Tangier Trip Overview
Start and end in Tangier! With the In-depth Cultural tour 14-Days Grand tour from Tangier – Back to Tangier, you have a 14 days tour package taking you through Tangier, Morocco, and 10 other destinations in Morocco.
Additional Info
* Duration: 14 days
* Starts: Tangier, Morocco
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco
Start and end in Tangier! With the In-depth Cultural tour 14-Days Grand tour from Tangier – Back to Tangier, you have a 14 days tour package taking you through Tangier, Morocco, and 10 other destinations in Morocco.
Itinerary
Day 1: Tangier – Asilah
Pass By: Tangier, Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
Pick up from Tangier Port or airport. Depending on your arrival, we can visit some landmarks of Tangier.
Guarding the Strait of Gibraltar, Tangier has for centuries been Europe’s gateway to Africa. Its blend of cultures and influences is unique in Morocco.
Stop At: St. Andrew’s Church, Rue d’Angleterre 50, Tangier Morocco
One of the charming oddities. Built from 1894 to 1905, on land granted by Queen Victoria, the interior of this Anglican church is in Moorish style, with no graven images, and the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic. Behind the altar is a cleft that indicates the direction of Mecca; carved quotes are from the Quran. A real interfaith experience! Outside in the church graveyard, there are some fascinating wartime headstones, including the fighter pilot shot while escaping (which read ‘Good Hunting, Tim’) and the moving sight of the entire downed aircrew, their headstones attached shoulder to shoulder.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: American Legation, __8 Rue d’Amerique, Tangier 90000 Morocco
Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the fledgling United States, and this was the first piece of American real estate abroad. It is also the only US National Historic Landmark on foreign soil. After we tour the museum, you will realize that you have entered the plot of an exotic historical novel!
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Musee de la Kasbah, El Casbah Square, Tangier Morocco
The museum is perfectly sited in Dar el-Makhzen, the former sultan’s palace (where Portuguese & British governers also lived) and has recently been completely renovated.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Hercules Cave, Cap Spartel, Tangier 90060 Morocco
The cave has two openings, one to sea and one to land. The sea opening is known as “The Map of Africa”. It is believed that the Phoenicians created the sea opening which is in the shape of Africa when looked at from the sea. There are also some markings on the wall in the shape of eyes, that are said to be made by the Phoenicians, which make up a map of the local area. The cave itself is part natural and part man-made. The man-made part was used by Berber people to cut stone wheels from the walls, to make millstones, thus expanding the cave considerably.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Asilah, Asilah, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
After we visit Tangier, the drive takes you to the gorgeous whitewashed resort town of Assilah. It feels like somewhere on a Greek island, but the tapas and paella on the Spanish menus in the restaurants and the wrought-iron windows on the white hoses are but a few reminders that the town was Spanish territory for a long time. Assilah has had a turbulent history as a small, but strategic port since it began life as the Carthaginian settlement of Zilis. With more than 50 resident artists, five galleries, & several artist studios exhibition spaces. Assilah is renowned as a city of arts. It all started in 1978 when several Moroccan artists were invited to hold workshops for local children and to paint some walls in the medina as part of the town’s celebrations. The town’s famous landmark is its Ramparts & Medina that is surrounded by the sturdy stone fortifications built by the Portuguese in the 15th century, and it is these walls, flanked by palms, that have become the town’s landmark.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Assilah: Riad Assilah or similar
Day 2: Asilah – Rabat – Casablanca
Stop At: Hassan Tower, Boulevard Mohamed Lyazidi, Rabat 10030 Morocco
Departure from Asilah to Rabat. We visit Hassan tower.
Towering above Oued Bou Regreg, and surrounded by well-tended gardens, is Rabat’s most famous landmark. The Almohads’ most ambitious project would have been the second-largest mosque of its time, after Samarra in Iraq, but Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour died before it was finished. He intended a 60m-tall minaret, but the tower was abandoned at 44m. The mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and today only a forest of shattered pillars testifies to the grandiosity of Al-Mansour’s plans. The tower is built to the same design as the Giralda in Seville, and the Koutoubia in Marrakech.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Mausoleum of Mohammad V, Boulevard Abi Regreg, Rabat 10030 Morocco
Near the tower stands this marble mausoleum, built in traditional Moroccan style. The present king’s (the late father Hassan II) and grandfather have been laid to rest here. The decoration, despite the patterned mosaic and carved plaster, gives off an air of tranquility.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: National Archaeology Museum, 23 Rue El Brihi, Rabat 10030 Morocco
The interesting archaeology museum gives a good account of Morocco’s history. Prehistoric finds include a beautiful Neolithic rock carving of a man surrounded by concentric circles. Salle Des Bronzes is the highlight of the museum visit, which displays ceramics, statuary, and artifacts from the Roman settlements of Volubilis.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Porte Des Oudayas, Avenue Al Marsa, Rabat 10020 Morocco
The Oudaya Kasbah is a haven of tranquility, with its flower-filled little streets, Andalusian garden, and Moorish café. Referred to also as Kasbah of the Udayas, the Oudaya Kasbah is one of the most unique sites in Morocco and is the first milestone of the city of Rabat. It’s located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River, opposite the city of Salé.
