PACKAGE DETAILS
Colours of Morocco
Previous
Next
OVERVIEW
Solos Only
Morocco, a captivating display of colour, tradition, culture, delicious food and immense landscapes. Join this boutique adventure just for solo travellers, arriving to Casablanca where your 14 day adventure begins.
Escorted by an expert local guide, enjoy city touring of Casablanca before making tracks to explore the various sides of Morocco from Marrakech to Imlil, to the Atlas Mountains, exploring Fes with an easy paced three night stay and the contrasts of the blue washed buildings of Chefchaouen before returning to Casablanca.
INCLUSIONS
ACCOMMODATION & MEALS
- 11 nights quality hotel stays
- 1 night guest house
- 1 night luxury desert camp
- 13 breakfasts
- 4 lunches
- 6 dinners including 2 highlight dinners
SIGHTSEEING & GUIDES
- English-speaking locally based tour director
- English-speaking locally based guides
- Desert camel ride
- All entries for attractions included in the itinerary
TRAVEL
- Private group transport tourist minivan
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
- Tips for trip leader and driver included
- Porterage in and out of hotels included where available
- Small group, not more than 16 travellers
# Arrival & departure airport transfer provided for nominated tour flight, booked with us as part of your package.
Travel insurance is a mandatory requirement for joining this tour and is in addition to the package price.
Not included:
- Airfares if booking a tour only package
- Airport Transfers if booking a tour only package, or not travelling on nominated tour flights
- Travel insurance
- Excess baggage
- Visa fees
- Porterage at airports
- Meals and beverages not specified on itinerary
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry & medical expenses
- Incidental expenses such as taxi fares, telecommunications
Departure Dates for this tour
Departure
Status
Price from
Get a quote
RETURN TRAVELLER REWARD - SAVE $100
Once you have booked and departed with us on an international tour, you qualify for our Return Traveller Reward on your next international tour booking. The offer does not apply to any cruises, resort packages, or tours within Australia.
Trip Code: morocco20-10
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Itinerary
DAY 1
Casablanca
Arrive to Casablanca, the starting point for your discovery of Morocco.
This evening meet with your tour director and guide for a welcome drink and tour briefing.
DAY 2
Casablanca – Marrakech
This morning before we make our way to Marrakech we take in a guided city tour of Casablanca. Visit the Mosque of Hassan II, situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, and impressively can hold up to 25000 worshippers. It is an enormous architectural masterpiece and the second largest religious building in the world, and its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 metres. After lunch, travel to Marrakech.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3
Marrakech
This morning, take in the sites of Marrakech with a traditional horse and carriage ride. Visits include the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian tombs and the Bahia Palace. By lunch, we end at Djemaa el-Fna square where there is time to take lunch and an unscheduled afternoon, to explore the market ‘Souk’, with smells of spice, and buy some souvenirs.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4 & DAY 5
Marrakech - Imlil
From Marrakech, it’s an easy drive of a few hours, crossing a vibrant green valley. arriving to Imlil for our next two nights of stay for an adventure in the Atlas mountains. The Imlil village is located at the foothills of the highest mountains in Morocco (Toubkal Summit 4165m).
We have two days in Imlil and the option to explore with an organised easy paced walks of three hours each day to discover the Berber culture. You’ll visit typical villages and also a local waterfall.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (day 4 & day 5)
DAY 6
Imlil - Ait Ben Haddou - Boumalne Dades
Today is one of the longer days of travel, about 7 hours. We will have an early Berber breakfast and head south to Ait Ben Haddou village, and crossing the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2260m) which makes it possible to join the semi-arid regions of the south-east of the High Atlas from the more fertile plains of the Atlantic.
Later in our drive, we will stop to visit the ancient fortified city of Ait Benhaddou to explore the narrow alleyways of the clay Kasbahs. Three hundred Berber families used to live here, but now it’s only home to half a dozen. Ait Ben Haddou was built in the 11th century and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage listing, and the Ksar Ait Benhaddou is one of the most extraordinary Kasbahs in Morocco. Located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, Ait Benhaddou is both dramatic and picturesque. The site has been a popular setting for films including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.
