Uncover an exotic mix of imperial cities, bustling souks, striking landscapes, spicy aromas and a kaleidoscope of culture in Morocco. Camel trek across the Sahara, discover unspoiled Kasbahs, get lost in the labyrinthine alleyways of Marrakech's famed Djemaa el Fna Square and wander through the ancient medina of the medieval Fes. With enchanting imperial cities, impressive Ait Benhaddou, with its starring role in a number of famous movies, and the laid back Atlantic coast in Essaouira, Morocco is a mouth watering holiday destination unlike any other.
10 days Morocco tour to uncover the exotic mix of imperial cities to lose yourself in the labyrinthine alleyways of Marrakech's famed Djemaa el Fna Square and wander through the ancient medina of the medieval Fes to a camel trek across the Sahara of Merzouga, discover unspoiled and impressive Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, with its starring role in a number of famous movies, and the laid back Atlantic coast in Essaouira.
Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival to Marrakech you will meet your driver and transferred to your hotel for the check in. The driver will provide a short overview of your entire trip in Morocco. The rest of the day is at leisure. It’s possible you’ll like to begin your exploration of this exceptional and vibrant city, or chill out in your lodge and uncover its facilities. Spend the overnight with dinner in a Riad or hotel.
Meals: Dinner included.
After breakfast, you will be escorted by a local tour guide to explore the city of Marrakech. You will visit the main historical monuments including: the gorgeous Bahia palace built in 19th century, the Saadian tombs a 17th century Royal necropolis, the Koranic School of Ben Youssef, and the Koutoubia mosque built in 12th century. You will also visit the famous Souks; a great place for shopping where you can buy presents for your family, friends or yourselves. Relax in the Majorelle Gardens, a peaceful space in the New Town with exotic botanical plants brought from all over the world. You will finish your tour in the main square of Djemaa Lefna with its story tellers, snake charmers, musicians, acrobats and open air food stalls. You will also have free time to enjoy a soft drink in one of the cafes where you can get amazing panoramic views across the square. The rest of the day is at leisure with overnight at the Riad or hotel.
Meals: Breakfast included.
After breakfast, we leave Marrakech venturing through the magnificent Atlas Mountains offering an impressive landscape in the heart of the Atlas Mountain chain to Ouarzazate where many famous movies have been shot such Alexander the Great, The Mummy, The jewel of the Nile, Kingdom of heaven Etc...The scenery is absolutely stunning. We stop to visit the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou one of the most spectacular fortresses in the South of Morocco and a UNESCO world heritage site. You will have lunch in Ouarzazate as "The Hollywood of Africa". We continue our journey to Roses valley known for its annual festival during the roses harvest in May. Spend the night with dinner in Dades valley.
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.
After breakfast, we start our day with a drive towards the Todra Gorges where many of rock climbers come to enjoy their preferred sport. Later we continue our journey, following the ancient Bedouin trading routes parallel with the Middle Atlas, passing a series of the fortified villages with outstanding pre-Saharan architecture. The route to Erfoud is one of the most pleasing of all the Southern routes. The town is in a dry red built of desert and was built by the French as a central administration town. It is known for its rich black fossils marble. The stone is sculpted to bring the fossils into relief on everything from ashtrays to washbasins and more. We head down to the spectacular Merzouga dunes where sand dunes signify the start of the mighty Sahara Desert. We leave our vehicle and take a camel ride into the desert to a Berber camp. To seal this as an experience of a life time, why not surf the Sahara Desert and try sand Dunes Boarding! After dinner we gather round the fire and enjoy the desert night perhaps with traditional Berber drums.
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.
After a picturesque sunrise with breakfast at the camp, you will leave the desert riding the camels to Merzouga to venture into the Atlas Mountains heading a different part of Morocco. We cross the verdant oasis and magnificent Ziz Gorges carved through volcanic rock and through the Tizi Ntalghamt Pass to Midelt passing millions of palm trees and fortified villages characterized by fascinating southern architecture. We stop for lunch in the small town of Midelt, a sleepy village flanked by the verdant beauty of the Middle Atlas Mountains, bursting with colorful minerals that mottle the mountainside in a blaze of ruby. Continue through the Middle Atlas mountain range and great forests of cedar trees, terraced farms and sienna mud-brick Berber villages via Ifran a charming ski resort and Azrou an important handicraft centre specialized in the work of cedar wood. We reach Fez for the overnight with dinner in a Riad or hotel.
