Morocco — Imperial Cities & the Sahara

About this journey

What makes this trip.

• The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, partly built over the sea
• Rabat: the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Oudayas
• Imperial Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis (UNESCO)
• The ancient medina of Fez, entered through the Blue Gate (Bab Boujloud)
• A camel ride and a night in a Sahara desert camp at Merzouga
• The Todgha Gorges and the kasbahs of the Dades and Atlas
• Ouarzazate’s Taourirt Kasbah and the Atlas Film Studios
• The UNESCO-listed Ksar of Aït Benhaddou
• Marrakech, the “city of a thousand and one nights”

Photos via Wikimedia Commons.

Who this trip is for

Who this trip is for.

Travel agencies, tour operators, and cultural groups looking for the signature Morocco grand tour — imperial cities, Roman ruins, the Sahara, and Marrakech — ready to tailor to your group's size, dates, pace, and hotel category.

Itinerary

Day by day.

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Casablanca

   Arrival at Casablanca, welcome and transfer to the hotel, with a welcome meeting with your guide and a traditional welcome dinner. Overnight in Casablanca.

2. Day 2

   Casablanca to Rabat

   A panoramic tour of Casablanca (Place des Nations Unies and the old Medina) and a guided visit of the Hassan II Mosque — partly built over the sea, with its prayer hall, madrasa, library, and museum, and traditional Moroccan craftsmanship in plaster, carved wood, zellij, marble, and copper (modest dress required). Continue to Rabat, the administrative capital; check-in and free time (Souk Bab Lhed). Overnight in Rabat.

3. Day 3

   Rabat to Meknes

   The Mausoleum of Mohammed V (royal tombs of Mohammed V, Moulay Abdellah, and Hassan II), the Kasbah of the Oudayas with its Andalusian gardens and mint tea overlooking the Bou Regreg and the ocean, and the souk and old Medina. Drive to Meknes, a former imperial capital; dinner and overnight.

4. Day 4

   Meknes & Volubilis to Fez

   With a local guide, explore Moulay Ismail’s Meknes — El Hedim Square, Bab Mansour, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismaïl, and Heri es-Souani. Lunch, then Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco (UNESCO 1997): the forum, basilica, Temple of Jupiter, baths, Caracalla Arch, and mosaics. Continue to Fez; dinner and overnight.

5. Day 5

   Fez

   A guided walking tour of the ancient medina, entering through the Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate, 1913): the Bar Batha Museum of arts and traditions, the Bou Inania Madrasa (a mid-14th-century Marinid Quranic school), and a stroll along the bustling Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira. Overnight in Fez.

6. Day 6

   Midelt

   Farewell to Fez and a southward drive (about 5 hours) through changing landscapes to Midelt, with check-in at a kasbah-style hotel and an optional stroll to the village of Berrem. Dinner and overnight.

7. Day 7

   Erfoud & Merzouga

   Drive to Merzouga through kasbahs and palm groves, with a stop in Erfoud (souk and Saharan robes) and Rissani (taste Medfouna, the regional specialty). At Merzouga, a camel ride at sunset to the desert camp, welcomed with local entertainment, a traditional-themed dinner, and a night under the stars in the camp.

8. Day 8

   Todgha Gorges

   An optional early 4x4 desert excursion for sunrise over the dunes and a stop at nomad tents. After breakfast, head to the Todgha Gorges with a stop at the Oasis Museum in the Todra Valley, and a walk in the oasis amid canyons and lush greenery. Overnight at a hotel or guesthouse.

9. Day 9

   Todgha Gorges to Ouarzazate

   A guided walk in the Todgha Valley, between the High Atlas and the Jebel Saghro, lined with ksars and kasbahs, date palms, and flocks. Lunch, then drive to Ouarzazate; check-in, dinner, and a local folklore evening.

10. Day 10

    Ouarzazate & the film studios, to Aït Benhaddou

    The Taourirt Kasbah — once the Glaoui family’s, with its sandcastle-like earthen architecture — and the Atlas Film Studios (guided tours when no filming is under way; backdrop for The Jewel of the Nile, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Babel, Prince of Persia, and more). Lunch, then to Aït Benhaddou; dinner and overnight at a traditional inn.

11. Day 11

    Aït Benhaddou to Marrakech

    A day at the UNESCO-listed Ksar of Aït Benhaddou — its history and earthen architecture, the granary and caravanserai, the so-called “Abraham’s Stone”, artisan shops, the synagogue, the mosque, and the Quranic school — with an Amazigh lunch at a village tea room. Then drive to Marrakech, the “city of a thousand and one nights.” Overnight in Marrakech.

12. Day 12

    Marrakech

    A free day to explore the Red City — monuments, museums, gardens, and souks. Optional excursions are available on request (a city tour, a tajine cooking class, the Ouzoud Waterfalls, a hot-air-balloon ride, a hammam & spa, the Ourika Valley, or Oukaïmeden). Overnight.

13. Day 13

    Departure

    Your journey ends after breakfast; additional nights in Marrakech can be pre-arranged on request.

What you get

Included & not included.

The list below is the program baseline; everything is confirmed in your partner quote, and several “not included” items can be added on request.

Built around your group

What can be tailored.

This program is a starting point, not a fixed package. The elements below are adjusted for your travellers and confirmed in your partner quote.

• ✦Hotel categoryAdjusted to your group’s preferences
• ✦Travel datesSet around your group’s calendar
• ✦Group sizeBuilt to fit your numbers
• ✦Guide languageArranged on request
• ✦MealsMeal plan tailored per group
• ✦Pace of the itineraryRelaxed or full — your call
• ✦Optional visitsAdded on request
• ✦Start & end pointsAdaptable per group

Hotels are confirmed to your group’s preferences after the order — category and properties chosen with you — and the full land service is tailored and confirmed in writing in your quote.

Good to know

Operational notes.

• •The final service list is confirmed in your partner quote.
• •Hotel and supplier availability depends on your travel dates.
• •Pricing depends on group size, season, and hotel category.
• •Jarjinia confirms every detail in writing before anything is committed.

Partner terms

How commercial terms work.

Commercial terms for this program are confirmed in your partner quote — not as fixed online-checkout rules. Payment schedule, cancellation conditions, and supplier deadlines are agreed per program and destination, and shared with your agency in writing before confirmation.