North and South of Morocco (10 days/9 nights)
- The Battuta Network
- Sep 18, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: Oct 10, 2022
Tour Overview
This itinerary offers a great balance of culture, history, and adventure, as it takes you from the north to south of Morocco. It is designed to cover almost everything this North African Country has to offer. It allows you to enjoy the diversity the country offers from beaches, Rif Mountains, deserts, snow-capped mountains, with chaotic cities and also cozy farming villages. It gives you the chance to live the local experience, through local eyes of your enthusiastic tour leader.
Experience the ship of the desert, the Sahara sand dunes, admire the view of the Kasbahs and their histories
Get lost in the labyrinthine alleys of the old medina of Fes and Marrakech, the walk between Todra gorge massive walls, and enjoy the road through the high Atlas Mountains.
What's included?
AC bus from 1st day till last day
Accommodation for 09 nights/10 days in 4*or 5* hotels above or similar (Morocco rating) on Breakfast and dinner
Professional English-speaking guide from 1st day till last day
Local guides in cities for group of 20 pax plus
4 wheel drive in desert and camel ride
Entrance fees to monuments (Hassan II Mosque, Medersa in Fes, Bahia Palace and Saadiens Tombs)
Assistance
All local taxes
What's excluded?
Tips for guide and driver
Personal shopping
Travel and medical insurances
Lunches
Drinks during meals (water, soda, wine, beer, etc…)
Any other services not mentioned in the itinerary
Day 1 - Casablanca 40Km
Arrival at Mohamed V Casablanca airport, you will be welcomed & assisted by our staff to be transferred to your hotel. Afternoon sightseeing of the economic capital of Morocco, visit of Mohammed V square, Royal palace and Habous district, the residential area of Anfa, the United Nations Square, visit Hassan II Mosque, largest Mosque in Africa, decorated with beautiful tiling of the upmost Craftsmanship, then Ain Diab Corniche.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Casablanca
Day 2 - Casablanca-Rabat 90 Km (1 h drive)-Tangier 261 Km (2h 44 min)
After breakfast, departure to the second imperial city Rabat, the administrative capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. Visit to the Mohamed V Mausoleum, the Hassan Tower, Ouadayas garden, the Mechouer, ramparts and walls surrounding the Royal palace. Continuation to Tangier, located on the southern passage of the Gibraltar strait, few miles from the Spanish shores. Visit of the old town. Descend through the labyrinthine roads of the medina through the spice markets. Visit the Grand Socco and St. Andrew’s Church, built with a Moroccan style and with the lord’s prayers in Arabic over the altar.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Tangier
Day 3 - Tangier-Chefchaouen 212 Km (2h 15 min)
After breakfast, sightseeing tour of the Modern New town, a beautiful drive through rich area of Tangier's California section where you will see the estate, villas, palaces and passing via the king's Summer Palace and celebrities’ homes. Stop at Cap Spartel, the lighthouse that marks the official convergence of the Atlantic and Mediterranean with entrance to Hercules Cave, It is believed that Hercules founded Tangier and he stayed in this cave before his 11th labor (the Apples of the Hesperides). Departure to Chefchaouen, Morocco’s “Blue Pearl”. It has come to be known as such due to a distinctive blue color all the inhabitant use to paint their houses. This tradition trace back to the Jewish traditions and beliefs that the color blue represents the sky which in turn reminds people of heaven and God. This color covering the city gives it an amazing charm as well as a sense and an atmosphere of relaxation, comfort and peace. Visit of Ras el-Maa, a running stream or cascade where you’ll see locals gather to wash their laundry in the daylight. You can sip a tea in the small cafe overlooking the mini waterfall, you will have the opportunity to take pictures of a panoramic view of the Hispanic flavored town lined with blue and white washed houses, tiny balconies, tiled roofs and patios embellished with citrus trees.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Chefchaouen
Day 4 - Chefchaouen-Meknes 194 Km (3h 31 m)-Fes 65 Km (54 m)
After breakfast, departure to the Imperial city of Meknes known as the “Moroccan Versailles” and founded in the 17th century by King Moulay Ismail. Meknes is famous for its 25-mile-long walls. There are numerous historic sites to see and here we name but a few; The massive gate of Bab Mansour, The Bassin de L’Agdal a massive 400m x 100m pool dating back some 300 years. The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is one of only three Moroccan shrines that non-Muslims can visit. Continuation to Fes via the countryside and the foothills of the Rif Mountains.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Fes
Day 5 - Fes
After breakfast, full day sightseeing tour of Fes, was founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Merinids, when it replaced Marrakech as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina – madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - date from this period. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez has retained its status as the country's cultural and spiritual centre. Artisan workshops in the medina are as active today as 100 years ago, and strongly contribute to the city’s industrial economy. Trades such as metal and leather working, ceramics, silk, tapestries, and sculpting are still practiced in these workshops. Original ramparts still protect the ancient city and its’ 9000 passageways and narrow streets.
