Highlights
- Tour incredible Imperial Cities like Meknes, Fes, and Marrakech
- Stay in luxury riads with deluxe amenities
- Take a private cooking class in Fes
- Fly above Marrakech on a hot air balloon
- Glamp for a night in the Agafay Desert
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat | Rabat |
| Day 2 | Rabat to Chefchaouen: A City Awash in Blue | Chefchaouen |
| Day 3 | Fes: Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina & Hammam | Fes |
| Day 4 | Traditional Cooking Class | Fes |
| Day 5 | Fes to Marrakech: Back Through The Imperial Cities | Marrakech |
| Day 6 | Marrakech: Medina & City Tour | Marrakech |
| Day 7 | Marrakech: Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride and Afternoon of Leisure | Marrakech |
| Day 8 | Night in the Agafay Desert | Agafay |
| Day 9 | Marrakech to Casablanca: the Atlantic Coast & Portuguese Ports | Casablanca |
| Day 10 | Depart from Casablanca |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat
Welcome to Morocco! After you land in Casablanca, you'll be picked up from the airport by your private driver and chauffered to Rabat. Check into your luxe accommodations, then get to know the city with the help of your driver.
Once you've worked up an appetite, grab lunch at a delicious spot that suits your taste. As Morocco's capital of Morocco and home to the royal family, Rabat oozes imperial glam, from relics of empires past to contemporary eateries specializing in fine dining. If you're hungry for traditional fare, consider taking advantage of the Atlantic's incredible bounty. Even in the medina, you'll find super fresh delicacies like briny oysters and creamy sea urchin. Whatever your palette, your driver will give you a great recommendation for where to enjoy your first meal.
Walk off lunch by exploring the blue-painted Oudaya neighborhood that sits perched above the Atlantic Ocean. The Kasbah of the Oudayas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the crown jewel of this enclave, so explore the complex or simple amble around its lush Andalucian gardens, then head to the ramparts for a vivid sunset.
Tonight, enjoy Rabat's robust culinary scene. You will find good Moroccan food around the city, but if you're looking for something more continental, head to the embassy quarter of the New City (just inland from the medina) for some of the best French and Italian dining in the country.
Driving time: 2 hours
Day 2: Rabat to Chefchaouen - A City Awash in Blue
Today, you will make your way to Chefchaouen. This little city is a visual delight in blue; walls, doors, windows, stairways, alleyways, and archways – everything is a combination of pastel sky blue and more vivid, saturated hues. Chefchaouen is located in the heart of the Rif Mountains and offers travelers the romance of old Morocco.
After you check-in at your luxurious riad, you are free to explore the town at your own pace or simply relax. Outa el-Hammam, the main square, is the perfect place to watch the world go by. Walk up the tiny higgledy-piggledy alleys away from the touristed areas to find the every-day life of the town.
This neighborhood is a great location to shop for handcrafted wool garments, woven blankets, cedarwood furniture, and other artisanal work from Northern Morocco. Be sure to order a Maqlouba (upside-down) coffee and enjoy it while watching the local women retrieve water and wash their laundry in the nearby spring. Dinner will be on your own with recommendations from your driver or specialist.
Driving time: 4 hours
Day 3: Fes - Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina & Hammam
Your tour guide will meet you after breakfast to start your day of exploration in the Fes Medina. This UNESCO protected medina is full of arms-width alleyways and donkey-width roads. Your Fes born-and-bred guide will share hidden stories and show you secluded corners of the medina, and you will observe both the minutia of daily life and the magnificence of Fes's madrasas and palaces. Your guide will help you know fabulous Fes as only a true local can. Be sure to ask your guide for lunch suggestions. There are many luxurious restaurants hidden behind unassuming doorways.
Fes is a hub of the Moroccan crafts and arts, and you will meet artisans to learn about the history and importance of their trades. You will visit tanneries and mosaic workshops to observe traditional crafting methods still in use today.
You will finish the day by bathing in an authentic Moroccan hammam. You will learn about the traditions and history of the hammam, and you will enjoy a rejuvenating experience at one of Fes's most highly sought after spa experiences. Most hammams provide a variety of services, including massages, baths, and an extensive treatment menu using locally sourced products like argan oil.
Day 4: Fes - Traditional Cooking Class
Morocco sits at the geographical and cultural crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It is no surprise then that Moroccan cuisine is famous for fusing the flavors of these regions into something unique, dynamic, and delicious. What better way to relax for a day than by taking a private traditional Moroccan cooking lesson from a master?
Take a leisurely morning with breakfast at your riad, some relaxation, and possibly a stroll around the neighborhood. You'll then head to your five-hour cooking class, which begins with a visit to a nearby souk to shop for produce — just as the locals do.
As you prepare a traditional four-course meal, complete with fragrant spices, vibrant saffron, and the ubiquitous preserved lemon, you'll learn about traditional Moroccan cooking methods and will hopefully create amazing memories. At the end of class, sit down to enjoy your delicious dishes, which you can recreate once you're home from your trip.
