After you touch down in Casablanca, the country’s economic and commercial hub, you’re whisked off to the Hassan II Mosque.
Marvel at the grandeur of Moroccan architecture, inside one of the few mosques that can welcome non-Muslim visitors between prayer times.
This monumental space can hold over 100,000 worshipers between the inside hall and the surrounding esplanade. Rising upon an outcrop over the Atlantic Ocean, it fuses traditional artistry, lace-like marble and colorful zellige (mosaic tilework) with bold contemporary engineering.
Afterward, continue to Rabat for a relaxing evening at your riad-style hotel.
Today you’re road tripping to Fez along a fertile region of olive groves, with 3 historic stops in between and of course your first local lunch.
The Roman city of Volubilis is the country’s best-preserved archaeological site. No matter if you’re fascinated by ancient times or focused on your camera roll, what stops you at the UNESCO World Heritage Site are the stunning mosaics, right where the Romans laid them.
Next up, the holy town of Moulay Idriss and pilgrimage site. Enjoy its picturesque setting in a mountain cradle and look out for the circular minaret.
Then traverse Meknes, the smallest imperial city and nicknamed the Versailles of Morocco.
Wake up in your charming riad in the heart of Fez, where your suite is likely bathed in lush garden ambience.
And make this cultural capital your dream destination. Head out to explore some of the 9,900-plus streets of the medina (walled city), of course, tailored to your interests. How else could you navigate this bewildering labyrinth of narrow cobblestone alleys?
From the moment you step through one of its vast gates, like Bab Bou Jeloud, to explore the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) or to follow the scent of leather to the world’s oldest working tannery.
Feel the child-like curiosity through the best-preserved medina in the Arab-Muslim world.
Moroccan cuisine offers a breadth of culinary diversity seasoned by centuries of Amazigh (Berber), Arab, Moorish, Jewish and French influence. Taste your way through the myriad of Fes el Bali souks on a culinary tour, guided by a local gastronomic insider.
Along the way, hear how food reveals Morocco’s story through time-honored dishes. Sample fava bean soup, pick olives, compare 10 types of local honey or sink your teeth into flaky pastilla.
Why not step into a local family kitchen in the medina, prepare traditional Fassi pastries, then bake them at the communal bakery.
Wrap it up with a glass of mint tea to refresh your palate and savor the baked goods.
With all your senses brimming from the medina buzz, it’s time to switch gears with a drive across the Middle Atlas Mountain range.
Known as the four-season drive, this is Amazigh heartland. One key stop is Ifrane National Park, blanketed with cedar and oak forests, and home to the Barbary macaque primates foraging in their natural habitat.
Continue through scenic Midelt and descend a series of dramatic gorges. The landscape then opens to the palm groves of the Ziz Valley with photo-worthy views at every turn.As you near Erfoud, hints of Sahara dunes appear. The rose-gold sands shift with the wind, guiding you into Merzouga, your gateway to the desert.
After a warm farewell from your riad, set out to explore a nearby nomad village. Share a glass of mint tea with a local family and let the hypnotic rhythm of Gnaoua music guide your footsteps through the neighborhood.
As golden hour casts its spell, mount your camel like a local for a sunset ride into the vast desert.
Trade boots for bare feet and sink your toes into the sand at your upscale glamping site. Here, the sky is big, the air is hushed and time seems to stand still.
Delight in a campfire dinner under a star-laden sky. Expect a fragrant vegetable tagine, perhaps enriched with tender local goat meat, a nod to the flavors of the desert.
You might think, “I’ll skip the Sahara — an hour and a half on a camel feels unimaginable.” And we get it.
That’s exactly why we can offer an alternative, so you don’t miss the sun melting into the dunes nor the moment of sipping mint tea around a glowing campfire.
Yes, a 4×4 vehicle carries you into the heart of the Sahara as well.
Still, you may yearn for that classic desert photo with you atop a camel, surrounded by endless sand and sky. That’s possible too.
We’ll bring a humped desert companion to your campsite so that you can pose and meet the long-lashed dromedary up close.
