9 Day Tour
Casablanca to Casablanca - Imperial Cities

Casablanca - Rabat - Meknes - Fes - Beni Mellal - Ouzoud Falls - Marrakech - Essaouira - El Jadida - Casablanca

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Distance:    1400 km  /  869 miles

Start: Casablanca  

End: Casablanca

Trip Highlights

• Visit Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

• Stop off in Rabat, Morocco’s Capital

• Walk through the ancient medina of Fes, also a UNESCO World Heritage site

• Visit the ancient ruins of Volubilis

• Travel through the Atlas Mountains to Ifrane, the “Switzerland of Morocco”

• Explore Marrakech including the Koutoubia Mosque, Majorelle Gardens, the 16th century Saadian Tombs, and the 19th Century Bahia Palace. 

• Enjoy the artsy coastal city of Essaouira

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca 

We will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. This first day is not formally structured to allow for different possible arrival times.

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Day 2:  Casablanca - Rabat

After a hearty breakfast, we will tour the city of Casablanca. You will see the Hassan II Mosque on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. You will be impressed with its size, the only mosque in the world that is larger than this one is in Mecca. After that we will drive on to Morocco’s administrative capital, Rabat, our first imperial city. We will stop along the way for lunch before visiting the Royal Palace, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and Hassan Tower. The tower is the minaret of a mosque begun during the 12th century. If it had been completed, it would have been the largest in the western world at the time, but it was never

finished. We’ll also visit the kasbah of Oudayas near the coast to see the white houses with blue parapets. Then we will go to the hotel for dinner and some rest.

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Day 3:  Rabat - Meknes - Fes

The third day will begin with breakfast before we drive to Meknes, known as the “Versailles of Morocco” and the second imperial city of our tour so far. We’ll see the beautiful ceremonial gate that has welcomed visitors to the old part of the city since 1732, Bab Mansur

al-’Alj, and continue on to the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss, an important pilgrimage site for

Moroccans. Moulay Idriss lived during the eighth century and founded the dynasty that established Morocco as a nation-state in cooperation with Berber tribes. We will drive on to the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis before arriving in Fes for a traditional Moroccan dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 4: Fes

We’ll begin the fourth day with breakfast before taking a private tour of the royal city of Fes, our third imperial city. There are many things to see in Fes including the ancient medina 

(a UNESCO World Heritage site), the 14th century Marinid Tombs, the Bou Inania Medersa

and the Attarine Medersa, also from the 14th century, and the Nejjarine Marble Fountain. After lunch you will see many other attractions like the Bab Bou Jeloud gate, the world-famous tanneries, the souk, and the Royal Palace.

Afterwards, you will go to the hotel and enjoy Dinner.

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Day 5: Fes - Atlas Mountains - Ifrane - Ouzoud falls - Marrakech

In the morning we will leave Fes for Marrakech, our fourth imperial city. We’ll travel through the Atlas Mountains to Ifrane, the “Switzerland of Morocco.” and stop to see the stone lion which was carved by a German prisoner during World War II to commemorate the last of the Atlas Lions. As we continue to Azrou you will see a tree believed to be 800 years old,

the Cedre Gouraud, in the cedar forest and, if you are lucky, you will also see the Barbary macaques that live there. Watch for the distinctive green tile roofs in Azrou as we pass through on the way to Beni Mellal where we will stop for lunch. After that we will take a walk at Ouzoud Falls before arriving in Marrakech where we will find a hotel or riad and enjoy a

Moroccan dinner.

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Day 6: Marrakech

We will spend the sixth day exploring Marrakech. The long list of places to see include the Koutoubia Mosque, Majorelle Gardens, the 16th century Saadian Tombs, and the 19th Century Bahia Palace. After lunch we’ll tour the medina and souks around Jemaa el-Fna square and watch it fill with snake charmers, story tellers, and families as the night wears on. Then we will go to the hotel for the night.

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Day 7: Marrakech to Essaouira

After breakfast on the seventh day we will drive to Essaouira, an agricultural area known

especially for its argan production. We will visit a women’s cooperative that processes argan by hand to make both cosmetic and culinary oils along with other argan products. Since this is a seaside resort town, a lunch featuring fresh seafood is highly recommended. This is our only destination today, so you are free to spend your time after lunch walking through the medina in town or enjoying the coast - or both! 

We will have dinner and stay in a hotel for the night.

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Day 8: Essaouria - Safi - Oualidia - Cassablanca

We will start back toward Casablanca in the morning of the eighth day, travelling along the coastal road so you can enjoy the gorgeous scenery. We will pass through towns like Safi

(a sardine haven) and Oualidia (the oyster capital of Morocco), which makes stopping for a fresh seafood lunch is almost inevitable. After lunch we will drive through El Jadida, a

former Portuguese colony that may look more like Europe than Morocco as you pass by. 

We will be in Casablanca by early evening, in time to check into a hotel and have dinner.

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Day 9: Casablanca

We will drive you to the airport in Casablanca, wishing you fond memories of your trip to Morocco.