Overview
Discover the history of Morocco’s ruling families with visits to the cities that served as the seat of power from the first dynasty (Fes) to the current one (Rabat), with a few in between (Meknes & Marrakech). If you enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life and have a passion for history, this is for you! Experience the Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion.
Highlights
- Wander through the blue streets in Chefchaouen
- Uncover the ruins of an ancient Roman outpost
- Travel back in time in the maze-like medina of Fes
- Get a glimpse of the country-side
- Become acquainted with the excitement of beguiling Marrakech
Itinerary
Welcome to Morocco! The tour will start at your riad in Marrakech (details provided upon booking). You can arrive at any time, as today will be a day of leisure to recover from your travels and prepare for the journey ahead. In the evening, you’ll meet your group for a welcome dinner to kick off your Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion.
Airport transfers can be arranged by request and are complementary from Marrakech. Transfers from airport in Casablanca can be arranged for an additional fee.
Overnight: Marrakech
After breakfast, your local city guide will meet you at your riad and show you around Marrakech. Your tour will include visits to important monuments such as Bahia Palace, Ben Yousef Madrassa, and Koutoubia Mosque. In between, you’ll wander with your guide through the maze-like souk, where local artisans work on their crafts. Marrakech is known for its centuries-old use of spices for medicine, so your tour will also include a visit to a traditional pharmacy to learn about these uses. This is just one part of your Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion.
Overnight: Marrakech
After breakfast you will depart from Marrakech and head to the imperial city of Fes. This will be kind of a long day of driving, but there will be plenty of stops for tea and photographs along the way.
After a long day of traveling, you may not feel like going out upon your arrival to Fes, so dinner will be available and included at your riad in Fes tonight.
Overnight: Fes
oday, after breakfast, your local guide will meet you at your riad for a guided tour of Fes. You’ll begin by visiting the Royal Palace and walking through the old Mellah (Jewish Quarter). Then, you’ll head to one of the Borj (towers) for a panoramic view of the medina. Next, visit a mosaic house where you’ll witness a demonstration of the traditional pottery methods used by Fassi artisans. The tour will continue into the ancient streets and neighborhoods of the Fes medina, including artisan sections (such as tanneries) and historic monuments like the tomb of Idriss II and the Al-Qarawaiyin University – the oldest continually operated university in the world. This is all part of your unforgettable Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion. The tour will conclude after lunch, and you’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening to explore the medina at your leisure. Don’t worry if you get lost – that is part of the experience.
Overnight: Fes
ou’ll have the day free to explore the ancient city of Fes on your own. Wander through the maze-like medina, enjoy a relaxing day at a Moroccan hammam, or become acquainted with Fassi cuisine with a cooking class. The day is yours, but your tour manager will be available should you need help arranging anything as part of your Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion.
Overnight: Fes
After breakfast, you will depart Fes and head north towards Rabat. On the way, you will stop to visit the ruins of the Roman outpost of Volubilis. Before the Romans arrived, Volubilis was an Amazigh city known as Oulili (pronounced wa-lee-lee) that dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century and later further damaged by Moulay Ismail’s architects (who used pieces to build the gates of the city of Meknes), it is still ‘an exceptionally well-preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire,’ according to the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The city was reclaimed by the local Amazigh tribes around 235 AD and was near here in the 8th Century that Idriss I established the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Morocco.
After your guided tour of Volubilis, you’ll head to the lesser-known imperial city of Meknes. Your visit will begin by entering the old medina through the interesting gate of Bab Mansour, which incorporates marble pillars that were moved from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Once inside the medina, you will visit the tomb of Sultan Moulay Ismail. It was under this eccentric ruler’s reign from 1672 to 1727 that Meknes served as the capital of Morocco. Next, visit the impressive Agdal reservoir and Heri es-Souani, a former granary and stable that once housed 12,000 horses, all part of your Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion.
After exploring Meknes, you’ll drive to the blue city of Chefchaouen. Although this is not an official “imperial city”, it is well worth a visit.
Important Note: The majority of the monuments in Meknes are currently undergoing extensive restoration for the foreseeable future, so the tour here may be limited or skipped.
Overnight: Chefchaouen
Today, you will have the entire day free to explore this magical city and discover why it is called Morocco’s Blue Pearl.
OPTION: Spend the morning hiking nearby to Cascade d’Akchour. The full hike to the big waterfall is a challenging 10 mile round trip trek, but the out and back trail makes it easy to hike as little as you might like.
Overnight: Chefchaouen
After breakfast, you will head to the current capital city of Morocco, Rabat, where you’ll see the most important historic sites such as Hassan Tower, Mohammed V Mausoleum, and Kasbah of the Udayas. After touring these iconic locations, you’ll have some free time to explore on your own before meeting up in the lobby for one last dinner together as a group, completing your journey through the Imperial Cities of Morocco Immersion.