We finish our visit of Rabat, then we reach your accommodation.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Casablanca, Casablanca, Casablanca-Settat
The journey takes you from Rabat to Casablanca for an overnight stay.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Casablanca: Hôtel Club Val d’Anfa
Day 3: Casablanca – Essaouira
Stop At: Square of Mohammed V, Casablanca 20000 Morocco
After breakfast, we visit Mohammad V square. An Airy square built in 1916 amid French Colonial buildings, with a statue and pigeon-covered fountain. This is where the architect square is surrounded by public buildings whose designs were later copied in buildings throughout Morocco, including the law courts, the splendid Wilaya (old police headquarters, now the Governors’s office), the Bank al-Maghrib, the post office, and the Ministry of Defence building. Many grand boulevards lined with wonderful architecture go off this square.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Hassan II Mosque, Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, Casablanca 20450 Morocco
Built by the late king Hassan II to commemorate his 60th birthday, this enormous mosque was funded by public subscription. It was completed in 1993 and provides Casablanca with an important landmark. It was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau the mosque rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the sea, echoing the verse from the Quran that states that God’s throne was built upon the water. The 210m-high minaret, the tallest building in the country, is topped by a spectacular laser beam that shines towards Mecca. It is the world’s third-largest mosque, accommodating 25000 worshippers inside, and a further 80000 in the courtyard and square around it. The prayer hall is large enough to house Paris Notre Dame or Rome’s St Peter’s, it is blanketed in astonishing woodcarving, tilework, and stucco molding. A team of 6000 master craftsmen was assembled to work on the mosque.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Essaouira, Essaouira, Marrakech-Safi
The journey ends in Essaouira. The drive takes via the highway to Essaouira. Free time & overnight stay in Essaouira
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Essaouira: Hotel Chems Blue or similar
Day 4: Essaouira
Pass By: Essaouira, Essaouira, Marrakech-Safi
Free day to explore the costal wind Essaouira or Taros in Berber. The city attracts plenty of windsurfers between April and November. The city is well known also with its fortified medina and its art galleries and boutique, or watch the fishing nets and traditional boats constructed in the hugely atmospheric port. The city also has a vibrant cultural mix. Overnight stay in Essaouira.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Essaouira: Hotel Chems Blue or similar
Day 5: Essaouira – Marrakech (Guided visit)
Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi
After breakfast, transfer to Marrakech. An official guide takes you on a journey of Marrakech. The tour allows you to visit many landmarks such as Bahia Palace, Saadian tombs, Dar Si Said, and more.
