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Highlights of Morocco

Highlights of Morocco

11 days, 5 cities79
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From $2219 without flightsPayments as low as $56

Many clay-colored and square-shaped dwellings situated on the side of an identically colored hill with green plants in the foreground
Many clay-colored and square-shaped dwellings situated on the side of an identically colored hill with green plants in the foreground
A view of a large ornately-detailed tower with several palm trees in the foreground during sunset
A river running through a clay-colored canyon with a bright blue sky in the background
Three identical key-shaped doors in a row with the large door in the center surrounded by multi-colored tiles
Trip Type:
Activity Level:

Why go?

Want a little more out of life? We got you, Morocco is the home of more. Like the world’s largest desert, vibrant markets, exotic foods, and more—like Moorish architecture. When this adventure comes to an end, you’ll be begging for even more Morocco.

Picture yourself

  • Enhancing your culinary skills during a Moroccan cooking class

  • Getting lost in the lively markets of Marrakesh

  • Racing through the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in a 4x4

  • Gazing at the colorful patterns of Fez’s architecture

  • Feeling transported through time at historic Aït-Ben-Haddou

What you'll get

  • Round-trip flights & airport transfers (or book 'em yourself)

  • 9 nights in handpicked accommodations

  • 8 breakfasts

  • Welcome and farewell dinners

  • Four authentic Moroccan dinners

  • Expert Tour Director

  • 24/7 support from our travel gurus

  • 4 insider city tours with local guides

  • Entrance to Bahia Palace

  • Admission to Saadian Tombs

  • Excursion to Moulay Ali Cherif and Ksar El Fida

Map for the Highlights of Morocco tour
Full trip itinerary

Itinerary

  • Day 1: Overnight Flight to Morocco

    Board your overnight flight to Marrakesh, one of Morocco’s oldest cities and home to the largest market in the country (eat your heart out, Trader Joe’s).

  • Day 2: Arrive in Marrakesh + Welcome Dinner

    Welcome to Morocco, the product of some mad-scientist-level cultural fusion. Start with a long history of traditional Islamic life, mix it up with nomadic desert tribe vibes from the indigenous Berbers, sprinkle in the remnants of Spanish and French colonialism, and you’re only beginning to understand this great African melting pot (or melting tagine, for you soon-to-be Moroccan cookware experts).

    In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local cuisine and drinks with fellow travelers at an authentic local spot. Afterwards, you’re free to take the party elsewhere!

    Today's highlights:

    • Meet an EF representative at the airport.
    • Transfer to your accommodation and check in.
    • Receive the latest schedule from your Tour Director.
    • Meet your fellow travelers as they arrive.
  • Day 3: Explore Marrakesh

    Marrakesh IS Morocco. Literally. In many languages, the name for Morocco is just “Marrakesh.” The Red City is easy to get lost in, but fear not, there’s excitement around every corner, and your local guide is here to ensure you get to see it all. Follow them today for your first real taste of Morocco—both metaphorically and culinarily.

    Today's highlights:

    • Feast your eyes on the pseudo-European floral beauty of the Gueliz District—designed by the French while feeling homesick for Paris.
    • Pay respect to your elders when you see Koutoubia Mosque—it’s over 800 years old, but doesn’t look a day over 799.
    • Bask in the gloriously geometric architecture of Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and the Medina (old city).
    • Prepare to have your definition of “supermarket” blown out of the water as you haggle your way through the Marrakesh Souk, the city’s premiere market and meeting-place.
  • Day 4: Free Day in Marrakesh + Optional Moroccan Cooking Class

    Good morning! While most of Marrakesh is awake in time for the early Call to Prayer, we’re guessing you’re up early, too, in anticipation of the crazy day to come. Yesterday you saw the “must-see’s” of Marrakesh, and today is all about the hidden gems. Feel free to spend the day exploring, eating, or for the truly daring, learning to charm snakes.

    Today's highlights:

    • Catch a whiff of organized chaos as you weave in and out of Marrakesh’s spiraling alleyways mingling with the nearly one million city residents.
    • Spend the day crafting puns on the word “souk,” meaning “market,” as you bargain for souvenirs at any of the hundreds of vendors around the city.
    • Treat your taste buds with an optional Moroccan cooking class.

