Experience Morocco Imperial Cities

Day 1: Marrakech

Half board
Arrival at the airport of Casablanca.
Visit of the jewel of the administrative Capital:
the Hassan II Mosque, the second biggest religious building of the world, which covers 9 hectares,
two of which on the sea.
Its minaret is 200mt high and, at night, the Mosque is completely
illuminated. Dinner and overnight in a hotel.

Free time and dinner. Overnight stay in the Riad.

Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Meknes – Fes, 318 km

Half board.
Departure in direction of Meknes, small Imperial city that welcomes us with its elegant
Bab Mansour, the most important and notable door.
There are three separate districts:
the Medina, the Imperial City and the Kasbah, and the New City.
The small but very dynamic Meknes is well known for its economic center famous for the olives, the wine and the mint the.
Meknes is just an hour away from Fez, but along the run we’ll visit the archaeological site of Volubilis,
ancient Roman capital, and small archaeological center famous for its intact mosaics.
The site was occupied and began to flourish from the III century A.C.
Supper and overnight stay in a riad in the heart of the Medina of Fez.

Day 3: Fes

Half-board.
Day devoted to the discovery of the city and its labyrinthine medina.
If you observe Fez from the top of the hill where the Merinidis graves can be found, its urban map appears
compact and united.
The El Bali Medina, surrounded by the defensive walls, is a sea of roofs from which minarets and domes emerge.
The Wadi Fez separates the two historical parts of the city:
the Andalusian east district and the Karaouiyine west district
Another landmark is the Royal Building and the ancient Jewish district. Dinner and overnight in riad in the heart of the Medina.

Day 4: Fez – Ifrane&Azrou Valley -Tafilalt Valley – Merzouga, 450km

Early departure for the long but rich in landscapes transfer
mountainous cordillera of the Country characterized by lakes, which fill the extinct volcanoes craters surrounded by forests.
Here plateaus and valleys are covered with cedars, oaks and
maritime pines.
Ifrane and Azrou are the most typical centers.
The first is famous for its “European” air, because of its houses’ roofs and the well-known university inaugurated by the precedent King Hassan II.
The latter is best-known for its thermal centers, realized during the
French Protectorate.
Continuation for the south and the Tafilalt region with its palm groves, once
watered by “khettara”s, underground canals, whose structures can still be seen today.
The oasis was once caravans’ destination, which arrived here after their long period in the desert and it’s now famous for its 800,000 date palms.
Dinner and overnight in a typical desert camp with traditional khaima.
Possibility of staying in a lux desert camp for an unforgettable experience.
Possibility of staying in a Kasbah-hotel with a view on the dunes.

Day 5: Merzuoga – Todgha & Dades valley, 250km

Half-board. Desert and Todgha gorges excursion; arrival in Tinghir. This village is built on a spur of
rock and has a lengthened form. Several silver mines makes the village famous for its jewels. 2km
away from the wadi, the Todgha gorges open up and offer an uproarious panorama. The Todgha
palm grove is 12km long. Supper and overnight stay in a traditional habitation.

Day 6: Todgha Valley – Ouarzazate, 163km

Half-board. Departure for the route of the thousand Kasbahs and the valley of the River Dades.
The valley is rich of history and natural landscapes. Starting from the Skoura palm grove, Berber
village, the 1000 Kasbahs famous street disseminates them up to the mountains. Here the
caravans loaded of gold and spices unloaded, exhausted by the Sahara. The nomad unloaded the
commodities from the dromedaries and the mountain inhabitants of Skoura loaded the mules
directed to the Atlas and Fes. The famous palm groves are protected from the Unesco. The trip
coasts along the river Dades up to the valley of the Damask roses, where in May essences,
perfumes, water of roses and oil are produced. Dinner and overnight in riad to Ouarzazate.

Day 7: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech, 200km

Breakfast. Morning visit of Ouarzazate and its national monument: Pacha Glaoui’s Kasbah. Many
families still live in a part of it. The trip continues toward Ait Ben Haddou (with a deviation of
20km from the principal road), Unesco world heritage site; here a lot of international movies
where shot, for example “the Gladiator”. Pursuance for the “salt” track, to visit a Kasbah
externally a bit abandoned, but which contains Italian marbles and natural intact frescos. The
Pasha served first the sultan and then the French colonizers in 1912. All his treasures were
ransacked from 1952, when the descendants were exiled. The whole area is rich of agriculture and
of unforgettable landscapes: palms, fig trees, olive trees, and almond trees all irrigated by the
Wadi Ounila create a relaxing and unforgettable landscape. Arrival in Marrakech crossing the
Tizi’n’Tichka, 2260m high. Late afternoon arrival in Marrakech. Free dinner and overnight in a riad
in the hearth of the Medina.

Day 8: Marrakech

Breakfast. Airport transfer. End of services.