TOURS

Tour Morocco's Magical Kasbahs, Waterfalls & Ruins

9 Day Tour:  Travel Morocco's Kasbahs, Ruins and Waterfalls
Duration: 9:00am-6:00pm Daily
Morocco Travel: In Luxury 4x4
English, French Speaking Driver, Guide
Starting & Finishing Point: Your Hotel In Marrakech

Travel Morocco's Kasbahs, Ruins and Waterfalls. Begin your tour in Marrakech, Cascades D'Ouzoud Waterfalls, Kenifera, the Todra Gorge and Ouarzazaate's Kasbahs fertile  (Book a Tour or call  (800) 787-8806 . Let us be your guide to Morocco Travel.

ITINERARY

DAY 1:  MARRAKECH  

►Depart from your hotel. Your introduction to Marrakech will begin in the Medina, the old quarter of the Marrakech. From here we will explore this historically charming area by foot. In Djemma el Fna, you will visit the famous 12th century Koutouba Mosque and its influential minaret. 

►Your guide will help you navigate through the labyrinth like streets and alleys of the Djemma. Enjoy the aromatic streets, taste the fresh squeeze orange juice and venture into the souks (shops) specializing in Berber carpets, silver jewelry, artisan workshops, handmade shoes, tanneries, etc. 

►Marrakech is a city of underground channels built by the architects from Cordoba, Spain to provide water for the town and Palmery. We will drive to the Lower Medina to explore more of Marrakesh’s secrets: El Mansour mosque, the sixteenth century Saadian Tombs with its stark towers, the ruined 16th century El Badhi palace, and the Mellah and the Jewish quarter.

►Enjoy a three- course lunch consisting of a fresh salad, tajine and fruit at one of Marrakech most delectable restaurants. After lunch we will head north of the Mellah to visit the 19th century Bahia palace, originally built for Si Moussa, a former slave who became King Moulay Hassan’s chamberlain. The palace holds a courtyard and riads decorated with beautiful carved stucco and Arabic architecture. 

►Next we will visit the contemporary Moroccan Art Museum or Tiskiwin, a private museum dedicated to popular arts & crafts, styled as a beautiful Spanish-Moroccan house, next door to Dar Si Said palace, a smaller version of the Bahia. Now onward to the new city, we will navigate our way to French, Gueliz and head to the Majorelle Gardens, a magical and lush small garden estate designed by Jacque Majorelle and maintained by Yves Saint Laurent.

►The Majorelle Garden is filled with colorful walkways, ponds, cactus and plants as well as a beautiful shop with hand-made goods. On our return to your hotel, we will pass by the La Mammounia Hotel’s Garden where Alfred Hitchcock wrote the famous film The Birds.

►Explore the outdoor foodstalls at Djema el Fna Square for dinner and spend the night in a local riad

DAY 2:  MARRAKECH –  CASCADES D’OUZOUD  

►Breakfast and depart from Marrakech to visit the Cascades d’ Ouzoud and experience one of the most spectacular sights in Morocco.

►Located in a plush valley, within friendly Berber village are three beautiful tiered waterfalls with a series of spectacular wide to narrow plunges that drop 110m into the river below.

►Trek along the river up to the caves or Gorges of Oued el- Abid or stay close by and enjoy the natural scenery. Take pictures to capture the essence of the beautiful cataracts and the rainbows that often appear near the bottom of the falls. In the summer time, enjoy a picnic and mingle with Marrakshis that frequent this peaceful area on the weekends.

►Enjoy lunch at foot of the Cascades D’Ouzoudsurrounded by lime-trees. Take a swim in the refreshing water or stroll through the network of great paths leading to the basins below the cascades. Other memorable hikes include exploring the under-ground passages by the Berber village sited on the slopes of wooden hills.

►Cook outside for dinner near the falls and sleep in a Berber tent underneath the stars or opt to stay at the Dar Essalam, a hotel located near Ouzoud village which has a charming courtyard lined with lime trees. Another option which is common in this country of penetrating skies is to sleep on the rooftop of the hotel under the Moroccan stars.

DAY 3:  CASCADES D’OUZOUD –  BENI MELLAL – KENIFRA 

►After breakfast depart the Cascades for Bin-el-Ouidane Dam, an artifical lake. The dam here is 285 m long and 133 m high and the reservior with a surface area of 380,000 sq m is the largest lake in Morocco. The turquoise colored lake is characterized into spits of land and small islands and are surrounded by red hills. A few houses along the shore suggest Berber lakeside village life. This area is a traveling photographers dream with its breathtaking scenery. The lake can also be enjoyed for water sports such as kakakying, rafting or fishing when the water levels are sufficient.

