- Morocco Private Tours
- Imperial Cities of Morocco - Private Tour
Uncover Morocco's colourful and rich cultural offerings as you explore ancient medinas, wander spice-filled souks, and admire dramatic Moorish architecture. Indulge your senses on this captivating tour, which incorporates the historic sights of Rabat and Casablanca, the well-preserved ruins of Volubilis and Meknes, and the palaces, tombs and souks of Fez and Marrakech.
Dinner
Depart on your scheduled flight to Marrakech. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, arriving in time for your first dinner.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast, journey north to Morocco's largest city, Casablanca, and uncover this modern metropolis stretching along the Atlantic coastline. On arrival, wander around the League of Arab States Park, a verdant area dotted with palm trees, before continuing to the Notre Dame de Lourdes Church with its exquisite stained-glass windows. Passing the busy shopping area of the Habous Quarter, you will arrive at the esplanade of the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, which boasts the world's tallest minaret.
Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast, travel to Rabat for a city tour of Morocco's colourful capital city. Visit the Hassan Tower, a 12th century minaret built from distinctive red sandstone and one of the few parts remaining from the original Hassan Mosque, then explore the nearby mausoleum of Mohammed V with its stunning mahogany domes and intricate gold leaf decorations. Visit the colourful Ouadaya Kasbah, one of Morocco’s most enchanting landmarks, overlooking the Bou Regreg River. This UNESCO World Heritage Site blends Moroccan, Andalusian, and Islamic artistry within its blue-and-white walls: from the grand Bab Oudaya gate to peaceful gardens and ocean views, every corner reveals Morocco’s timeless charm and cultural depths. After exploring the Kasbah and its gardens, take a trip to Rabat’s twin city, Salé, to discover its elegant marina, an idyllic setting from which to enjoy spectacular views of the Tour Hassan (the minaret of an incomplete mosque) while savouring the sea air. Salé’s marina has evolved into a lively, and friendly place to live – enjoy some free time here to explore and eat lunch. Later, continue to Fez.
Breakfast & Dinner
Brimming with history, numerous civilisations have settled or passed through Fez, leaving a legacy of palaces, mosques, and museums filled with precious treasures. Begin your full-day city tour at the Mechouar (courtyard) of the Royal Palace, where you can admire the imposing brass gates and explore the historic, less crowded Fes el-Jdid Medina. Stop at Baba Boujloud, an amazing blue gate decorated with intricate carvings that serves as a gateway from the old to the new city. The most prized pottery in Morocco comes from Fez: visit a pottery village, where you will discover firsthand the entire process of crafting Moroccan pottery and Zellij tiles, mosaic tiles made from individually hand-chiselled pieces. Your tour continues through the ancient medina, home to the architecturally-rich Andalucian Quarter: traverse some of the 9,000 alleyways of this maze-like district, passing some of the city's oldest and most esteemed mosques and religious schools, including the 1,200-year-old Al Kairouyine University and grandiose El Qaraoyin Mosque. This part of the city is alive with traditional crafts - a visit to a local tannery provides a fascinating insight into the sights and smells of a craft that has remained unchanged for centuries. Enjoy some free time for lunch, sampling local cuisine in Nejjarine Square, where many traditional Moroccan restaurants are located. Return to your hotel in the afternoon.
Breakfast & Dinner
Travel to the ancient Roman town of Volubilis, the country's best-preserved archaeological site. Formerly one of the capitals of King Juba II of Mauretania, the town’s remains bear witness to the grandeur of his former residences. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, Volubilis developed a flourishing trade in oil, corn and wild animals such as lions and panthers. Learn about the paved mosaics in the Houses of Orpheus, Dionysus, Ephebus, and Venus, and the marble Triumphal Arch built in honour of the Emperor Caracalla. See the Basilica of Volubilis, with its four rows of columns and three naves, which once served as a trading centre, law court, and meeting place.
Next, travel onward to Meknes. Here, you’ll discover the architectural legacy of Sultan Moulay Ismail: a ruthless tyrant, the Sultan was one of Morocco’s greatest leaders. With a harem of 500 wives, he settled in Meknes, where he brought in slaves to build an imperial city with ingeniously-designed granaries and stables for an incredible 12,000 horses. Pause to admire Bab el-Mansour, the giant imperial gateway built by the Sultan to show the strength of his new capital to Fez and Marrakech. Visit the mausoleum Moulay Ismail, an architectural site highly-regarded by both tourists and Moroccans. The building is several stories high, with a row of windows at the top that allows bright sunlight to filter in: the walls across several levels comprise of exquisite zellij, enamel-painted wood, carved plaster, arches, and marble columns. Explore the area with some time at leisure and take a break for lunch before returning to your hotel in Fez.
Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast, begin your journey back to Marrakech, this time taking major roads to ensure a smooth and comfortable drive. On arrival in Marrakech in the late afternoon, check in for a two-night stay at your hotel, with time at leisure to relax in your room or explore the city at your own pace before dinner.