Spend the rest of the day however you like — you could relax at your riad, or venture back out to explore more of Fes. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own; your cooking teacher, specialist, and driver are bound to have some great recommendations for excellent eateries in town.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 5: Fes to Marrakech - Back Through The Imperial Cities
You’ll depart from Fes this morning and travel back through the most well-known Imperial Cities of the kingdom, Rabat and Casablanca. You will stop in the latter for lunch with recommendations from your driver. Take advantage of your perch on the sea with some incredibly fresh fish from the Atlantic, prepared with traditional Moroccan flair.
After lunch, it's back on the road; you'll travel across the plains to Marrakech, nicknamed the Red City for the vermillion-hued clay used to construct its buildings. Check into your riad and, if you like, spend the rest of the afternoon at a slower pace.
In the early evening, the main square, Jemaa el Fna, comes alive with musicians, performers, snake charmers, games, food stalls, and more. Jump into the spectacle and taste the delights from street vendors or, if you want to enjoy from a distance, sit down at a cafe overlooking the square; that way, you can watch the show over a wonderful meal. Whichever dining option you choose, you'll be treated with fantastic flavors, as Marrakech is regarded as Morocco's culinary capital. Enjoy!
Driving time: 6 hours
Day 6: Marrakech - Medina & City Tour
After breakfast, meet your local private guide who will lead you through the old city of Marrakech. As you explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will come across lively souks and maze-like alleys. You're sure to be dazzled by displays of djellabas, brightly colored babouches, intricately-pierced lanterns, conical mounds of exotic spices, and the intense hubbub of medina life. Along the way, your knowledgable and energetic guide will regale you with the history and stories of the Medina, the Souk, and the Mellah neighborhoods of the Red City. Your guide will also have some great recommendations for the best places to grab lunch!
In the afternoon you'll continue your private tour, exploring places like the Bahia and El Badii Palaces, and the Saadian Tombs. You'll also see the Majorelle Gardens, an iconic garden retreat built over forty years by French painter Jacques Majorelle and later inhabited by famed designer Yves Saint Laurent. Stroll through two and a half acres of peaceful water gardens, visit Morocco’s only museum dedicated entirely to Berber art and culture, and explore Yves Saint Laurent’s gallery, all within the walls of this urban oasis.
Day 7: Marrakech - Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride and Afternoon of Leisure
Marrakech sits where the High Atlas Mountains meet an expansive plain. What better way to observe these stunningly contrasted landscapes than taking a hot air balloon ride over the Red City at sunrise?
You'll have a pre-dawn wake-up call this morning; you'll then drive through the dark to the mountains and board your hot air balloon. Once aloft, watch the sun climb over the highest peaks in North Africa and illuminate the city far below. After your flight, enjoy a delicious and scenic Berber breakfast before you return to Marrakech.
You'll have the rest of the day to yourself to spend however you like. Take a private cooking class with one of the city's culinary masters, do some self-guided exploring, or visit a market for some additional shopping. Your private driver can escort you to any location you desire in the city, and your specialist can help arrange any other private tours or bespoke experiences that speak to you.
Tonight, enjoy dinner back at your luxury riad or head out to one of the city's great eateries.
Day 8: Night in the Agafay Desert
After breakfast, you will have a free morning in Marrakech. Enjoy one last lunch in town, then escape from the hustle and bustle of city life for a night in a luxurious desert tent.
You will travel from Marrakech to the Agafay desert at the foot of the mountains. Although this desert features more stone than the Sahara, you're sure to be swept away by the drama and romance of the vistas and vibes here. Spend your afternoon riding camels or taking 4x4 rides around the desert before enjoying a traditional candle-lit dinner in a beautifully appointed luxury tent.
Be sure to look at the stars before going to sleep. There are some amazing views this far out in your remote location!
Driving time: one hour
Day 9: Marrakech to Casablanca - the Atlantic Coast & Portuguese Ports
Today, you will leave early to head to Casablanca via the coastal route and will visit two old Portuguese fortified cities along the way. Your first stop is El Jadida, where you will tour the Portuguese cistern. You can also stay to walk the ramparts and explore the Church of the Assumption.
Next is Azemour, which has inspired many Moroccan artists over the decades, some of whom have chosen to live here. Life here is still traditional despite its proximity to the cosmopolitan art market of Casablanca. You'll find that the crumbling 16th-century medina squeezed between the Oud Er-Rbia (Mother of Spring River) and the ocean provide plenty of artistic inspiration.
As you travel, take advantage of the Atlantic's incredible bounty and savor a traditional fish lunch. Your driver can take you to the local authentic fish markets, where unassuming food stalls serve some of the freshest grilled and fried seafood you can find. The traditional way to eat here is to buy the fish yourself in the market and have the grillmasters cook it for a small fee. You can also choose to although order fish straight from many of these food stalls.
Once you arrive in Casablanca, check into your chic downtown hotel, then see how the locals live with an exploration of Casablanca's trendier neighborhoods. Start your discovery in Maarif, home of the French-style eponymous market, and Ain Diab, a prime beachfront community that is home to the Morocco Mall and miles of walking paths. The waterfront, or Corniche, is a great place to people watch, especially when the entire city comes out to promenade right before sunset.
Driving time: 5 hours
Day 10: Depart from Casablanca
It's time to say goodbye to Morocco. Depending on the time of your departure flight, you may be able to do some last-minute sightseeing in Casablanca or enjoy tea at one of the traditional cafés. When the time comes, you'll head to Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport for your flight.