11 Days Adventurous Must-Do Morocco Cultural Tour from Casablanca

Overview

Ready to joint this adventurous Morocco Cultural Tour? Take a careful look on these 11 days tour where you’ll find us waiting for you at Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca with a sign by your name to drive you to your hotel.

Our tour will start from Hassan II Mosque with its splendid esplanade and its tallest minaret in the world, before leaving to Morocco’s political and administrative capital for a short sojourn to see what is remained from the earthquake of 1755 of the monumental Hassan tower. Later on at the same day we’ll head further to north to Chefchaouen with its bright blue, Andalusian-tiled medina. The 3rd day the wheels will be turned south for the maze to end all mazes, Fes, the largest medina of the world.

From the busy life we’ll head southeast towards Merzouga and the gateway into the golden dunes of the Sahara Desert to spend a Bedouin night. Then to Todgha gorge to be stuck between the gigantic rock walls before getting dressed to hike in the canyon.

The next morning we’re not only going to see the 11th century UNESCO-protected red mud-brick ksar of Ait Benhaddou but also the Hollywood of Africa and valley of roses as well. At the end of the day we’ll be in Marrakech to continue our adventurous Morocco cultural tour by riding the hot air Balloon to see the city from the sky before you discover its Medina on your feet by your Marrakech born and bred guide. At you 9th day tour we will head west to Gnawa City –Essaouira- passing by tree goats’ phenomenon before getting back to our meeting point Casablanca.

Highlights 

• Discover the grandeur of the largest mosque in North Africa with its stunning esplanade and the world’s tallest minaret rising 210 meters into the sky.
• Wander through the mystical blue-washed alleys of Chefchaouen, perched beneath the Rif Mountains, and experience its unique Andalusian charm.
• Embark on an unforgettable camel ride into the golden dunes, witness a breathtaking sunset, and spend a night in a traditional Bedouin-style tent.
• Explore the vibrant streets of Marrakech, from the bustling Jemaa El-Fnaa square to the serene Majorelle Garden and the rich historical sites of the Medina.

Itinerary :

Day 1 : Arrival to Casablanca 

It depends on your landing time. After your tour guide/driver has picked you up & dropped you off at your hotel you might like to discover some of Casablanca’s sights. Notably the Hassan II Mosque which is considered to be the largest in north Africa and the third largest in the Islamic world, with its splendid esplanade and its tallest minaret in the world. It is a long reach of marble and emerald zellige rising 210 meters into the sky. Grand and timeless, the Great Mosque is constantly busy, a meeting point for Sunday strolls.

Day 2 : Casablanca – Chefchaouen

If time didn’t allow you to visit Casablanca’s sights yesterday you must do it this morning. After we done with Casa the Morocco’s political and administrative capital will be waiting, Rabat may be short on top-drawer tourist attractions, but it compensates with plenty of charm. You will have the opportunity to explore the city in a short sojourn, first through the monumental Hassan tower with the pillared stumps of its mosque being all that remains from the earthquake of 1755. There is also the near-by Mausoleum of the royal family. Head further to north to Chefchaouen with its bright blue, Andalusian-tiled medina, with its grand red-hued Kasbah lording it over the Main square of Outa Hmam.

Day 3 : Chefchaouen – Fes

Rise early to snap photos of the people-less streets before leaving for Fes. Stop along the way at the UNESCO protected Volubilis ruins—the Roman’s farthest reach in Africa. Wander the complex, exploring merchant homes with still-intact heating systems, temples, and many mosaics in situ. Continue on to the smaller, less busy version of Fes, Meknes, for an introduction to your second historic imperial city. The two main points of interest are the Ville Impériale (Imperial City) and the medina. Be sure to visit the Bab al-Mansour gate, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, and the Royal Stables. Continue east to your third imperial city, Fes. With its impressively large (and somewhat confusing) old medina, Fes is a city worth getting lost in. Before venturing into the medina, drive up the hill to take the time to visit the Merenid Tombs located just north of the city and enjoy the all-encompassing view of historic Fes and the surrounding area. Descend the hill and find your way to your riad (a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden) where you can enjoy a delicious meal and relax for the evening.

Day 4 : Fes walk & Talk Medina Guided tour

Do not panic the guide will show you the must-see sites. With your private Fes born and bred guide you will have the opportunity to discover the ancient breeding ground for scholars and artisans and the largest Medina of the world. Your will see the America Fondouk, Nejjarines, the Tanneries, the Medersa (Theological college) and Karaouine the first established university in the world. Your guide will shed light on many tales and 1200 years of history of this UNESCO-protected Medina,
Option: when you finish your visit of the Medina, we will drive you out of Fes to have a delicious house-made food in Lalla Aicha’s place in Sefrou or experience a Traditional Moroccan Hammam-spa.

Day 5 : Fes – Ifran – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert

An early-morning start is recommended for this day. We leave the mazing Medina of Fes with its mysteries and secrets of the 9000 alleyways head to southeast towards Merzouga and the gateway into the golden dunes of the Sahara Desert. En route we will pass by the cedar forests of Ifran, the Switzerland of Morocco, where you might think that you are in the Alps. If we’re lucky we’ll come across the Barbary Macaques in our way to Midelt where we’ll stopover for lunch. After eating we drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains to reach the Ziz Valley, which considered to be among the largest producer oasis dates in Morocco, then it’s off to Merzouga with its highest dunes in Morocco, you can store any baggage while packing an overnight bag to bring along. You’ll have the chance to be accompanied by a camel and blue-turban-robed guide into the sandy seas. After hour-long camel ride you will be among the luckiest to watch the sun set over the Sahara dunes and spend a night in a Bedouin style tent.

Day 6 : Merzouga Desert – Erfoud – Todgha Gorges – Dades Gorges

This morning you’ll wake up with the sun shining on your face to witness what we hope is a glorious sunrise among the dunes, meanwhile to watch the light creep slowly down the dunes and pull all the world around you outside their warmth heavy mound of blankets for an early-breakfast. After an hour-ride camel back out of the desert you will depart and head for Erfoud where you can marvel at the million-year-old fossils that the area is famous for. Then heading north for a sublime experience in the Todgha gorges where we’ll be stuck between the gigantic rock walls. Arriving to Dades gorges a rust-red and mauve mountains. A series of crumbling Kasbahs and Ksours line the valley in the Berber villages to the monkey Fingers Mountains.
If we get there earlier and you still have some energy to hike a couple of hours, we will drop-off our luggage at the hotel and get dressed for the hike.

Day 7 : Dades Gorges – Valley of Roses – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Atlas Mountains – Marrakech

You leave Dades at 8:00am traversing the valley of roses and daggers straight to the 11th century UNESCO-protected red mud-brick ksar, which has formed the backdrop for many Hollywood movies production such as Lawrence of Arabia, Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus of Nazareth, Gladiator, Game of Thrones and many others. You might also like to explore Ouarzazate, home to Taourirt Kasbah and the «Ouallywood» studio. Wind up the memorable Tizi n’Tichka pass via the north Africa’s highest peak, the high Atlas Mountains with the Berber villages lined beside the road to arrive to Marrakech where you will have a day-long to explore the crazed cacophony of musicians, snake charmers and vendors in the open-air famed Jamaa El Fnaa square, and the highly recommended sites with your guide.

Day 8 : Marrakech City Tour & Hot Air Ballooning

Do you want to discover Marrakech from the sky? So be ready, because today your driver will pick you up at the early morning to catch up with the Air Balloon ride for nearly an hour flight over the red city of Marrakech, enjoy the breathtaking views of the High Atlas Mountains in the background and enjoy a sunrise over red dust, palm groves, and majestic open landscapes from the sky. After having breakfast there you’ll have much time to carry on your Morocco Cultural Tour with your private Marrakech born and bred guide. You embark exploring the Red City from its old part with its Medina’s skinny lanes that leads to lavish sites, tombs and religious monuments decked out in marble. Bahia and El-Badii Palace and Saadien’s Tombs will be your targets. Afterward, you driver/Tour Guide will pick you up for the outside medina visit to explore the Majorelle Garden, Museum Saint Laurent, Berber Museum. While in Marrakech you will surely encounter thousands of motorcyclists and horse-carts roaming in the city and some of them pull over next the vast square of Jemaa El-Fnaa where it’s carnival night every night and musicians, acrobats, storytellers and slapstick acting troupes tap into the Medina frenetic pulse.

Day 9 : Marrakech – Essaouira

After having your breakfast at the Riad, you’ll be picked up by your driver/tour guide around 08:00am, you will head to Essaouira. Beside the road we’ll have the chance to see the tree goats’ phenomenon, before having enough time to explore Jimi Hendrix’s town. You’re free to roam in the city that was once and still a haven for hippie backpackers and Gnawa musicians. You can book a local guide, if not you can start your visit by the ramparts a series of forts that were built in the 15th century around the Medina of Mogador. Inside the Medina you’ll have the chance visit The Mellah (former Jewish quarter), the Morocco’s 3rd fishing port where you can have a delicious fish meal. For the sports-oriented travelers, Essaouira is a place to some fine wind and kitesurfing schools.

Day 10 : Essaouira – El-Jadida – Casablanca

Around 8am you’ll head north to the 15 century Portuguese fortified city of Mazagan known now as El-Jadida, nicknamed «the Deauville of Morocco» its Portuguese structures, fortified ramparts and a system of defense surrounding the Medina which advances out into the sea, all evoke the city’s past history. (Listed as World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO), an ancient coastal town impressive testimony of Portuguese architecture. Driving north to Casablanca where you spend your last night in Morocco before leaving.

Day 11 : Casablanca departure

Our trip comes to an end and we have to say “see you again” instead of “goodbye” and we hope that you spend one of your best and unforgettable tour with us. Your driver/ Tour guide will arrange your time of departure from the hotel.

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Unless a specific accommodation is requested, we reserve or recommend the best different authentic stays from the most quintessentially Moroccan accommodation available, reasonably priced, charming hotels/Riads in the Medina to the Kasbahs and Bedouin style tents in the Sahara desert with private bath, hot water, good service, value and sustainable management practices. Accommodation is based on two persons sharing a twin-bedded room. Desert Camp feature full size walk-in tents for two or more persons with Bedouin-style bedding or sleeping pads. On trekking and camping trips tents, sleeping pads or mattresses, wash basins, toilet facilities, cooking equipment, lanterns, pack animals and portering gear are provided. Participants must furnish their own clothing, soft-luggage and day pack. Sleeping bags are necessary for some trips, but are usually available for rent. MSITravels reserves the right to substitute equivalent or superior hotels/Riads.

Nutrition

Morocco Social Impact Travel exists to authentically connect you, not only to Morocco’s incredible destinations. We want you to touch and feel the good quality of our local families home-cooked meals and to taste the ras el hanout and the saffron and more other commonly used spices in our Delicious local & seasonal cuisine, such as seven vegetable Couscous, flavorful Tagines & creative soups & vegetables, plus Tanjia and Rfisa, mint tea and pistachios. Plus, enjoy a hands-on cooking class so you can impress friends & family back home. Gluten free or vegan? We’ve got you covered!

Give Back

While in Morocco we are pleased to support the wonderful work of Ennajah Association and Chabab Time, two nonprofit organizations. the first one based in Zagora and aims to create sustainable development in community through The Fight Against School Dropouts of girls by providing transportation and providing water for the population …
The second one is based in Rabat but works all over Morocco and aims to motivate young people to actively participate in Public life. We may also pick a local Berber school to donate supplies & small toys, spreading joy in simple ways, and giving a bit back to the local people of the area.
Last but not least, we want you to have the opportunity to give back, to support vulnerable families in meaningful ways. To build authentic connections and know that your visit matters. That when you leave, you’ll take carpets and Argan oil and lanterns and photographs and memories, but you’ll also leave a mark that made a difference.

Transportation

We, in Morocco Social Impact Travel « MSITravels », care about our clients and their comfort. Thus, we offer different kind of transportation depending on the number of customers and the tour they’ve chosen. E.g. If the tour is off-road we will offer a 4 wheels drive car for each 4 customers maximum. Otherwise we have 7 seats Minivan, Minibus for 17 travelers and Coach for more than 17 travelers.