12 days tour from Casablanca is one of long tours in Morocco, a tour with blend of culture, nature and adventure. We lead the tour from the imperial cities of Morocco crossing the mountains of the Atlas towards the wild Sahara desert. In the last days we stop to discover the most touristic city in Morocco, Marrakech city with it’s most fabulous sights. The tour also give an opportunity to have some moments in the Atlantic ocean with a day trip to Essaouira city.
At the agreed time we will wait for you at the airport to transfer you to your Riad. Dinner and accommodation.
After a good Moroccan breakfast we will visit this vibrant city, it is a mixture of sites, feelings and culture; outside the medina it seems like a European city, but when you cross its gateway to the Medina, you feel that you really are in Morocco, its friendly people, the alleys of its souk, listening to the call to prayer, all making it a captivating and beautiful city. We will visit the Hassan II Mosque; the second largest in the world, a magnificent building with spectacular views over the sea, as well as the most interesting parts of this city such as the Boulevard de la Corniche, the Park of the United Nations and the Mohamed V square.
We will continue to the city of Rabat; protected by several walls, the medina of Rabat reflects the soul of the ancient city, with its splendid carpets, the artisans of metalwork and the many craftsmen who exercise their art under the gaze of the passers-by. We will be able to visit the Royal Palace, the Mausoleum of Mohamed V and the Hassan Tower among others. Dinner and accommodation in Hotel.
Today we will continue our tour and visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis where we will walk to discover the ruins. There are some artefacts that should not be missed; the Forum, Basilica and Temple of Jupiter, the Spa, the Arch of Caracalla built in marble in the year 217 and of course the Mosaics. We will continue to reach Meknes which is the most modest of the four Imperial Cities of Morocco, there is just something about it that makes it a different place, much quieter and relaxed, we will visit its souks, the El-Hedim square, the Bab el Mansour gate and in the afternoon we will arrive in Fez. Dinner and accommodation.
Today and after a good Moroccan breakfast you will have the day free to visit this great city, the oldest, richest, cultural, religious, spiritual and mysterious of the four imperial cities of Morocco, where you can see that much of it has not suffered the passage of time.
The views that define Fes are :
01. Chouara Tannery : it is the most extensive and best known of the four traditional tanneries that are still alive in the heart of the medina of Fez.
02. Karaouine Mosque : The most important and one of its greatest architectural complexes.
03. Bab Boujloud : the most important gate to the Medina, the oldest and most charming in the entire city.
04. The Royal Palace of the 14th century is one of the largest and most ancient in Morocco, although you cannot visit inside it is worth visiting to contemplate its seven gates.
05. Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss : A shrine dedicated to Moulay Idriss, king of Morocco between the years 807 and 828, one of the founders of Fez.
06. Seffarine square: located in the heart of the Medina, and where one of the oldest professions of Fez still continues; the craft of metalworkers.
07. Madrassas Old Koranic schools, which sometimes house resident students, in Fez there are three, the only one that can be visited is the Medersa Cherratine, which is different from the others because its functional style is a little ornate. Dinner and hotel accommodation.
Today we leave Fes and will travel in the direction of Midelt passing through Ifrane, this is one of the most curious towns in Morocco because of its alpine architecture and European ambience. In Ifrane is one of the most famous universities in the country and is the preferred destination of wealthier Moroccans. We will also visit the cedar forest of Azrou, famous for its large cedar named Gouraud; the largest ancient cedar of the region. This forest is home to hundreds of Barbary monkeys which you may feed if you wish. Our route will continue through the Middle Atlas Mountains and enjoying the landscapes that this route offers us.
The next stop will be in Azrou (The Rock), surrounded by hills, is a perfect place for walking and enjoying the excellent views of the city and its environs. The main interests of the city are is its cooperatives where women weave carpets and men carve cedar wood. We will continue to Midelt, where we will stop for lunch, via the pass of Tizi Talghemt, which means: Neck of the Camel, at 1907 meters of altitude with its impressive mountain landscapes. Our route continues in the afternoon to Erfoud and Errachidia along the Ziz Valley; a beautiful landscape with its red gorges that contrast with the green of the valley. The combination of the beautiful palm groves with the impressive gorges result in the traveller being in absolute tranquillity, its long belts of oasis flooded palm groves, its majestic adobe kasbahs and its fortified towns make it a landscape worth admiring. We will reach Merzouga in the middle of the afternoon Dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, we will go to the Desert, crossing one of the tracks that were used in the "Paris-Dakar Rally" to enter the door of the great Sahara desert and learn how the native people live in this area and share a glass of tea with them. There we can enjoy stunning landscapes and contemplate how nature is changing, the mountains leave a step to the oasis, and where out of nowhere a small town appears where time seems to have stopped, where people lead a simple life with the essentials. Surrounded by horizons of sand that never end and a silence that speaks so much of these peoples. We visit the small town of Khamlia where black Africans have created their village, there they survive with their cattle and their lands and we can enjoy a glass of tea while we listen to the sound of their music. We will pass by the famous mines of Mfis, where the French extracted the Barite mineral; with its spectacular views and proximity to the Algerian border this region invokes many emotions. Finally we will end our tour through the desert with a visit to Tissardmine Oasis where we will stop to see some very ancient sedimentary rocks that contain fossils of plants and animals that once lived in the region. We will arrive at the accommodation to eat, mid-afternoon we will be ready and waiting for the camels to arrive to take us to the high desert dunes to spend a night under a sky full of stars. You can witness for yourself the silence of the Desert, surrounded by miles and miles of fine sand. Enjoy the sunset in the middle of the golden dunes and spend an unforgettable Berber night enjoying tea and a nomadic dinner. Dinner and overnight in an unforgettable haima tent.