Your sightseeing tour will include the following:
The Medersa
This theological college, marked by its green tiled roof, is a prime example of Merinid architecture, and it's the most beautiful of Kairaounie University's residential colleges. Inside, elegant calligraphy graces the ceramic tile walls. The marble floors, sculpted cedar, and carved stucco walls—made with a concoction of plaster and egg white—have held up since this masterpiece Medersa was built in 1350. Since it is still in use, non-Muslims must depart during prayer time.
Bab Boujloud
Constructed in 1913, this gate is about 1,000 years younger than the buildings behind it. It's proof that age doesn't matter—the relatively youthful structure is the most strikingly beautiful entry point into the old city. Painted flowers and calligraphy embellish its outer blue ceramic tiles and, depending on one's interpretation, the green mosaic interior either represents peace or the official color of Islam. The Splendid fountain at Place Nejjarine The square, with its splendid and unusual fountain, takes its name from the Souk Nejjarine (Carpenter’s Souk) which is situated behind a wooden door in a narrow street below the square
The Mellah
The Jewish Quarter. The Jews lived here and received protection from the sultan. The main street is especially interesting with its balconies and Art Deco zellij mosaic. Most Jews in Fez (around 300) now live in the Ville Nouvelle. Visit of the Ibn Danan Synagogue, a recently restored 17th century synagogue.
Souks
The souks of Fez are located in the ancient city center, the medina. Merchants selling the same sort of products are generally grouped together in their own “souk”. The tiny alleyways are crowded with the tiny boutiques on both sides The henna and wood working souks are located in the Nejjarine neighborhood and the scent of cedar is everywhere. The main plaza is planted with trees and provides a shaded haven from the warm sun. Various natural products derived from henna are sold here. Nejjarine is also where the fabric dyers are located. You simply should not miss El Attarine, the spice souk. Without question, this souk is the most colourful in Fez.
New Medina
The “nouvelle Ville” of Fez, or the new city, provides a startling contrast with Fès el Bali. Wide and elegant avenues are lined with numerous cafés and restaurants. The modern aspect of the new city highlights the economic differences of the suburbs and the city center.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Fes
Day 6 - Fes-Erfoud-Merzouga 461 Km (7h drive)
Departure via the Middle-Atlas Mountains, passing by Ifrane and Azrou, an important handicraft center. Drive south and inland through a variety of spectacular scenery – fertile valleys and forests contrasted with barren, rocky landscapes. The area is populated with wandering nomadic shepherds attending to their flocks. Pass through cedar forests which are home to Barbary apes, North Africa's monkeys, and on to your destination of Midelt. Nestled in a valley, Midelt is a market town, originally built as a base for mining in the area and surrounded by farmland and orchards. Continuation to Erfoud, a city located in southeast Morocco. Although many ancient fortified villages have existed in the region for several centuries, Erfoud was built up by the French troops after the victory at Tafilalet that ended years of battle in 1932. While it is a modern Moroccan desert town, it still preserves the authenticity of a true Arab city with an impressively wild market and gorgeous surrounding landscapes filled with oases, dunes, and Rocky Mountains. Take the 4-wheel drive cars to the gigantic Merzouga dunes Erg Chebbi. Upon arrival, a welcoming mint tea will be presented. Take the camels and enjoy an outstanding ride along the dunes to attend one of the most magnificent sun set in the world.