After lunch, we leave Ait Ben Haddou behind and head towards Boumalne Dades via the Valley of the Roses. A highlight of the region are the Dades Canyons with immense landscapes along the Dades River before arriving for our overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7
Boumalne Dades – Merzouga
Today, our Sahara adventure will start with a drive along the street of 1001 Kasbahs to Tinghir, a little desert spring town, well known for its ravines and stream. We keep on Todra gorges, where we will have some free time to investigate the desert spring and the gulches, and find a local bistro for lunch. By the end of the day our camel caravan is waiting for us for a camel trek experience across the sand dunes for a terrific view of sunset and watching the changing shades of light over the dunes. Just at sunset, we should be arriving to our Sahara desert luxury camp. An in the glory of the stars, enjoy a Moroccan dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 8
Merzouga – Fes
Leaving Merzouga and the Sahara Desert in our wake, our first stop is at a little lookout from which we can admire the Ziz Valley as we begin our climb up the Middle Atlas Mountains. After, we stop at the half-way point between Merzouga and Fes for a delicious lunch and make a stop in the Cedar Forest. You can expect to see monkeys, but we have no idea just how many furry friends there will be, baby monkeys climbing over their mama monkeys. From here, onto Fes for our next three nights of stay.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9
Fes
Today, a full day tour of the UNESO World Heritage city of Fez. We see the famous tanneries and Andalusian and El Quaraoiyin Mosques. We visit Najjarine Square where you can sit and watch the world go by in a café, or visit the Souks. In the afternoon we visit New Fez (Al Jdid) which is considered the most colourful and always bustles with life.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
FREE TIME EXTRAS:
Dinner at a local restaurant and show
DAY 10
Fes
From Fes, we take an excursion to visit Moulay Idriss, Volubilis and Meknes. First stop, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, a small hilltop town that stands at the base of Mount Zerhoun with a labyrinthine of the medinas. Then not far away we visit Volubilis, the most impressive of the Roman sites in the country. Volubilis contains essentially Roman ruins of an ancient city built in a commanding site. Today, it is a UNESCO world heritage site. Finally we continue to reach the imperial city of Meknes by early afternoon and tour its focal monuments, such as El Hedim square and Bab Mansour. Meknes prides itself on its friendly and relaxed atmosphere.By late afternoon we have returned to Fes.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11 & DAY 12
Fes – Chefchaouen
From Fes we head north, deep into the Rif Mountains, where Earth meets the Heavens, to explore the enchanting sky blue city of Chefchaouen.
We start off early, as it’s a 2.5-3 hour drive up into the Rif Mountains, to reach Chefchaouen. Nestled in a green mountain valley at 600 metres above sea level, Chefchaouen was originally built up as a hidden outpost to push back the increasing incursions of European powers into Morocco starting from 15th century. After the the fall of Islamic rule in Spain, Muslim Andalusian refugees flocked to Chefchaouen to begin new lives on the African continent. Until the middle of the 20th century, when Spanish rule of northern Morocco began, Chefchaouen had held a reputation for being impossible for non-Muslims to enter. Today, that’s all different: tourists just can’t get enough of Chefchaouen’s charms. Much calmer and cosier than Fez, Chefchaouen’s most striking feature is, without a doubt, its old city’s picturesque sky blue painted walls and streets built on a mountainside. Among the major sights in Chefchaouen are the Kasabah (fortress), the Ras El Maa river valley, and the hillside Spanish Mosque (a 30 minute hike from town).
Meals: Breakfast (Day 11 & Day 12)
DAY 13
Chefchaouen – Asilah – Casablanca
This morning we leave the blue city for a small Mediterranean town, Asilah. A gorgeous seaside town on the northern coast of the country, Asilah has a rich and varied history. With roots as far back as the 16th century, when it was on the main trade route used by the Phoenicians, it was later captured by the Portuguese before coming under Moroccan rule in the 17th century. Each successive culture and society has left its mark on the town, making modern day Asilah a fascinating display of Morocco’s unique heritage. A Portuguese fortress leans precariously over the cliffs, while charming blue and white Moroccan houses line the streets.