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.
After breakfast, you will meet your private tour guide to enjoy a guided city tour to explore the first imperial city of Morocco, Fes; this UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century, and is home to the world's oldest university. The first stop of the morning is a visit to the entrance of the largest royal palace in Morocco. Afterwards, we will drive for a wonderful panoramic views of the whole medina from the southern tower of Fes, visit a pottery co-operative where tiles and Moroccan mosaic are made. We will visit the tanneries, to watch the locals working with the skins of animals such as goat, camel and cow. We will explore a Medrassa (Koranic school), the Nejjarine fountain, the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, and the Karaouine Mosque University. Enjoy a Moroccan lunch at a traditional restaurant in the Medina. Afterwards, continue to explore the medina and its narrow alleys house hundreds of merchants and craftsmen selling a range of products such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns and musical instruments. Spend the rest of the day at leisure with the night at the Riad or hotel.
Meals: Breakfast included.
Today we drive from Fes to Meknes to enjoy a guided tour of the impressive Roman ruins of Volubilis, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best preserved Roman ruins in this part of Northern Africa. Listen to your local guide explain about life in the Roman Empire as you peer into old bathhouses, marveling at the still-present mosaic floors and gazing up at the towering marble pillars. Afterwards, drive towards the imperial city of Meknes. We will see the impressive 18th century Bab Mansour, the ornamental gate to the imperial city of Meknes built by Sultan Moulay Ismail. We continue our tour to the small but impressive Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Then we will pass by the entrance of Meknes Royal Palace and end up at Moulay Ismail’s massive Heri Esouani. This was his personal stable & granary for his 12,000 horses. Travel to Rabat where you’ll enjoy the main sites of this diplomatic and administrative capital, explore the exterior of the Royal Palace, the Oudaya Kasbah, and the Hassan Tower with the mausoleum of Med V and Hassan II. Spend the overnight with dinner in Rabat.
After breakfast, drive from Rabat to Casablanca for a sightseeing of the city that includes the impressive Mosque of Hassan II, opened in 1993. It can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and is one of the only religious sites open to non-Muslims by the beautiful Corniche seaside. Take a moment to catch your breath and to admire the serenity of the Atlantic Ocean. Continue on a short drive through the residential areas of Casablanca to the city center to visit the Mohamed V Square, the Habous quarter and the Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral. After lunch, we will leave to the second imperial city Marrakesh for the night with dinner at the hotel or Riad.
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.
After breakfast we’ll head for a day trip to the fresh and artistic coastal city of Essaouira as one of the loveliest cities in Morocco and also a multicultural artistic center, which has captivated people like Jimi Hendrix, Orson Welles and Bob Marley. With a fresh ocean breeze permanently invading all the corners of its medina, the city of Essaouira stands out for its urban life and culture. Essaouira is also highlighted for its gastronomy based of fresh fish and in the use of Argan oil. Essaouira’s Medina was built in the 18th century. Nowadays the city is a World Heritage Site protected by UNESCO and is the favorite place for most Moroccan artists and musicians. The city is also the stage of the famous music festival Gnawa, an old spiritual art form of North-African Islamism. You will make your way back to Marrakech for the overnight with breakfast at your hotel or Riad. There is the possibility of spending the night in Essaouira in case your flight is on the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast included.
Transfer to Marrakech Menara airport for your return flight with plenty of tales of Arabian and Berber days and nights.
Explore hundreds of years of history as you tour the important imperial cities of Rabat, Fes, Marrakesh and Meknes.
Feel the unique pulse of Africa in the mythical Djemaa el Fna square of Marrakesh where snake charmers, acrobats and story tellers breathe in the sweet aromas of spices wafting through the air.
Travel through the High Atlas Mountains; enjoy the lush forest area and the sight of Berber homes.
Visit the ancient Kasbah of Benhaddou that was used as a backdrop for legendary Hollywood movies like Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Jewel of the Nile.
Discover the hidden delights of a desert camp in the desert of Merzouga. Savor a magical sunset and dine under the stars while enjoying a musical performance by a local band.
