8 day-tour: Culture & Nature II
Starting from Rabat Airport
1st day – from Rabat go to Mèknes, where you must see the first mausoleum of this trip, the splendorous one of Moulay Ismaïl. Other attractions are calling you, like the ramparts and their gateways, an example of it is the Bab Mansour el-Aleuj, right in front of the lively el-Hedime square. Overnight.
2nd day – day dedicated to exploring the outskirts of Mèknes. The ancient capital of the Mauretania Tingitana kingdom, Volubilis, a roman site, is Morocco’s most important archeological site. Moulay Idriss stands for a pilgrimage site of the highest national importance. Overnight in Mèknes.
3rd day – go to the south, through the Atlas mountains, passing by Azrou, surrounded by cedars and oalm oaks. The road goes through the Zad Pass, the highest of the Middle Atlas. Continuing south, you have Midelt, a city known for growing apple trees. Already out of the Atlas, you will go along the Ziz Gorges, where the river with the same name flows. Through Errachidia arrive at Erg Chebbi with two overnights in RESTCAMP ERGCHEBBI.
4th day – free day to relax, to take part in activities (see the article Magical Desert Dunes for adventures and sportsmen) or to visit the nearby small cities of Merzouga, a tourist center, Erfoud, home for the Dates Festival, and Rissani, with the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif nearby. Between these two last cities, the road goes along the oasis of Tafilalt Palm Grove. Overnight in RESTCAMP ERGCHEBBI.
5th day – go back towards the Middle Atlas, passing by Midelt, and then take the way unto the Aguelmane Azigza, one of the craters of extinct volcanoes, now a lake. Oum e-Rbia, the longest river in Morocco, has in the Middle Atlas its more than 40 springs, some of them forming waterfalls. Finish your afternoon in nature, with an overnight in Khenifra, with a livestock market.
6th day – descending along the Oum e-Rbia river, till Kasba Tadla, you will see several olive groves. Then, taking the road towards Casablanca comes the holy town of Boujad, where tombs of the holy family of its patron saint and shrines are to be found. Overnight in Casablanca.
7th day – visit Casablanca. The white city is nowadays well known for the Hassan II mosque, the tallest in the world, but there is much more to see, although not at the first glance. Go to the city center, there you can see that, afterward, Casablanca has fine examples of art decó, that goes from residential houses to the former Sacré-Coeur cathedral. Overnight in Rabat.
8th day – if you didn’t visit Rabat before this tour do it now and dedicate your day to the capital of Morocco. Visit the sumptuous Mausoleum of Mohammed V, just near the Hassan Tower, the Oudaïa Kasbah, surrounded by city walls, and have a glimpse of Dar el-Makhzen, the royal palace, among many other attractions. If you explored Rabat before, go to Salé, on the other bank of the river, where you can admire its city walls, the Seamen’s cemetery, the Medersa Abou El Hassan next to the oldest mosque in Morocco, and go shopping in the souks.