Stop At: Jemaa el-Fnaa, 38 Jemaa el-Fna, Rue El Ksour, Marrakech Morocco
Think of it as live -action channel-surfing. You will discover drama already in progress. The hoopla and halpa (street theatre). The daily performance is underway. Snake charmers blast oboes to calm cobras hissing at careening Vespas; henna tattoo artists, water sellers in fringed hats, and musicians tune up their instruments.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Koutoubia Mosque, Rue el Ksour, Derb Sabai, 13, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
The Koutoubia serves a spiritual purpose, but its minaret is also a point of reference for international architecture. The 12th-century 70m-high minaret is the prototype for Seville’s La Giralda and Rabat’s Le Tour Hassan, and it’s a monumental cheat sheet of Moorish ornament: scalloped keystone arches, jagged merlons (crenellations), and mathematically pleasing proportions. When the present mosque and it’s minaret were finished by Almohad Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour in the 12th century, 100 booksellers were clustered around its base – hence the name, from Kutubiyyin, or booksellers.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Medersa Ben Youssef, Ben Youssef Square, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
The Ben Youssef Madrasa is an Islamic madrasa functioning today as a historical site, the Ben Youssef Madrasa was the largest Islamic college in Morocco at its height. The madrasa is named after the adjacent Ben Youssef Mosque founded in the 14th century by the Almoravid Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf. “You who may enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded” read the inscription over the entryway. This Quranic learning center was once the largest in North Africa and remains among the most splendid
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Palacio da Bahia, 5 Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
What you could build with Morocco’s top artisans at your service for 14 years, and here you have it: The Bahia palace. The palace is a 19th-century building, consisting of rooms decorated with stunning stuccos, paintings, and mosaics palace and a set of gardens located in Marrakech, Morocco. intended to be the greatest palace of its time. The name of the Bahia Palace means in Arabic “brilliance”. As in other buildings of the period in other countries, it was intended to capture the essence of the Islamic and Moroccan styles. There is a 2-acre (8,000 m²) garden with rooms opening onto courtyards.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Saadian Tombs, Rue De La Kasbah, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
Anyone who says you can’t take it with you hasn’t seen the Saadian tombs, near the Kasbah mosque. Saadian Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour Ed Dahbi spared no expense on his tomb, importing Italian Carrara marble and gilding honeycomb muqarnas (decorative plasterwork) with pure gold to make the Chamber of 12 Pillars a suitably glorious mausoleum. Al Mansour died in splendor in 1603, but a few decades later, Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail walled up the Saadian Tombs to keep his predecessors out of sight and mind. It was the French who opened them up again in 1917.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Dar Si Said Museum, 8 Rue de la Bahia, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
A monument to Moroccan maalems (master artisans), Dar Si Said showcases Marrakech’s graceful riad architecture and regional craftsmanship. Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed had the power, but his brother Si Said apparently had the master artisans to make his home a model of quiet elegance.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Jardin Majorelle-Yves Saint Laurent Mansion, Rue Yves St Laurent, Marrakech 40090, Morocco
Other guests bring flowers, but Yves Saint Laurent gifted the entire Jardin Majorelle to Marrakech, the city that adopted him in 1964 After a sequence of events that included, in rather unfortunate order: launching hippie fashion, and an obligatory stint in the French Military. Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought the electric-blue villa and its garden to preserve the vision of its original owner, landscape painter Jacques Majorelle, and keep it open to the public. Per his instructions, Yves Saint Laurent’s ashes were scattered over Jardin Majorelle upon his June 2008 passing.
After Marrakech’s visit, free time and overnight stay in Marrakech.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Riad Anya or similar
Day 6: Marrakech at your leisure
Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi
Free Day to explore Marrakech. The red city offers you a complete change of scenery. Horse-drawn carriage rides, sunny terraces, traveling artists, and other day and night activities will give a taste of a wishful comeback.
You will be able to admire all the architectural richness of the Medina, upon visiting one of its many riads, small oriental palaces overlooking a beautiful patio. Overnight stay in Marrakech.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Riad Anya or similar
Day 7: Marrakech – Telouet – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Boumalne Dades
Pass By: Tizi n Tichka, Imlil Village, Ouarzazate 45000 Morocco
The journey takes via the High Atlas Mountains, through many authentic towns crossing Tizi n’Tichka which connects Marrakech with pre-Saharan oases. the road ascends and takes a turn for the scenic amid oak trees, walnut groves, and oleander bushes. Past the village, if Taddert, the landscape is stripped of color. Atop the Tizi n’Tichka that is 2962m altitude, we gradually descend into the lunar landscape of the Anti Atlas and the desert beyond.
Stop At: Telouet, Telouet, Souss-Massa
Our first stop is the visit of Telouet Kasbah the once-glorious stronghold that has been left to crumble, and the best indication of Telouet’s former position as the center of a trans-Saharan trading empire is the 2nd-floor receiving court. No less than 300 artisans were recruited to complete salons faceted with stucco, zellij, and painted cedar ceilings that make Marrakech’s royal Bahia Palace seem like a freshman artisan effort. But the Telouet kasbah was not destined to be the Pasha’s ultimate pleasure palace. After independence, Pasha Glaoui was ousted from the Bahia palace and died shortly thereafter of cancer in exile in Telouet.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Ait Ben Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou, Souss-Massa
The journey continues to Ait Benhaddou kasbah. The Unesco protected kasbah seems suspiciously frozen in time: with Hollywood touch-ups, it still resembles its days in the 11th century as an Almoravid caravanserai. Movie buffs recognize this red mudbrick kasbah 32km from Ouarzazate from Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth (for which much of Ait Benhaddou was rebuilt), Jewel of the Nile, and Gladiator.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate, Draa-Tafilalet
35km from Ait Benhaddou kasbah to Ouarzazate. This city is Strategically located and has gotten by largely on its wits instead of its looks. For centuries, people from Atlas, Draa & Dades valley converged to do business at Ouarzazate’s sprawling Taourirt kasbah, and a modern garrison town was established here in the 1920s to oversee France’s colonial interests. The movie business gradually took off in Ouarzazate after the French protectorate left in the 1950s, and ‘Ouallywood’ movie studios have built quite a résumé providing convincingly exotic backdrops for movies supposedly set in ancient Rome, Somalia, and Egypt.
