Morocco Tour For Seniors – 11 Days

Arrive in Casablanca and proceed to your accommodation after clearing customs and immigration. Spend the rest of the day at leisure after you've settled in.

Continue to Fez for a leisurely evening.

Explore Fez el-Bali (Old Fez), Morocco's cultural capital. This imperial city, founded in the eighth century by Moulay Idris I, was a renowned center of medieval learning. Explore the historic quarter's alleyways and souks. Continue to the intricately detailed Karaouine. It was founded in 859 AD and is one of the world's oldest still-functioning universities. You also tour Nejjarine Square before proceeding to Fez el-Jadid (New Fez), where you witness the Royal Palace, madrasas, and mellah (Jewish quarter).

Overland to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Volubilis, which contains some of the best-preserved Roman remains in North Africa. Volubilis is brimming with renowned Roman architecture, including triumphal arches, basilicas, and capitals. The spectacular mosaic floors of old family houses, which feature images of Orpheus beguiling animals with his lyre, nine dolphins representing good luck, and a figure of Amphitrite in a seahorse-drawn chariot, are among its greatest treasures.

Visit Meknes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Morocco's imperial cities. Its spectacular structures evoke the majesty of a fortified city, which was first created in the 17th century by the mighty sultan Moulay Ismail to compete with the court of his contemporary, Louis XIV of France.

Travel to Erfoud, surrounded by desert, traveling through Berber communities, endless date palm plantations, and the breathtaking Atlas Mountains. After today's lovely trip, check into your accommodation and spend the rest of the day relaxing. This evening's dinner is made with organic, locally sourced ingredients.

Discover the fortified desert settlement of Rissani this morning. Continue to the Sahara Desert dunes by four-wheel-drive vehicle, where you will be greeted with mint tea and pastries at your nomadic tented camp. The breathtaking reddish-hued sand dunes can exceed 500 feet in height, creating a surreal landscape. On camelback, experience it like a local. Return to your campsite for a traditional supper over a campfire. Slumber peacefully tonight as the sounds of the desert lull you to sleep.

Walk up the nearest dune for a spectacular sunrise over the Sahara, break your fast with traditional food, and begin the drive to Todra Gorge. On the way visit the oasis museum of El Khorbat, before continuing to the beautiful Todra Valley, which follows the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and is dotted with mud-brick villages perched on hillsides. The remarkable scenery, sprawling green valleys and rocks sculpted into stunning formations by the wind will be your home for the next two nights. This area is best to discover on foot, so you’ll take a short walk through the surrounding farmland and a ruined village.

Today, head south to the well-known Ait Benhaddou. The magnificent trip will take you past historic kasbah ruins, former colonial military outposts, austere mountains, and palm-tree and irrigated-field valleys. Stop for lunch in Ouarzazate, the filming location for Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky, and Black Hawk Down. If time allows, you may also be able to visit the Atlas Movie Studios. After that, carry on to Ait Benhaddou. This was an important halt for caravans transporting salt over the Sahara centuries ago. The great kasbah, a fine example of clay architecture, is now a World Heritage site. Why not indulge in Morocco's most famous food, couscous and tagine, in the late afternoon?

Bid farewell to the Sahara and travel to Toubkal National Park through the beautiful Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2260 meters above sea level), seeing snow-dappled mountains and valleys in full bloom along the route. Store your main luggage and load a daypack onto a pack mule at the end of the trip in Imlil. An hour's hike up to the tranquil village of Aroumd, far from the grasp of the modern world, will immerse you in traditional mountain village life. If you don't feel like walking, you can ride a mule instead. The secluded village of Aroumd, perched on a rocky outcrop, offers breathtaking views of the High Atlas Mountains as well as a rare opportunity to observe traditional Amazigh culture. You'll spend the night in a gite run by a family. Meet the host family and enjoy some traditional hospitality and meals while surrounded by the fragrance of woodstoves and bread.

It's time to take your time exploring Marrakech. Explore the medina for some last-minute shopping, where each step reveals a new smell, sight, or present to purchase. Each souq in the seemingly infinite mosaic is dedicated to a different trade, such as ceramics, woodwork, copper, leather, carpets, and spices. Watch experienced artists at work, hone your bargaining skills, or take a break from the hustle to sip tea or eat a tagine infused with the fresh aroma of Morocco. Alternatively, you might go to the well-known Koutoubia Mosque and its 12th-century minaret, which was the famed prototype for Seville's Giralda tower. Take a wander through the tropical gardens of the French painter Jacques Majorelle (now owned by Yves Saint Laurent).

With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave at any time. Check-out time is usually around midday, however, if you wish to spend more time in Marrakech, we can organise additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).