgeous landscapes, small communities, and lofty views of the surrounding region as you travel. After a few hours of travelling, we will arrive to Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, an old structure worth seeing.

location where several films have been filmed includes filming a film. There, they filmed Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Kundun (1997), Legionnaire (1998), Hanna (2011), and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011). During the trip, there are several things to view and activities to perform. Returning to Marrakech.

After breakfast at your riad, you will get a private transport to the airport (Marrakech 30 mins, or Casablanca 3hrs).