Overview
Discover the North to the South Morocco Immersion in just 8 days. This immersion begins in Tangier and ends in Marrakech with Chefchaouen, Fes, a camel trek in the desert, and UNESCO World Heritage sites in between. Planning to combine a vacation in Spain with Morocco? Then this group tour is perfect!
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
- Ride through the shifting sand of the Sahara on a shore-footed camel
- Get off of the beaten path and live like a local in the Valley of Roses
- Experience breathtaking vistas in the High Atlas Mountains
- Become acquainted with the excitement of beguiling Marrakech
Itinerary
You can arrive anytime this morning by plane, train, or ferry. Whichever method of travel you choose, please arrive by 10 AM and be prepared for an 11 AM departure from Tangier to the Blue Pearl of Morocco, Chefchaouen.
Upon your arrival to Chefchaouen, you will embark on an orientation walk and then have time to explore a bit on your own before re-grouping for our welcome dinner.
Note: If you are not able to arrive to Tangier by 10 AM, we can arrange an overnight stay in Tangier the previous evening for an additional fee.
Overnight: Chefchaouen
After breakfast, you will depart Chefchaouen and head south towards Fes. On the way, you will stop to visit the ruins of the Roman outpost of Volubilis. Before the Romans came, Volubilis was an Amazigh city known as Oulili (pronounced wa-lee-lee) which dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century and subsequently 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 it was near here in the 8th Century that Idriss I established the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Morocco. This tour is part of your North to South Morocco Immersion, where you’ll explore the ancient cities of Morocco’s imperial history.
After a guided tour of Volubilis, you will 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 its time as the capital of Morocco. Next, you will visit the impressive Agdal reservoir and Heri es-Souani, a former granary and stable that lay alongside the reservoir and once housed 12,000 horses. This is another significant stop in your North to South Morocco Immersion.
After exploring Meknes, you’ll make the short drive to Fes where you will stop for the night. Dinner will be available and included tonight at your riad tonight.
Important note that the majority of the monuments in Meknes are currently under extensive restoration for the foreseeable future, so the tour here may be skipped or very limited.
Overnight: Fes
Today after breakfast, your local guide will meet you at your riad for a guided tour of the city. To start your tour, you will first go to the Royal Palace and then walk through the old Mellah (Jewish Quarter) of the city. From here, you will head to one of the Borj (towers) and get a panoramic view of the entire medina. Next, you’ll head to a mosaic house where you will have a demonstration of the traditional pottery methods utilized by Fassi artisans – you’ll see every step of the process from the formation of the clay to the piecing together of the mosaics. After this, the tour will take you into the medina of Fes where you will discover the ancient streets and neighborhoods, visit the various artisan sections (including the tanneries), and the important historic monuments (including the tomb of Idriss II and the Al-Qarawaiyin University – the oldest continually operated university in the world). Your tour will end after lunch at which time you’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to explore the medina. Don’t worry if you get lost – that is all part of the experience in your North to South Morocco Immersion.
Overnight: Fes
This morning, you will want to wake early so that you can watch the sun rise over the dunes. After watching the sunrise, breakfast will be served at camp, and you’ll have time to shower and prepare for your day before taking to your camels one more time to trek back to the edge of the dunes and transfer back to your more conventional transportation. From here, you’ll head to the breathtaking Dades Gorge. Along the way, you’ll stop to search for fossils and visit the ancient irrigation system that once brought water to the desert from the distant Saghro Mountains. After this, you’ll head to the oasis town of Tinghir, where you will have a guided walk of the palmeraie and Mellah (old Jewish area). Next, you’ll visit nearby Todgha Gorge, where you will walk through the most impressive part of the canyon. After this, you’ll head to the beautiful Dades Valley for the night. Dinner will be served here, as part of your North to South Morocco Immersion experience.
