10-Day Imperial Cities of Morocco with the High Atlas

Experience Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 — Casablanca to Rabat

   • ›Meet-and-greet at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport.
   • ›We make a short stop in Casablanca with lunch on the beachfront and a visit to the great Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco, with room for 25,000 worshippers.
   • ›Then we drive about an hour up the Atlantic coast to Rabat.
   • ›You stay in a boutique riad in the Kasbah of the Oudayas, with views over the ocean, the Bouregreg river and the city of Salé on the other bank.
   • ›Depending on your arrival time, you may also visit the Oudayas folk-art museum or the Rabat Museum of Archaeology.
2. 2

   Day 2 — Rabat to Meknes

   • ›Three-hour guided morning tour of Rabat with an English-speaking guide.
   • ›You will see the pretty Kasbah of the Oudayas from the Almohad period, the Andalusian Gardens, the Chellah necropolis with its old Roman garden and olive grove, the outside of the Royal Palace, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V where the king and his son Hassan II are buried.
   • ›Lunch in Rabat, then a 2-hour drive to Meknes, surrounded by the fertile plain of the Middle Atlas with its olive trees, wheat fields and orchards.
   • ›Free afternoon to walk in the markets and the medina or to visit the 19th-century Dar Jamai museum.
3. 3

   Day 3 — Meknes to Volubilis and Fes

   • ›Morning guided tour of Meknes with an English-speaking city guide.
   • ›You will see Moorish palaces, mosques, ramparts and traditional architecture.
   • ›The main sights include the great Bab el-Mansour gate, the Medersa Bou Inania, the Place el-Hedim, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the covered markets.
   • ›After lunch, a 1-hour drive to the Roman city of Volubilis, the most important archaeology site in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
   • ›A local guide will show you its remarkable mosaic floors.
   • ›We then drive up to the hilltop village of Moulay Idriss, a sacred pilgrimage town, for a tea stop with views across the vineyards.
   • ›We reach Fes in the evening for dinner at the riad.
4. 4

   Day 4 — Full day in Fes

   • ›Full day private guided walking tour of Fes el Bali (old Fes) with an English-speaking guide.
   • ›We walk through more than 9,000 narrow lanes, with markets, mosques, Koranic schools, riads and hidden fountains.
   • ›We see the pottery souk, the makers of musical instruments, the metal workers, the carpet souk and the colourful Chouwara tanneries.
   • ›Visits include the Moulay Idriss Zaouia, the ornamental Bab Bou Jeloud gate, the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University (the oldest in the world), the Al-Attarine Madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain, the outside of the Royal Palace, the Dar Batha and Nejjarine museums, and the Jewish mellah.
   • ›Free evening.
5. 5

   Day 5 — Free day in Fes

   • ›Free day for shopping or for your own exploration.
   • ›Optional activities include a cooking class with a local cook, a food tour of the medina, or a half-day hike in the Middle Atlas Mountains.
   • ›You can also relax at the riad, visit a traditional hammam, or browse the antique and carpet shops.
6. 6

   Day 6 — Fes to Ouzoud via Azrou

   • ›Early morning departure from Fes heading south.
   • ›We stop in the cedar forests of Azrou to stretch the legs and look for the Barbary apes that live there.
   • ›We then drive across open country, with the Middle Atlas Mountains on one side and rich farmland on the other.
   • ›Lunch in Beni Mellal.
   • ›Late afternoon arrival at Ouzoud, a small Berber village famous for the highest waterfalls in Morocco, where you can see rainbows in the spray.
   • ›Overnight in a charming guesthouse with dinner.
7. 7

   Day 7 — Cascades d'Ouzoud to Marrakech

   • ›Morning walk by the spectacular Ouzoud waterfalls, going down through the terraces to the pools at the bottom.
   • ›You may see Barbary apes in the trees and small cafés among the rocks.
   • ›Lunch in a quiet setting near the falls, then a 3-hour drive south to the lively imperial city of Marrakech.
   • ›You can choose between a riad in the medina, a hotel in the new town, or a guesthouse in the palm grove.
   • ›Dinner included at your hotel.
8. 8

   Day 8 — Marrakech guided tour

   • ›Half-day guided city tour of the red city of Marrakech, named after its pink ramparts.
   • ›With an English-speaking guide you will walk through the souks of the medieval medina to meet artisans, bakers, carpenters, spice merchants and apothecaries.
   • ›You also visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Bahia Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque.
   • ›The tour ends at the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square, where you can have lunch on a rooftop terrace and watch the snake charmers, story tellers, musicians and acrobats below.
   • ›In the evening you can try the outdoor food stalls with grilled meat, fried fish, snails, harira soup and spiced ginger tea.
9. 9

   Day 9 — Free day in Marrakech

   • ›Free day to keep exploring the medina or to visit the famous Majorelle Gardens in the new town, by taxi or by horse-drawn carriage.
   • ›Many optional activities can be added: cooking class, hot-air balloon ride at sunrise, horse riding, camel ride in the palm grove, quad biking, golf, or hammam and spa treatments.
10. 10

    Day 10 — Marrakech departure

    • ›After breakfast, transfer to Marrakech airport for your departure flight, or to Casablanca airport if needed (about 3 hours).
    • ›You can also choose to stay longer and add another Morocco tour, for example to the Sahara or to the Atlantic coast.

Know Before You Go