Pass By: Skoura, Skoura, Beni Mellal-Khenifra
The drive takes you from Ouarzazate through Skoura. By the time caravans laden with gold and spice reached Skoura, the camels must have been gasping. After a two-month journey across the Sahara, Blue-robed Tuareg desert traders offloaded cargo from caravans in Skoura, where middle Atlas mountaineers packed it onto mules headed to Fez. Ouarzazate is now the region’s commercial center, but Skoua’s historic mudbrick castles remain, and desert traders throng Monday & Thursday souqs brimming with intensely flavourful desert produce. When market days are over and palm-tree shadows stretch across the road, no one seems in hurry to leave. Elsewhere, life goes on as usual – but in Skoura, it remains a wonder.
Pass By: Boumalne Dades, Boumalne Dades, Souss-Massa
Nomads crossings rose valleys and two-tone kasbahs: even on paper, the Dades valley stretches the imagination. From the daunting High Atlas to the north to the rugged Jebel Saghro range south, the valley is dotted with oases and mudbrick palaces that give the region its fairytale nickname – Valley of a thousand kasbahs.
Overnight stay in Boumalne Dades
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Boumalne Dades: Riad Dar Blues or similar
Day 8: Boumalne Dades – Todra Gorge – Erfoud – Merzouga
Stop At: Todgha Gorge, R 703 near the town of Tinerhir, Tinerhir 45520 Morocco
After breakfast, the drive takes you to Todra gorge in Tinghir.
Being stuck between a rock and a hard place is a sublime experience in the Todra Gorge, where the massive fault dividing the High Atlas from the Saghro mountain is at some points just wide enough for a crystal-clear river and single-file trekkers to squeeze through. The road from Tinghir passes green Palmeras and Berber villages until, 15km long, high walls of pink and Grey rock close in around the road. The approach is thrilling and somehow urgent, as though the doors of heaven were about to close before you.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Erfoud, Erfoud, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Fossilized bathtubs and moist, sweet dates are Erfoud’s current claims to fame, though it was once the end of the road. In September or October Erfoud has an increasingly well-attended date festival, with dancing and music. The market at the southern end of town sells local dates alongside fresh produce.
Pass By: Rissani, Rissani, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Rissani is the last town before we reach Merzouga desert, it is also where the River Ziz quietly ebbs away, but between the 14th and 18th centuries, it was the location of the famed desert capital, Sijilmassa, where fortunes in gold were traded and enslaved people were trafficked via caravans crossing the Sahel. Rissani was so strategic that the Filali (ancestors of the ruling Alawite dynasty) staged their battle here to supplant the Saadians.
Pass By: Merzouga, Merzouga, Draa-Tafilalet
As the journey ends on the edge of the Merzouga desert, Once among the dunes, you will be welcomed into a charming Kasbah where you will be able to relax beside the swimming pool and enjoy the tunes of a desert blues band well into the evening.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Merzouga desert: Takoujt hotel or similar
Day 9: Merzouga desert
Stop At: Erg Chebbi, Erg Chebbi, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Watching the sunrise amongst the dunes is a magical experience, and not to be missed. Your breakfast will be waiting for you upon your return, after which you will have the opportunity to visit the nomadic communities around Merzouga, stopping for tea in the souks, and enjoying the traditional Gnawa music. As the mid-day sun wanes, we will mount our camels and trek into the pink sands of the Moroccan Sahara; here, we will have ample free time for you to explore and take in the beauty and vastness of the desert dunes. Once the sun sets, a Moroccan dinner will be served alongside live music around the campfire, after which you are free to explore again – this time in the company of a million stars exploding against the pitch-black sky and the all-encompassing silence of the Sahara at night.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Merzouga Desert: Tiziri desert camp or similar
Day 10: Merzouga – Errachidia – Midelt – Ifran – Fes
Pass By: Merzouga, Merzouga, Draa-Tafilalet
Early wake up to enjoy the magical sunrise. Breakfast, then we travel to Fes through Errachidia, Midelt, and Ifran. We reach Fes by early evening.
