Highlights of Morocco
Experience Overview
From the dramatic slopes of the Atlas Mountains to the energetic squares and souks of Marrakech, Morocco is a treasure trove of landscapes and landmarks. Uncover the iconic imperial cities, camp on the dunes in the depths of the Erg Chebbi desert, and stand in awe of Todra Gorge's lunar canyons. This fast-paced tour brings you closer to Berber hospitality and Moroccan culture, while packing in all the highlights.
Imperial icons - Explore the Medinas and souks of Morocco's majestic must-sees, including Fes and Marrakech.
Surreal landscapes -Todra Gorge, the Atlas Mountains and the dunes of the Sahara Desert, journey through Morocco's ever-changing landscapes.
Berber hospitality - Leave the world behind and sleep under the stars at a Berber camp on the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
Highlights
Visit Todra Gorge, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara on a highlights tour of Morocco|Leave the world behind, sleep under the stars at a Berber camp on the Sahara dunes|Explore the Medinas and souks of Morocco's majestic cities, including Fes and Marrakech
Trip Details
Product Code: 20279
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: 4WDMinibus
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: MMR
Starts: Morocco
Finishes: Morocco
Duration: 9 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
- Explore Tour Leader
- Driver(s)
Accommodation
- Hotel Ayoub
- Bin El Ouidane Hotel
- Hotel Zahrat al Jabal
- Nomad Camp - Chebbi Dunes
- Hotel Saghro
- Hotel La Kasbah
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1,300 ($144 /day)
Itinerary
Our tour of Morocco starts in the Red City. With its dusty rooftops, maze-like streets and bustling souks, Marrakech encompasses the essence of Morocco. Head to the medina and people watch while you sip a mint tea in Jemaa el-Fna (the main square) or visit the Jardin Majorelle, just a short walk from our hotel. There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), which is around a 20-minute drive from our hotel. Our Explore Leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and then an optional dinner. If you arrive later, they'll catch you up as soon as possible. Note: This is a fast-paced tour with limited time in Marrakech, if you'd like more time to explore the city, there's the option to add additional nights onto the start or end of your trip.
After breakfast, we leave the Red City and drive to the Ouzoud Falls, swapping the bustle and noise of city life for the tranquillity of nature. Mid-afternoon, we'll eventually reach our home for the night, Bin el Ouidane - a three-hour drive total. Here, our hotel rewards us with views of the Atlas Mountains and the Bin el Ouidane lake.
This morning, we'll start very early to begin our full-day journey to Fes, via Meknes and Volubilis. We'll follow the northern slopes of the Middle Atlas into the Oued Boufekrane River Valley with a picnic stop en-route. Arriving in Meknes, we'll have a guided tour of the city. Once the heart of the Moroccan Sultanate, Meknes was built by the tyrant, Moulay Ismail. While it was once teeming with opulent palaces and grand gateways, much of Meknes has crumbled, though its regal essence remains. We'll visit the old granary of Heri es-Souni and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, before departing for Volubilis, a 45-minute drive away. Morocco's best-preserved Roman site, Volubilis was once the capital of the province of Mauritania Tingitana and home to 20,000 people. We'll get the chance to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site with a tour amongst the ruins. Today ends in Fes, a two-hour drive away, our home for the next two nights.
Today, we'll wake up in the oldest of Morocco's imperial cities, Fes. In its golden age, Fes was a hub of art, philosophy and trade and is still referred to as Morocco's artisan capital. This morning, we'll delve into Fes el-Bali, the oldest quarter of the city, with a guided tour. We'll meander through the medina and souks - where you'll see weavers, coppersmiths and tanners at work - before visiting the Royal Palace (Fes El Jedid). Once we've gotten lost in the winding streets, we'll head out and up to the viewpoint at Borj Nord for a look at the sprawling city from above. This afternoon is free to enjoy at your own pace. You might like to head into the new town and take a seat at one of the European-influenced cafes that line the pavements in the French Ville Nouvelle district. Alternatively, return to the medina and get lost in Fes' addictive pandemonium.
