Cultural Tours Handcrafted in Morocco
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Marrakech-Menara gardens
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Marrakech-Place Jemaa el Fna
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-Marrakech-Medersa Ben Youssef
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-Marrakech-souks
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Fes-Bab Boujloud
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-Fes-Royal palace
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Moulay Idriss
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Volubilis
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Meknes vineyards
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-Rabat
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Casablanca-Mosque Hassan II
  • Imperial-Cities-Morocco-tours-Marrakech-place Jemaa el Fna
Imperial Cities of Morocco

Imperial Cities of Morocco - Express Tour

7 days / 6 nights (* see notes) - can be done in reverse

Tour Ref:   SV004
Tour start:   Casablanca
Tour end:   Marrakech
Tour type:   Family, Cultural
Regions:   Imperial Cities (all), Atlantic Coast
Available:   All year upon request

Tour summary

A cultural and historical private tour of the Imperial Cities of Morocco that encompasses the jewels of Morocco’s dynastic heritage: Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Volubilis, Fes, Meknes and Marrakech. With guided visits, stays in comfortable traditional riads and small guesthouses this is a perfect tour for those with limited time or a limited budget. Ideal for couples, students, friends and people of all ages and fitness levels.

Please note: All our Morocco tours can be customised to allow extra days for shorter daily car journeys, extra activities, relaxation days, exploration days etc. We can also adapt tours to connect with different start/end locations in Morocco. Let us know your wishes and we will build your perfect Morocco tour itinerary.

Price: Contact us for a personalised quotation.
Prices will vary according to number of people travelling in vehicle, number of days, time of year, category of accommodation chosen and activities requested.

NB Our Morocco tours are private tours organised upon request.

Day-to-day tour itinerary

Day 1

Casablanca - Rabat

Meet & greet at CASABLANCA Mohammed V airport and then take a brief visit to the thriving economic capital of Morocco - Casablanca city. Depending on flight arrival time we suggest lunch on the beachfront or Corniche, near to the port followed by a visit of Morocco’s magnificent Hassan II mosque - the largest in the Kingdom. With space to accommodate 25,000 worshippers it is the second largest mosque in the world. You then travel for about one hour to reach Morocco’s coastal capital city - Rabat - to stay at a boutique riad in the pretty Kasbah Oudayas neighbourhood with its ramparts overlooking the Atlantic ocean and the Bouregreg river. Depending on time you reach Rabat you may wish to visit the Museum of Oudayas, housing a colloection of Moroccan folk art or even visit the Rabat Museum of Archaeology in the city centre.

Stay: Riad or hotel in Rabat

Meal plan: Dinner

Day 2

Rabat - Fes

Approx 3 hrs morning tour of elegant Rabat city with official English-speaking guide. You will explore the picturesque Kasbah Oudayas on the northern fringes of the medina, dating from the Almohad dynasty. Also you visit the nearby Hispano-Moorish Andalucian Gardens and the Chellah necropolis which was once a Roman garden and olive grove. It subsequently became a royal cemetery with the addition of lush, exotic gardens and terraces which are now open to the public and it is a beautiful, peaceful haven. The tour also includes views of the Royal Palace, where the King Mohammed VI is in residence, the Hassan Tower - a half-built minaret which was intended to be the tallest minaret for the largest mosque in the world when construction began at the end of the 12th century under the reign of Almohad Sultan, Yacoub el Mansour. Nearby, on Yacoub al Mansour esplanade, is the Mohammed V Mausoleum which holds the remains of Mohammed V and Hassan II - kings of the subsequent Alaouite dynasty. After lunch in Rabat at one of the many international restaurants, you continue by highway for about 2 hours to reach the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco - the Imperial city of Fes. Dinner will be at your riad in the old medina

Stay: Riad in the Fes old medina

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 3

Fes

Full day private guided walking tour of Fes old medina - Fes El Bali with an English-speaking city guide. The guide will walk you through the maze of souks and sights visiting some of the highlights including the famous Fes pottery sous, the musical instrument makers, metalworkers, carpet souks and the Chaouwara tanneries. There are over 9,000 cobbled medieval streets weaving their way through markets, mosques, Koranic schools, riads and hidden fountains. Worth visiting are the Moulay Idriss Zaouia or shrine, Bab Bou Jeloud ornamental gate, Al-Kairaouine Mosque and University - the oldest university in the world, Al-Attarine Madrasa, Nejjarine fountain, King’s Palace, the Dar Batha Museum, Nejjarine Museum of Arts & Crafts and the Jewish quarter or mellah. Your guide will include as much as possible in your day. You are free to make your own plans for lunch and dinner today.