Now imagine your curiosity kicks in and you’ll decide to give it a go.
Curiosity calls you west, through Rissani, past the sculpted cliffs of Todra Gorge and onward to Skoura, sandwiched between sweeping desert plains and the towering Atlas Mountains.
Admire clay houses cling to red-rock slopes as you wind through the gorge, carved over millennia by the persistent flow of its namesake, the Todra River.
Vegetation begins to change in the Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs and the palmeraies and fertile farmland ripple through the valley
You’ll pass small villages nestled into the arid hills. Some whisper of a previous civilization, others stand proud as exquisite kasbahs. It’s here that you break for a leisurely respite.
Explore the storied walls of the UNESCO-protected ksar of Aït Benhaddou, which feel lifted from another era.
Dating to the 17th century, this village exemplifies southern Morocco’s earthen architecture, with its fortified structures of mud, straw and wood glowing in its red-hued tones. Thanks to touch-ups, they appear frozen in time.
Then continue to Ouarzazate, dubbed the Hollywood of Morocco. This cinematic city framed classics like Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones. Now it’s your turn to walk the paths of legends.
Ascend into the dramatic switchbacks of the Tizi n’Tichka pass. Take in the astounding panoramas. Palm groves sprawling below and the stark vastness of the hamada (stony desert) beyond.
Follow your guide on a soft trek into the Atlas Mountains, where your day unfolds at the home of a remarkable Amazigh woman.
Step into her rhythm of life — cultivating crops at altitude or baking daily bread in a wood-fired clay dome oven.
Here, bread is the centerpiece of every meal. You may find yourself kneading and kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. But then comes the reward. Tear off a warm piece and pair it with olives, argan and olive oils, a touch of salty butter, perhaps even walnuts.
Round it off with a glass of mint tea. A local custom, served at the end of a meal to aid digestion and calm your mind.
Come lunchtime, follow the scent of sizzling seafood as the fresh catch is practically flung from the boats onto the grills. Later, stroll through the Jewish quarters, the Mellah.
Or venture into the argan-studded countryside where the groves yield the famed oil, used in both fine cuisine and skincare.
You’ll pass shepherds who tend their herds of sheep and goats. Don’t be surprised to spot goats climb the argan trees and settle into the gnarled branches to reach for the pulpy fruit tucked between the thorns.
Marrakesh feels like a series of villages. Step beyond the medina and venture into the manicured neighborhood of Gueliz toward the museum of design legend Yves Saint Laurent or the adjoining marvelous Majorelle Gardens for a reset in green space.
Want to pick up the pace? Slip into a vintage sidecar, don a helmet and explore the red city with the wind on your face.
And if you’re hungry to take Morocco home with you, dive into one last culinary experience. Choose between a medina food tour, a farm-to-table cooking class or master your take on local cuisine with a workshop at La Maison Arabe.
From your arrival in Casablanca to time-traveling through ancient Roman sites, then into the world’s largest cultural labyrinth in Fez. You drove through four seasons to venture deep into the Sahara, then wandered the nomadic trade route through the Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs. You slowed your rhythm in breezy Essaouira and spiced your senses in Marrakesh’s maze of soul-stirring streets.
This experience encapsulates a time-lapse of a meticulously crafted 16-day custom-tailored itinerary, sharing its highlights, pinnacle attractions and local sensations with you.
Let Morocco Travel Organizer curate your bespoke private multi-destination itinerary tailored to your comforts, interests and needs, so you can explore the very essence of our country.
Where each day brims with delightful wonders of genuine culture, customs and cuisine.
Like a date palm laden with abundant fruit, your trip will be unforgettable because it includes juicy interludes to revel, relish and rejuvenate.
Naturally, your custom-tailored itinerary encompasses every detail.
From the moment you arrive at the airport, where an English-speaking private driver will greet you, to your meticulously selected, exquisite lodgings of either 4, 5 or 5+ star hotels and specialized private English-speaking local guides.
We’ll be by your side with a 24/7 concierge service to guarantee an exceptional escapade.