Pass By: Errachidia, Errachidia, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Garrison towns are not generally known for their hopitality or culture, but Errachidia is trying to change that with the hospitality of its people. Besides Errachidia is home to a sizable military population stationed here to keep an eye on the nearby border with Algeria, it is also home of the enormous theatre that hosts performers from throughout the Sahara at the festival du Desert.
Pass By: Midelt, Midelt, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Midelt sits in apple country between the Middle and the High Atlas. The landscape offers some breathtaking views, especially of the eastern High Atlas, which seem to rise out of nowhere. Midelt consists of little more than one main street (Ave Mohammed V in the north, which becomes Ave Hassan II to the south), and a modest souq
Stop At: Ifrane, Ifrane, Fes-Meknes
Tidy, & modern, it feels more like Switzerland relocated to the Middle Atlas than North Africa. the French-built Ifrane in the 1930s, deliberately trying to recreate an alpine-style resort. It has neat red-roofed houses, blooming flower beds, and lake-studded parks, all kept impeccably tidy.
Ifran’s other landmark is the stone lion that sits on a patch of grass. It was carved by a German soldier during WWII when Ifrane was briefly as a prisoner-of-war camp and commemorates the last wild lion, which was shot near here in the early 1920s.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Fes, Fes, Fes-Meknes
We reach Fes by early evening.
Fez attracted scholars and philosophers, mathematicians and lawyers, astronomers, and theologians. Craftsmen built them houses and palaces, kings endowed mosques and Medersas (religious schools), and merchants offered exotic wares from the silk roads and sub-Saharan trade routes. Although Fez lost its influence at the beginning of the 19th century, it remains a supremely self-confident city whose cultural and spiritual lineage beguiles visitors.
Overnight stay in Fes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Fes: Riad Ahlam or similar
Day 11: Fes sightseeing
Stop At: Royal Palace of Fez, Avenue Omar Ibnou Khattab, Fes 30004 Morocco
After breakfast, our licensed local guide takes you on a journey to visit the cultural capital Fes starting from the Royal Palace.
The entrance to the palace is stunning, an example of modern restoration, but the 80 hectares of palace grounds are not open to the public. We must suffice with viewing its imposing brass doors, surrounded by fine zellij and carved cedarwood.
After breakfast, a licensed guide takes you on a journey to visit Fes starting with the royale palace. The entrance to the palace is stunning, an example of modern restoration, but the 80 hectares of palace grounds are not open to the public. We must suffice with viewing its imposing brass doors, surrounded by fine zellij and carved cedarwood.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Borj Nord, Avenue des Merinides, Fes 30030 Morocco
We head up here for one of the best panoramas of the city. Like its counterpart on the southern hills (Borj Sud). Borj Nord was built by Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour in the late 16th century to monitor the potentially disloyal populace of Fes.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bou Inania Medersa, Rue Talaa Sghira, Fes 30110 Morocco
It is the finest of Fes theological colleges. It was built by the Marinid sultan Bouinan between 1350 & 1357. The madrasa underwent extensive restoration a few years ago, and the results are amazing: elaborate zellij and carved plaster, beautiful cedar, and massive brass doors.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Chouara Tannery, Hay Lablida Chouara, Fes 30030 Morocco
One of the three tanneries in the city of Fez, Morocco. It is the largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest. The tanning industry in the city is considered one of the main tourist attractions. The tanneries are packed with round stone vessels filled with dye or white liquids for softening the hides. The leather goods produced in the tanneries are exported around the world.
Duration: 20 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Fes: Riad Ahlam or similar
Day 12: Fes – Meknes – Volubilis – Chefchaouen
Stop At: Bab Mansour Gate, 17, Rue Ain El Anboub et Rue Lalla Aicha Adouia Quartier HAMMAM JDID, Meknes 52000 Morocco
After breakfast, we travel to Chefchaouen via Meknes visiting Bab Mansour gate.
Meknes is the fourth imperial city, quieter and smaller than its grand neighbor, it is also more laid-back with less hassle, yet still has all the winding narrow medina streets and grand buildings that it warrants as a one-time home of the Moroccan sultanate. Meknes is blessed with a hinterland abundant with cereals, olives, wine, citrus fruit, and other agricultural products that remain the city’s backbone.
