Electric Souk
Trip Length |
Trip Code |
| 11 days | GEBM |
Countries Visited |
|
| Morocco | |
Start City |
End City |
| Casablanca | Marrakech |
Morocco is the land of legendary hospitality, so mind your manners. Bring a scarf to cover your shoulders and take off your shoes if you enter someone's home (plan ahead and wear clean socks).
(Was Backroads of Morocco)
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1-2: Casablanca - Meknes
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Prepare for your first mouthful of mint tea. It's hot, syrupy and so sweet it makes Taylor Swift look like Rihanna.
- Get acquainted with Casablanca
- Drive to Meknes and wander around the old medina with a guide
Day 3-4: Fes
Meals included: 2 breakfasts
Fes. Short name, long history. It's the best place to have a local guide because they'll skip straight to the juicy bits. This is as close to the original Morocco as you'll get (minus all the Sultans).
- Take a guided tour of the old city to a tannery
- Why not visit the nearby Medersa el Attarine, built in 1323
- Enjoy some free time and perhaps check out the nearby spa town of Moulay Yacoub
Day 5-6: Midelt- Mergouza - Erg Chebbi
Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 1 dinner
The humble scarf really comes into its own here, protecting you from the sun and making sure your mouth and nose don't fill up with sand. Grab one from the markets before we head off on our sunset camel ride.
- Travel south through a variety of terrain
- Enjoy an easy but spectacular walk in Midelt
- Pass the 500-year old ruins of the Ksar of Meski
- Head into the village in Merzouga
- Set off on a sunset desert camel ride
- Spend the night at a desert camp
Day 7-8: Todra Gorge - Dades Valley - Ait Benhaddou
Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners
It's like stepping into another time - mudbrick kasbahs, green palm groves, men in robes and... mobile phones? You can't fight progress.
Day 7
- Set off on another early morning camel ride through the dunes
- Experience sunrise in the Sahara desert
- Take a short hike to Todra Gorge
Day 8
- Travel along the ‘road of 1000 kasbahs’
Enjoy a walk in the Dades Gorge - Stop to visit the family-owned mud-brick home at Skoura
- Explore the many old streets of Ait Benhaddou and perhaps climb up to the fortress for a view over the old town
Day 9-11: High Atlas - Marrakech
Meals included: 3 breakfasts
UNESCO calls it "a World Heritage site of oral and intangible heritage of humanity". What they're trying to say is that Djemaa el Fna is a big, crazy melting pot of madness. Shop for leather bags, tangines, rugs, shoes (think Carrie Bradshaw) and jewellery.
Day 9
- Pass numerous Berber villages and take in views of the countryside
- Visit their crumbling mud-brick citadel in Telouet
- Arrive in Marrakech and perhaps visit the Djemaa el Fna, a hub of exciting local entertainment and cuisine
Day 10
- Take an orientation walk of the old medina
- Enjoy free time to explore the souks and alleyways of Marrakech
- Perhaps visit the El Badi Palace, the Majorelle Garden or the Museum of Islamic Art
- Indulge in one last optional group dinner
Day 11
- The trip ends today after breakfast
Your Trip
Nuts and Bolts
• Gecko's expert English-speaking local tour guide throughout the tour, and local site guides at some sites.
• Sightseeing (including entrance fees where applicable): Casablanca's Mosque of Hassan II; Meknes' old medina; Fes-El-Bali's souk; Ifrane; Midelt; Gorges du Ziz; Ksar of Meski; Todra Gorge; ‘road of 1000 kasbahs’; Dades Gorge; mud-brick home at Skoura; Ait Benhaddou; Telouet; and Marrakech.
• Camel ride and overnight desert camping.
Summary of accommodation, transport & meals
Transport
- Camel
- Minibus
- Taxi
- Train
Accommodation
- 1 night Camping
- 9 nights Hotel
Meals
- 10 breakfasts
- 3 dinners
Not Included
International flights, arrival & departure transfers, entrance fees, visas, airport taxes, additional meals, drinks, optional sightseeing tours, insurance, tips and items of a personal nature.
Optional Extras
- Casablanca - Hassan II Mosque
MAD 120 - Fes - Belghazi Museum
MAD 40 - Fes - Funduk Nejjarine
MAD 20 - Fes - Medersa el Attarine
MAD 10 - Fes - Thermal Springs - Moulay Yacoub (Entrance fee)
MAD 100 - Marrakech - Badi Palace
MAD 13 - Marrakech - Jardin Majorelle
MAD 30 - Marrakech - Museum of Islamic Art
MAD 10
About this Information
The information provided here is given in good faith and has been compiled with all reasonable care. However, things change and some of the information may become out of date. Please ensure that you have the most up-to-date information for your trip. We recommend that you check the trip notes for your tour around one month before departure. If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent or our staff in Australia. We are here to help you!
Last Updated
16 January 2013