Day 1:  Arrival Marrakech | Hotel 2 Ciels; Riyad Dar Rhizlane | D

• Welcome to Marrakech! Upon arrival at the international airport, you will receive the warm Moroccan welcome from personal guide and driver, who will transport you to your luxury Marrakech lodging (a luxury Hotel. (Villa or Riyad options also available). Marrakech’s fascinating history and the city’s stunning architecture captivate the visitor as do its vibrant Medina, the city's safe, friendly and helpful people and the city’s location at the gateway to the majestic Atlas Mountains rising to 13, 671 feet.  As energies and time might permit, today you can begin to explore the labyrinthine streets of the Medina and its fragrant aroma of spices amidst the hum of bargaining voices, bicycles and mopeds.  The souks surrounding Jemaa el Fnaa overflow with colorful textiles, intricate jewelry, ornate furniture, a sensory feast of spices and flavorful sizzling meats amidst stalls filled with leather goods. After refreshing at your lodging, enjoy a sumptuous Moroccan dinner, featuring traditional dishes that reflect the country’s culinary heritage. Experience the lively nightlife of Marrakech.

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Day 2: Marrakech | Hotel 2 Ciels; Riyad Dar Rhizlane |  B L D

• Today is a full day devoted to exploring Marrakech, The Pearl of the South, with visits to several of these colorful historical monuments:

  • Koutoubia Mosque: Admire the stunning architecture of this iconic landmark.

  • Saadian Tombs: Discover the architectural masterpieces and tombs housed in two mausoleums.

  • Bahia Palace: the 19th-century architectural marvel adorned with vibrant mosaics, intricately painted wood, and gleaming Italian marble unveils its rich history and stories of the city’s past glory.

  • Dar Si Said Museum: Explore this museum dedicated to Moroccan arts.

  • Ben Youssef Madrasa: Visit this 16th-century Islamic college founded by Moulay Abdallah, renowned for its exquisite architecture. Intricately carved wooden ceilings and detailed tilework hark back to the grandeur of Morocco’s educational heritage.

  • Jemaa el-Fnaa: In the afternoon, stroll through the famous square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, where you can experience food stalls, storytellers, henna tattoo artists, musicians, acrobats, and other entertainers. Continue your exploration through the various souks (markets) and the ancient Medina, immersing in the authentic culture of the Moroccan Kingdom.  After refreshing at your lodging enjoy a lavish dinner accompanied by traditional entertainment at one of the city’s renowned nighttime venues.

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Day 3:  Marrakech | Hotel 2 Ciels; Riyad Dar Rhizlane | B D

• After breakfast, your guide can take you to wander once more the ever-fascinating neighborhoods of the Medina, and for a visit to Marrakech’s synagogues in the Mellah Jewish Quarter.  The city’s Jewish Quarter is the second oldest such quarter in a country that once boasted as many as 370,000 Jewish citizens living in peace among the country’s predominant Muslim population.  In the years following 1948 when the State of Israel was established, the country’s Jewish numbers dwindled to at present only several thousand living primarily in Casablanca, Fez and Marrakech.

• Jardin Majorelle:  Most Western visitors don’t want to miss visiting the residence of designer Yves Saint Laurent at immaculate Jardin Majorelle in the new town. Stroll through the serene garden along tranquil paths lined with exotic plants and cobalt blue buildings.

• ​Food tour:  An opportunity presents for our travelers to arrange a food tour during their Marrakech stay including a street food tour with specialty guide and/or an optional cooking lesson. 

• The Hammam: Following a busy day of touring and for a most memorable and relaxing experience, visit a traditional hammam, historic bathhouses that offer a serene escape to unwind and rejuvenate with soothing steam baths and invigorating massages.

• ​For an optional included side trip that offers easy walking and a bit of adventure, take a day trip to the breathtaking 13,750’ high Atlas Mountains. This journey with stunning landscapes and charming Berber villages dotting the route can include tea with a Berber family in their home, hiking to a nearby village or walking in open green spaces and/or lunch or drinks at Richard Branson's luxury mountain retreat, Kasbah Tamadot in the foothills of Mount Tobkal.