Stay: Riad in the Fes old medina

Meal plan: Breakfast

Day 4

Fes - Meknes, Moulay Idriss & Voubilis day excursion

A drive of about one hour west leads to fertile wine-growing region of Meknes. You will enjoy a 3-hour tour of the main sights of the walled Imperial City of Meknes with an official English-speaking city guide. Moorish palaces, mosques, ramparts and beautiful Moorish architecture are all to behold in the city established as the capital by Sultan Moulay Ismail during the 17th century. The main points of interest are the Bab el Mansour gate, the Medersa Bou Inania Koranic School, the Place El Hadim square, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the covered markets. You can enjoy a relaxed lunch in Meknes before then continuing north for about 45 minutes to reach the spiritual, hillside settlement of Moulay Idriss. Many Moroccans make an annual pilgrimage to pray at the mausoleum Moulay Idriss where the Prophet Mohammed’s great-grandson and Morocco’s most-revered saint is buried. The town itself is picturesque with whitewashed narrow streets and alleys. The town used to be closed to non-Muslims but since 1916 has welcomed tourists. You can stop for tea and enjoy the views across the surrounding countryside and to Volubilis. From here it is a short drive to the magnificent Roman ruins of the city of Volubilis - Morocco’s most important and most impressive archeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage site. A local guide will show you around the ruins where you will see the remarkably well-preserved mosaic floors and learn of the Berber defeat of the advancing Roman armies as they set out to conquer Africa. The day excursion from Fes ends around sunset when you head back to the medina for the night.

Stay: Riad in Fes old medina

Meal plan: Breakfast

Day 5

Fes - Marrakech

Today’s tour of Morocco’s Imperial Cities entails driving several hundred kilometres from north to south as we transfer via highway from the medina of Fes and the Rif Mountains to the Imperial City of Marrakech, nestled on the Haouz plains at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. You reach the bustling and exotic ‘red city’ of Marrakech by early evening in time for dinner at your traditional riad/boutique hotel in the ancient medina.

Stay: Riad/boutique hotel in Marrakech medina

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Day 6

Marrakech

Half-day with city guided tour of Marrakech - also known as the ‘red city’ for its famous pink-hued ramparts. Our English-speaking city guide will meet you at your hotel in the morning and take you through the souks of the medieval medina, introducing you to artisans, bakers, carpenters, spice-merchants, apothecaries and also including visiting the landmark monuments of Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Bahia Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque. Your tour ends at the famous Place Jemaa el Fna square where you can enjoy lunch from a roof terrace overlooking the bizarre activities of the acrobats, storytellers, musicians and snake-charmers. Rest of the day is at leisure and we suggest you return to the square for an evening dinner at one of the outdoor food grills to sample anything from grilled meats, fried fish, fried aubergines, boiled snails, harira soup, spiced ginger tea, boiled sheep’s head and other local delicacies. Even if you decide to eat elsewhere, the experience of the Place Jemaa el Fna at night is an intoxicating one - with smoke swirling up from the grills, the pounding rhythms of the street musicians, the call to prayer ringing out from the mosques as the excited crowds gather for this nightly ‘circus’.

Stay: Riad/boutique hotel in Marrakech medina

Meal plan: Breakfast

Day 7

Departure

Departure transfer from Marrakech airport or you can choose to continue your holiday in Morocco with us by adding-on one of our Suggested Morocco Adventure Tour Itineraries.

Stay: N/A

Meal plan: Breakfast

  • This tour can be offered in the reverse direction and can be extended to add extra acitivities and free days.

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