Morocco’s Grand Tour
takes you to all the
best that Morocco
has to offer. You’ll
see the culture and
history of the
Imperial cities,
experience the
romance of the
endless Sahara
desert, cross
Morocco’s stunning
High Atlas Mountains,
and finish your tour
winding your way up
the beautiful
Atlantic coast.
TheGrand Tour
combines all of
Morocco’s
“must-sees” into one
fabulous trip. The
ten-day, nine-night
itinerary is
detailed below:
Day 1 – Casablanca
Your Dar Morocco
Travel driver will
meet you at
Casablanca’s
Mohammed V airport.
Depending on the
time of your arrival,
you may go directly
to your hotel to
check in or you may
start the tour of
Casablanca
immediately. During
the city tour,
you’ll see the
bustling city center
with its Art Deco
architecture and
lovely seaside
neighborhoods.
You’ll also tour the
magnificent Hassan
II mosque, which is
the second largest
mosque in the world
and one of the few
open to non-Muslims.
You’ll return to
your hotel in time
for a leisurely
dinner.
Day 2 – Rabat,
Meknes, Fes
Depart for Rabat,
Morocco’s capital
city, and once there,
see the outside of
the royal palace and
tour the mausoleum
of the late King
Mohammed V, which is
always guarded by
royal cavalry. You
will also see the
Hassan Tower and the
Oudaya Kasbah, which
sits high above the
Bou Regreg river
opposite Sale, the
historic home of the
Barbary pirates.
From Rabat, you’ll
continue to Meknes,
where you’ll have
lunch in this former
imperial capital
city, built by
Moulay Ismail in the
17th century. You’ll
see the ruins of the
royal stables, which
once housed 12,000
horses, and
experience the
austere beauty of
the mausoleum of
Moulay Ismail.
Other
sights in Meknes
include the ancient
House of Water
reservoir and the
magnificent city
gate, Bab El Mansour.
Continue to Volubulis, the ruins
of the largest Roman
settlement in
Morocco. Arrive in
Fes for dinner in
your hotel or riad.
Day 3 – Fes
You will spend the
entire day on a
guided tour of Fes,
which was founded
1,000 years ago by
Moulay Idriss.
During your walking
tour of the
labyrinthine old
city (this is a day
for comfortable
shoes), you will see
the outside of the
13th century
Karaouine mosque,
tour the Bou Inaniya
madrassa, and visit
the souq to learn
about Moroccan
crafts. After lunch
in the medina,
you’ll see the newer
city, including the
potter’s district,
which is home to Fes’
famous blue pottery.
You may have dinner
at your hotel or in
the medina.
Day 4 – Fes, Erfoud,
and Merzouga
The drive from Fes
to Merzouga will
take you through the
Middle Atlas
mountains. You’ll
pass through Ifrane,
home to both a ski
resort and the
prestigious private
university,
Al-Akhawayn. After
Ifrane, you’ll wind
your way through
Morocco’s famous
cedar forests
(keep
an eye out for the
local monkeys!)
before having lunch
in the town of
Midelt. Some
distance past
Midelt, you will
begin to descend
toward Er-Rachidia,
crossing the Ziz
gorge. You have the
choice of spending
the night in a hotel
in Erfoud, or you
may continue
directly
to the
dunes in Merzouga to
spend the night in a
nomad tent. In
either case, you’ll
see the sun rise
over the dunes the
next morning.
Day 5 – Erfoud,
Ouarzazate
After breakfast,
visit a museum and
store featuring 300
million year-old
fossils. You will
travel toward
Ouarzazate via the
Valley
of 1,000
Kasbahs. You’ll make
your way into the
amazing Todra Gorge
near Tinghrir (lunch
optional). From
there, you will
continue
past
several Kasbahs
toward El Kalaa
Mgouna, which is
known for vast
fields of pink roses
that are used in
perfume. Many small
shops selling rose
products, such as
rose water and
rose-scented soap,
line the road.
Continue to
Ouarzazate, the
Hollywood of
Morocco,
for dinner
at your hotel.
Day 6 – Ouarzazate,
Marrakech
After breakfast, you
will tour Ouarzazate
and visit the 17th
centrury kasbah,
Taourirt, which was
one of Basha
Glaoui’s homes.
On your way to
Marrakech, you will
pass by Morocco’s
largest film
production center
(visit optional) and
take a short detour
to visit Ait Ben
Haddou, a
spectacular kasbah
that has been
featured in many
films. From there,
you will cross the
High Atlas Mountains
at the Tizi N’Tiscka
pass; at 7,400 feet,
it is the highest
pass in Morocco.
Spectacular views of
the valleys are
revealed as you wind
your way down to
Marrakech for dinner
at your hotel or
riad.
Day 7 – Marrakech
Enjoy a full day
exploring Marrakech
with a local guide.
You’ll see the
historic Koutoubia
Mosque, known for
its four distinct
faces,
and the
Saadian tombs and
Bahia palace, which
showcase the finest
examples of
traditional design
elements such as
decorative tile,
painted, wood,
carved plaster, and
calligraphy. You
will tour the souks
and end your day in
Jama’a el-Fna
square, which is a
UNESCO world
heritage site. In
Jama’a el-Fna,
you’ll see snake
charmers,
story-tellers, henna
artists, and
dancers. This square
has been the heart
of the medina since
the 12th century, a
home for performers,
travelers, and
fortune-tellers.
Stop for a glass of
fresh squeezed
orange juice and
enjoy the carnival
atmosphere. If
you’re feeling
brave, have a bowl
of fresh snails or
some sheep’s head
(or have dinner at
your hotel / riad).
Day 8 – Essaouira
The route from
Marrakech to
Essaouira will take
you through a region
whose main industry
is the cultivation
of Argan trees.
Local cooperatives
produce oil from the
trees, and the oil
is used both in
beauty products and
in cooking. Once in
Essaouira,
you’ll see a well-preserved
Portuguese fort
dating from the 17th
century and the
large fishing fleet.
Essaouira’s medina
is charming,
and
there are plenty of
small restaurants
(and one excellent
gelato shop near the
large plaza) in
which to eat if you
prefer not to dine
at your hotel. You
can also choose your
own fresh-caught
fish to be grilled
for you near the
port.
Day 9 – Casablanca
From Essaouira
you’ll drive along
the coast to
Casablanca through
scenic oceanside
villages, including
a number of resort
towns such
as
Walidia, which is
known for its
oysters, and El
Jadida, where many
Moroccans come to
enjoy the beautiful
beaches in summer.
End the day in
Casablanca at your
hotel.
Day 10 – Departure
Your driver will
take you to the
airport for your
return home. |