Overnight: Rabat
Today after breakfast, you’ll head back to Marrakech for your flight home. The tour will end at Marrakech airport at approximately 2 PM (14:00). To be safe, your departing flight should be after 4 PM (16:00).
If time allows and the group is interested, a stop to visit the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca may be added.
If you wish to depart from Casablanca Airport, a stop can be made there on the way to Marrakech (ETA 11:00 AM) free of charge).
Frequently Asked Questions
The tour meeting point is the first riad (listed in your finalized itinerary) in Marrakech.They will be expecting your arrival. We will meet in the lobby of the riad at 6:45 PM on your arrival day for a welcome dinner where you will have a chance to meet your fellow travelers and get answers to any questions you might have about the adventure to come. Just look for the Morocco Immersion Sign.
Note: The meeting time may change depending on the arrival time of the majority of the participants. You will receive more details prior to your tour start date.
You can arrive any time on Day 1, but if you would like to join the group for the welcome dinner, please plan to arrive in Marrakech by 5 PM.
Remember when you are booking your flights that most flights depart in the evening and arrive the following morning. Double check your flight to be sure that the arrival date is the same as the Tour Start Date.
This tour will end at the Marrakech (RAK) airport. The estimated arrival time is 2 PM (14:00). If you prefer to depart from Casablanca Airport, a stop can be made there on the way back to Marrakech free of charge (ETA to Casablanca Airport is 11 AM).
When selecting your departing flight,be sure to allow time for check in and security. Departing flights from Marrakech should be after 4 PM (16:00). Flights out of Casablanca should be after 1:30 PM (13:30).
This tour will start and end in Marrakech which makes the Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) the ideal place to fly in an out of. We will also provide complementary ground transfers to/from this airport. We will also provide a free transfer on the departure day to Casablanca Airport, if you prefer to depart from there.
If you fly into Casablanca, we can arrange ground transfers to the Tour Meeting Point in Marrakech for an additional fee (per transfer).
No problem! We are happy to arrange accommodations and/or transfers if needed. Just let us know!
We are pleased to provide complementary ground transfers to/from the Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). We will ask for your flight information during the pre-Adventure registration process (after booking). For this tour, we will also provide a complementary transfer to Casablanca Airport on the Tour End Date (Day 12) upon request.
Ground transfers from the airport in Casablanca to Marrakech on the Tour Start Date are available upon request for an additional fee. Contact us for more information.
We will operate this tour as long as we have a minimum of 2 participants.
12 participants. We are not a “big bus” tour operator and prefer to keep our group tours small so that you can truly experience Morocco’s rich culture and way of life.
Contact us! Groups of 8 or more qualify for special discounts and groups of 13 or more can be accommodated as a private tour (again, for special pricing).
Simply follow this book now link. We request a 30% deposit at the time of booking. The balance is due prior to the Tour Start Date.
After you book, you will be contacted by the Morocco Immersion Adventure Organizer who will guide you through the pre-Adventure registration process, keep you updated on any tour changes, and answer any questions you might have.
if we must cancel the tour due to a lack of participants, we will give you the following options:
- Switch to a different tour.
- Convert your tour to a private tour for an additional fee.
- Refund 100% of your deposit and any other additional payments made to us.
We will not refund any loss not paid to us such as airfare change or cancellation costs. For that reason, we STRONGLY recommend the purchase of travel insurance.
If you cancel up to 14 days prior to your Tour Start Date, you will receive a credit for your deposit (for use on a subsequent trip) and any additional money paid shall be refunded. For cancellations made 14 or less before the in-country start date, no refund of or credit for the deposit will be given; however, any final payments made will be refunded until 1 day prior to the tour start date. Please refer to our terms and conditions.
If you must cancel your tour, please notify as soon as possible.
No, it is not required, but we strongly recommend it to cover any losses due to trip cancellation or interruption. Travel insurance that includes medical evacuation is also advised as some areas of Morocco are remote and may lack proper medical facilities.
Because we do highly recommend it, we have partnered with World Nomads to provide “one-stop-shopping” for your tour. You can check out our travel insurance page for a free quote today.
Yes! We will help you with that during the pre-tour registration process. If we are unable to find a roommate for you, we will ask you to pay a portion of the single/private room supplement (typically 50% roughly $17.50 USD per day) to cover the additional expense.
No vaccinations are currently required for travel to Morocco; however, it is generally advised that you be up to date on your normal vaccinations and consider vaccinations for Hep A and Typhoid to prevent food borne pathogens. For more information, you should contact a travel clinic or review the CDC guidelines for travel to the area.
There may be additional travel requirements due to COVID-19 (such as a negative PCR test prior to arrival). While we will advise to the best of our ability, it is your responsibility to make sure that you adhere to any additional requirements.
US Passport holders currently do not need a visa to travel to Morocco for a duration of less than 3 months for tourism purposes. If you do require a visa, you are responsible for acquiring it.
It is your responsibility to acquire and bring required travel documents such as passport and visa (if applicable). Be sure to put that on your packing list!
