Marrakesh or Marrakech was founded in 1062 under the reign of the Almoravid king Yusuf ibn Tashfin. Quickly many mosques and madrassas were built and the city became a major center for traffic between the western Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa.
Many palaces were built using Andalusian craftsmen from Córdoba and Seville, who brought the Umayyad style characterized by carved and lobed arched domes.
In 1122 the city was fortified by walls by the son of Youssef Ibn Tachfine Ali Ben Youssef.
In 1147 the Almoravid lost the city to the Almohad and almost all the monuments and palaces were destroyed by the Almohads as they considered the Almoravid to be heretics. In 1184 they built the impressive Koutoubia Mosque on the ruins of an Almoravid Palace.
In the sixteenth century, Marrakesh became the capital of the Saadian Empire and the city was embellished and restored during the reign of Ahmed Al-Mansur Ad Dhahbi (‘the golden’ in Arabic) who brought more than half a ton of gold from Timbuktu (Mali). This gold was partly used to build the sumptuous El Badi Palace.
After the end of the Saadi Dynasty in 1659, the Alaouite dynasty took control over Morocco and Meknes became the new capital of the Empire.
Your Accommodation / Airport, Train-Bus Station or wherever you want
30 Minutes Before Departure
Upon your arrival at MENARA airport in MARRAKECH where you will be welcomed by a member of our team, and then you will be transferred to your accommodation. The driver will provide a brief review of your tour. Dinner & night at the hotel.
After having breakfast at the Riad, you will find a locale guide waiting for you, to start your tour inside the old city of Marrakech. The morning begins with a visit to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque as the landmark of Marrakech which has inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat. Your next stop is the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs. The Saadian tombs in Marrakech date back to the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. The tombs were discovered in 1917 and were restored by the Beaux-arts service.
The mausoleum comprises the interments of about sixty members of the Saadian Dynasty that originated from the valley of the Draa River. After the lunch break, You Continue to the world-famous Jemaa el Fna Square, which houses an array of food, snake charmers, local musicians, and fortune-tellers. There’s nowhere on Earth like the Jemaa el Fna, the square at the heart of old Marrakesh. You will also walk through the souks and view hundreds of handicrafts. A night with breakfast at the Riad.
Departure starts from Marrakech south up to Asni weekly market every Saturday then to Imlil (1740m), set in the top-level foothills of the High Atlas mountains, the main trailhead with paths branching out in all directions.
Upon arrival, we leave the car with a welcome glass of mint tea in the village where you meet a local guide prior to setting out for a walking tour. The tour starts south to the Berber village of Aroumd passing the jagged Western High Atlas peaks of the Toubkal Massif overlooking ancient irrigated terraced fields of barley, corn, and vegetables and always surrounded by almond and walnut trees.
We thence carry on for another Half an Hour to get to our lunch which will be served among a Berber family in the village of Achayn prior to setting off back down the other side of the valley back to Imlil for the night with dinner in a typical Berber family house.
Starting afresh day with a drive through the magnificent Atlas Mountains and the pass of Tichka (2260 m), offering an impressive landscape in the middle of the Atlas Mountain chain to Ouarzazate where many famous movies have been shot such Alexander the Great, The Mummy, The jewel of the Nile, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, Operation Red Sea and more…
The scenery is absolutely stunning. We stop in the kasbah of Ait Benhaddou one of the most spectacular fortresses in the South of Morocco and a UNESCO world heritage site. Lunch in Ouarzazate is “The Hollywood of Africa” or Desert Door as the Subsaharan calls it. We continue our trip to the valley of Roses known for its yearly festival during the roses season in May. Spend the night with dinner in Dades valley.
After you have your breakfast, we start our day with a drive towards a kind of Gorges it is Todra Canyons ( 300 m up narrowest point ) where many rock-climbers come to enjoy their favorite sport. Later we continue our journey, following the ancient Bedouin trading routes parallel with the Middle Atlas, passing a series of fortified villages with outstanding pre-Saharian architecture. The route to Erfoud is one of the most pleasing of all the Southern routes. The town is in a dry red built of desert and was built by the French as a central administration town.
It is known for its rich black fossils and marble. The stone is sculpted to bring the fossils into relief on everything from ashtrays to washbasins and more. We head down to the spectacular Merzouga dunes where sand dunes signify the start of the mighty Sahara Desert. We leave our vehicle and take a camel ride into the desert to a Berber camp.