►It is also possible to explore the area by foot. There is a well made path that leads to s rock formation known as La Cathedrale.

►After the lake we will follow the main road to head for Beni Mellal, a modern town surrounded by orange and olive groves. The nearby Bin-el-Ouidane Dam keeps the groves and other cultivated crops like Beetroot and sugarcane well watered. We can also take a small detour to drive along a road marked “circuit touristique” which leads to the Aïn Asserdoun Springs and it’s surrounding gardens. Before arriving to Beni Mellal, we stop at the Ras el Aïn where we can enjoy a picturesque view of Beni Mellal from a pise borj (tower).

►Enjoy lunch in Beni Mellal. Located at the foot of the Middle Atlas Moutains.

►Beni Mellal is on the edge of the great Tadla Plain where cereals are cultivated. The town has an interesting history of also being called Day and Kasbah Belkouche and was inhabited by the Berbers and Jews before the arrival of Islam. In the 13th century Beni Mellal stood on the border between the kingdoms of Fes and Marrakesh, which were the objects of dispute between the Merinid and Almohad dynasties. In 1680 Moulay Idriss built a kasbah in Beni Mellal.

►In Beni Mellal there are options of trekking around waterfalls, springs, caves, and wooded gorges populated by monkeys. At the Foum el Asner, we can explore a rockface marked by artifical caves and take pictures of a waterfall crashing into a gorge. A little further south, we can go hiking at Jbel Tassemit, a great route for spotting breathtaking moutain scenery. On this hike we can reach the Tarhzirte Gorge and the Wadi Derna valley.

►Next we will visit the Kasbah Tadla, the focal point of a garrison town built by Moulay Ismaïl in the 17th century. The kasbah is enclosed within a thick double line of walls and contains two ruined mosques, the former govenor’s palace and grain stores. Below the town is a ten-span bridge over the Oum er Rbia.

►After visiting the Kasbah, we will take the road to Khenifra, our final destination for the day.

► When we arrive in Khenifra, a 17th century town that was once the rallying point of the Zaïane tribe, you can explore the local market, then have dinner and rest at your hotel.

DAY 4: KENIFRA – AGUELMANE AZIGZA – OMAR ER RBIA

►After breakfast depart to Augelmane Azigza, located 12 kilometers south of the sources of Omar Er Rbia.

►In Azigza, a crater formed of extinct volcanoes formed by rivers whose sources lie in the heart of the Middle Atlas. Enjoy many photo opportunities and climb around the cliffs enclosed by forests of cedar and holm oak. Next, continue to the nearby to the waterfall of Omar er Rbia where it is possible to spend the day rafting or relaxing by the waterfall. Forty springs fuel the river which forms cascades that crash down the limestone cliffs to join the Oum er Rbia, the longest river in Morocco.

►Enjoy lunch and picnic by the Oum er Rbia waterfall,  then explore the scenic area by foot. It is possible to camp here overnight or stay at a near by Berber Inn.

DAY 5:   ER RACHIDIA – TINERHIR– ZIZ GORGE 

► After breakfast, drive to Ain Leuh-Azrou, a deep fish filled lake that is 3 kilometers long and lies at an altitude of 2,000 m. The area is a great place for hiking. Explore its rugged hills and pastures then continue on the road to Midelt heading towards Er Rachidia. Located near the Ziz gorge, you rest in Er-Rachidia’s administrative and military center built by the French in the early 12^th century.

► After lunch in Er-Rachidia, take a slight detour to cool off at the Source Bleue de Meski, a blue spring of water that flows from a cave at the foot of a cliff. Admire views of the oasis and the ruined Ksar of Meski then drive towards Goulmima. In Goulmina walk through a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys leading to houses and a mosque located within the old fortified village of Goulmima Ksar. The village’s ksours are said to be unusually sturdy and the ksar itself a great example of southern Moroccan defensive architecture. Next continue to the town of Tinerhir. Built on a rocky outcrop, Tinerhir has an elongated layout and makes an interesting stopping place to visit kasbahs and ksours or Tinehir’s silver jewelry mines producing mines that play an important part in town’s economy. 

►Have dinner and stay the night in Tinerhir. 

DAY 6: TINERHIR – TODRA GORGE –OUARZAZATE

►After a hearty Moroccan breakfast we will take the road to the Todra Gorge in the High Atlas Mountains.

►The drive is scenic as with the new roads built, you will drive past the hotels at the mouth of the Gorge and up to the villages of Aït Hani, Tamtatouchte, and Imilchil.

