8-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
8-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
This is an 8-day tour from Casablanca to Erg Chebbi in the Sahara Desert and Merzouga. Book a tour to see Morocco’s old royal towns.
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8 Days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech main info
Departure location:
Casablanca
Return location:
Casablanca
Departure time:
08:00 AM
Itinerary duration
8 days/ 7 nights
Highlights of our 8-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
- Casablanca
- Marrakech, the red city
- Fes
- Meknes
- Merzouga desert
- Ziz Valley
- Ait Benhaddou
- Ouarzazate
8-Day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech overview
An 8-day desert tour from Casablanca that lets you see more of Morocco. First, we go to Rabat and see the well-known Hassan II Mosque. There is a tour guide here to show you around this government city. Second, you visit the Roman heritage site as well as the Medinas of Makes and Fes. In the late afternoon, you ride a camel through the Sahara of Erg Chebbi and go through the High Atlas Mountains. You will see the Atlas Studios and the UNESCO Kasbahs while you are there. The last stop on our trip is the royal city of Marrakech. We will either end our trip at the airport in Marrakech or Casablanca.
8-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech Itinerary
Day 1: Casablanca- Rabat
We will start our 8-day tour in Casablanca, Morocco, by going to the Hassan II Mosque. Tourists who are not Muslims can go inside. It’s in a great spot with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. After that, we’ll take a car to Rabat city. It is the capital city of Morocco and one of the royal towns. You can take a trip here to see the most well-known sights, like the Chellah Necropolis, the Oudayas Kasbah, and the Andalusian Gardens. Then we check into your place to stay.
Day 2: Rabat – Meknes – Fes
Meknes will be the second stop on the eight-day trip that starts in Casablanca. It is also a royal city and has information about important sites from the 1600s. So, you go to the Mansour Gate and the Place Hedim square. After that, you will see the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the underground Qara Prison in Meknes. After you see Meknes, you will go to Volubilis to see the old Roman ruins. We finally get to Fes, the city of the emperors, where we will spend the night.
Day 3: Fes City Tour
The old Medina and the new Medina are both in Fes. In addition, it is the oldest city in Morocco and has buildings from the Middle Ages. This means that our local guide will show you around the historical sites in Fes. When you get to Al-Karaouine, you will see the famous and best university there. Next, you go to the Chouara Tanneries and the Bou Inania and Al Attarine religious schools, which were built in the 1400s. You also move to the King’s Place and the Blue Gate. In the Marinid tombs, you can also get a big picture view of the whole city. Before going back to the same Riad for another night, the tour guide takes you to all the tourist spots.
Day 4: Fes – Ifrane – Merzouga
After breakfast, we will go to Ifrane town next. There is a town in Morocco that is so clean and pretty that people call it “the Switzerland of Morocco.” You will be amazed by its architecture when you see the lion figure that was built during WWII. After that, we’ll go to Cedar Forest to see savage apes and stop in Midelt for lunch. The second place we stopped was in Ziz Valley. It’s a long valley with kasbahs and palm tree farms. After that, we go to Erfoud’s date market and then get to Merzouga. Last but not least, you will be greeted with mint tea and spend the night at your spot.
Day 5: Desert Tour and Camel Trekking Trip
Today, we’ll explore desert places by 4×4. First, we go to Khamlia village to listen to Gnawa music. After that, we go to the Mifis mines. It’s an adventure on the ground. Second, we meet native families, eat Berber pizza, and then go to a lake in the desert. Lastly, you ride a camel to the camp with the camel guide for the camp. There, you’ll eat a tasty dinner and listen to music by the fire and under the stars.
Day 6: Merzouga – Todra Gorges- Dades Valley
The best thing to do today is to catch the sunrise. Then you take a shower and eat breakfast, and then you continue your trip to Rissani. You will stop at the old vegetable market and the drainage system on your way. The next place we’re going is Todra Gorges, which has an area of high rocks. Rock climbers come from all over the world to do it. We also go to the Rock Formation and spend the night at your Raid in Dades Valley.
