Imperial Cities & Coast

Day 1: Casablanca

Transfer from Casablanca Airport to your hotel in the centre of this large North African city, a busy commercial centre with many parks and terraces. You should not miss the Hassan II mosque, believed to be the largest in the world after Mecca.

Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat

Today you have a short journey to Morocco’s capital, Rabat. This busy political centre has a mix of the old and new – wide, tree-lined boulevards in the new town lead to the narrow bustling alleys of the old medina. You have the day to explore - visit the Tour Hassan and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V; the Kasbah Oudaias, dominating the estuary entrance and used to defend the city against pirates; the Chellah, a 13th century necropolis that also encloses the remains of the ancient Roman City of Sala Colonia. In the evening you might like to relax in a boulevard café and sip mint tea while watching the nightly promenade.

Day 3: Rabat to Fes.

On your way to Fes you will first make an excursion to Volubilis, the remains of a Roman city, and Moulay Idriss, the burial place of the founder of Morocco’s first imperial dynasty. For Moroccans it is a place of pilgrimage. You continue to Meknes, the smallest and friendliest of the five imperial cities of Morocco. The immense city walls and gates lead the visitors’ imagination into times long gone. The labyrinth of alleys and market stands is a joy to any visitor and the friendly inhabitants will gladly show you the products they are selling, like spices, olives, pottery, copperware or carpets. Your journey will take you through one of the most fertile regions in Morocco, as you wind your way towards the Middle Atlas. Through beautiful hilly scenery you will reach the deeply religious city of Fes - once one of the most important places of scholarship in the world, containing within its walls the bastion of Islamic teaching.

Day 4: Fes.

You’ll explore the old medina, with its winding alleys full of palaces, mosques and medresa (Koranic schools); artisans producing beautiful traditional crafts; the traditional berber pharmacy with hundreds of jars of twisted roots, twigs and oils lined up along their walls. You’ll also visit the famous leather tanneries that still work in the same way they have for centuries, with their huge vats of dyes and creaking water wheels and numerous shops selling leather goods from shoes to bags, belts to jackets. Visit the Palace Gates, the Mellah (Jewish quarter) and Fes el Djedid. The view from the hills surrounding the city is spectacular - head to one of the old fortresses, Borj Sud or Borj Nord. Visit the pottery quarter, located outside the old medina, where traditional Fes blue pottery is produced.

Day 5: Fes – Marrakech

An early departure for a full days drive over the Atlas Mountains. You drive through the picturesque Middle Atlas Mountains, via the berber town of Azrou, where cedar trees abound and you may catch a glimpse of the famous Barbary Apes. Head south to Beni Mellal, the centre of a huge agricultural area. From here you will be able to see the High Atlas Mountains in the distance, as you make your way to your final destination – Marrakech, the exotic ochre coloured city that is the imperial city of the south.

Days 6-7: Marrakech

The red-walled medina of Marrakech centres on the great square of Djemaa el Fna. Here the city comes alive well into the night with food stalls and performers to dazzle you - snake charmers, musicians, acrobats and storytellers. Your senses will be reeling in the narrow streets of the medieval souks. You will be overwhelmed by the exuberant mix of colourful carpets, fruits, herbs and dyed skeins of wool. Small gateways provide an entrance to beautifully constructed and decorated sultan's tombs, old palaces and Koranic schools. You can visit the beautiful Marjorelle Gardens full of cacti and blue-painted buildings, and wander through the olive groves of the Menara Gardens.

Whilst in Marrakech it is possible to make a day excursion into the High Atlas Mountains, to the village of Imlil (approx 1.5hrs drive). Imlil is one of the main base points for walkers making the trek to Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. Have a walk in the valley, visit villages and have lunch in a mountain gite. In the late afternoon return to Marrakech for the night.

Days 8-9: Marrakech – Essaouira

You head west to the Atlantic coast and the white-walled town of Essaouira. With its long sandy beach, it is a great place to relax and enjoy the sun, the sand and the sea. Essaouira is often known as the ‘windy city’ and is the centre of windsurfing in Morocco. There are plenty of activities on offer at the beach, including camel rides along the shore to see ancient forts and palaces buried in the sands. You can also go shopping for souvenirs or watch the activities in the colourful fishing port where fresh seafood abounds. You have plenty of time to explore this quaint port town.

Day 10: Essaouira – Casablanca, via the coast

A scenic coastal drive brings you back to Casablanca. On the way you can enjoy the green coastline of Morocco’s Atlantic shores. You can stop en route to visit the pottery places of Safi, perhaps try to famous oysters at the pretty lagoon village of Oualidia, and visit the ancient underground water cistern at El Jadida.