To seal this as an experience of a lifetime, why not surf the Sahara Desert and attempt sand dunes Boarding! After dinner, we gather around the fire and enjoy the desert night with traditional Berber music.
In order to attend one of the most beautiful sunrises, you will wake up early before the sunrise, to watch the magical view with a cup of coffee, and then get back with camels to the Hotel where you will have breakfast and shower.
After refreshing up a journey will take us toward one of the famous, cultural capital of Morocco, the city of Fes, along the trip we will come across barbarian atlas apes in the huge cedar forest, then pass through the beautiful city of Ifran or Switzerland of Morocco as the Moroccan call it, because of its architecture and cleanness. dinner and breakfast at the hotel
This day will be a full-day guided tour to Fes. Fez has been viewed as one of the most satisfactory recognized cities in medieval Jewish history, it was once domestic to one of the most influential Talmudic students of all times, Rabbi Isaac Alfasi, as well as Maimonides in the years of 1160 to 1165. Visit the Mellah with its synagogue. Fez is a nonsecular and cultural core with many facets.
The tour will take you to lower back in time whilst traveling to Al Quaraouiyine University, the oldest college in the world (before even Oxford or the Sorbonne). We will also visit the medieval Medina with its Bou Anania Medersa, the Nejjarine fountain, and the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum.
Afterward, continue to explore the slender alleys house lots of merchants and craftsmen promoting a variety of merchandise such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns, and musical instruments. Overnight with breakfast at the hotel.
Starting our day after breakfast, from Fes to the blue Pearl Chefchaouen. Drive through the breathtaking landscapes of the fertile coastal plains. Continue the road until you arrive in the region of the Rif Mountains which is the heart and location of the quiet blue and whitewashed city of Chefchaouen.
Spend the day wandering the blue-washed narrow alleys of the friendly medina. Visit the walled fortress of the Kasbah contains beautiful gardens, near which is the small museum and art gallery which houses the rich culture of the Rif Mountains.
From the rooftop of the Kasbah view, a spectacular panorama of the blue and whitewashed houses, tiled roofs, and tiny balconies. After exploring the medina, walk on the nearby hillsides with the wonderful and magnificent waterfalls. The town offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular. Dinner and night in a guest house.
Departure from Chefchaouen through the green lush of the Rif Mountains towards Tangier, an ancient Phoenician town, located at the point where the waters of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet. The surrounding mountains provide a magnificent backdrop to this intriguing city, the gateway to Africa from Europe, which has always been an international melting pot. Take a tour of Tangier and explore the bustling medina, and city surrounds, and enjoy the stunning vista where the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans meet.
After lunch, Continue to a headland about 12km from Tangier, ideal for admiring the Atlantic Ocean. On the way, stop to visit the Hercules Cave. According to legend, this mythical Greek half-god rested here after digging the Strait of Gibraltar. Close by is there restored Roman town of Cotta with ruins of a temple and hot baths. The tour will include also a stop by Cape Sapartel where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. Dinner at the hotel.
Departure from Tangier to Casablanca via Asilah after having you rest and take breakfast, our next destination is not far away from Tangier, only 40 km, According to some researchers, the history of Asilah goes back more than 3,600 years. The name of this city, previously called “Zilis”, is mentioned by many authors and ancient historians. similar to Greece, with its whitewashed houses and blue walls and doors. Asilah is an art city with many beautiful murals covering the interior city walls.
Lunch to be enjoyed in this beautiful town before we depart towards Casablanca with nice stops. Arrive at your hotel in Casablanca to check-in for the night with breakfast.
Our day starts with a visit to the economic capital Casablanca including the impressive Mosque of Hassan II, which opened in 1993. It can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and is one of the only religious sites open to non-Muslims by the beautiful Corniche seaside.
Take a moment to catch your breath and admire the serenity of the Atlantic Ocean. Continue on a short drive through the residential areas of Casablanca to the city center to visit Mohamed V Square, the Habous quarter, and the Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral. After lunch, we will leave Casablanca via Highway towards Marrakech city. the night with dinner at the hotel.
After having a great time and enjoying different road and places in Morocco with us, Your driver will take you from your accommodation to Menara Airport depend on your flight time, hoping to see you soon
