Morocco Tour

Arrival in Marrakech

We meet at the Turkish Airlines counter in the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport, 3 hours before the flight. After check-in we board Turkish Airlines flight TK 617, departing at 11.50 for Casablanca. We land at 14.50 local time and drive on to Marrakech in our waiting vehicle, where our city tour begins.

Marrakech takes its name from the Berber words "mur akush", meaning "Land of God". Its red walls earned it the name "Red City", and its narrow lanes still carry the feel of past centuries.

Our city tour covers the Bahia Palace, a window into the life of a 19th century Moroccan noble, the Koutoubia Minaret, the Majorelle Gardens with plants from around the world, and Djemaa El Fna Square, known as the "Courtyard of Souks and Wonders". After the tour we check in to our hotel for free time. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Essaouira by the Coast

After breakfast at the hotel we join the tour to Essaouira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Set on the Atlantic coast and inhabited since very early times, Essaouira is known for its white-walled medina, narrow streets and traditional markets. It is a working fishing port and a quiet seaside town where art is part of daily life, far calmer than Marrakech. Over the years this atmosphere drew names such as Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix and Orson Welles, and the town has also served as a filming location for Game of Thrones.

On our tour we see the Essaouira city walls and fortress, the harbour with its fish market and the medina, with time to shop as we explore. After the tour we return to our hotel in Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Film Studios to Ait Ben Haddou

After breakfast we set off for Ouarzazate. Our first stop on the way is the film studios and Ait Ben Haddou. We see the studios where The Mummy, Gladiator, Alexander and Game of Thrones were shot, then continue to Ait Ben Haddou, a historic village known for its earthen architecture.

Set at the foot of the Atlas Mountains on the old Saharan caravan route, the village feels like a step back in time, with tall mud-brick walls, corner towers and narrow lanes. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, it is a favourite with photographers, especially at sunset when its buildings turn red.

The day ends in Ouarzazate, a town that has hosted many Hollywood films and actors. We check in to our hotel for free time. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Into the Sahara

After breakfast we head for the Sahara, with the desert on one side and the Atlas Mountains on the other. Our first stops are the Todra Valley and M'gouna, the "City of Roses". We then continue to Merzouga in the Sahara, where we stay tonight.

We settle into our rooms and take in the desert. Do not forget to photograph the night sky in the desert dark and the sunrise in the morning. Overnight at our desert camp.

Ifrane to Fes

After breakfast we set off for Ifrane. Set at an altitude of 1.700 metres, the town is known as the "Switzerland of Morocco" for its orderly layout, clean air, wide avenues and chalet-style houses with sloping roofs. After a stop in Ifrane we continue to Fes.

Following the custom of naming Berber countries after their capitals, as with Tunisia and Algeria, Morocco takes its name from Fes. The walled city grew up around the Fez River, which flows from west to east, and is also called the "Mecca of the West". Its centre is a World Heritage Site and one of the largest and oldest pedestrian urban areas in the world.

Our old city tour takes in the Bou Inania and Al Attarine madrasas, fine examples of Islamic architecture, the Andalusian Mosque, Karaouine University, one of the world's old institutions of higher learning, Nejjarine Square and the craftsmen's market. In the tanneries of the medina, leather is still worked with methods unchanged since the Middle Ages. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Chefchaouen to Casablanca

After breakfast we join the tour to Chefchaouen, the Blue City. Set at the foot of the Rif Mountains in northwest Morocco, the town is known for its blue-painted buildings, which earned it the name "Blue City". Every corner is washed in a different shade of blue, and the town draws visitors as much with its atmosphere as with its natural setting.

Walking its narrow streets, you can browse traditional markets, craft shops and local restaurants. The local people, who keep Berber traditions alive, give visitors a warm welcome.

After the tour we head for Meknes. Set between the coastal plains and the peaks of the Atlas Mountains, the city has been a crossroads of trade and culture since antiquity. Known as the "city of a hundred minarets", Meknes is one of the country's four imperial cities. Our city tour takes in the Bab Mansour gate with its Moorish architecture, the Agdal Basin built by Moulay Ismail, Lahdim Square and Dar El Makhzen, the Royal Palace.

We then continue to Rabat, the capital. A panoramic city tour takes in the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, built in memory of the current king's grandfather and a leading figure of Moroccan independence, and the Royal Palace. After the tour we transfer to our hotel in Casablanca. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Homeward from Casablanca

After breakfast and hotel check-out, our Casablanca city tour begins.

Morocco's main port is the country's economic centre and its most populous city, and it gave its name to the 1942 Hollywood film. Islamic, French and Berber influences sit side by side in its streets.

The tour covers Mohammed V Square at the heart of the city, United Nations Square where Morocco's past and present meet, the Hassan II Mosque (from the outside), with the world's 2nd tallest minaret, the Old Medina, the Habous district known for its open-air markets, and the Atlantic seafront of Ain Diab and the Corniche.

After the tour we transfer to the airport at the time announced by our guide. After check-in we board Turkish Airlines flight TK 618, departing at 16.45 for Istanbul. We arrive at 23.25 local time, and our tour ends.