The focus of the Place el-Hedim is the huge gate of Bab el-Mansour, the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways. The gate is well preserved with lavish Zellij and inscriptions across the top. It was completed by Moulay Ismail’s son, Moulay Abdallah, in 1732.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Heri es Souani, Meknes Morocco
It is Moulay Ismail’s immense granaries and stables, Heries Souani, that were ingeniously designed. Tiny windows, massive walls, and a system of underfloor water channels kept the temperatures cool and air circulating. The building provided stabling and food for an incredible 12000 horses, and Moulay Ismail regarded it as one of his finest architectural projects.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Sahrij Swani, Meknes Morocco
Immediately north of the granaries and stables lies an enormous stone-lined lake, the Agdal Basin. Fes by a complex system of irrigation channels some 25km long, it served as both a reservoir for the sultan’s gardens and a pleasant lake. There are plenty of benches to break our stroll around the water, and a giant Giacometti-like statue of a traditional water seller.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Volubilis, Morocco
The Roman ruins of Volubilis sit in the middle of a fertile plain about 33km north of Meknes. The city is the best-preserved archaeological site in Morocco & was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Its most amazing features are its many beautiful mosaics preserved in situ. The site was originally settled by Carthaginian traders in the 3rd century BC. One of the Roman Empire’s most remote outposts, Volubilis was annexed in about AD 40. According to some historians, Rome imposed strict controls on what could sand could not be produced in its North African possessions, according to the needs of the empire. One result was massive deforestation & the large-scale planting of wheat around Volubilis. As the neighboring Berber tribes began to reassert themselves, so the Romans abandoned Volubilis around 280. Nevertheless, the city’s populations of Berbers, Greeks, Jews, & Syrians continued to speak Latin till the arrival of Islam. The building felled by the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Chefchaouen, Chefchaouen, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
We reach the blue pearl Chefchaouen.
Beautifully sited beneath the raw peaks of the Rif, Chefhcaouen is one of the prettiest towns in Morocco, an artsy, Bluewashed mountain village that feels like its own world.
Overnight stay in Chefchaouen
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Chefchaouen: Dar Chechaouen or similar
Day 13: Chefchaouen sightseeing + Akchour waterfalls
Stop At: Chefchaouen Medina, Chefchaouen Morocco
After breakfast, our licensed local guide takes you on a visit to Chefchaouen & Akchour waterfalls.
Chefchaouen medina is one of the loveliest in Morocco. Small and uncrowded, it’s easy to explore, with enough winding paths to keep you diverted, but compact enough that you will never get too lost. Most of the buildings are painted a blinding Blue-white, giving them a clean, fresh look, while terracotta tiles add an Andalucian flavor. The heart of the medina is the shady, cobbled Plaza Uta el-Hammam which is lined with cafes and restaurants, all serving similar fare. IT is a peaceful place to relax and watch the world go by.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Place Outa el Hammam & Kasbah, Avenue Hassan II, Chefchaouen 91000 Morocco
The plaza of Uta el-Hammam is dominated by the red-hued walls of the kasbah and the adjacent Grand Mosquée. Note-worthy for its unusual octagonal tower and recently restored, the Grande Mosquée was built in the 15th century by the son of the town’s founder. The kasbah is a heavily restored walled fortress that now contains a lovely garden, a small Ethnographic Museum, and an even smaller art gallery. The ethnographic museum contains some fascinating views of old Chefchaouen, including the plaza and the kasbah.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Akchour, Akchour, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
Morocco’s lost paradise Akshour waterfalls, a stunning turquoise waterfall oasis at the end of an easy 5.5km drive in the Rif Mountains, near Chefchoauen. After an enjoyable day, free time, an overnight stay in Chefchaouen.
Duration: 5 hours
Stop At: Spanish Mosque, Chefchaouen 90001 Morocco
Looking west, you will easily spot the Spanish mosque on a hilltop not far from the medina. It is a pleasant walk along clear paths and well worth the effort. From the hilltop minaret, you will have a grand view of the entire town sprawling over the green hills below.
Overnight stay in Chefchaouen
Duration: 25 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Chefchaouen: Dar Chechaouen or similar
Day 14: Chefchaouen – Tangier
Pass By: Tangier, Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
Transfer to Tangier. Drop off at your accommodation/port/Airport.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
