Cultural Morocco Tour

On arrival at Casablanca airport, meet and greet and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight in Casablanca.

After breakfast we will discover Casablanca, the economic capital and industrial hub of Morocco. We will visit the Hassan II Grand Mosque, the highlight of Casablanca. It is the largest mosque and can house up to 25.000 worshippers. Its minaret is the tallest religious structure in the world. Afterwards, we will continue on to the new medina Habous quarter with its famous Mahkama, a masterpiece of domestic architecture. We will also see the city centre with its Art Deco buildings, the United Nations Square and the seaside resort of Ain Diab Corniche. In the early afternoon, we will drive to Rabat. Upon arrival we will visit Rabat’s cultural highlights : The Hassan Tower, an excellent example of the gorgeous Mauresque style, the nearby mausoleum dedicated to Mohamed V, the founder of modern Morocco and the Oudayas Kasbah with its stunning Andalusian gardens.

Overnight in Rabat.

This morning we will travel to Meknes, one of the imperial capitals of Morocco.
The city became a capital under the powerful Alawite sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727). The sultan turned it into an impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style, surrounded by high walls with great doors, where the harmonious blending of the Islamic and European styles of the 17thcentury are still evident today. On to
Volubilis, the largest and most well preserved Roman site in Morocco. The Mauritanian capital, founded in the 3rdcentury B.C. became an important outpost of the Roman Empire and was graced with many fine buildings.Extensive remains of these survive in the archaeological site, located in a fertile agricultural area.Later this afternoon arrive Fez, the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco Overnight in Fez.

Morning visit Fez El Bali (old Fez) founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world. The city reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Merinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina – medersas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains – date from this period. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez has retained its status as the country’s cultural and spiritual centre. In the afternoon, visit Dar Batha, the museum of Moroccan Arts, housing historical and artistic collections of wood carvings, embroidery, tribal carpets and ceramics. Continue on to Fez El Jedid (New Fez). Most notably, it is home to the Royal Palace and the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, providing an interesting insight into the Jewish architecture. Overnight in Fez.

After breakfast, we will journey into the cedar forested Middle Atlas, North Africa’s greatest mountain range. We will be crossing Berber villages of Azrou and Khenifra en route to Beni Mellal situated in the heart of the fertile Tadla Plain. The latter part of the journey sees the road descend from the Atlas Mountains further south and down into the Haouz Plain, before reaching Marrakech. Overnight in Marrakech.

This morning will be at leisure for further exploration of Marrakech. In the afternoon we leave Marrakech and travel to Casablanca via the highway linking these two cities. Overnight in Casablanca.

This morning will be at leisure for further exploration of Marrakech. In the afternoon we leave Marrakech and travel to Casablanca via the highway linking these two cities. Overnight in Casablanca.