Finally, we head back to Casablanca for a final night of stay after our highlight visits through the country.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14
Departure
Our colourful adventure comes to an end after breakfast.
Meals: Breakfast
Itineraries may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. If there is any itinerary change prior to departure of significance we aim to inform you prior to travel. Itinerary changes while on tour will be informed by your tour leader/guide while on tour.
View Full Itinerary
ACCOMMODATION
|
Destination |
Hotel Name |
Nights of Stay |
|
Casablanca |
Odyssée Centre Hotel (4 stars) |
1 |
|
Marrakech |
2 Ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel (4 star) |
2 |
|
Imlil |
Jnane Imlil Guest House (3 star) |
2 |
|
Boumalne Dades |
Hotel Xaluca Dades (4 star) |
1 |
|
Merzouga Desert |
Kasbah Yasmina Luxury Camp (specialty) |
1 |
|
Fes |
Barceló Fès Medina (4 star) |
3 |
|
Chefchaouen |
Parador Hotel (3.5 star) |
2 |
|
Casablanca |
Odyssée Centre Hotel (4 star) |
1 |
Hotels may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. Should this occur, a hotel of a similar standard will be provided.
HOTEL CHECK IN /CHECK OUT TIMES, MOROCCO
If we arrive before the hotel check in time, the hotel will store our luggage until check in time. If luck is on our side, it’s possible hotels may have our rooms (or some of the rooms for our group) ready before the official check in time. If that happens, you’ll be head straight to your room if we arrive before the hotel check in time. As a guide, hotel check in times for most parts of the world range between 2pm to 3pm.
Odyssée Centre Hotel, Casablanca
Barcelo Hotel Fes
2 Ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel, Marrakech
HOTEL DESCRIPTIONS
ODYSEE CENTER, CASABLANCA
Odyssee Center is a 4 star hotel located in the business and cultural centre of Casablanca at the heart of the FAR Avenue. Its well connected location provides easy access to the main attractions sites of the city. The hotel offers a personalised service and a customer experience in a comfortable and authentic fashion.
Rooms offer 24/7 in-floor service, room service, alarm clock on request, complimentary bottle of water offered daily, soundproofing system, double glazing, reversible air conditioning, desk, high speed internet access, satellite TV , Telephone, Safe, Mini Bar on request, non- smoking room. BATHROOM; shower or bathtub, welcome products, bathrobes and slippers, hairdryer. Rooms are spacious, air-conditioned, soundproofed with free Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi: Free
2 CIELS LUXURY BOUTIQUE HOTEL, MARRAKECH
A 4 star luxury boutique hotel & spa, ideally located in the heart of the city, surrounded by the exclusive Hivernage and the Legendary Gueliz. An urban oasis with a chic and refined interior, art deco style with the master touch of local craftwork, designed exclusively for the hotel. 2ciels will surprise you with its originality, embedded in the smallest details while providing you with a comfortable and luxurious experience. The hotel is strategically located, a short walk away from the mythical place Djamaa El Fna and cultural tourist attractions.
Rooms are spacious, bright, comfortable and well appointed. Bathrooms are beautifully designed in a mixt of local stones and the beautiful heritage tiles. Rooms overlook either the hotel's private pool, atlas mountains or the harti gardens. Amenities: air-conditioning, free wifi, mini bar, safe, led flatscreen tv with satellite channels, 2ciels exclusive bath products. Room size from 33 m²
Wi-Fi: Free
JNANE IMLIL GUEST HOUSE, IMLIL
Riad Jnane Imlil is an authentic, family-run guesthouse located in the village of Imlil in the foothills of the Mount Toubkal High Atlas Mountains. All rooms and common areas are in a Berber design. There are 3 comfortable salons & 2 panoramic roof terraces with stunning views of the Berber villages & Atlas Mountains, including a postcard perfect view of Toubkal summit, the highest peak in North Africa (4167m). The riad also has a great swimming pool. The standard ensuite rooms are on the ground floor, decorated in traditional Berber style with authentic Moroccan bedspreads and hand-painted furniture by local craftsmen. There is a traditionally styled tiled bathroom with shower. The room overlooks a small garden & the Berber village of Achain.
