9 Days adventure tour from Casablanca to Marrakech by Sahara desert

Route of 9 days from Casablanca to Marrakech via Fez discovering the desert of Merzouga in 4×4

Day 1: Casablanca – Rabat

Pick up at the airport or at your hotel in Casablanca. We will visit the Hassan II Mosque on Sidi Boulevard which is the highest temple in the world and the second largest mosque since Mecca. Visit of the city and its main monuments: Alcazaba of the Oudayas, the Royal Sepulchre, Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Hassan Tower. Dinner and overnight at the hotel selected by Family Morocco Tour.

Day 2: Rabat – Meknés – Volubilis – Moulay Idriss – Fez

On the way to Meknés, we will border the Mamora forest. Arrival in Meknés, located at the foot of the Middle Atlas mountains. This city reached its apogee thanks to Sultan Mulay Ismail.20 km. from Meknes are the ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis, the best preserved archaeological site in this area of North Africa. We will also visit the Holy City of Morocco, Moulay Idriss. City perched on a rock, dominates the valley of Oued Erroumane and the plain of Volubilis. We will continue until we reach our destination, Fez. Overnight in a classical riad.

Day 3: Fez

Day tour in Fez to know the city considered as the religious and cultural center of the country, we will walk through its medina (old city) we will feel that time goes backwards: we will walk through its narrow streets that do not allow any other means of transport than donkeys and a constant tingling of people moves through the labyrinthine streets in the middle of which we will be surprised by neighborhoods such as Andalusian and magnificent mosques and Koranic schools. Fez, also famous for the souk of the tanners, you can take part in the artisan procedure of medieval roots, through which they manage to give those vivid colors to the leather. After visiting the medina, another option is to walk aimlessly through the streets of Fez-Jdid, where the royal palace, the Mellah (Jewish quarter) and the oldest mosque in Fez are located. Overnight in a classical riad.

Day 4: Fez – Ifrane – Cedar Forest – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert – Night in Haimas in the middle of the dunes

After breakfast, we will head south to cross the Middle Atlas Mountains until we reach Ifrane, called “the little Moroccan Switzerland” because of the great resemblance of the buildings to those of that country. One of the animals that once lived here was the lion of the Atlas, so it has become the symbol of the city and has been dedicated a stone statue in the center of the city. Cross the famous cedar forests and admire the Great Cedar Gouraud, the largest ancient cedar in the region and also feed the hundreds of Gibraltar monkeys that inhabit the area. Lunch in Midélt or Rich and in the afternoon we pass through the Ziz Valley. More than 20 km. of palm grove and 10 million palm trees make it one of the largest in the world. arrival in the desert of Merzouga and leave in a caravan of camels to enter the heart of the dunes and contemplate an unforgettable sunset. we arrive with the camels to the camp where we will stay in Jaimas, tents made of camel hair as used by nomads of the desert. Dinner and night in luxury tents with private bathroom in the heart of the desert under a spectacular blanket of stars.

Day 5: Merzouga – khamlia – Taouz – Desert Of Ouzina – night in the Desert

After breakfast we will begin the great route of the dunes, passing through the desert by the old track of the Dakar Rally, one of the villages that we will meet is the village of Khamlia where we will stop to enjoy the music of Gnawa and then continue the route towards the village Taouz, from here we will enter, again, in the track of the Dakar Rally towards the Erg of Ouzina.We will arrive at the village of Ouzina, an old Berber village right next to the Algerian border, where we will take a walk through Ouzina and talk to its inhabitants. Afterwards, we will go to see a Berber family and have tea with them. Then we will go to the dunes of Ouzina, where is our accommodation, the Riad Ouzina TGM, his second home in the desert.  After dinner, Berber music with live drums, an unforgettable experience.

Day 6: Ouzina – Ramlia – Tafraout- Alnif – Gardantas del Todra – Dades Valley

We will leave the Riad Ouzina TGM, towards the Ramlia village by the same Dakar Rally track, on the way we will find desert landscapes, dunes, nomads, dromedaries, etcetera. After about 3 hours of travel, we will reach Alnif and the Toldra Gorges near the town of Tinerhir, at the end of a valley of palm trees and adobe villages, surrounded by steep and barren mountains. It is one of the most famous natural views of Morocco, about 300 meters of wall along a kilometer, from here we will go to the Dades Gorges. Dinner and overnight in a hotel located in the Gorges.

Day 7: Dades Valley – Ait Ben Haddou – High Atlas – Marrakech

After breakfast we will go in the direction of Ouarzazate, passing through the wonderful valley of the Roses, with a spectacular landscape of oases and ancient Kasbahs, many of them abandoned, we will arrive in Ouarzazate, the city of cinema where there are film studios, which we can visit.Afterwards we will go to see the oldest Ksar in Morocco and which is a World Heritage Site, Ait Ben Haddou, where films such as Gladiator, The Kingdom of Heavens have been shot… We will continue, crossing the High Atlas Mountains, through a mountain pass of 2260 m. In the afternoon we will arrive at Marrakech. Accommodation in a beautiful riad near the Jmaa El Fna square.

Day 8: Marrakech

Day tour in Marrakech, a city famous for its square, Jamaa el Fna and its souk, which will occupy much of our time: an amalgam of aromas, sounds and sensations unrepeatable. The city also has an endless number of places to wander and enjoy: the Majorelle Gardens, the Menara Gardens, the Saadis Tombs, walks in the medina or mellah (the old Jewish quarter), tour of the walls and the modern city, Gueliz, with a more northwestern lifestyle.  Accommodation in a riad.

Day 9: Marrakech

Transfer from the hotel to the airport at the agreed time. 9 days route from Casablanca to Marrakech via Fez discovering the desert of Merzouga by 4×4.