Ancient Cultures of Morocco Tour

Ruins of ancient Merenid tombs in Fez, Morocco

What to expect on this itinerary

Handcrafted with Morocco’s most intimate cultural experiences, this one-week tour will lead you from Berber villages to Gnawa backroads and artisanal cities to glasses of mint tea in ancient medinas. Morocco is a melting pot of fascinating cultures, where traditions ring true, and heritage is part of daily life. This is a journey that is defined by the people you meet and the traditions you can experience, from Marrakech to the Sahara Desert.

Countries Visited

Morocco

Places Visited

Marrakech, Fes, Ouarzazate, Merzouga

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Marrakech – Berber Storytelling

Today, you will land in Marrakech and be greeted at the airport by a local guide. It is a short transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you will have time to rest and refresh before gathering your first impressions of the mazy streets. Rather than visit set attractions, today’s Marrakech walk will focus on absorbing the atmosphere. So, you can wander the lively labyrinthine streets and use all your senses to admire what is happening before an evening of sunset colors and Berber traditions on the main square.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Marrakech – Highlights of an Imperial City

Day 3

Ouarzazate – Exploring Berber Villages

Day 4

Merzouga – Intimate Experiences

Day 5

Fes – The Sahara At Sunrise

Day 6

Fes – Artisanal Culture in Meknes

Day 7

Fes – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Enjoy intimate experiences with the Gnawa people and feel how their mystical drumming calls on another world
  • Discover traditional Berber culture, from listening to storytellers on Djemaa el-Fna to lunch and community involvement in small High Atlas villages
  • Marvel at the artisanal culture of Meknes, which is Morocco’s lesser-known imperial city
  • Inhale the atmosphere of yesteryear with a journey along the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs, which is an almost mythical landscape that showcases the ancient Saharan culture
  • Absorb ancient Islamic heritage and celebrate charming old customs
  • Explore fabulous landscapes that hold incredible cultural secrets, including a camel journey into Saharan sand dunes and the mazy streets of Fes
  • Immerse yourself in Morocco’s old-world culture, especially in the imperial cities and their souks
  • Feel the past by visiting old Saharan caravanserai towns and tanneries that have not changed for over a millennium

Detailed Description

Morocco’s culture is a mixing pot of exotic histories and influences. This cultural melting pot is peaceful and invites visitors to come and explore. This is not a culture that you witness in museums, but one that is omnipresent across Morocco. On this one-week tour, you will immerse yourself in Morocco’s wonderful complexities.

You will begin your Morocco tour with two nights in Marrakech, which is a Berber-dominated city that is packed with souks, vibrant streets, and an immersive atmosphere. Here, you will listen to traditional storytellers, explore millennia of heritage, discover the city’s essential sites, and watch the sunset from a rooftop terrace. From here, it is an easy journey into the High Atlas, where Berber villages offer insight into community and tradition. Following a road of mud-brick kasbahs, you can really experience cultural tradition.

After a night in Ouarzazate, you will reach Merzouga on day four, where the Gnawa people can further your cultural immersion. Through drumming and Sufism, you will experience the culture of these people who came across the Sahara from Sudan as slaves. The following morning, you can experience some desert history. In the Sahara, you will ride a camel and acquaint yourself with the unique landscape. You will fly to Fes the same day, where an Arab and Moorish history will provide a brilliant cultural contrast.

Fes has the greatest of all the medieval centers in Morocco, and with two nights, you can get to know tanneries, cafe culture, and the city’s surprisingly laid-back lifestyle. There will still be time to discover Meknes and Volubilis. You will only have one week in Morocco, but you will experience three very different histories and cultures in addition to the mountains and desert.

Starting Price

$2,100 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 137 reviews

Morocco Vacation Review: Marrakech, High Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate, Skoura Oasis, Merzouga, Sahara, Fes, Food Tour, Camel Trek, Private Guide, 1 Week

This was our fourth trip with Zicasso and, like the others, it was amazing and memorable. Even being back home for a while now, I’m still constantly thinking about how fun and unique this experience was. Morocco isn’t easy to navigate, but Zicasso, our travel specialist, and our team expertly guided and educated us on the special history, culture, food, traditions, and sites of this beautiful country.

We started in Marrakech and had night and day food tours in the medina. It was immersive and interesting, and almost an assault on the senses–super-cool experiences. We learned about the cultural influences through the centuries and our guides were experts in their historical and local knowledge. The street food night tour was an evening to remember, sampling all sorts of local foods at places that would be impossible to find on the web.

After our days in Marrakech, we traveled in a loop around Morocco for several days, passing through the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate, Skoura Oasis, Merzouga, and the Sahara, followed by two and a half days in Fes, another cultural gem. It was an unforgettable journey, filled with highlights:

The boutique hotel in a literal oasis was beautiful and so well appointed–such friendly staff and owners, and perfect food.