Day 7: Dades Valley - Ourzazate - Marrakech
We’ll drive to Rose City after breakfast. But you will enjoy the Thousand Kasbahs Road and look at rose-related goods in Rose Valley. Every year, a rose event is held to honor the rose season. Besides that, we go to Ouarzazate town, which is known as the Hollywood of Africa. It has Atlas Studios, which is where a lot of movies were shot. Then we go to Ait Ben Haddou to see the oldest Kasbah, which is on the UNESCO list. Last but not least, we see a wide view of the mountain pass and stop by the Argan oil cooperative. The night is in a traditional Riad in Marrakech.
We will go to a lot of beautiful places today. For example, we could start by going to the parks in Marrakech. We will start by seeing the work of French artist Majorelle. Next, we will go to the Secret Garden, a quiet place away from the noise. Second, we will learn about the Sadian family and visit the Saadian tombs, which are an old royal cemetery. After that, you’ll drive and walk around the city to see more sights, like Bahia Palace. Last but not least, we will visit the famous Jamaa El-Fna Square and the Koutoubia Mosque in the evening. We will stay the night in a hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Day 8: Transfer to Casablanca
It will be possible to set up a tour with a guide in Marrakech. Finally, our 8-day tour from Casablanca ends at either Marrakech or Casablanca airport.
8-Day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech includes
- Pickup and drop off from accommodation.
- Camel for each in Merzouga
- Berber tent accommodation.
- Vehicle with gasoline
- Dinner and Breakfast
The 8-Day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech excludes
- Monuments fees
- Lunches
- Tips
- Soft drinks
Testimonials of the 8-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
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8-day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech highlights overview
The Unique Desert Tour takes you through the key locations and cities on the tour before you reach them. Here are some of the highlights of our 8-day tour from Casablanca.
Fes
With a past that goes back more than a thousand years, the culture city is one of the oldest in the country. People know this area as a center for handmade goods, like linens, ceramics, leather goods, and pots. Fes has a lot of small lanes that make it easy to get lost. A web of streets, stairs, alleyways, tunnels, parks, churches, and madrasas all connect to each other. There are beautiful boulevards in the middle of this maze that were planned by French engineers and builders.
It’s clear that Fes has been an important city in both the country and the whole east. We could talk about the oldest school in the world, where kids from all over the world used to go to get a good education.
Marrakech
Marrakech and Fes fought for many years to be called the city of Morocco. In this war, one city or another came out on top. The sun shines on ochre and brick in Marrakech, which has red houses and a lovely atmosphere. Because so many tourists come and start their trips there, there’s no question that the red city has earned the title of world’s tourism hub.
The Jama’a el Fna, which is spread out in the middle of Marrakech, is Morocco’s biggest square. Evening is the best time to visit the square. As the sun goes down, a huge market opens up in the square, the cafés open, and street artists like acrobats, dancers, singers, and magicians start their shows. A big group of people gather to watch the snakes’ magic show.
On our 8-day tour from Casablanca, there are also more interesting sights in the city. Here you can find the beautiful Koutoubia mosque, the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian tombs.
The Koutoubia Mosque:
Marrakech is where you can find Morocco’s most beautiful mosque. On the orders of the local emir in the 1200s, it was built. The best architects worked together to make this building a masterpiece. There are about 77 meters of height to the tower. The tower has a big flight of stairs inside that can be easily climbed on horseback. It is the biggest mosque in Africa, with room for up to 20,000 people to pray at once.
Casablanca
On our 8-day trip from Casablanca to Marrakech, one of the best parts is Casablanca, which people often call “the White House.” It is a huge traffic hub in North Africa that links roads, trains, planes, and, of course, sea lines. That’s why a lot of people think of it as Morocco’s business city. Some of the best places to visit in Casablanca are the Hassan II Mosque, the Habbus area with its castle, and the Moroccan Mall, which is Africa’s second-largest shopping mall.
