Overview & Highlights:
- Discover Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco and its largest city.
- Visit Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Africa.
- Visit Morocco Mall, the largest shopping center in Africa.
- Explore Marrakech with professional guide.
- Explore Rabat, the current capital city of Morocco.
- Visit Hassan Tower, Mohammed V Mausoleum and Oudayas Kasbah.
- Visit the imperial city of Meknes and its ancient Medina.
- Visit Volubilis, the site of the old Roman ruins.
- Explore the ancient medina of Fes with a private guide.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival – Casablanca.
Upon arrival, we will meet you at the airport and head to your accommodation in Casablanca. There you will take time to relax and recover from your journey.
Overnight in Casablanca.
Day 2: Casablanca – Marrakech.
After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel. Making our journey in Casablanca, and begin with a visit to the stunning Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world that non-Muslims are allowed to enter. Able to accommodate up to 105,000 people in prayer, this marvel of modern Moroccan architecture is the work of hundreds of expert craftsmen from around the country, many of them donating their work.
Then we drive along the Cornish where you can have also short walk, at its end there is Morocco Mall, the largest shopping center in Africa which was opened in December 2011, with an impressive marine aquarium that extends through all floors and presents forty fish species. You can also visit mohamed V plaza and the Rick’s cafe. In the afternoon we will resume our journey to Marrakech.
Overnight in Marrakech.
Day 3: Marrakech sightseeing.
Today, after breakfast you will start your Marrakech tour with a private guide. You will begin with a visit to the Koutoubia minaret, the tallest in Marrakech. Within the city walls, no building is allowed to be taller than the Koutoubia. The minaret is part of the largest mosque in Marrakech, which was completed in 1199.
Then tour the Bahia Palace, a late 19th-century palace built for the grand vizier and named for his favorite wife. The rooms, set in a 2-acre garden, include the rooms which housed his harem, an often political position. From there you will have walk to explore Jemaa el Fna, the primary square in the medina and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Though now filled with street performers, snake charmers, merchants, and orange juice stalls, when it was created in 1050, it was used for public executions, perhaps leading to its name which can be translated as “assembly of death”. Head into the souks surrounding Jemaa el Fna and make stop at a Berber Apothecary shop, learning of the medicinal uses of many of the common spices and herbs that are still used across Morocco to treat common illnesses.
While it’s not as picturesque as the heaps of spices you find in the market, it is far more informative. Then visit the several workshops including shoemakers and bakers. In the afternoon you will enjoy a traditional lunch in the square before going back to your accommodation.
Overnight in Marrakech.
Day 4: Marrakech – Rabat – Meknes.
In the morning and after breakfast, we will leave Marrakech and make journey to Rabat, Morocco’s fourth imperial city, where you will visit the Hassan Tower, which has sat unfinished since 1199. Standing opposite the Hassan Tower is the Mohammed V Mausoleum, which contains the tombs of Mohammed V, the current king’s grandfather, as well as the king’s father, Hassan II, and his uncle, Prince Abdullah.
Visit also the Kasbah of the Oudayas, which is a small fortified town area of the city, with white and blue houses, a nice Moorish garden and a breath taking view of the opposite city Sale and the Atlantic Ocean. Stop for lunch in a restaurant that serves delicious Moroccan food and seafood. Then continue to Meknes. On the way we will make stop to explore Volubilis the site of the ancient Roman ruins dates back to 3 BCE, when it was the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania.
The remains of many ancient structures are still being excavated, as well as the triumphal arch still standing. Not far from Volubilis you will explore the holy town of Moulay Idriss which is famous for being the site of the tomb of Idriss 1st, the first major Islamic ruler of Morocco, after whom the town is named.
From there the drive continues to Meknes, one of the four Moroccan imperial cities, which was the capital of Morocco from 1672 to 1727 under sultan Moulay Ismail. Where you will be able to tour the city and explore its ancient Medina with its square called “Lhdim”. See Bab Mansour, which was built with marble columns token from nearby Volubilis. And stop by the Royal Stables. As well as Visiting the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, one of only three active Moroccan shrines that non-Muslims may enter. In the evening you drive to your Hotel/ Riad in Meknes.
Overnight in Meknes.
Day 5: Meknes – Fes – Meknes.
Today you will take a day trip to Fes to explore its different sights and its impressing medina. After breakfast you will an hour drive to Fes and meet your private guide before you start your tour in Fes. Begin your tour with a visit to the royal palace, with its seven golden doors, and learn about the significance of the intricate decor.
Continue and stroll through the Mellah, or Jewish quarter, which was built next to the palace to offer protection. And then take in the view of the city from Borj Sud, a former fortress and one of the lookouts on a hill where you can see all of Fes laid out, allowing you to spot landmarks otherwise hidden by the skyline-obscuring buildings. Visit a pottery cooperative to see how they make the unique Fes pottery, as well as handcrafting the intricate mosaics adorning half of Morocco.
Head into the ancient medina and step into a sort of living museum. The Fes medina is very much a local community that lives and works and goes about daily life in the medina. Stop by the Al-Quaraouiyine University, the oldest degree-granting university still in operation, have been founded in 859CE by a woman. Visit handicraft workshops, where you will see why Fes is considered the handicraft capital of Morocco.
This can include, among other things, the silk weavers, where beautifully colorful fabrics are woven from silk fibers of the agave plant, and the famous Fes tannery, where they process all manner of animal hides by hand, much as they have for nearly 1000 years. During your tour of the medina, you will stop for lunch in a restaurant that would be very easy to walk right past, but is truly a hidden gem. In the late afternoon you will drive back to Meknes.
Overnight in Meknes.
Day 6: Meknes – Departure.
In the morning, after breakfast check out of your hotel and transfer to Casablanca airport for your departure flight.