Morocco northern imperial tour in 10 days via desert

10 days Morocco northern, imperial and desert tour from Casablanca

Day 1 CASABLANCA AIRPORT – RABAT

Meeting of driver/guide at the airport; processing of boarding formalities and departure for Casablanca.

Upon arrival, meeting with the local guide for visiting the Casablanca Hassan II mosque, and then, transfer to Rabat.

Accommodation at the hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 2 RABAT – TANGIER (km 250)

After breakfast, visit the city of Rabat: the exteriors of the Royal Palace, the Kasbah, Oudaya fortress-town, the splendid Mausoleum of Mohamed V and the Hassan Tour, the Unfinished Mosque.

Departure for Tangier, international city during the two world wars and famous for its intrigues, excesses and sumptuous parties.

Upon arrival, walk through the ancient port, in the old Medina, still protected by the seventeenth century bronze cannons.

Hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight.

The architecture of the city was influenced by the Catholic Church and includes all of northern Morocco on the basis of the ancient Spanish protectorate.

At the time of the Portuguese occupation depended on Lisbon (1471), although already in the seventeenth century, the apostolic prefecture was entrusted to the Spanish Franciscans.

After alternating events in August 1859 five new Franciscan missionaries were sent to Morocco, a presence that continues today.

Day 3 TANGIER – CHEFCHAOUEN – FES (km 395)

After breakfast, departure for Chefchaouen, a beautiful mountain village whose white and blue colors magnificently characterize the synthesis between the Arabic and Spanish culture.

Continue to Fes, holy and imperial city. Hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight.

Day 4 FES CITY TOUR

After breakfast, full day dedicated to the visit of Fes, “cultural capital” of the kingdom (twinned with Florence), the oldest of the imperial cities and cradle of civilization and religion of the country: here was born the first religious university in the world Islamic.

We will see the splendid Mosque, the Medersa Karaouine (exterior), the Medersa Bou-Anania, the Medersa Attarine and the synagogue. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

The history of Fes is intertwined with the presence of Jews in Morocco: the legend wants to have arrived in the sixth century. B.C. with Phoenician navigators, and then strengthen their communities with the diaspora of 70 AD.

Their presence was tolerated and sometimes persecuted by the successive Berber kingdoms. In 1948 the Jews in Fes were about 350,000, but at present they are reduced to about 8000.

Day 5 Fes – MEKNES – VOLUBILIS – FES (km 160)

After breakfast, a day dedicated to visiting the surroundings of Fes: we will reach Meknes, a city famous for the 40 km of walls that surround it, still perfectly preserved.

We will visit Bab El Mansour, the most important entrance door, and the Jewish quarter.

Continue to Moulay Idriss, a holy city where the founder of Fes is buried, followed by a visit to the majestic Roman ruins of the city of Volubis.

Return to Fes, dinner and overnight.

Day 6 FES – MIDELT – ERFOUD – DUNE ERG CHEBBI (km 470)

After breakfast, we will begin the crossing of the Middle Atlas, starting from Fes to reach the Oasis of Erfoud, called “desert gate”, stopping along the route near the Berber villages of Midelt and Ifrane, home of an important international university and a summer and winter holiday resort.

We then proceed to the nearby Azrou cedar forest, a marvel of nature and one of the green lungs of Morocco, since 2016 in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves network.

In this forest live numerous colonies of monkeys (macaques); along the river Ziz, surrounded by a panorama of palm groves and fortified villages, we will arrive in Erfoud.

We will leave the bus and with the 4 × 4 we will reach Erg Chebbi, a group of dunes formed by the wind that occupy a surface of 22 km, with and a height of up to 150 meters.

If we are punctual, during the day we can witness the suggestive sunset.

Accommodation at tented camp near the desert, dinner and overnight.

Day 7 DUNE ERG CHEBBI – TINEGHIR – DADES (200 km)

Waking up there awaits a day in the desert: stop at the village of Tinejdada and visit the oasis of El Khorbat where you will appreciate the Berber cuisine.

Fortified villages and palm groves will accompany us to Tinerhir, where we will stop at the majestic Todra gorges, characterized by spectacular rock formations and large canyons crossed by a small river of fresh water.

We will pass by the famous source of fertility, where women were bathed to find a husband and have children.

Arrival in the evening at Boulmane du Dades, hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight.

In these 2 days we will cross wonderful scenarios, ranging from red deserts to bright green oases inhabited by Berbers, who will sometimes meet dressed in their traditional costumes.

But above all we will have the opportunity to meet the figure of Charles de Foucauld, who in 1883 undertook an exploration in Morocco, which earned him a gold medal from the Society of Geography of Paris.

From this journey, fascinated by the life of the desert and the populations that inhabited him, he started his conversion.

Day 8 DADES – OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH (350 km)

In the morning departure for the city of Ouarzazate, the “mecca of the international cinema”, famous for giving hospitality to the best productions of international films, with the natural background of the famous Kasbah of Taurirt, one of the best preserved of Morocco.

Lunch at the Kasbah of Aït ben Haddou, and continuation to the heights of the Atlas, crossing the breathtaking scenery of the Tichka Pass (2260 m), where photographic stops will be scheduled.

Arrival in the evening in Marrakech, hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight.

Day 9 MARRAKECH CITY TOUR

Breakfast and full day dedicated to the visit of “Marrakech la rouge”, so called for the ocher colors of the houses and monuments, second among the imperial cities, founded in the twelfth century. from the dynasty of the Almoravids.

This legendary city amazes for its artistic treasures, Hispano-Moorish architecture and green gardens.

We will admire the Saadian tombs, the Koutoubia, the Bahia palace. Lunch at the hotel.

In the afternoon we will visit the souks in the Medina and the stupendous and unique “Djemaa El Fna” square, a natural theater for storytellers, snake charmers and water sellers, inscribed on the UNESCO special list of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 10 MARRAKECH – CASABLANCA (on request, other airports)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport; processing of boarding formalities and departure. End of the journey.

“End of 10 days Morocco northern, imperial and desert tour from Casablanca”.