tour of morocco
I elected to do a tour as I was a solo traveler and really enjoyed my time on this tour. I added a day before the tour in Casablanca and another day in Marrakesh at the end. Joining a tour is a great way to meet other travelers. Also with an organized tour, I got a lot of history and additional information about each city rather than just exploring on my own. Furthermore, we stopped at some places along the way that I might have missed if traveling on my own. One reason for electing to do a tour was being a solo female traveler, but I think as long as you are respectful of customs and conservative with dress you should be fine on your own if you prefer that over group travel. I did a Northern Morocco tour that was 9 days starting on evening on day 1 and ending morning of day 9.
MOROCCO ITINERARY
DAY ONE
Arrive to Casablanca. As I was joining a tour group, I elected to spend night at hotel of the tour group the night before. This hotel was convenient to Casa Tramway which I used to get around in Casablanca.
DAY TWO
Exploring Casablanca on my own. I went to the Hassan II Mosque and did tour, explored the Medina, visited the Cathedral du Sacre, and walked the Corniche. You may also want to check out the Museum of Moroccan Judaism or the Morocco Mall while here. In the evening, the tour began with a meeting about the itinerary and introduction of all the travelers. We went out to eat in Casablanca.
DAY THREE
We boarded the train to head to Rabat. While there we explored the Old Quarter. After that we took a train to Meknes (3 hours) followed by a 45 minute taxi to village of Moulay Idriss. This is a traditional village for which some make the sacred pilgrimage to pay homage to Moulay Idriss. We stayed at traditional homestay and had traditional tagine dinner.
DAY FOUR
We visited World Heritage site of Volubilis of the Roman Empire. After this we returned to Meknes where we got to explore and some of us brave souls tried a camel burger. We then boarded a train for the 1 hour journey to Fes.
DAY FIVE
Fes- you cannot come to Morocco without visiting this iconic city. The medina is a complete maze. It is mesmerizing with the people, animals, shops, markets, mosques and tanneries. Your senses will be overwhelmed.
DAY SIX
My favorite city was the beautiful blue city of Chefchaouen. To get here we had to take a 4 hour bus ride from Fes. This small town feels very artistic and very safe. With blue buildings everywhere and walls adorned with plants and plenty of cats. You’ll fall in love.
DAY SEVEN
We got another day to explore Chefchaouen. We hiked the Spanish Mosque which is about 2 km from the town and gives fantastic views of the city below. Our group went during the day and we were there alone. It is also a very popular sunset spot; however, just expect others to be there too. This day I also spent some time grabbing a bite and drink at Casa Aladin for some incredible rooftop views in town.
DAY EIGHT
From Chefchaouen, we boarded a bus to get us to Tangier which was about a 3 hour drive. We checked out the Cap Spartel where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean and then went to the Hercules Caves. Tangier is a unique city and serves as the gateway via ferry to Spain. Later in the evening, we boarded an overnight train heading to Marrakesh.
DAY NINE AND TEN
Arriving very early in Marrakech the day could be filled with the many sites of this incredible and bustling city. Some of the best things to check out include: Marjorelle Gardens, Palais Bahia, Palais Badi, Saadian Tombs, Museum of Marrakech, Photography Museum, Medersa Ben Youssef, Koutoubia Mosque and of course you must check out the main square Djemaa el Fna. If you want markets and souvenirs this is the city.
DAY ELEVEN
Train from Marrakech back to Casablanca and flight home.