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Day 4:  Marrakech to Skoura  |  Ksar el Kabbaba Spa  |  B L D

• Following breakfast at your lodging, travel to Skoura with stops along the way. (4:10 drive time).  Visit the lush Palmeraie de Skoura, an expansive palm grove dotted with ancient kasbahs, (“kasbahs” - fortresses or citadels of ancient North African cities that offer protective walls and ramparts providing protection from invaders).  ​

• For lunch, Kasbah Dar Daif is suggested for a traditional Moroccan meal.  Post-lunch, visit the iconic Kasbah Amridil, one of the region’s best-preserved. Delve with your guide into the history of Skoura’s founding Amridil family.

• As the day winds down, stroll leisurely through the vibrant Souk Ait Ben Haddou to visit local artists and craftsmen and perhaps purchase their handiwork.  The evening ends with a sumptuous dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.

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Day 5:  Skoura - Day Trip: Ouarzazate | Ksar el Kabbaba Spa | B L D

• Today begins with a scenic breakfast at La Maison des Souks before driving 45 minutes and heading out for a morning hike in the stunning Vallee des Roses featuring fragrant rose fields amidst the valley’s natural beauty. 

• ​Refuel with a light lunch at Ksar El Kabbaba, a hidden gem offering a menu well suited to its historical surroundings followed by a short drive to the wonderful and photographic national historic monument of Kasbah Tifoultoute near Ouarzazate at 3,810’ elevation in the south of the Atlas Mountains. Also touted as the “Hollywood of Morocco”, Ouarzazate appears in “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Mountains Have Eyes,” and “The Mummy,” and features the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site - Ait Ben Haddou Qasba - seen in shots from the cinematic spectacles “Gladiator,” and “Game of Thrones.” Villagers nearby speak the Tamizeert language, make Berber music, and a local home industry is carpet making.

• Return (45 minutes) to Skoura for a delicious dinner experience at one of our favorite restaurants.  Rest and relax in one of the town’s best lodgings to mark a nice end to a remarkable day.

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Day 6: Merzouga | Xaluca La Belle Etoile Luxury Camp | B D

• After a tasty breakfast, journey into the vast Sahara Desert through the scenic Dades Valley and stop at awe-inspiring Todra Gorge (2:20 drive time). This dramatic landscape with towering cliffs is a striking contrast to the vastness of the world’s largest dry desert, the Sahara.

• Continue on to Erfoud and Merzouga, gateway to the desert (3:00 drive time), where you’ll embark on a traditional camel ride (or optional 4x4 desert ride) across the sweeping Erg Chebbi dunes and to your camp home for the evening. As the sun sets over the golden sands, you’ll settle into your Erg Chebbi luxury desert camp for a memorable night under the star-filled sky immersed in the tranquility of the Sahara.

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Day 7:  Merzouga to Fez | Hotel Palais Faraj | B L D

• After breakfast today, set off on the six+-hour drive to Fez, Morocco’s preeminent Imperial City as you navigate a range of diverse landscapes with flexible stops to enjoy vistas and landscapes. Traverse lush palm groves of the Ziz Gorge, cross the rugged arid, Middle Atlas Plateau and enjoy views reminiscent of Europe’s Alpine region. As you approach Fez, the charms of this important ancient city become apparent. Upon arrival, check in to beautifully appointed five-star luxurious Riyad Maison Bleue*, a beautifully appointed Riyad blending artistic décor with the historic essence of this remarkable city as you rest and relax before enjoying dinner following a long day on the road.  (Note: *Riyad Maison Bleue, as available on sufficient advance booking; alternative – a comparable 5***** Riyad)

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Day 8:  Exploring Fez | Hotel Palais Faraj | B L D

• Explore the city’s intricate mosques and madrasas, renowned for stunning architecture and decorative artistry. Fez boasts Morocco’s first Jewish District established in 1438.  Visit the vibrant tannery where traditional leather production methods are still in practice. 

• Discover the historical and cultural treasures of Fez with your guide on the comprehensive private tour of this Imperial City and its stunning architecture. Fez boasts the world’s largest Medina and car-free zone, a labyrinth of narrow streets and souks - the hub of the city’s culture and spirituality.