Have a unique sensory experience in Fes, watching the dyeing skills of tanners on display as they use age old techniques to soak and dye skins.
Sunbathing at the beach resorts of Essaouira. Try kayaking, water boarding and windsurfing for water sports.
Walk through cosmopolitan Casablanca, marveling at the stunning art deco buildings before heading to see the glory of the King Hassan II Mosque.
Tripadvisor previous guests reviews
We were booked and had paid a deposit for a trip late March of 2020, which was canceled due to the pandemic. Said, the owner of MD, went to extraordinary lengths to refund the deposits for our travel group of six from the U.S. Apparently the Moroccan banking system is not "user friendly" when it comes to wire transfers for reasons unclear to me. Nevertheless, Said managed to refund all our money using a very creative approach. We would DEFINITELY travel with MD in the future given this level of honesty and effort; but we do hope that MD will accept credit cards rather than wires in the future. Thank You Said & Morocco Discovery!
Three of use booked a 19-day with Moroccan Discovery Holidays for March, 2020 and paid a 50% deposit. When Morocco closed its borders due to Covid. Initially we put our trip on hold and asked Said to hold our deposit. Said agreed to this. When it appeared holiday travel would likely go on for many months we asked for a refund. Said again agreed but the Moroccan banks, being what they are, refused to release all of our deposit. With some pressure on the bank from us and Said's help we did receive 100% of our deposit.
We planned our April-May 2020 trip to Morocco in the late fall of 2019 and worked with Said at Morocco Discovery. We were taking our adult children and their partners and Said was patient and added everything we wanted and more. One month prior to travel we were surprised by the pandemic, with flights cancelled, borders closed and no idea when we could travel again. Said remained as diligent, helpful and honest throughout the arduous process of refunding our downpayment. We were thrilled with Said, and his company's commitment to customer service and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone travelling to Morocco. As soon as it is safe again it is our intent to rebook with them!
From their already outstanding reviews when I started working with Sayd, this was an amazing experience. I got prompt friendly responses to every question I had and as this was our first trip to Africa I had a lot of questions. The price was incredibly reasonable - I don’t know how they can put the trip together on this budget. We stayed at amazing Riads in every city with excellent food every evening and great breakfasts - our driver was AMAZING- he was always ready wherever we were 1 minute before we needed him. The prearranged guides were the best. If you are going to Morocco - you want to go with Morocco Discovery and you definitely want a driver.
I have to admit, when I first started looking at using a local Moroccan tour company for our trip I was very nervous. After having toured Morocco for 11 days with Morocco Discovery Holidays, I would HIGHLY recommend them without any hesitation. Said worked with me for over a year to come up with a customized trip that included everything we (2 couples) wanted to see and more. Every change I made to the itinerary was completed within hours of my request.. and I made many. Said is very prompt at responding to e-mails and questions. Having a private driver was definitely the ideal way to see Morocco. Our driver, Mohamed was amazing. From the minute he met us at the airport (with sweets to welcome us) until he dropped us off at the port for our journey to Spain, Mohamed could not do enough for us. Mohamed is funny, engaging, very knowledgeable and was totally flexible and I felt very safe at all times, even on the curvy, narrow road. If I wanted him to turn around so I could take a picture, he would…and Did!! LOL Our Riads were beautiful and the meals that were included were some of the best meals we had in Morocco. I cannot say enough about the 5* service and attention we received from Morocco Discovery Holidays and Mohamed during our trip.
Mr Said provided us with a very pleasant and safe driver (Mustafa) as well as a new van, so we had a very enjoyable round trip Casablanca-Rabat-Fes- Marrakech-Casablanca. Local guides accompanied us in Fes and Marrakech, and we could have had other tours but we opted to spend more time walking around the towns. The Riads selected for us were very satisfactory and service all round was great. No hesitation at all in recommending Morocco Discovery.
Said arranged an excellent holiday for us. We began with one of the standard trips as our starting point and adapted it to better suit our needs with an added night here and there and starting in Marrakesh rather than Casablanca. Everything went very smoothly from start to finish.The choice of the Riads in which we stayed was great, as were the guides that were arranged for us. Abdoul proved to be a first rate driver - safe, dependable, friendly and very professional. We felt very comfortable being driven by him and we enjoyed his company.