1 Casablanca
Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Morocco. Your adventure begins today with a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you'll meet your tour leader and fellow travellers – check with hotel reception to confirm the location. As there's little free time included in Casablanca on this trip, consider coming a day early to fully explore the city. Modelled after Marseille in France, the city is famous for its art deco buildings. A pleasant way to spend a day exploring Casablanca is to wander the old medina and the city walls, then jump in a taxi to visit the Quartiers des Habous, the new medina. Take a walk along the Corniche, watching the locals play football on the beach, or take it easy with a glass of sweet mint tea in one of the many great cafes. Join your group for an evening welcome dinner of traditional specialties.
Please Note: Please be aware that some of our travellers to Casablanca are being approached by locals offering excursions before their Intrepid trip commences. This has been particularly prevalent in and around the hotels used by Intrepid. These guides are in no way connected to Intrepid Travel and we cannot guarantee the safety or quality standards of their tours. We strongly advise customers against joining any tour offered by unauthorised guides. Intrepid Travel assesses the safety of all optional excursions offered by our tour leaders. If you would like more information on the excursions available, please contact us before you travel or see the Intrepid-branded notice in the reception of your hotel. (D)
2 Meknes / Moulay Idriss
After a local street breakfast in Casablanca take an early train heading onto Meknes. In the 17th century Sultan Moulay Ismail turned Meknes from a provincial town to a spectacular Imperial city – An orientation walk followed by lunch is a great introduction to Meknes. Try a camel burger at a friendly local restaurant in the medina and in the evening settle in at a local guesthouse, where the art of hand-rolled couscous is lovingly demonstrated along with an authentic Moroccan meal. (B/L/D)
3 Chefchaoeun
Chefchaouen, or the ‘blue city', is arguably one of the prettiest places in Morocco. Set against a wide valley and nestled between two peaks in the stunning Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen may take you by surprise. Its medina has been lovingly cared for with striking blue and whitewashed houses, red-tiled roofs and artistic doorways. Much of Chefchaouen was recreated by Andalusian refugees escaping the Reconquistia, so you might feel like you're in the hills of Spain while exploring its streets. Ease into the relaxed pace of life in this rural retreat. You will also enjoy a guided tour of the archaeological site of Volubilis. World Heritage-listed Volubilis was once a provincial Roman capital, a distant outpost of the empire, and the remains make an undeniably impressive sight. Upon arrival, take a tour around the ruins with a local guide. This evening you'll get a real insight into Moroccan food with a home-cooked dinner prepared with seasonal ingredients – bursting with flavour and made with love. (B/D)
4 Fes
Enjoy your morning in Chefchaouen exploring the sights, sounds, and smells of the medina, the shops in the square selling woven goods and small sweets, and, most importantly, enjoy a taste of the town's famous goat's cheese. Herds of goats wander the sparse hillsides that surround Chefchaouen, and their cheese is sold in great fresh rounds in the street markets. In the afternoon travel to Fes, the most complete medieval city in the Arab world. Fes is the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco; vibrant, noisy, fascinating and overwhelming – a visual and pungent feast for the senses. You'll have free time for the rest of the day to explore. This evening is a great time to seek out Moroccan specialties like harira (chickpea soup) and pastilla (classic pies with many sweet and savory variations)! (B)
5 Fes
Take a guided group walking tour of the old city, known locally as Fes el Bali. Step back into the Middle Ages in the labyrinth of the Medina, which is alive with craftsmen, markets, tanneries and mosques. Pass donkeys piled high with goods (this is one of the largest car-free urban zones in the world) and explore the specialty sections that divide the souk. Look out for the Medersa Bou Inania, one of the city's most beautiful buildings, which has recently been restored and is now open to tourists. Also, visit a ceramics factory where you can see traditional handmade pottery being made. Your local leader will guide you on a 'tasting trail' along the way today before enjoying a cooking demonstration, learning to create one of the city's signature dishes – pastilla (or b'stilla) – a salty and sweet pastry parcel. (B/D)
6 Midelt
