My wife and I spent two fantastic weeks exploring Morocco. Our journey began with a flight to Morocco, where we were picked up and escorted to our hotel in Rabat. We spent two nights in Rabat, enjoying a comfortable if not spartan stay at the Belere Hotel. The hotel was comfortable and clean but in need of some updates.
During our stay in Rabat, we visited several attractions. We started our exploration with a visit to the Royal Palace, which is close to the Belere Hotel. From there, we ventured out to the Chellah Necropolis. This historic site provided some great history dating back millennia. Chellah contained fascinating ruins that dated back to different eras. It was also fascinating for the wildlife that has taken up residency there, including storks, cats, and eels.
Our tour continued with a visit to Mausoleum of Mohammad V and the nearby Hassan Tower. While the Mausoleum and large plaza over to Hassan Tower were fascinating, my favorite part of this attraction was witnessing the changing of the Royal Guard. I have seen changing of the guard before, but never changing of a mounted guard.
We finished the day with a visit to the Kasbah of the Udayas. We navigated the inhabited Kasbah, taking time to snap some photos from atop the ramparts. The ramparts offered excellent views of the ocean and the Bouregreg River. We meandered down through the Kasbah to the lower garden area before heading back to the hotel.
After arriving back at the hotel, my wife and I adventured out on our own for a visit to the Rabat Medina. This was our first medina experience in Morocco. We would soon find out that each of the medinas we visited had its own charm and distinct character. Rabat’s featured wide alleys and was much smaller in comparison to others we visited as our trip continued.
After enjoying coffee and tea at the medina, we ventured down to the waterfront along the Bouregreg river. We took a very inexpensive taxi down to the waterfront, where we met a bunch of local boys jumping off the docks into the river. We struggled with broken French and Arabic to communicate with the boys, who wanted to snap photos with us.
The following morning, we packed up for our trip to Fez. While en route to Fez, we stopped to visit the Roman Ruins of Volubilis. While it was a bit off the beaten path, it was worth the trip. The amazing mosaics and reconstructed ruins were a fascinating link to Morocco’s ancient history. We explored the ruins and museum before heading to Fez.
In Fez, we arrived at the Barcelo Fes Medina Hotel, where we spent two nights. The hotel had a fantastic location. We stopped for a photo opportunity overlooking the Old Quarter of Fez from an ancient fort overlooking the city on our way to the hotel. We settled into the hotel before venturing out the following morning.
After a good night’s sleep, we headed to one of the most fascinating medina’s, Fez Market. While navigating the labyrinth of shops and restaurants of Fez, we also stopped at an iconic Fez location: A Leather Tannery. The leather tannery was fascinating, as well as malodorous. The smell of cow urine and pigeon excrement used in the leather processing was overwhelming. We were provided with mint to help avert the assault on our nostrils. A carpet shop visit was also included as part of our medina visit.
We returned to the hotel to prepare for our next leg of the journey, traveling the following day to Erfoud. On our trip through the Mid-Atlas Mountains, we observed Barbary Apes. Our driver stopped to give us an opportunity to visit with the macaques and snap some photos. It was a surprising interaction with nature on our journey. We stopped again shortly after visiting with the apes to enjoy lunch at Kasbah Asmaa.
After lunch we continued to Erfoud, where we bedded down at Kasbah Hotel Xaluca Maadid. This was easily the most amazing hotel we stayed at on our journey. Our two nights at Xaluca Maadid felt like sheer luxury. In addition to an amazing room, the food was exceptional at this hotel. We dined for breakfast and dinner here.
The following morning, we began our sightseeing with a stop in Rissani to learn about Desert Fossils. We were given the opportunity to purchase ancient fossils in the form of plates, art, and other craftsmanship. One of the highlights of the trip followed our visit to the Rissani Souk…a Desert Sunset Camel Ride. The adventure began with 4x4s through the desert, dinner at a desert oasis culminating in a camel ride up the dunes to see the sun set. Iconic.
The following morning, we sadly said goodbye to our amazing hotel in Erfoud. We departed for our next overnight in Ouarzazate. En route, we stopped at the Todgha Gorge. We stopped to visit an overlook area with magnificent views of the valley before visiting the gorge. While it was a quick stop, we did have enough time to dip our toes in the cool springs of the gorge.
We departed the gorge, stopping for lunch at Yasmina Restaurant in Tinnerher. We continued after lunch to our hotel, Kenzi Azghor Hotel. The hotel needed updates during our stay, but it sounds like the hotel has undergone recent renovations. After getting settled into the hotel, we ventured out for dinner at Ovelix Restaurant. After dinner, we returned to the hotel to rest before another early start the following morning.
After breakfast at the hotel, we headed out towards Marrakesh. On our way out of town, we stopped for a short visit to Kasbah de Taourirt. The most memorable aspect of this stop was the sheer amount of art available for sale at the Kasbah. After the kasbah, we stopped at Ait Benhaddou before continuing on to our hotel in Marrakesh, Le Meridien N’Fis Hotel.
After arriving at our hotel, we had some time to venture out to Marrakesh Medina and Souk. We had dinner in the Souk, which was bustling with activity in the evening. We found it to be a stark contrast when we visited during the daytime. After dinner, we returned to the hotel to rest for a full day of activities the next day.
We had a great breakfast at Le Meridien before a full slate of activities. We began our sightseeing with Katoubia Mosque, a tour through the Marrakesh Medina, a cooking demonstration at Al Baraka Restaurant, and a Horse Carriage Ride through the Marrakesh Souk. After a full day of touring, we returned to the hotel.
The following day was a day trip to Essaouira. The three-hour trip in each direction made for a long but rewarding day. We made several interesting stops along the way that included taking photos with goats in the Goat Trees of Morocco. After stopping to visit the goats, we continued our drive toward Essaouira stopping again to visit Marjana Cooperative where we learned the history of argon oil.
Our Essaouira Day Trip finally led us to Essaouira, where we were given time to explore the walled old quarter. We stopped outside the walled city before entering to explore the shops and restaurants. We were also able to visit the ramparts where we had amazing views of the scenic waves crashing against the nearby breakers. I purchased an amazing “Fantasia” painting in Essaouira, as well as several other gifts. We returned to Marrakesh for another early day the following day.
From Marrakesh, we ventured on to our final stop, Casablanca. We arrived in Casablanca in time for lunch along the Corniche seaside. From there we did a half-day tour of the city that included stops at Hassan II Mosque and Our Lady of Lourdes Church, one of the few Catholic churches in Morocco. We finished our day at the Novotel Hotel, where we spent overnight before our flight home.
Overall, our trip to Morocco was amazing. We visited several regions of the country, experiencing a wide range of Moroccan culture. One thing was always apparent, and that is the Moroccan people. While some of the vendors were aggressive at times, the people of Morocco were amazing. We felt safe, welcomed, and invited to enjoy the rich history and culture that Morocco has to offer. I would highly recommend any visit to Morocco to include a robust itinerary that includes as much of the country as you are able to see. The diverse climates and culture are worth experiencing.