    Free time suggestions

    Garden Variety: Visit three different museums at the Majorelle Garden, named for the eponymous French painter who designed the sprawling grounds and lived in the shockingly blue villa on the property. The cactus-laden complex also includes the Islamic Art Museum, the Berber Museum, and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.
    Gate Grandpa: Not to be confused with the similarly named mashed eggplant dish, Bab Agnaou is a 12th century city gate that once represented Marrakesh’s doorway to Sub-Saharan Africa. These days, however, it’s mostly just a cool spot to take a selfie with a very old wall.

    Moroccan Cooking Class (extra cost)

    Learn the ins and outs of Moroccan cuisine as you prepare and consume your own authentic lunch. In the downtime while your food cooks, tour "little Morocco", a complex full of artwork and replicas that will help you learn more about the country's culture and history.

    Why wait? Save money by booking this optional excursion before your trip departs.

  • Day 5: Travel to Ouarzazate via Aït-Ben-Haddou

    Ever seen a movie? Of course you have. Ever seen a movie with a scene that took place in the desert? Probably, right? That desert scene was most likely filmed at Aït-Ben-Haddou, which is a series of Saharan mud huts built into a hillside that you get to explore today on your way to Ouarzazate.

    Today's highlights:

    • Board your bus from Marrakesh bound for Ouarzazate.
    • Stop for an included lunch in Aït-Ben-Haddou, and take some time to reenact your favorite Game of Thrones/Gladiator/Lawrence of Arabia desert scene.
    • Stare at the imposing High Atlas Mountains—nothing to shrug at.
    • Feast upon couscous—the food so nice, they named it twice—and other foods at an included dinner upon your arrival in Ouarzazate.
  • Day 6: Explore Ouarzazate + Sightseeing En Route to Erfoud

    When in Ouarzazate, be like a Berber. Or at least get to know your indigenous hosts in this Moroccan vacation town. Today is a day of desert sightseeing, so make space on your camera roll, stuff your pockets with olives, and stock up on sunscreen—you’re headed to Erfoud with several crazy-beautiful stops along the way.

    Today's highlights:

    • Walk the kasbah on your morning stroll through Ouarzazate’s fortified palace, the Taourirt Kasbah.
    • Enjoy lunch in the quaint town of Tinghir
    • Gawk at gorgeous gorges at Todra Gorge, featuring 500-foot high limestone walls on either side of a narrow canyon.
    • Gorge yourself (today is a day of gorges) on an included dinner once you settle in Erfoud.
  • Day 7: Explore Erfoud & Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes

    Oasis is more than just the band that wrote “Wonderwall.” It’s also an area in the desert with enough vegetation and water to support life. A prime example of which is Erfoud, your splendid refuge on the Ziz River today for those of you already sick of sand.

    Today's highlights:

    • Enjoy a morning excursion, off-the-beaten path, to Rissani to see the spectacularly decorated Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, and the Ksar El Fida—a gigantic desert castle.
    • Return to Erfoud, where you bet Jur-ass-ic you get to see some bones and fossils from some of the weird dinosaurs that lived here when the Sahara Desert was underwater.
    • Cool off with a refreshing swim in the hotel pool—no, it’s not a desert illusion, it’s really there.
    • Set out for the Erg Chebbi sand dunes.
    • Stop at a traditional Bedouin tent for a musical performance (for watching), snacks (for eating), and classic Moroccan mint tea (for sipping, not spilling).
    • Return to Erfoud for an included dinner and a free night.
  • Day 8: Travel to Fez

    You’re going to Fez today—home to over one million people, and the namesake to that tassled hat that Aladdin wears. Along the way to the “Athens of Africa,” you’ll see the quaint apple-country town of Midelt, mountains, monkeys and more.

    Today's highlights:

    • Board your private motorcoach bound for Fez.
    • Say “Ziz Louise” as you have your mind-blown while passing through the lush and extremely photogenic Ziz River Valley and Atlas Mountains.
    • Insist that your fellow travelers refer to you as “the Johnny Appleseed of Morocco” as you stop in Midelt—known for its abundant fruit trees—for some free time to grab lunch.
    • Continue on to Ifrane, a Euro-inspired city built by the French last century in the high alpine forest plateaus of the Atlas Mountains.
    • Enjoy an included dinner upon arrival in Fez.
  • Day 9: Explore Fez

    You think your Great Aunt Edwina is old? Just wait until you see how old Fez is. Hint: over 1,200 years old. Follow your Tour Director for an in-depth look at how the oldest Imperial City has shifted and morphed in its millennium-plus of existence.

