14-Day Grand Moroccan Cultural Odyssey from Tangier

Day 1 : Tangier Arrival

Welcom to Morocco !
Welcome to Tangier, the gateway between Europe and Africa! For a truly unique experience, consider taking the ferry from Spain to Morocco, where you can enjoy the thrilling sensation of crossing from one continent to another in just under an hour. Whether you arrive by ferry or at Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport, our friendly driver will be waiting for you, holding a sign with your name, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free start to your Moroccan adventure.
Tangier is considered to be the gateway between Europe and Africa. Lying on the Maghreb coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, Tangier offers a unique blend of cultures and influences that have for centuries shaped the city, attracting artists, spies, and eccentric foreigners. While the port city was once dismissed as being a not-so-hot place to visit, Tangier today has undergone a makeover and gleams with pride.

Day 2 : Tangier City Tour

We start this tour from the gateway of Europe to Africa, Tangier named for the goddess Tinge, and the lover of Hercules, who mythically pulled Europe apart from Africa to form the Strait Gibraltar. A dramatic drive takes you through La Montagne over a pine-covered headland to the Cap Spartel Lighthouse that lies just 14km west of Tangier. 5km further you’ll get to Grottes d’Hercule where you’ll have much-photographed view from within the mythical dwelling cave of Hercules that resembles a map of Africa. Back to the Medina where you’ll spend a few hours Meandering down the alleyways, within its 15th century Portuguese fortress walls to visit the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Culture. Wander up St Andrew’s Church for a spot of gravestone reading, then take in the latest art exhibition at center culturel Ibn Khaldoun.

Day 3 : Tangier – Chefchaouen

Leaving the famously decadent Tangier, with its Europe-facing Medina and skip inland into the Rif Mountains. European influence continues in Chefchaouen with its bright blue, Andalusian-tiled medina, with its grand red-hued Kasbah lording it over the Main square of Outa Hmam. Chaouen a city that perched beneath the raw peaks of the Rif Mountains. The « Blue Town » has a mystical blue-washed Medina, surely the prettiest and the smallest when compared to others in the country. The town remained isolated with the Andalusian character architecture. Chaouen is undoubtedly a place to enjoy exploring at random.

Day 4 : Chefchaouen – Fes

You will have a free morning to discover Chefchaouen city that perched beneath the raw peaks of the Rif Mountains. The «Blue Town» has a mystical blue-washed Medina, surely the prettiest and the smallest when compared to others in the country. The town remained isolated with the Andalusian character architecture. Chefchaouen is undoubtedly a place to enjoy exploring at random.

Later on, you will be picked up by your driver/ tour guide and head south to Fes where you can prepare for tomorrow’s amazing tour in its mysteries and secrets of the 9000 alleyways that make it a maze, do not panic the guide will show you the must-see sites.

Day 5 : Fes Medina 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. Optionally, after exploring the Medina, we can drive you to Sefrou for a delicious home-cooked meal at Lalla Fatiha’s place, or you can indulge in a traditional Moroccan Hammam spa experience.

Day 6 : 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 7 : Merzouga Desert – Erfoud – Todgha Gorges – Dades Gorges 08:00

This morning you’ll wake up with the sun shining on you 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 8 : Dades Gorges – Valley of roses – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Taliouine

Shadowing the high Atlas Mountains as you head west brings you to Ouarzazate via the valley of roses and daggers. While you’re in Ouarzazate You might like to explore home to Taourirt Kasbah and the «Ouallywood» studio. From here, head past to Ouarzazate to Ait Benhadou, the 11th century UNESCO-protected red  mud-brick ksar, that has formed the backdrop for many Hollywood movies production such as Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, Gladiator, Game of Thrones and many others. The next stop is in Taliouine, the African center of red gold- saffron, the world’s most expensive spice.

Day 9 : Taliouine – Taroudant – Tizi n’Test – Marrakech

From Taliouine to Marrakech via Taroudant that is considered to be one of the most elegant purely Berber towns of Morocco with its majestic, tawny-brown and honey-gold circuit of 7km walls. While you stroll and linger around, note the distinctive, highly beautiful blue veils that many of older local ladies put on. Later on you will be driven via the road that blasted through the high Atlas Mountain by the French in the late 1920s and famed by Tizi n’Test that offer one of the best panoramic drives in morocco. Heading north to Marrakech we will stop over for Tinmal village to visit the 1156-year mosque.

Day 10 : Marrakech City Tour

Today, 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 11 : 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 12 : 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 13 : Casablanca – Rabat – Tangier

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. And do not miss to have a cup of mint tea in red Oudayas, a walled village within a city. Head further to north to the famously decadent Tangier which has always carried a slightly seedy allure, in part due to its time as a semi-independent international zone that attracted eccentric foreigners, artists and spies. The corniche bustles.

Day 14 : Tangier departure

Your Moroccan adventure draws to a close as you depart from Tangier. Reflect on the memories created during your journey through Morocco’s diverse landscapes, rich history, and warm hospitality. Your driver/tour guide will ensure a timely transfer to the airport or the Ferry station, ensuring you arrive three hours prior to your scheduled flight departure. This allows ample time for check-in and security procedures, ensuring a smooth and stress-free departure.

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.