Dinner and overnight in Luxury tent in Merzouga
Day 7 - Merzouga-Todra Gorge-ElKelaa-Ouarzazate 411 Km (6h drive)
If you wake up early enough, you can watch the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the game of shadows are an impressive sight. Take 4wheel car back to Erfoud, depart to Tinghir via Tinejdad road with its magnificent Kasbahs. Visit the Todra canyons situated on the east side of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The Todra Gorge is recognized around the world as one of the most spectacular canyons. Here, both the Todra and Dades Rivers have carved out cliff-sided canyons on their final 25-mile stretch through the mountains, leaving behind this series of reliefs and etches in the rock. Continue to El Kelaa through the Dades Valley with a short sightseeing of El Kelaa M'Gouna is most known for the "Roses Festival" which takes place in the city every year. The so-called Roses Festival organized in May each year and is becoming more and more known throughout the world. Continue to Ouarzazate through the road of thousands of Kasbahs.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Ouarzazate
Day 8 - Ouarzazate-Marrakech 200 Km (3h 51 min)
Day 9 - Marrakech
After breakfast, your guide will meet you at the hotel for full day guided tour of Marrakech. Marrakech was founded in 1062 by one of the chieftains of the Almoravid king Youssuf Ibn Tashfin. The Almoravids were desert warriors, very much attached to their Islamic religion; the original garrison developed very quickly into a city where numerous mosques and madrasas (Koranic schools) were built. Andalousian craftsmen built and decorated several palaces, merging their style with the Saharan and African traditions, which gave the city a distinctive architectural flavour. Nowadays, Marrakech is a vibrant city which exhibits a curious blend of the ancient and the modern, allowing travellers the chance to experience the genuine medieval atmosphere of the old medina, and visit the trendiest bars, art galleries and restaurants in the French Quarter, Guéliz, built at the beginning of the 20th Century, all in one day.
Your sightseeing tour will include the following:
El Bahia Palace
Built in the late 19th Century, and decorated by the best artisans of Morocco at the time, this palace – intended to be the most magnificent of its age – features an exquisite blend of Andalousian and Moorish styles. Specially interesting are the harem apartments, the trapezoidal garden, and a huge tiled courtyard with fountains.
Built in the 16th Century as mausoleums for some Saadian rulers and their families, the Saadian Tombs were unknown of until they were discovered by the French in 1917 thanks to aerial photographs. The site comprises more than one hundred graves, distributed in 3 mausoleums whose decoration exemplifies Islamic architecture with floral motifs, calligraphy, zellij and carrara marble, and finely worked cedar wood and stucco. Outside the buildings are a garden and the graves of soldiers and servants.
The Koutoubia Mosque
Built by the Almohads in the late years of 12th Century, the Koutoubia Mosque, and specially its minaret, is the most important landmark of Marrakech, and a symbol of the city itself. The minaret served as model for the Giralda in Sevilla and the unfinished Tour Hassan in Rabat, all three being designed by the same architect. Koutoubia means ‘booksellers’, as the trade of books was concentrated in the neighbourhood during the Middle Ages. The minaret of the Koutoubia, 77 meters high, is visible from almost any point of the city – an old ordinance, still in force, forbids any building of Marrakech to surpass the Koutoubia minaret in height.
Djemaa El Fna, the Square
Nobody knows for certain of the origin of this square, whose name evokes, in Arabic, the contradictory notions of assembly or gathering, and that of absence. Probably as old as the city itself, it was a place for public executions during the day, and the meeting point of musicians, mystics, food sellers, pickpockets, acrobats, snake charmers, storytellers, dancers, fortune tellers and other exotic characters at night (happily enough, nowadays it only retains its more playful aspect). Watching sunset from one of its terraces when the call to prayer from the Koutoubia minaret fills the air is one of these ‘zen’ moments that Morocco offers – do not miss it! Djemaa el Fna became an UNESCO Heritage Site in 1985, as one of the last places in the world where old oral narratives are still enacted.
The Souks
Filling the alleys north of Djmaa el Fna is the souk, or traditional market – the largest one in Morocco. It is, in turn, subdivided in some 18 souks, each one of them devoted to a specific trade or craftsmanship – from spices or ironwork, to the ingredients necessary for casting magic spells. The number of shops – often not much bigger in size than a closet - is overwhelming, and in them Moroccans can indulge in one of the activities that they enjoy most: bargaining. Cunning, patience, sense of humour, and strategy are needed for the game. Try your skills at it!
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Marrakech
Day 10 - Departure Transfer
After breakfast, transfer to airport for departure
Important Note & Booking
Our Website is a search engine. The Battuta Network does not provide, own or control any of the travel services and/or products that you can access through Our Website. The travel services are owned, controlled or made available by third parties, the Travel Providers. The Travel Providers are fully responsible for the Travel Products. Your interaction with any Travel Provider accessed through Our Website is at your own risk; we do not bear any responsibility should anything go wrong with your booking or during your travel. The display on Our Website of a travel service and/ or product or Travel Provider does not-in any way-imply, suggest, or constitute a recommendation by us of that Travel Product or Travel Provider. We only host content made available by or obtained from Travel Providers. We are in no way responsible for the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of such content.
Commenti