Breakfast & Dinner
Your final day of touring takes you to the Bahia Palace, a stunning testament to Morocco’s rich cultural history and architectural intricacy. Visit the Saadian Tombs, re-discovered in 1917, which contains the remains of 66 princes of the Saadian dynasty, then on to Dar El Basha Quarter to admire its traditional Moroccan cafes and restaurants. Peruse the basketwork, dried fruits, spices, and fabrics of the Kessabine and Smarine souks and explore the ancient former slave market of Rahba Kedima Square, where locals arrive in droves to buy age-old herbal remedies as well as bizarre ingredients for traditional magic spells, ranging from tree bark to live chameleons. In the evening, visit the world-famous Djemaa El Fnaa Square to witness the vast esplanade transform from a lively market to an immense nighttime display of dancing, music, snake-charming, and fortune-telling. Enjoy a final dinner at a local restaurant as your tour draws to a close.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK or continue on to your chosen extension.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
Your Next Adventure Awaits! We've been arranging award-winning, expertly crafted hoildays and tours since 1980. We're also ABTA protected and ATOL bonded for your total peace of mind. Call us today to book your next unforgettable holiday!
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, and the beach stay was a great ending to our trip to Morocco. It was a nice group size, and we loved every place we visited. The guides make these tours, and Latif, our guide, was full of fun and factual information and always had our best interests at heart, especially in the busy souks.
June Green
06 AprilOur guide, Latif, and driver, Saeed, were amazing. We always felt very safe in Saeed’s hands, and Latif was always smiling and kept us entertained throughout the entire trip with an extensive knowledge of every destination.
Adam Ward
02 AprilMohamed our guide, was brilliant, very knowledgeable, and very friendly. He appeared to know almost everyone in Morocco.
Phil Summerfield
18 OctoberThe tour leaders and drivers were amazing and looked after us really well.
Being on our own at the desert camp and sleeping under the stars was a wonderful experience.
Carol Krahe
20 JuneAnother excellent escorted tour that gave us an overview of what Morocco has to offer. Our guide spoke very good English and had a wealth of historical information to share with us. Experiences included visits to local souks, charming and beautiful mosques, traditional foods, and entertainment.
Anne Pitt
01 FebruaryThe order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. The embassy of Morocco in the UK advise that your passport should be valid for at least 3 months on your date of entry to Morocco. If your passport does not meet this requirement, you may face difficulties and you should check with the Moroccan authorities and your travel provider before travelling. Make sure your passport isn’t damaged. Some travellers have been refused entry when travelling on damaged passports. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice .
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing, often on foot and includes some climbing of stairs and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (DH) and it is a closed currency. This means it is not possible to buy Moroccan money in the UK before you travel. It is important to budget carefully as you should not take any Dirham out of Morocco when you depart. There are foreign exchange offices and cash machines available in most places during your tour. Your tour guide will assist you at the start of your tour with currency exchange. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants; a charge is sometimes added for using them.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any dinners where these are not mentioned in your itinerary and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £200-£300 per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour.
Tipping is at your discretion. We would recommend approximately 60DH per person per day for the guide and 40DH per person for the driver. This will be collected by your guide at the end of your tour for your convenience. It is asked that you tip in the local currency, please do not give GBP coins as these are difficult to exchange. We also recommend 10 DH for waiter service in restaurants and hotels.
This is a fully escorted tour meaning that you will be met by a local guide in each of the cities that you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. For groups of 9 people or less you will have an English speaking Driver Guide or a Driver and Local/Monument Guides
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner on your tour (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way, so to ensure your comfort and well-being, one bottle of drinking water will be provided on touring days.
There are some dry hotels in Morocco, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise (in your room) but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting to the hotel then we will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.
Ramadan is the most important month in the Muslim Calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones, self-reflect and renew their faith. During this time Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum. If you are a tourist visiting Morocco, you will not be expected to fast. While eating, drinking and smoking is strictly prohibited in public places, hotels will offer meals and nonalcoholic drinks at many of their restaurants and bars. If you wish to consume alcohol during your trip, you may do so in your hotel room during the day, and some bars will be open as normal after sunset. Your guide during your tour will be on hand to give you any additional information that you require.
When you’re relaxing by the hotel pool or sunbathing on the resort beach it’s fine to wear swim wear and beach clothes. However, when out in public during the day, it is advisable to be more covered up to show respect to the local customs. We would recommend that women cover their shoulders and knees and men should wear knee length shorts or trousers when out in public areas.
Upon arrival at Marrakech Airport, after passing through passport control, please collect your luggage and proceed outside the terminal building, where your Mercury Holidays / Sahara Tours representative will be waiting to greet you with a sign. Your guide will be available 24 hours a day should you need any assistance during your stay.
If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:
Sahara Tours: 27-29 Complexe Agador, Boulevard 20 Août, Agadir, Morocco
Contact number: 00212 528 840421 / 528 840611
Email ihsane.stirak@gmail.com or reservation@stimaroc.com
Please find below the emergency contact details for Sahara Tours:
Mobile: 00212 661 38 08 82, Email: reservation@sti.ma, operations@sti.ma