Today's drive is long, but we'll be rewarded with unparalleled views of Morocco's ever-changing landscapes. We'll cross through land traditionally held by the Berber community (known as the Lords of the Atlas). The Berber way of life is unique and lost to most of North Africa, here, music, dance, language, and religion are far removed from the rest of the Arab world. The road will take us via Ifrane and Azrou, where we'll stretch our legs amongst the Atlas cedar forest, home to endangered Barabary macaques. We'll continue into the Gorge du Ziz towards the desert settlement of Erfoud before following the meandering course of the Ziz River into the dunes of the Sand Sea - the homeland of the Alaouite who ruled this region 300 years ago. In the afternoon, we'll continue to Merzouga, a small village on the outskirts of the desert where we'll swap our bus for 4WD vehicles and journey into the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Our home for tonight is right here in the desert, at a Berber camp, where we can relax by the campfire and fill up on traditional tagine. Our camp is basic but comfortable - the twin share tents are fully equipped with full size single beds with mattresses, blankets, and pillows and there are charging points for phones and cameras. The camp site is right on the edge of the magnificent sand dunes, after a refreshing glass of mint tea you may wish to take a stroll amongst the dunes to witness the sun setting over the Sahara desert, the light at this time in the late evening casts shadows over the dunes making them a photographers dream. Dinner is served under the stars after which we retire to a campfire. Note that the camp has shared bathroom facilities, showers are simple and hot water and good water pressure aren't guaranteed.
We'll wake before dawn and head up the sand dunes to watch the sun rise over the desert plains before breakfast. Fuelled up, we'll have the option of a camel ride along the dunes, back to Merzouga where our bus will be waiting to take us south. Today's long drive takes us along the southern slopes of the Atlas, towards Rissani and Tinjdad, where we'll stop for lunch. Our next stop is the town of Tinerhir, set amongst the dramatic cliffs of Todra Gorge. After a long day of driving, we'll have the opportunity to get lost in the gorge's narrow pathways. Alongside our tour leader, we'll take a slow two-hour walk to experience the towering 300-metre-high gorge walls up close.
Our drive this morning will take up through the sweeping scenery of the Dades Valley. We'll follow the famous 'Road of 1000 Kasbahs', home to authentic Berber settlements. While many of the original kasbahs lie in ruins, the remains give us a flavour of Morocco's ancient heritage. We'll continue through El Kelaa Mgouna via the Valley of the Roses, where we'll stop for a walk through the fields and learn about the local agriculture. We'll stop for a well deserve tagine lunch in a Berber village. This afternoon we drive to Ouarzazate via Skoura, a desert outpost sandwiched between the high mountain and the expansive sands of the Sahara before ending our journey in the UNESCO's World Heritage site of Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. Late in the day, when the site is less busy and lights are perfect for photo shoots, we'll visit the Kasbah on foot and climb up to the top of the hill for great panoramic views.
This morning, we'll journey over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass and watch the desert landscape change colour as we get closer towards Marrakech green plains. This afternoon, we dive straight into the heady delights of Marrakech with a guided tour of the city. We'll pass by the rose-coloured Koutoubia (booksellers) Mosque on the way to Bahia Palace, an open-air museum that fuses Moroccan and Islamic styles. We'll fuel up on fresh pastries from a traditional bakery before continuing to the medina on foot. There, we'll be guided through the labyrinth of spice-scented souks, passing by craftsmen selling rugs, leather goods and crockery before dropping by a spice shop to sample ripe dates and almonds. Finally, we'll navigate our way out into the energetic Jemaa el-Fna Square and get a final taste of Moroccan cuisine in one of the local restaurants.
Our tour of Morocco ends at our hotel in Marrakech. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer, you need to depart from Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK).
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Dawn - Traveled, October 2024
It was loads of fun and new experiences.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/06/2024
Suzanne - Traveled, August 2024
The guide Ibrahim was excellent and the driver Mohamed was also excellent. But I found that it was very physical I had difficulty keeping up would have to perhaps get down the age to 65 years. But it was a beautiful trip. Fantastic. Suzanne, Stéphanie and Zackary.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/22/2024
Debbie - Traveled, May 2024
Awesome itinerary. Covered alot of territory in a short period of time.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/15/2024
Peter - Traveled, May 2024
Would like better - more comfortable accommodations
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/17/2024
Jian - Traveled, February 2024
Everything is good. The tour guide Sophie is the best.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/14/2024
Rose - Traveled, January 2024
Morocco was colorful and beautiful. Our guide Mohammed helped make the trip memorable. I enjoyed visiting the smaller towns more than the big cities . The quaint , vibrant markets and towns had so much character . The food was really delicious and the trip was well planned . A destination with so much charm . I recommend this tour .
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/28/2024
Anna - Traveled, December 2023
The tour was really great. Mohammed was a fantastic guide, we saw the most interesting places in Morocco. Truly reccomended!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/07/2024
Sait - Traveled, October 2023
Very good tour. Good planning very courteous tour guide and driver. Overall tour was better than our expectations.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/03/2023
Gail - Traveled, October 2023
We had a wonderful time in Morocco with G Adventures. Everything was perfect. Our tour guide was wonderful. Hotels very comfortable and centrally located. Breakfast was very good and bus was very good. Would travel with them again.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/01/2023
Dianne - Traveled, May 2023
I had the most amazing experience. It fulfilled my curiosity for culture architecture history civilisations arts and geology. It also highlighted to me that although a country can continue in ancient habits it can also lead the world in environmental and technological advancement. I loved my G Adventure. Thank you
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/27/2023
Lisa - Traveled, May 2023
I had a wonderful adventure in Morocco! I saw so many different landscapes and cities of Morocco, each one enjoyable! I'm super impressed with GAdventures and our guide, Abdul!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/23/2023
Sheik - Traveled, March 2023
Our Trip Tour was awesome lovely scenery adventures, Tour Guides was knowledgeable to guide us through the journey of our trip. Many thanks to a wonderful group also to cooperating with the tour guide. All was great for the Bucks. Thanks Again Touradar. We enjoyed all.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/27/2023
John - Traveled, February 2023
The G Adventures Tour to Morocco was superb. The sights, the experience, the friendly people the food all added up to an amazing tour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/13/2023
Katie - Traveled, February 2023
Loved everything about this tour! I have travelled extensively but this was my first time doing a tour. Opted for the single sup. Also all of the option extras and was well worth it. Had an incredible time. The guide Aziz was amazing and the accomodation glitches of cold water or key not working were so easily fixed it is not even worth mentioning and while people have commented on the standard of accomodation, I found them to be authentic and rustic but for the price were great.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/11/2023
Gregg - Traveled, January 2023
I truly enjoyed our tour, I would have changed a few things, but overall, it was great. Specifically the accommodation in the High Atlas Mountains is not appropriate for winter stays. Turning an optional hike, into a required hike due to road closure should have been a "tip". Overnight temps of -7 in a Gite with no heat was an experience, just not the sort I signed up for. Another change would be to have more time in Tangier, it seemed to be a great city with just a short stop to enjoy it.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/05/2023
Maryna Petrasheuskaya - Traveled, May 2022
Overall great tour, our driver Hussain and tour guide Mustafa were very professional and great people to travel with.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/06/2022
Christopher Rosenthal - Traveled, May 2022
My overall experience was excellent. As a solo and very independent traveler, I was looking for an experience that would give me something I would not be able to do on my own. This trip provided that. The days were sometimes long but the payoff was worth it. Morocco is such a beautiful country and this trip really covered all the bases of what it has to offer.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/06/2022
Nicolae Ionescu - Traveled, May 2022
This trip was wonderful, answering to my expectations and even more, I discovered a lot of aspects about this country, its history and people, thanks to our CEO and the tour itinerary. The accommodation can be improved to make it even better.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/06/2022
Simon Pascoe - Traveled, May 2022
Faced paced tour seeing all aspects of Morocco, highlights for me included the town of Chefchaouen, sun sets and camel tours in the desert, and hiking in the Atlas mountains. Very interesting and welcoming country, with excellent food!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/06/2022
Tatiana - Traveled, January 2020
I liked the tour very much. The hotels, the food, the places we visited were excellent! Very safe for women traveling alone. Highly recommended !
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/19/2022
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