11-Day Northern Morocco Discovery

Experience Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 — Casablanca

   • ›Meet-and-greet at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport and transfer to a 4-star seafront hotel.
   • ›If your arrival time allows, visit the great Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco and one of the largest in the world, with room for 25,000 worshippers and a glass floor over the Atlantic Ocean.
   • ›An English-speaking city guide then takes you through the old medina, the port, the art-deco buildings on Boulevard Mohammed V, the Place des Nations Unies, the Cathedral of Sacré-Cœur and Parc de la Ligue Arabe with its lawns, fountains and palm trees.
   • ›Dinner is on your own at a seafood restaurant on the Corniche.
2. 2

   Day 2 — Casablanca to Rabat

   • ›We drive about an hour along the Atlantic coast to Rabat, the seaside capital.
   • ›You stay in a boutique riad in the Kasbah of the Oudayas, with views over the ocean, the Bouregreg river and Salé on the other bank.
   • ›After lunch, an English-speaking city guide takes you through the Kasbah of the Oudayas, an Almohad-era fort with blue and white streets, the Andalusian Gardens, and the old Chellah necropolis with its lush gardens.
   • ›You will also see the outside of the Royal Palace, the half-finished Hassan Tower, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V where the king and his son Hassan II are buried.
   • ›Optional visits to the Oudayas folk-art museum or the Archaeology Museum.
   • ›Dinner at the riad.
3. 3

   Day 3 — Atlantic Coast to Tangier

   • ›We drive north along the Atlantic coast.
   • ›First stop is the old fortress town of Larache and the nearby ruins of Lixus, said to be the Garden of the Hesperides where Hercules picked the golden apples.
   • ›The Phoenicians settled here in the 8th century BC and the Romans later left baths, temples, an amphitheatre, mosaic floors and a small Christian church.
   • ›Lunch in Asilah, a peaceful Spanish-style fishing village with whitewashed walls, art murals and a famous summer arts festival.
   • ›We continue along the coast, with a short stop at the Caves of Hercules near Cap Spartel where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, then reach Tangier for dinner.
4. 4

   Day 4 — Tangier

   • ›Free day to explore Tangier on your own, or take an optional guided day tour.
   • ›Tangier sits on the northern tip of Morocco, dipping into the Mediterranean Sea, almost facing the Rock of Gibraltar.
   • ›The old international zone has long attracted writers, artists, beatniks and hippies.
   • ›Visit the old medina and its souks, the kasbah and its museum, the American Legation library, the small art galleries and the cafés around the Grand Socco and Petit Socco squares, then walk along the fishing port and the beach boardwalk lined with cafés, clubs and ice-cream parlours.
   • ›You choose your own lunch and dinner spots.
5. 5

   Day 5 — Tangier

   • ›A second free day in Tangier, with the same options as Day 4.
   • ›You can take a deeper look at the medina and the kasbah, visit the small art galleries, sit in a famous café like Café Hafa overlooking the strait, or spend the day at the beach.
   • ›You can also take a half-day trip to Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules if you didn't see them on Day 3.
   • ›Free choice of lunch and dinner.
6. 6

   Day 6 — Chefchaouen

   • ›We drive about 2 hours south to Chefchaouen, the famous blue and white medina set on two hilltops in the Rif Mountains (the name means 'look at the horns', after the shape of the hills).
   • ›Free day in the town to walk the painted streets, see the 18th-century kasbah and small museum, the 15th-century Grand Mosque and the lively Plaza Uta el-Hammam.
   • ›You can also drive 30 minutes north to Akchour for a 2 to 3 hour hike to the natural rock arch called God's Bridge or to the Akchour waterfalls.
   • ›Local crafts shops sell woollen blankets and colourful rugs from the region.
7. 7

   Day 7 — Rif Mountains to Fes

   • ›Today we drive south from Chefchaouen through the Ketama region, in the heart of the Rif Mountains, with many photo stops along beautiful forest roads.
   • ›Lunch on the way.
   • ›We reach Fes, the spiritual capital of Morocco, in the late afternoon after about 5 to 6 hours of driving.
   • ›Dinner is served at the riad.
8. 8

   Day 8 — Full day in Fes

   • ›Full day private guided walking tour of Fes el Bali (old Fes) with an English-speaking guide.
   • ›We walk the maze of more than 9,000 cobbled lanes and see the pottery souk, the musical instrument makers, the metal workers, the carpet souk and the colourful Chouwara tanneries.
   • ›We visit the shrine of Moulay Idriss, the ornamental Bab Bou Jeloud gate, the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University (the oldest in the world, founded in 859), the Al-Attarine Madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain, the outside of the Royal Palace, the Dar Batha and Nejjarine museums of arts and crafts, and the Jewish quarter (mellah).
   • ›Lunch and dinner on your own.
9. 9

   Day 9 — Fes to Meknes via Volubilis

   • ›We leave Fes and drive about one hour to the lovely white town of Moulay Idriss, one of Morocco's holiest places.
   • ›It was closed to non-Muslims until 1916.
   • ›Thousands of Muslims now come every year to the tomb of Moulay Idriss, the great-grandson of the Prophet and founder of Fes.
   • ›Stroll the small medina, drink mint tea and enjoy the view over the rolling vineyards down to Volubilis.
   • ›We then continue to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the most important archaeology site in Morocco, listed by UNESCO, for a guided walk among the well-preserved mosaic floors.
   • ›Lunch nearby.
   • ›In the afternoon we drive to Meknes, an imperial city on the plains of the Middle Atlas.
   • ›We see Bab el-Mansour gate, the Medersa Bou Inania, Place el-Hedim, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the covered markets.
   • ›Dinner and overnight in a riad in the old medina.
10. 10

    Day 10 — Meknes to Casablanca

    • ›We take the highway from Meknes to Casablanca, about 3 to 4 hours of driving.
    • ›The rest of the day and the evening are free for last shopping or a walk on the Corniche.
    • ›As an alternative, the program can end in Marrakech instead, about 6 hours by road.
11. 11

    Day 11 — Departure from Casablanca

    • ›After check-out of your hotel in Casablanca, your private driver takes you to Mohammed V Airport in time for your return flight.
    • ›The tour ends here.
    • ›You can also choose to stay longer and add another adventure tour in Morocco.

Know Before You Go