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• Fez Highlights​

  • Jardin Jnan Sbil: these gardens were created in the 19th century and were originally exclusive to royal elites. They were connected to the Royal Palace by an underground passage.

  • Al-Attarine Madrasa:  It was built in 1323-25 and is considered one of the highest achievements of Marinid architecture due to its rich and harmonious decoration and its efficient use of limited space.

  • Chouara Tannery:  It is the largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest

  • Fez el-Bali: The oldest walled part of Fez - an engaging local neighborhood

  • Museo Nejjarine: The specialty museum of wooden arts and crafts

  • Bab Boujloud: Ornate carved city gates

 

• Conclude your day by relaxing at your excellent hotel spa to the captivating sounds of the evening call to prayer while reflecting on the rich heritage and vibrant atmosphere of historic Fez.

 

Day 9:  Fez to Volubilis & Meknes  |  Zaki Suites Hotel & Spa | B L D

• Today after breakfast you’ll embark on a memorable historical tour of the ancient 2000-year-old Roman ruins of Volubilis, Morocco’s best-preserved archaeological site and since 1997 a UNESCO World Heritage site. (1:30 drive time). Only half of Volubilis’s Roman ruins have been excavated.  Its many beautiful mosaics, the city’s most striking features, are preserved in situ and travelers marvel at Roman archways while learning the past of this once prosperous Roman city.  

• Continue on to Meknes (:45 drive time), a quieter, laid-back town. Meknes was Morocco’s 4th Imperial City, its former capital and the home of the country’s sultanate. The city is no less important historically than Fez due to its road network and three sets of defensive fortifications. The king’s tomb stands in the heart of what remains of the original imperial city, flanked by a majestic royal granary – the magnificent Bab El Mansour –which not even Fez can compete with. On the other side of the vast square Hedim visit the Museum of Moroccan Art “Dar Jamai” offering views of a wide variety of handicrafts  Learn Meknes’s history and its cultural and military significance while admiring monumental archways, ramparts and gates, and impressive city walls.  ​After dinner relax in your excellent accommodations.

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Day 10:  Meknes - Rabat - Casablanca | Hotel Barcelo Anfa | B L D

• On a final full day of touring, travel from Meknes toward Casablanca via Rabat, Morocco’s fourth Imperial Kingdom city. Visit the Royal Palace, the official residence of the King of Morocco and the city’s ancient medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Continuing (1:10 drive time) along the Moroccan coastline we arrive in Casablanca, Morocco’s most contemporary, cosmopolitan city and business center featuring the monolithic and majestic Hassan II Mosque, renowned in the Muslim world as Islam’s second-largest house of worship. This architectural marvel, with its intricate details and stunning oceanfront location, provides a captivating glimpse into Morocco’s spiritual heritage. Along with a visit to a favorite local restaurant for a delicious lunch, your guide will take you for visits to famous Rick’s Café of classic Humphrey Bogart’s “Casablanca” film fame, the Royal Palace of Casablanca, a stroll around the old Medina and a stop at United Nations Square. 

• Settle for a final night into your comfortable hotel, a luxurious retreat to relax and reflect on what we at MTAG Morocco hope will be your lifetime memories of a fascinating series of travel adventures in Morocco with us.

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Day 11: Casablanca; Departure | B

• On your final day, your guide and driver will escort you to Casablanca Airport for your departure.  Bid fond farewells to them and other travel partners as you return home to reminisce and hopefully cherish memories of your Morocco travels for a lifetime.

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Note: this tour is modifiable to start in Casablanca and end in Marrakech, or extended to add 3+/- optional days of relaxation, golf, spa and sport near Marrakech, or at the laid-back historical beach town we loved of Essaouira.

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*Notes: (1) MTAG Itineraries are customized to suit each group's interests, pace and budget; (2) Listed lodgings are indicative of excellent quality our travelers can expect. All accommodations, however, employ supply-and-demand algorithms causing day-to-day room prices to fluctuate wildly; as a result, comparable properties to those listed may occasionally be substituted for those listed.  ​