Ait Ben Haddou (a kasbah) was like nothing we’d ever seen–no wonder it has been used in so many films. Our private guide there had been in nine movies!

The Sahara trek was unbelievable and my personal highlight. I almost still can’t believe it. A one-hour guided walk on a camel (they were friendly!), stopping to watch a beautiful sunset. It reminded me of the "Dune" movies. The moon literally rose on the opposite horizon as the sun was setting. Then, another 30 minutes on the camels under moonlight to a luxury camp. I say “camp,” but the small restaurant was deluxe and our tent was warm, luxurious, and, of course, had a full, regular bathroom. So not exactly camping!

Fes was super-interesting and our driver and guide ensured we saw so much of what makes Fes the cultural capital.

This was, overall, such a fun experience that will stay with me forever. We’ve recommended Morocco to many since returning!

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Morocco Vacation Review: Marrakech, Merzouga, Fes, Chefchaouen, Medinas, Desert, Camel Ride, Gardens, Museums, Cooking Class, 11 Nights

We had the most amazing time in Morocco, thanks to our wonderful Zicasso trip planners. From the very beginning of the planning stages, our agents were not only super-accommodating, but provided great ideas to make our trip as special as could be!

Once we landed, our guide and driver made sure we were comfortable throughout our trip. We visited Marrakech, Merzouga, Fes, and Chefchaouen. Each of these destinations were special in their own way and we had amazing tours in the medinas, visited gardens and museums, had a cooking class and, of course, a wonderful night in the desert.

None of this could have been possible without the expertise of the entire team at the travel agency. The logistics were impeccable, the hotels so beautiful, and suggestions for shopping and meals were perfect as well!

We cannot thank the team enough for such a special experience and we hope to work with them in the future! Thank you so much!

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Morocco Tour Review: Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert, Marrakech, Camel Ride, 1 Week

Every detail of the itinerary was amazing. Thanks to Zicasso’s travel agent. From our driver to the riad and hotel accommodations, and each location we visited (Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Atlas Mountains, a camel ride at sunset with glamping in the Sahara Desert, and Marrakech), we were partnered with a local guide who showed us magnificent sights and enriched our experience with historical information. Everything was beyond our expectations!

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Spain, Morocco Trip Review: Barcelona, Andalucia, Chefchaouen, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, Atlas Mountains, Architecture, Art, Riads, 2 Weeks

Flawless doesn't begin to describe how incredible and meticulous the planning and taste that went into designing our Spain and Morocco trip. I reached out to Zicasso’s travel specialist far in advance, describing a dream vacation for my husband and me that included a near-impossible amount of locations to cover through both countries in only two weeks. We had tried coming up with an itinerary with another planner prior to meeting the travel specialist, but it did not work out. When we shared our vision with the travel specialist, he materialized it on paper in a way that made sense and even made adjustments that fit within our budget. We got to see every location with enough time to savor each.

The order of travel from Barcelona to Andalucía to Morocco was an intricate weave that told a story of cross-cultural exchange. We started off with Gaudí architecture and the Sagrada Família, sunsets at the Puente Nuevo, Alhambra, and Córdoba, marveled at the grandeur of the mosque cathedral, savored seafood paella and Picasso art in Málaga. We finished off road-tripping in Morocco, starting from the blue city of Chefchaouhen, continuing our journey through Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, and the Atlas Mountains. It was nothing short of magical.

We will never forget the beauty of the sun rising above the Atlas Mountains, private candlelit dinners on our private terrace in the riads, the colors of the souks, and the hospitality of our Moroccan hosts. Each riad was carefully selected and far exceeded our expectations. And of course, our driver in Morocco was an absolute delight and went above and beyond. Besides providing transportation, he acted as a friend who showed us the ins and outs, helping us see Morocco in a way that we would not have if we went in a large group or had chosen to come alone. Overall, my husband and I cannot recommend our travel specialist enough.

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Morocco Travel Review: High Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, 12-Day Trip

We recently returned from a 12-day trip to Morocco. It was an incredible trip! We started in a kasbah in the High Atlas Mountains and then traveled to Essaouira, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, and ended in Marrakech. We had excellent accommodations, transportation, and local guides.

The trip was planned and booked through the tour operator. Zicasso’s travel specialist was easy to communicate with and addressed all of our concerns. It was a pleasure to meet him in Marrakech for tea and an escort around the square. The people of Morocco were warm and kind. We look forward to returning and spending time in the desert, and we would definitely book with the tour operator again.

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Morocco Trip Review: Marrakech, Hammam, Food Tour, 9-Day Trip

Zicasso's trip expert was great in getting back to us, answering our questions. He even rearranged things to get us a hammam at the last minute. All the hotels were first class. Our driver was fabulous. He really knew his craft and made the trip so much more fun. The guides were all good.

The only thing I would change is not to do anything the first day after arrival, but relax. Marrakech is a bit overwhelming if you are tired from your trip. Be sure to let him know about your hotel preferences.

I would highly recommend this travel company.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

28,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews