Our tours / Morocco

Morocco: Royal Cities & Desert Vistas

This two-week adventure hits the highlights of marvelous Morocco, one of the most fascinating countries in the world. See elegant “royal cities” and travel through dramatic gorges, over sand dunes, and across the Atlas and Rif Mountains while relaxing at night in total comfort (and a bit of luxury). Delicious food and wine complete the bill. Join Claire this October for an unforgettable journey!
Duration: 13 nights / 14 days
Dates: 2024: Oct 5-18
Trip starts/ends: Marrakech Day 1; Tangier Day 14
Activity level: "Light Active" = no hiking but plenty of walks through cities and towns [more info]
Group size: min. 5 - max 18

Highlights

* Explore the “Royal Cities” of Marrakech and Fes
* Stay in beautiful traditional hotels known as riads
* Enjoy delicious cuisine, including the locally produced wines
* Travel into the Sahara Desert for an unforgettable experience by camel, on foot, or 4×4
* Journey through dramatic gorges and across the highest mountain pass in North Africa
* See the colorful “Blue City” of Chefchaouen
* Tour astounding fortresses that used to control trade through the area
* Walk around quiet mountain towns that still retain time-honored traditions
* Stay two nights at the colorful port town of Essaouira
* Meet the locals as we visit artisans, wine-makers, and musicians
* Travel back to Roman times at the ruins of Volubilis
* End your tour in Tangier, which lies just across the Mediterranean from Spain

Trip price includes

13 nights accommodation (11 nights in comfortable “classic level” riads, upgrades available at some of them) plus 2 nights in 5-star hotel in Fes; 13 breakfasts, 7 dinners plus 2 lunches (one winery, one pizza-making); all visits and transfers as per itinerary; bilingual guide/drivers to accompany you throughout the week in 4×4 vehicles

Not included

 6 dinners, 10 lunches, drinks other than water at meals, and anything not listed in the inclusions 

ITINERARY

Morocco is one of the most fascinating countries in the world, with a rich history and dramatic landscapes that will have you dreaming of desert caravans and Medieval walled cities. This two-week trip begins in Marrakech and hits all of the cultural, culinary, and natural highlights before ending in Tangier. Enjoy delicious cuisine, try the fabulous local wines, ride a camel through the Sahara, pass through spectacular gorges and across high mountain passes, and visit some of North Africa’s most beautiful palaces, forts, and religious buildings. Travel by sturdy 4×4 vehicles and get to know your friendly local guides. Stay the night in lovely traditional riads with tiled floors, wooden balustrades, an interior courtyard, and often a rooftop terrace. Claire joins this “light active” departure which is suitable for all fitness levels (there are no hikes or long walks, but we’ll get in plenty of steps as we explore).

We begin in Marrakech and have two days to explore the city’s rich history and beautiful streets and monuments. From there we head to the Atlantic Coast at Essaouira, where you stay two more nights and have visits of a winery and argan oil producer. The adventure heats up after that when we spend five days traversing the mountains and deserts of the country’s interior. Comfortable 4-wheel drive vehicles take you through remote and spectacular scenery as you cross the Atlas Mountains and spend a few days in the desert. The second week of the trip takes you to amazing Fes, a Medieval walled city with a rabbit warren of streets, alleyways and markets inside. From there we visit ancient Roman Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman ruins in this part of North Africa, and then spend a night in the charming “blue city” of Chefchaouen. Our final night is in the colorful port town of Tangier, once a favorite of artists and travelers looking for an “exotic” escape. This is an adventure you won’t want to miss!

from €5,960
[info on prices]

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Morocco: Royal Cities & Desert Vistas”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activity Levels

Some tours have a range of activity levels through the week, where some walks may be more challenging than others, but this will give you a general idea of the type of walking/hiking involved on your tour.

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, minimal climbing
2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades on a mix of terrains
4 – HIKE: Classic hiking with rough/rocky terrain, sustained hills, and longer mileage
5 – CHALLENGING: Challenging hiking with steep climbs and descents over rocky terrain and some longer mileage

See below for more detail:

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, with minimal climbing (though some cities may have steeper inclines). Archaeological sites may be unpaved but the grades and difficulty level is easy. TOURS: Sicily Coast-to-Coast and any “light active” version of a tour

2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
The terrain is easy to navigate with packed earth or gravel roads. There are some climbs but nothing too challenging. TOURS: Tuscany, Puglia, Provence
[2+ The “plus” indicates more challenging terrain though the walks are gentle].

3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades and rocky terrain
Here you find a mix of terrain with some steep stretches.
TOURS: Corsica, Sardinia, some of the Dolomites tours, and some hikes on the Greek Islands
[3+ The plus indicates rockier terrain or lots of stone steps (Amalfi, the Cinque Terre) or greater elevation gain/loss (the Dolomites)].

4 — HIKE: Classical hiking with rough terrain, sustained hills, and more mileage. These hikes are on a mix of rough terrain, sometimes involving steep stretches and difficult footing. TOURS: some of our hikes in Sardinia, some of the days in the Cinque Terre, some of the variants of our Dolomites tours.

5 – CHALLENGING: Longer days, challenging climbs, rocky terrain. We don’t do a lot of seriously challenging tours but we do have a Dolomites trip where we hike from hut to hut, so that’s probably the closest we get to a 5.

Info on prices

The price indicated is for a minimum of 6 people and our basic itinerary based on double occupancy (a “single supplement” covers hotel prices only, we apply no extra fees). Departures with fewer people or with upgraded hotels will have a higher price. We can organize private departures for any number of people but prices vary depending on number of participants. Please contact us for details!