Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Merzouga: a private week

Trip overview

A private week starting and ending in Casablanca: Rabat, Fez, a night in the Merzouga dunes, the Todra Gorge and Marrakech, with a Spanish-speaking driver.

• Duration7 days / 6 nights
• Starts inCasablanca
• GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
• DifficultyEasy
• LanguageEspañol
• DeparturesDaily departures all year round

Highlights

• Hassan II Mosque on the Atlantic
• Rabat: the Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas
• Guided tour of the Fez medina
• Camel ride and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Todra Gorge and Dades Valley
• Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou
• Jemaa el Fna square in Marrakech
• Spanish-speaking driver and private vehicle

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Casablanca – Rabat – Fez

   We pick you up at Mohammed V airport or your hotel in Casablanca and go first to the Hassan II Mosque, right by the ocean. Non-Muslims can only go inside on guided tours at fixed times, which we check for you in advance.

   Then we carry on to Rabat, just over an hour by motorway: the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas, with white and blue streets above the Bou Regreg river. After lunch there are about 3 hours of motorway to Fez. You reach your riad in the late afternoon, and after the flight it's a tiring day.

   Riad or hotel in FezNo meals included

2. 2

   Day 2: Guided tour of Fez

   Today is Fez el Bali, the oldest medina of the imperial cities. A Spanish-speaking local guide goes with you for about 4 hours. You enter through Bab Bou Jeloud and see the Bou Inania madrasa, the outside of Al Qarawiyyin University and the Chouara tanneries, where leather is dyed in coloured pits. You also pass through the copper, wood and ceramics souks. The streets are narrow and steep, so wear comfortable shoes. In the afternoon you can go up to the Marinid Tombs to look down over the medina, or stay at the riad.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

3. 3

   Day 3: Fez – Ifrane – Middle Atlas – Merzouga

   This is one of the two long days: 7 to 8 hours with stops. We cross the Middle Atlas and stop in Ifrane, a mountain town with pitched roofs, and in the cedar forests near Azrou, where Barbary macaques are often around.

   We continue through Midelt and down the Ziz Valley, with viewpoints over the palm grove. In the late afternoon we reach Merzouga and you head out by camel across the Erg Chebbi dunes, roughly an hour and a half, as the sun goes down. Bring only a small backpack; your suitcase stays in the car. Berber dinner at the camp.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

4. 4

   Day 4: Sunrise in the dunes – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

   We wake you early to watch the sunrise from a dune. Then you ride back by camel to Merzouga, where there's a shower and breakfast.

   We head west through Rissani and Erfoud, known for its fossils, to Tinghir. There we walk through the Todra Gorge, with rock walls up to about 300 metres high and a clear river. In the afternoon we continue to the Dades Valley on a road with lots of bends. It's about 5 hours in the car with stops, a calmer day than the previous one. Dinner at the kasbah hotel.

   Kasbah hotel in the Dades ValleyBreakfast and dinner

5. 5

   Day 5: Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Marrakech

   We take the so-called Road of a Thousand Kasbahs: the Valley of Roses at Kalaat M'Gouna and the Skoura oasis. In Ouarzazate you see the Taourirt kasbah from the outside and the film studios.

   Mid-morning we reach Aït Ben Haddou, a mud-brick ksar that appears in lots of films. We walk up to the granary at the top, on a slope with steps. In the afternoon we cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 metres, and the descent is all bends. We reach Marrakech at the end of the day, after 7 or 8 hours in total.

   Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

6. 6

   Day 6: Marrakech

   In the morning you explore Marrakech with a local guide: the Koutoubia, whose minaret is visible from almost everywhere in the city, the Bahia Palace, with courtyards and painted cedar ceilings, and the medina souks, organised by trade.

   The afternoon is free. If you want to visit the Majorelle Garden, book your ticket in advance. At dusk, go back to Jemaa el Fna square, when the food stalls, musicians and storytellers arrive. Be careful with henna and with photos of the snake charmers: they ask for money afterwards. Your driver can recommend somewhere to eat to suit your budget.

   Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

7. 7

   Day 7: Marrakech – Casablanca

   A free morning for last-minute shopping in the souks or for staying in the riad courtyard. The departure time depends on your flight.

   Marrakech to Casablanca is about 3 hours by motorway. We drop you at Mohammed V airport or at your hotel in Casablanca if you're staying an extra night. If your flight leaves early, it's better to spend the last night in Casablanca rather than Marrakech, so you don't have to get up early with three hours of driving ahead. Tell us when you book and we'll change the itinerary. This is where our services end.

   End of the tripBreakfast

What's included

Prices per person

The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (6 nights).

• Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
• Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
• Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
• Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.

Payment and cancellation

You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.

Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.

Extras you can add

Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.

Frequently asked questions

Destinations on this trip