This morning we will get up very early to be able to witness the rising of the sun and take some great photos. We ride the camels back to the hotel where you can take a shower and enjoy a well-earned breakfast.
Our trip takes us to Rissani where we stop to visit the bustling market, where there is a special parking to leave the donkeys with which the locals transport their products like crafts, food, animals etc. to sell in the market, a sight that astonishes to all the travellers and tourists that pass through this city. We travel on to Erfoud, known for its fossils and minerals. We can make a stop so you can visit a workshop where they craft beautiful furniture and many items from these ancient lifeforms. We will drive to the Todra Gorge, a spectacular place, standing between these rocks is a fabulous experience, its sides are over 300 meters in height, the crystalline water of the river runs throughout the year and its high walls are a paradise for rock climbers and trekkers. Our day will end in the Dades Valley. Dinner and accommodation in a Hotel.
Today we will continue our journey visiting the Dades Gorge which offers a variety of landscapes much greater than the Todra Valley; true gorges and spectacular canyons that will make our trip to enjoy the nature of this country. There, we can compare the difference of life between the Berbers of the mountains, the nomads of the desert and those of the Atlas. It is a spectacular route enriched by a series of forts built in adobe with crenellated towers and crude bricks, a magnificent landscape in which the desert and the mountains form ochre and red tones and the rivers create gorges that are transformed into fertile valleys. The route of a thousand kasbahs is the most attractive; we will pass through Boutaghar, a small town, where some children play in the street while others carry straw on their backs to their homes. In these towns, more distant from mass tourism, children do not pester you to give them money ... but they do come with curiosity to ask where you are from or what your name is; it is a whole new experience to have contact with the people of these villages. We will follow the Valley of the Roses where its inhabitants cultivate small plots of the botanical species Rosa Damascena, a landscape worthy of admiration for its contrast of colours, here we will eat in one of the typical restaurants of the area. After lunch, we continue along the valley to reach Ouarzazate and cross the High Atlas to reach Marrakech in the middle of the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel.
This morning and after breakfast you will have the day off to visit Marrakech, a city that will undoubtedly surprise you. These are some of the interesting sites of this city :
• The Menara Gardens; a mirror of the Muslim Paradise on earth, this peaceful garden is special for walking and its charm is located in the central area around a huge artificial pond, the legend tells that these gardens were used by the sultans for their dating.
• The Saadian Tombs; one of the most visited places of Marrakech, were opened to the public in 1917, the year in which they were discovered. In the same garden you can see more than 100 tombs decorated with mosaics, in them are buried the bodies of the servants and warriors of the Saadian dynasty.
• The Bahia Palace; a palace and gardens built with the intention of being the biggest palace of all times and residence of the former Vizier, it includes a patio decorated with a central basin and surrounded by rooms.
• The Koutoubia Mosque; one of the most representative monuments of the city, it stands out because of its 69 metre high minaret making it the tallest building in the city and a recognisable landmark.
• Djemaa El Fna Square; you will be surprised by its enormous dimensions in spite of being placed in the centre of the Medina with a maze of narrow streets and alleyways leading off. You will also be surprised when the square completely changes its scenery by day as a fabulous souk and at night it turns into a swarm of food stalls where people gather around for dinner.
Dinner and accommodation.
Our journey continues to the coastal city of Essaouira, located in a small rocky platform by the sea. The personality of the medina of Essaouira is different from other medinas as its orderly layout of streets that give it its own character. Its main business is fishing, so you cannot miss the colourful and lively spectacle of boats returning to port, and savour the incomparable freshness of good fish. Another feature of Essaouira is its immense fine sandy beach of about 10 kilometres; a haven for its tranquility. A city that without any doubt will leave you with unforgettable memories. Dinner and accommodation in a Riad.
Today we will go to Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, on our way we make a stop in Oualidia; a picturesque resort located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by many lagoons, its beautiful white sand beach stretches for 3 km. One of its curiosities is when the tide goes out; you can enjoy a wonderful spectacle of the sand bar and the ocean as horizon. We will continue our tour along the coast until we reach El Jadida, this town has preserved all its walls and four of the five original bastions, its fishing port and its well preserved medina as well as the openness to the ocean are the main attractions of this city. We will continue along the coast to pay a visit to the Vestiges of the Portuguese and we will arrive in Casablanca in the middle of the afternoon. Dinner and accommodation.
Breakfast and transfer to the airport. End of our services.
If the itineraries we offer do not match what you are looking for, do not hesitate to contact us and we will prepare the trip to your needs and requirements and price depending on the number of Travellers, Hotel category and season.