Amenities; soft fleece / fiber blankets, cotton sheets, comfortable custom mattresses, heating / air conditioning, voltage: 110v / 220v, hair dryer, fire alarm, free WiFi, housekeeping services, traditional moroccan breakfast, room size15m2.
Wi-Fi: Free
HOTEL XALUCA DADES, BOUMALNE DADES
At an altitude of 1612 metres, surrounded by majestic mountains at the very spine of the Atlas range, whose impressive ravines sketch out to the winds in the sky, the Xaluca Dades Hotel, enjoys a panoramic view of the Dades Valley, sprinkled with friendly Berber villages and snowy peaks. Hotel Xaluca Dades offers 106 beautifully designed, welcoming rooms, exquisitely decorated with materials from different African countries. It is a real paradise in the middle of the mountains. Decorated with styles from African countries, the rooms at Hotel Xaluca Dades include a complete bathroom, flat screen satellite TV, Wi-Fi Internet connection, telephone, mini-bar, air-conditioning and radial heating. Amenities include; air conditioner, TV satellite, telephone, wi-fi, mini bar, safe-deposit box, hair dryer.
Wi-Fi: Yes
KASBAH YASMINA LUXURY CAMP MERZOUGA DESERT
Yasmina Hotel has a bivouac in one of the Oases where you can experience the real Sahara for yourself. Live like a nomad, experience something really different, something very deep and magical.
BARCELO HOTEL, FES
A 4 hotel, the Barceló Fès Medina is an urban hotel in Fez designed to be a haven of tranquility, located just beside the Medina. The newly built Fez hotel combines comfort and functionality in its 134 rooms. This can be seen in its modern rooms, decorated in a contemporary style with designer furniture. It features an international restaurant, where you can enjoy typical Moroccan dishes, and a Jazz Bar which serves cocktails. Barceló’s urban hotel in Fez also boasts a well-equipped spa where you can relax with treatments, as well as saunas, a hammam and a fitness studio. All the rooms are outward facing and are decorated in blues and purples typical of the country's culture, but have modern decoration and are fully equipped with luxurious details to ensure a stay full of comfort and wellness. The lighting and colours also help to create an unparalleled atmosphere, so guests are aware of the absolute singularity of their stay, with state-of-the-art technology but at the same time very comfortable. Amenities include; free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, desk, satellite TV, Safe.
Wi-Fi: Yes
HOTEL PARADOR, CHEFCHAOUEN
Located in the heart of the medina of Chefchaouen, just a few steps from the main historical monuments and the market centre. The hotel offers a panoramic restaurant (200 seats) serving international and Moroccan cuisine., a Moroccan restaurant (30 seats), bar, spacious lobby, internet wifi, a beautiful outdoor pool and panoramic terrace, laundry service.
Wi-Fi: Yes
Note: Twin share rooms may have single beds.
Hotel descriptions are taken from the hotel website and edited to suit our page.
More About Accommodation
GETTING THERE
Arrive to: Casablanca
Depart from: Casablanca
You must hold a valid passport with a minimum of six 6 months validity from your return date to your home country. Ensure you have at least two blank pages in your passport. See 'VISA' information in our MORE INFORMATION section of our website (near end of page).
HOTEL CHECK IN /CHECK OUT TIMES
Consider the hotel check in time on arrival and the hotel check out time on departure for your Colours of Morocco tour.
Late check out can be requested but without payment cannot be guaranteed.
ABOUT AIRFARES
On request we provide an airfare quote. If joining the tour from outside Australia it is usually most economical if you make your own flight arrangements or use the service of a travel agent located within your country of residence.