►The Gorge extends from the village of Tamtatouche to Tinerhir. The Todra, with cliffs rising dramatically up to 300m on each side of a narrow corridor, make up some of the most impressive cliffs and are by far, the highest in Morocco. 

►A day at the Todra offers the option of extreme climbing or light hiking and sightseeing. A more strenuous hike would involve a three hour loop used by donkeys and mules heading north of the main gorge to Tizgui, home of palmeries and ancient kasbahs. For a lighter hike, try the Petit Gorge entering at the mouth of the gorge. The mouth is an enclosed section with overhanging cliffs and is the most dramatic scenery in the gorge. Climbing in and around the Todra Gorge is an unforgettable experience

►Have have lunch inside the gorge or at one of the restaurants beneath the overhanging cliffs with a panoramic view.

►After lunch you can continue by road or hike by foot, or horseback to explore the surrounding area and its Berber villages. Sometimes you can find the Nomad women with children from the Atlas Mountains visiting the Gorge to carry water by donkey to their village. Your driver will give you the option to visit the picturesque village of Tamtattouchte, whose red toned earth houses are located at the other end of the gorge.

►In the evening, depart to Ouarzazate and feel free to request your driver stop along the route should you site and interesting Moroccan market of carpets or silver.

►Return to your hotel in Ouarzazate, have dinner and enjoy the evening in the city center.

DAY 7:  OUARZAZATE – ATLAS FILM STUDIOS – AIT BENHADDOU

►Rise early, weather permitting take a swim at your hotel’s pool.

►Have breakfast of baguette, fresh fruit, jams and a café cassis (Moroccoan cappuccino) at a local pâtisserie and then begin your one-day excursion to Aït Benhaddou & the Atlas Film Studios.

►Located 32 km from Ouarzazate lies the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddou. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draâ on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films.

►Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber village of towered and crenulated Kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains. Explore the Kasbahs by foot with the option to ride a donkey across a river

►Your guide will share the fascinating history of Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most of the town's inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; ten families however still live within the ksar. Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara.

►For lunch, relax on a terrace with clear views of Aït Benhaddouand enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal of mfouar (steamed wheat), Takila (a Berber tajine), couscous and fruit. After lunch, browse the village shops then climb back in the comfortable air-conditioned/heated 4x4 and head to the village of Tamadaght.

►Only six miles away, is the village of Tamdaght, dominated by the canyon walls of a Glaoui Kasbah. The Kasbah is famous and you will find its towers inhabited by storks. Walk outside the Kasbah’s lush terraced gardens and witness the same desert scenery that used in Gladiatorand Alexander the Great

►On the return to Ouarzazate- last stop- visit the Atlas Film Studios. David Lean filmed Lawrence of Arabia at The Atlas Film Studios in the early 1960’s. Since then many famous directors have followed in his footsteps to exploit the magnificent scenery. International blockbusters shot here in recent years include: the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci’s Sheltering Sky, Scorsese’s Kundun, Gillies MacKannon’s Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Black Hawke Down, Oliver Stone’s Alexander The Great, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, and Penelope Cruz’s Sahara. 

►Have dinner in one of Ouarzazate’s restaurants and then return to your hotel.  

DAY 8:  OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

►Rise early, have breakfast at your hotel and then take the road back to Marrakesh.

►A few hours into our journey to Marrakech, we will stop for lunch and enjoy a tajine in a cafe restaurant of the Tadart.

►At 2260 meters above sea level, the highest part of Atlas as well as the highest pass in Morocco, your lunch will be complemented with overwhelming mountain views. Driving on the road to Marrakech, you will pass the interesting town of Amerzgane, the Kasbah Telouet and Aït Ourir, a charming Berber village where you can stop to take some pictures of the Atlas foothills.

►Soon after seeing views of the olive groves of the Oued Zat, you will begin ascending onto the Tizi-N-Tichka Pass Road. Along the route to Marrakesh you will see panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains as well as sights of fertile valleys, blue and red colored pise villages and other striking mineral environments. The higher up you drive you will notice the mountains becoming more rounded and the crops turning into bare red soil. 

►Arrive in Marrakesh in the late afternoon, spend the evening dining at the spectacular Fantasia. The fantasia is a warrior ceremony opposing various groups of horse riders, Each group quivers under light, and the riders point their long rifles to the sky, shout out simultaneously and leave behind them a cloud of dust, before spouting their " black baroud of honor "

►During dinner, made up chiefly of harira, méchoui and couscous, you will have the opportunity to appreciate the Berber folkshow, the performance of jugglers, the flying carpet, the belly dance and, last but not least, the fantasia show. This is a spectacular evening and event worth every moment.

DAY 9:  MARRAKECH

►Departure from Marrakech.