Morocco: Itinerary
ABOUT
My Mom and I traveled to Morocco in February 2019. We discussed going to Morocco for years, and it not only exceeded our expectations but was the most unique culture I’ve ever experienced. Morocco is in Northern Africa, and a melting pot of Berber (one if the oldest known civilizations), Arabian and European influence.
Best times to visit Morocco are in the spring, March - May and fall, September - October when its not too hot or cold. We visited for 1 week and spent all of our time in Marrakech. If we had more time I would add:
Merzouga: Desert town near the Erg Chebbi dunes where many Sahara desert treks leave from (ie., Desert Camp Bouchedor).
Chefchaouen: City in the Rif Mountains known for its completely blue old town.
Fez: The old capital and cultural center of Morocco, beautiful ancient architecture and no cars are permitted.
Casablanca: Largest city in Morocco along the Atlantic ocean.
Straight of Gibraltar: Narrowest point (only 8.7 miles) between Morocco and Spain, can take a boat across from Tangier Ville Port.
Day 1: Travel to Marrakech
Fly into Marrakesh airport (RAK)
Arranged hotel transport from Airport to La Sultana (a raid/hotel hybrid)
Rest and recover from jet lag
Tour of nighttime market Jemaa el-Fnaa: Giant night only market in Marrakesh's Medina (old city)
Dinner at restaurant near the Medina
Day 2: EXPLORE Marrakech
Visit Koutoubia Mosque, Palais Bahia and Palais Badii
- These ancient buildings are full of beautiful mosaics. We went first thing in the morning when they were less crowded.
Lunch at Le Nomad
- Located right above Marrakech’s open spice and rug market, this picturesque spot has international dishes with a Moroccan twist. (They also had a Tartine cookbook in the entrance which was a funny sight coming from San Francisco).
Visit the Souks (aka Bazaar)
- The largest traditional market, where you can haggle with shop owners for local goods including rugs, lamps, spices, traditional wood/leather/metal crafts and more.
- We took a cooking class at La Maison Arabe where we made traditional Moroccan chicken Tagine. We all went home with our own ceramic tagine cook-wear.
Stay the night at La Sultana
Day 3: ATLAS MOUNTAINS
We hired a driver to take us to the Atlas Mountains (~ 1hr drive)
- The Atlas mountains are still home to many Berber villages. The highest peak in Morocco (Jebel Toubkal at 13,671 ft) can be seen from the Atlas foothills.
Short Day Hike in the Atlas Mountains
- Many trekking companies run guided day trip hikes through the Atlas Mountains. We picked a day hike company that was a self guided hike, but included lunch in a Berber village halfway through. Total hiking time was (~ 3 hours).
Drive back to Marrakech, check into Raid Yasmine
Relax/swim in the Raid + dinner at restaurant nearby
Spend the night in Raid Yasmine
Day 4: MUSEUMS and AGAFAY DESERT
- Museum dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent. Includes incredible architecture, collection of YSL clothing and a guided exhibition hall of designs through time.
- Yves private residence in Morocco. After his death was turned into a public space including beautiful gardens, a small Berber museum and bookshop.
Lunch in Cafe at Majorelle Gardens
Back to Raid Yasmin to relax
Drive to Agafay Desert (~1 hour drive)
Sunset Camel Ride and Dinner at La Pause
- La Pause was a luxury eco-lodge in the Agafay desert. It is bordered by a river and overlooks the rocky Moroccan desert. There is no wifi/service and phone use is discouraged.
Spend the night in Raid Yasmine
Day 5: La Mamounia
Check out of Raid Yasmine and into La Mammounia
- This was the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at (and the prices were much more reasonable than US prices).
- It is a palace with elaborate hallways/rooms, several pools, massive gardens, art galleries multiple restaurants and more.
- We wanted to try Moroccan hammam. Traditionally, hammam is a process in which you steam naked in public steam rooms (separated by gender), then hire someone to scrub and wash you off. This is a frequent routine for many local men, woman and children.
- We did a very western version of this at the La Mammounia spa where you steam shower in a towel and are scrubbed in private.
Walk the La Mammounia Grounds
- We spent the rest of the day walking the grounds/gardens and relaxing by the pool.
- One of the most beautiful dinner settings during our trip. We sat by the outdoor pool at a candle lit table while musicians played nearby. The hotel website doesn’t do it justice, images here.
Stay the night at La Mammounia
Day 6: MARRAKECH TO PARIS
Check out of La Mammounia and fly to Paris
Spend 2 days in Paris
- We stayed in Le Marais, went to museums, shopped and had an unbelievable meal at Frenchie.
After 2 days in Paris we then missed our flight back to San Francisco, but eventually made our way home.