Meknes
Meknes is an old city that has become a place where Spanish and Moorish cultures meet. The city became the capital of the state when Ismail Ibn Sheriff was in charge. Since then, the beautiful city walls and the luxurious Royal Palace have been kept up. Some of the biggest stables in the world are in the Royal Stables, which can hold 12,000. Other things to see and do in Meknes include a huge granary, the royal jail complex, and beautiful parks. In addition, there are Roman ruins all over the city.
On our 8-day tour from Casablanca, we went to Volubilis.
This is a historical place that shows how the Romans came to the area. For the Romans, the city was the most western port in North Africa. It is said to have started in the third century BC. The Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area has many interesting things to see, such as baths, churches, castles, cobblestone streets, aqueducts, and sculptures. It also has old Roman architecture and structures that are still standing. In the early 1900s, Volubilis was the site of a large-scale historical study. The Archaeological Museum in Rabat is where artifacts found during digs are kept.
Rabat
The modern city of Morocco is built out over the Atlantic Ocean. As you go up the hill, the white and blue houses make a living maze. There are many beautiful buildings in the city. The best places to see are the Museum of Modern Art and the National Archaeological Museum. The museum has real Moorish houses, jewelry from Andalusia, and weapons from the Middle Ages. It also has fight trophies that Moroccan pirates found.
You should see the Royal Palace, the Mausoleum, the Chella Fortress, and the Udayas while you’re in Rabat. Besides that, the Hassan Tower is a tower of a mosque that isn’t whole yet. Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, one of Morocco’s most famous Califs, had it built in 1195 with the goal of making it the world’s tallest and largest building. His work and dream stopped when he died in 1199, which was a shame.
Ait benhaddou
Around the edges of the Atlas Mountains is the old Ksar of Ait-Ben Haddu. Its huge castle walls have been a safe place for visitors on the trade route for a very long time. As trade in the area slowed down, the fortress became less populated. People began to leave their clay homes. Pictures and newsreels show the walls and towers of the town. This is a famous spot for making movies. From the TV show “Clone” to the movies “Gladiator,” “The Mummy,” and “Alexander,” scenes were filmed here.
Merzouga desert
Without a question, the best part of our 8-day trip from Casablanca was the desert of Merzouga. A lot of tourists are so interested in it that they ask for extra days to explore and enjoy its peace and beauty. Before we talk about what to do in the desert, we should talk about why it’s called Merzouga and what its name is.
To begin, the word “merzouga” comes from two different stories that explain why it was given that name. The first one says that the desert used to be a fully wandering country where the famous Merzoug family lived. Another story says that the desert was full of wealth and money, which is why it was called Merzouka, which means “the wealthy region that provides.”
Second, the desert is called Erg Chebbi and is about 30 to 15 kilometers long. It is said that the desert in this area formed because of a strange story or myth. A lot of people in Merzouga say that there used to be a group that was so rich that they threw food at each other in a fight. God buried them in the huge sand mounds you see today because they were so selfish.
The desert around Merzouga is a beautiful place where you will definitely find peace of mind. Once you get there, you can do a number of things. First, they rode camels to the Berber camp in the desert. It is very different to spend the night there.
Ouarzazate
This word comes from the Berber language and means “quiet.” This may help explain the city’s environment, which is quiet but has an effect on people all over the world. Everybody knows that the city is a famous spot for makers from all over the world because it has so many great places to shoot. In the city, there are two main studios, both called Atlas Studios, where people shoot and sometimes rent the gear they need. Also, Ouarzazate is home to the world’s biggest concentrated solar power plant.
The Atlas Mountains
Four countries in North Africa are connected by the beautiful Atlas Mountains range. Mountains are an important part of both the landscape and the culture of the Berber people who live in Morocco. On the mountain slopes, there are small towns where you can stop for mint tea and other Asian treats. If you want to see beautiful views, there are many climbing trails in the Atlas Mountains. You could also choose to ride on a camel.
We will start our 8-day tour from Casablanca and first go across the Middle Atlas, stopping at Ifrane. Make your way across the high after seeing Ait Benhaddou. The Tizi Ntichka Pass is the only way to get from the desert to Marrakech. This road’s curves make it one of the strongest and trickiest in the kingdom. From about 2260m above sea level, it does, however, offer a wide view.