TRANSFERS
Airport Transfers are included on arrival and departure given that;
- you arrive on day 1 of the tour and/or depart on the final day of the tour, or
- you have extended your stay and you have booked the pre or post tour group hotel with us as part of your package.
If you are making your own flight arrangements, in any case, we require your flight itinerary no later than 28 days priors to travel, even if you are not making airport transfer arrangements with us.
DETAILS
Read on for other key trip information that you should know before you decide on joining the group.
TRIP AVAILABILITY
If this trip seems right for you then we encourage you to book early and secure your place with a deposit.
FELLOW TRAVELLERS
You will enjoy this group experience with a maximum of 16 travellers. This is a Solos Only tour. You are welcome to join with a friend, but couples do not join this tour.
THE PACE [3 out of 5]
Overall this is a moderately to faster paced, small group tour. You should have good fitness to enjoy this tour. Some days will require early morning starts and there are walking tours included with this itinerary. The visit to Imlil has walking tours as a program highlight, to discover local Berber villages. Distances between some places of stay require longer travel distances by road, and if you are prone to motion sickness we recommend bringing remedies to curb the symptoms. This is more relevant for the windy road travel through the Atlas Mountains.
If you have injuries or a fitness level that impedes walking, mobility and climbing stairs you should consider carefully if this tour is the right experience for you. Please talk to our staff before you book to assess your suitability. Travellers of 70 years or over will be required to return a Fit to Travel form that is completed by their doctor.
See MORE ABOUT FITNESS in More Information section below.
ABOUT THE MEALS
It’s regular that our trips include welcome dinners and farewell dinners for our groups. In addition, we include other group dining experiences to ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefit of travelling and dining as a group. There’s nothing better than to share a meal with new friends and discuss the day’s adventures.
The group will dine at local restaurants and/or at our places of stay. There are also some highlight dining experiences at more superior (deluxe) restaurants.
Primary industry in Morocco includes the growing of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. Also meats include beef, goat, mutton and lamb, chicken and seafood. Morocco is renowned for flavourful dishes including tagines as a staple. Couscous and bread are also staples in the Moroccan diet. There are distinct French influences in Morocco and French restaurants are on offer too, as well as Mediterranean and international cuisine.
GROUP TRIP LEADER
This is a private group tour with a trip leader and driver. Your trip leader (guide) is there to assist with group arrangements and to act as the liaison for all tour services. They take charge of all the trip logistics on tour, and of course, make sure the trip runs as smoothly as possible so ultimately you have the best possible experience. From time to time, as is the nature of travel, ‘hiccups’ can occur, such as unexpected delays to due to traffic congestion, unexpected weather conditions that make a change of plans necessary, and many other things that go hand in hand with travel. In these circumstances your trip leader will do their utmost to make the best possible alternative plans – please be ready to accept that these situations are out of the control of anyone and trust in your group leader to assist as best as possible.
TRANSPORT
Touring is private and by minibus, either a 15 seater or 18 seat vehicle depending on the group size. As a guide a group of up 8 or 9 passengers will use a 15 seat vehicle. Large groups will use a vehicle with more seats. There is also transport by a camel caravan for the overnight stay in the dessert.
LUGGAGE INFORMATION AND RESTRICTIONS
For airline luggage restrictions refer to your ticket details. Please note that the maximum luggage weight for touring may be less than the airline maximum limit.
Checked Luggage Maximum Weight: 20 kilograms
Hand Luggage Maximum Weight/Information: 7 kilograms, small bag
1 piece of checked luggage while on tour with maximum weight 20 kilogram. Luggage is limited to one medium size suitcase per person, the sum of its length/width and depth not to exceed 140cm (56") plus an overnight bag (airline bag size) which may be carried on board the vehicle. If your luggage exceeds this limit, we ask that you make alternative arrangements for the excess to be forwarded to the termination point of your tour. We suggest you have wheels on your suitcase, as there are certain places where assistance is not be available.
