7 day Morocco Tour from Rabat

Your 7 day Morocco Tour from Rabat, "Historic Sites, Saharan Sights" begins right from the Rabat airport. We'll take you directly to your hotel/riad to check in.

Rabat is the capital & current Imperial City of Morocco. After you check in, we’ll visit the 12th century Hassan Tower & mosque. The tower has been restored, and you can walk amongst the ruins of walls and pillars of the mosque, which create a large, open-air square.

Across from the tower is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, built for the king who died in 1961. His son and successor, Hassan II, who died in 1999, is also entombed here. Here you’ll find more stunning examples of intricate Moroccan carving and zelig tilework. It may be possible to tour the Mausoleum, depending on the time and date.

Dinner will be at a local restaurant.

After an early breakfast, we’ll depart for Fes, which is the oldest of Morocco’s 4 Imperial Cities. We’ll reach Fes mid-morning, and you’ll be able to check into your riad.

After checking in, a local guide will take you on a tour inside the Fes medina (old walled city), with its narrow winding alleys. It's like stepping back in time, as Fes was established in the middle ages and in many ways still functions as a medieval city today. Around every corner there is something fascinating to see. During the tour you'll visit the famous tanneries of Fes where centuries-old natural methods are still used to cure and dye leather, which is then fashioned by local craftspeople into world-renowned leather clothing and accessories in every colour of the rainbow.

Lunch will be in the medina with your guide. After the tour you’ll have some free time in the afternoon to explore on your own.

Dinner will be at a restaurant in the medina.

The next day, our 1 week Morocco itinerary from Rabat to Marrakesh
continues, as we start our drive to the Sahara Desert. You’ll see the amazing change in the landscape as we travel through the Middle Atlas Mountains.

Leaving Fes after breakfast, we’ll stop in Azrou to rest and take pictures of the Barbary apes that live in the cedar forests on the mountainsides.

Our next stop will be in Midelt, the “apple capital” of Morocco, where we’ll have lunch.

After lunch, we’ll drive alongside the meandering Ziz Valley. The impressive palm-filled Ziz Oasis stretches for hundreds of kilometres along the valley floor. You’ll have a chance to take some beautiful panoramic photos at a lookout point beside the road.

Continuing our drive, we’ll pass through Erfoud, famous for its Date Festival each October and known for its fossils and fossil products. Eventually, we’ll turn off the highway and travel across flat rocky desert to the Merzouga region of the Sahara Desert and the magnificent sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. Erg Chebbi has the highest dunes in North Africa, and the sight of them rising suddenly out of the desert floor never fails to impress!

We’ll arrive at the desert hotel by late afternoon, where your camels will be waiting. You’ll leave civilization behind as you camel-trek into the high dunes, watching the sands change colour as the sun moves across the sky. You’ll have time to explore, take pictures, and watch the sunset before camel-trekking out of the big dunes.

Upon arrival at the desert camp nestled in the smaller dunes, you’ll enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal, followed by African music – drumming and singing and dancing – around a campfire. You’ll spend the night in tents under the vast Saharan sky.

After breakfast on Day 4, we’ll leave the dunes behind. Our first stop will be the town of Rissani, where you'll have a chance to visit the local souk (market). This jumble of stalls is where local people buy everything from food to clothing to livestock. On Tuesdays, the travelling market arrives, and people flock from nearby villages to shop.

Our second stop is the town of Tinghir and the Todra Gorge. You’ll hardly believe you started the day in the Saharan dunes when you see the lush green oasis full of palm trees and farmers’ crops. The steep walls of the Todra Gorge are 300 metres high, making this is a popular spot for rock climbers, while the narrow river makes this a popular destination for family picnics.

We’ll have lunch at a nearby restaurant, and afterwards you’ll have a chance to walk along the river.

From there we’ll drive through the Dades Valley, known as the "Valley of the Thousand Kasbahs", following the winding road through the mountains. We’ll take a detour to reach the stunning Dades Gorge, where you’ll stay the night in a guesthouse overlooking the gorge. Nearby you’ll see the rock formation known as “Monkey Toes”.

The next morning you’ll have time for a walk along the gorge before we head back to the main road to continue our journey.

Before long, we’ll reach Kalaat M’Gouna, the “Valley of the Roses”, where millions of rose petals are harvested each year to produce a huge array of rose-infused products for culinary and cosmetic use. The harvest culminates in May with the annual Rose Festival – worth attending if you can arrange your visit around this popular festival. We'll make a stop here so that you can see, smell, and, if you wish, purchase some products made from local roses.

Continuing our drive, we’ll pass through Ouarzazate, known as the "Hollywood of Morocco". Ouarzazate is home to several film studios, both Moroccan and international. The surrounding landscape is a popular on-location site and has been used to portray everything from the Egyptian desert to the surface of Mars.

By lunchtime, we’ll reach Ait Ben Haddou, the oldest Kasbah in the south of Morocco, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the village was originally built in the 17th century, people still live and work there today, their homes built right into the rock or with mud bricks, which are made locally using the same methods as in ancient times. Ait Ben Haddou has also featured in many films, including The Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven.

After lunch in the village, you’ll have time to explore the Kasbah. It’s a gentle climb through winding streets to the top, where you can see in all directions.

After exploring the kasbah, we’ll head into the High Atlas Mountains. We’ll take a side road to visit the ruins of Telouet Kasbah (Palace of Glaoui) in the traditional Berber village of Telouet before crossing over Morocco’s highest road pass – the Tizi-n-Tichka pass at 2260m. We’ll stop at the top of the pass for refreshment and to take pictures of the stunning views before descending towards Marrakesh.

We’ll reach the Imperial City of Marrakesh in the evening. You'll check in to your riad and have the evening free. You may want to visit the world-famous Jmaa El Fna square, which fills every night with tourists and Moroccan families alike, out to enjoy fresh-cooked food and be entertained by storytellers, musicians, and dancers. It’s a carnival-like atmosphere and not to be missed!

After breakfast in your riad on Day 6 of your 1 week Morocco itinerary, you'll explore the medina of Morocco's Red City with a local guide. There are many fascinating cultural and historic sites to visit, such as the Saadian Tombs, in addition to the bustling souks in the medina. You'll have lunch with your guide at a local restaurant.

After the tour, you’ll have some free time to relax, explore on your own, or, if you wish, a visit to the famous Majorelle Gardens, may be arranged.

Dinner will be at the riad, where you’ll spend a second night.

On Day 7 we’ll take you to the airport well in advance of your departing flight. This brings your 7 day Morocco Tour from Rabat, "Historic Sites, Saharan Sights" to a close.