7 Days The Morocco Imperial Cities Tour
Day 1: Airport – Casablanca
You will be met at Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport to start your tour of the commercial capital of Morocco (depending on your arrival time we may drive you to your hotel before commencing the tour). This city tour will take you to see the bustling centre with its Art Deco architecture and the fashionable seaside resort of Corniche d’Aiin Diab. You will also visit the magnificent Hassan II mosque, the second largest religious building in the world, which is open to non-Muslims.
Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Meknes
After breakfast, at your hotel, we set off for Rabat. Rabat is he political and administrative capital of Morocco. There you will visit the picturesque Oudaia Kasbah, the Hassan Tower and the Chellah Necropolis. Leaving Rabat we journey to Meknes. There you will have the opportunity to see Bab Mansour el-Aleuj (Gate of the Victorius Renegade) said to be the finest gate in Meknes or even Morocco. Your visit along the medina ramparts will include the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail as well as Heri-es-Souani and the Bassin de l’Ageudal.
Day 3: Meknes – Volubilis – Fes
After breakfast we leave the Ismaalian capital behind and travel through the countryside arriving at the ancient roman town of Volubilis. There you will have time to explore this archaeological site which features the best preserved Roman ruins in northern Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Of particular interest is the Basilica, mosaic of Diana and the Bathing Nymphs and Triumphal Arch. We continue on to the Imperial city of Fes where you will stay overnight in a riad at the heart of the medina.
Day 4: Fes Sightseeing
You will spend most of the day with a local guide exploring the attractions of Fes. The city was founded 1,000 years ago by the second Moulay Idriss. Your tour starts from the Royal Palace gate and takes you through the narrow streets of the medina to the Jewish Quarter and the Tanneries. This tour highlights all the sites with cultural and historical interest including the Bou Inania Medersa and the Karaouiyine Mosque. Afterwards you have the opportunity to visit the ceramics cooperative to see traditional Moroccan crafts. In the afternoon we will take you to admire the panoramic view over the medina and visit the new city to experience modern Fes.
Day 5: Fes – Ifrane – Marrakech
We leave Fes after breakfast to travel across the varied landscape of the Middle Atlas mountains. We will drive through Ifrane, known as “Little Switzerland” due to its appearance as a Swiss Alpine resort and onwards to Beni Mellal, a modern town on the edge of the great Tadla plain. The town is renowned for its oranges and olive groves which stretch to the horizon. Continuing on to Marrakech we pass through some of the richest agricultural areas of the country.
Day 6: Marrakech Exploring Day
In the morning your local guide will take you to see the historic sites of Marrakech including the Koutoubia Mosque, Jemma el Fna square, the souks of the Medina, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the famous Ben Youssef Medersa. In the afternoon your private driver/guide will take you to visit the Majorelle and Menara gardens. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight at your riad/hotel.
Day 7: Marrakech – Airport
Depending on your flight time, there may be an opportunity for that last minute shopping before we collect you for your transfer to the airport.