Leave the intensity of the city behind for the simplicity of the scenic Middle Atlas Mountains (approximately 4 hours). Drive south, inland through a variety of spectacular scenery – fertile valleys, cedar and pine forests and barren, rocky landscapes. The area is populated with wandering nomadic shepherds attending to their flocks. Pass through cedar forests which are home to Barbary apes, North Africa's only monkey, and on to your destination of Midelt. Nestled in a valley, Midelt is a market town, originally built as a base for mining in the area, and surrounded by farmland and orchards. Stretch your legs as you explore the nearby village of Bremmem and take a closer look at local farming life. In the evening a special meal will be prepared using the aromatic herbs native to the region. (B/D)
7 Merzouga
Enjoy a stunning drive towards the Sahara Desert (approx. 5 hrs). We will have opportunities to stop and admire the panoramic views of the Kasbahs and palm groves (valleys lush with date palms, fields and orchards). You may also have a chance to pause in some of the frontier towns such as Erfoud and Rissani before reaching the end of the road and the small Saharan settlement of Merzouga. Enjoy a demonstration of medfouna (also called 'Berber pizza'), a traditional stuffed bread prepared with meat, herbs and spices by the nomadic peoples of the High Atlas. Traditionally prepared by women to feed local farm workers, this hearty delicacy is a great introduction to the cuisine of the desert region. Later today you will leave your gear at a simple auberge and then ride camels into the edge of the Sahara Desert, enjoying a spectacular sunset along the way. The dunes are stunning, especially as the evening light plays across them and sets off the colours. (B/D)
8 M'Goun Valley
After breakfast prepare for a scenic drive filled with stunning landscapes on the way to the M'Goun Valley. The journey will take you past ancient kasbah ruins, former colonial military outposts, austere mountains and valleys of palm trees and irrigated fields. Dinner tonight is a Berber tajine prepared in a traditional clay pot cooked over an open fire. (B/D)
9 M'Goun Valley
While the morning holds the option of exploring the nearby village souk of Kelaat M'gouna or witnessing Moroccan bread-making techniques in action, today's adventure will give you until sunset to explore the beauty of this largely untouched Moroccan backcountry. Accompanied by a local guide, pass through Berber villages, meeting local people along the way. You'll take a trail that undulates slightly here and there, but isn't too challenging if you have a basic level of fitness and the scenery is certainly worth the walk! (B/D)
10 Marrakech
Today we are bound for our final destination. On the way stop in to a women's cooperative working on the production of Argan oil, endemic to Morocco and used for both culinary and cosmetic purposes. Marrakech is a feast for the senses. Upon arrival a local guide will take you on an orientation walk and tasting trail. Be enticed by the alluring scents and brilliant colours of the spice markets, the sounds of the musicians, the rich folds of carpets, delectable foods, acrobats and perfumed gardens. Perhaps join the crowds for dinner at the famous Djemaa el Fna, one of the largest public spaces in the world and unique to Marrakech. When night falls on this square it transforms in to a hive of activity. Henna-painters, performers and storytellers share the square with a street food bazaar, packed with stalls loaded with Moroccan delicacies, including snail soup! Perhaps enjoy a bite of famous Moroccan pastries and then maybe finish your day with a cup of tea overlooking the square. (B)
11 Marrakech
Commence your day learning to prepare sumptuous Moroccan salads, a staple of the table, at the amazing Amal Women's Cooking Centre - a non-profit empowering women through culinary skills and education. Feast on your creations for lunch. The afternoon is free to explore the sights of the city. Perhaps drop by the Koutoubia Mosque or the dazzling Bahia Palace. In the evening, perhaps ascend the stairs of one of the surrounding restaurants for a birds-eye view of the action or head back into the medina for some shopping, where every step brings a new smell, a new sight or a new gift to buy. (final dinner Optional) (B/L)
12 Marrakech
Your food adventure across Morocco comes to an end this morning. If you are extending your stay, perhaps stroll through the tropical gardens of the French painter Jacques Majorelle (now owned by Yves Saint Laurent), or return to the medina, where every corner brings a new flash of colour, an enticing new smell, or a souvenir to haggle over. The Saadian Tombs are another recently uncovered gem of the Medina. Be sure to take a break from the bustle to sip on tea or eat a tajine, filled with the quintessential flavours of Morocco. (B)