    Today's highlights:

    • Be dazzled by Fez’s ornate Moorish architecture like that of the Royal Palace Gate and the Bab Bou Jeloud, and realize you certainly don’t want… less-ish.
    • Visit the Old Jewish Quarter, known as the Mellah, and learn about the rise and fall of Fez’s once-numerous Jewish population.
    • Attend a ceramics demonstration.
    • Get down and dirty at one of the world’s oldest tanneries and learn that leather is traditionally soaked in cow urine and pigeon feces—just don’t tell that to your motorcycle gang.
  • Day 10: Travel to Casablanca via Rabat + Farewell Dinner

    You deserve the presidential treatment, which is why you’re going to white house today. Or as it’s more commonly known, Casablanca. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to explore Rabat, the country’s coastal capital. Once filled with pirates, these days it’s mostly filled with great seafood. Speaking of which, tonight in Casablanca, you’ll feast on a farewell dinner to commemorate the end of your spicy/sweet/exhilarating/pool-chilling/selfie-taking/history-learning/unforgettable 10-day desert odyssey.

    Farewell Dinner
    Share some last laughs (and maybe shed a few tears) at an included farewell dinner with the group.

    Today's highlights:

    • Kiss Fez goodbye (not literally—those are some old, old buildings) and board your private motorcoach en route to Casablanca via Rabat.
    • Let out the occasional “ooh” and “aah” as you tour Rabat, visiting sights such as the emerald-roofed Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Kasbah of the Udayas, the Andalusian Gardens, and an Atlantic-coast beach that puts the Jersey Shore to shame.
    • Reflect on how #relatable the Hassan Mosque is, envisioned to be the largest in the world before construction ceased in 1199—procrastination is real, people.
    • Arrive in Casablanca and finally get around to declaring “quite frankly my dear I don’t give a damn,” but we won’t tell anyone that that’s from Gone With the Wind, not Casablanca.
  • Day 11: Fly Home

    Wadaeaan ya aisdiqa'
    Translation: Goodbye friends. Your next destination awaits—home. Before you head to the airport, enjoy your last few moments together. Take one more group photo. Grab that final drink. (Fine, maybe a couple of drinks.) But this isn’t goodbye. It’s “See you later.” The only question is, where?

    –OR–

    EXTEND YOUR TRIP 2 WAYS

    1. Double the fun
    A lot of our trips line up back to back! Give us a call—we can help you add another and save big while you're at it.

    2. Go ahead or stay behind
    Extending your trip is easy! During checkout, you'll have the option to fly to (or from) the gateway of your choice for an additional fee. We'll adjust your flights accordingly, but you'll be responsible to take care of your transportation, hotels, and other logistics outside of tour.

    Note: Depending on your desired gateways, additional fees may apply.

Reviews


Overall rating: 4.9 out of 5
Based on 79 authentic traveler reviews
  • Mo-rocked my socks off!!!!

      Jadzia, traveled Jul. 2019

    Morocco, mo-ROCKED my socks off!!!!! I had the best time while I was there! EF provided the best tour guide aka Karim and made Morocco seem like a home away from home. This trip offered a great balance of going out opportunities or time to just sit back and relax by the pool (definitely recommend bringing a bathing suit!) Watching the sunset in the Sahara De... See more

  • More Morocco!

      Elizabeth, traveled Nov. 2023

    Morocco was amazing. I feel like between the trip EF planned and the extra items our tour guide, Rabie, arranged for us, I really got the most out of the week and half I was there. The sights were beautiful and Rabie was knowledgeable and extremely helpful/accommodating. This was my first time abroad and I was travelling on my own, and I felt assured and wel... See more

  • Amazing time and well coordinated

      Allison, traveled Nov. 2023

    Everything was perfectly planned and smoothly run. Rabie was the best tour director we could have asked for! I always felt like the number one priority was making sure our trip was as incredible as possible.

  • Book it now!! You won’t regret it

      Amanda, traveled Aug. 2023

    I just ended my trip to Morocco and I was BLOWN away. It definitely exceeded my expectations by a ton!! Our tour guide, Adnane, was quite literally the best I could’ve ever imagined. He is so so knowledgeable about his country and I appreciate him going above and beyond to teach us about the culture, people, food etc. It was so interesting and fun to learn f... See more

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