Overnight: Merzouga
This morning, you will want to wake early so that you can watch the sun rise over the dunes. After watching the sunrise, breakfast will be served at camp, and you’ll have time to shower and prepare for your day before taking to your camels one more time to trek back to the edge of the dunes and transfer back to your more conventional transportation. From here, you’ll head to the breathtaking Dades Gorge. Along the way, you’ll stop to search for fossils and visit the ancient irrigation system that once brought water to the desert from the distant Saghro Mountains. After this, you’ll head to the oasis town of Tinghir, where you will have a guided walk of the palmeraie and Mellah (old Jewish area). Next, you’ll visit nearby Todgha Gorge, where you will walk through the most impressive part of the canyon. After this, you’ll head to the beautiful Dades Valley for the night. Dinner will be served here, and this is another great part of your North to South Morocco Immersion journey.
Overnight: Boumalne Dades
Following breakfast, you will make your way back to Marrakech, traveling on the Road of 1000 Kasbahs. You’ll take a slightly different route and stop along the way to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou, located just outside of Ouarzazate. If this impressive ksar looks familiar, it is because it has starred (or at least made an appearance) in many movies and TV shows including Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile, and Game of Thrones. After exploring and having lunch, you will travel along the route of the Old Salt Caravan in the Ounilla Valley past the Glaoui Kasbah of Telouet. If time permits, you may stop for a quick tour before traveling once again over the breathtaking High Atlas Mountains and back to your riad in Marrakech, where you will enjoy one final dinner together as a group to celebrate the completion of your North to South Morocco Immersion.
Overnight: Marrakech
After breakfast, your local city guide will meet you at your riad and show you all around Marrakech. Your tour will include visits to Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and Koutoubia Mosque. After you’ve visited these monuments, your guide will escort you to the souks of Marrakech where you’ll have a chance to visit the various artisans and to learn about their crafts. Your tour will end by mid-afternoon and you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore on your own. You’ll regroup one last time this evening for a farewell dinner.
Overnight: Marrakech
This morning after breakfast, depending on your departure time, you may have some free time to explore Marrakech on your own before transferring to the Marrakech Airport in plenty of time of your departing flight.
Transfers to Casablanca Airport can be arranged upon request for an additional fee.
Fixed booking dates
FAQs
The tour meeting point is your first hotel (listed on your finalized itinerary) in Rabat. They will be expecting your arrival. If you would like to join the excursion to the Rabat monuments, please arrive by 1:30 to be ready for a 2 PM departure (meeting in the lobby). The group will meet up again at 6:45 PM to head to the welcome dinner. Just look for the Morocco Immersion signs.
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 guided tour of Tangier, please plan to arrive in Tangier by 11 AM.
You can arrive any time on Day 1, but if you would like to join the excursion to the monuments in Rabat, please plan to arrive to the hotel by 1:30 PM. If you would like to join the group for the welcome dinner, please arrive by 6 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 ends in Marrakech on Day 10, but ONE transfer at 10 AM to the airport in Casablanca will be included – the ETA to Casablanca is 1 PM. Be sure to allow time to check in and get through security. If you choose to depart from Marrakech, complementary transfers will be offered throughout the day.
Note: Transfers to the airport in Marrakech (throughout the day) are complementary. The 10 AM transfer to the airport in Casablanca is also complementary. Additional transfers to Casablanca (or to another city) can be arranged for an additional fee.
We recommend flying into the airport in Casablanca OR Rabat – we will provide complementary transfers from each of these airport. For your departure, we recommend flying out of the airport in Marrakech or Casablanca. One transfer (at 10 AM) will be complementary as will transfers to Marrakech throughout the day.
If you prefer to fly in to or out of another airport, we can arrange ground transfers for an additional fee (per transfer).
No problem! We are happy to arrange accommodations and/or transfers if needed. Just let us know!
Upon your arrival, we will provide a complimentary ground transfer from the airport in Casablanca or Rabat.
Upon your departure, we will provide ONE complementary transfer to the airport in Casablanca (10 AM) and transfers to the airport in Marrakech throughout the day.
Transfers to/from other airports can be arranged for an additional fee.
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 6 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!
