5-Day Imperial Cities Tour

Highlights

• Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (guided interior visits at set times)
• Rabat’s Kasbah of the Udayas and Hassan Tower
• Meknes and the monumental Bab Mansour gate
• Roman mosaics at Volubilis
• A full guided day in the Fes el-Bali medina
• Arrival in Marrakech and its lively Jemaa el-Fna square

Casablanca → Rabat → Meknes → Volubilis → Fes (2 nights) → Beni Mellal → Marrakech

Best for: First-time visitors interested in history, architecture and city life.

Activities

• Guided medina tours
• Mosque and palace visits
• Roman site visit at Volubilis
• Souk browsing

Itinerary

Driving times are approximate and exclude long stops; they vary with weather, roads and traffic.

1. 1

   Casablanca – Rabat

   approx. 1–1.5 h driving

   We meet you at Casablanca airport or your hotel and begin at the Hassan II Mosque, set on the ocean’s edge, one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors on guided tours at set times. After a drive along the Corniche and a coffee stop, we continue for about an hour to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. In the afternoon you can explore the Kasbah of the Udayas with its blue-and-white lanes and Andalusian garden, then see the unfinished Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V with its ceremonial guards. Evening free to stroll the medina or the river promenade.

   OvernightRabat – riad or hotel (category chosen at booking)

   MealsBreakfast (typical plan – to be confirmed)
2. 2

   Rabat – Meknes – Volubilis – Fes

   approx. 4 h driving plus stops (≈ 250 km)

   Leaving Rabat, we drive inland to Meknes, the city of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Pass through the huge Bab Mansour gate, walk past the old granaries and royal stables and see the tranquil square around his mausoleum where visits are permitted. After lunch it is about 45 minutes to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, where floor mosaics, a triumphal arch and columns stand on a plain of olive groves. A local site guide can be arranged. From there it is around 1.5 hours to Fes, passing the hilltop holy town of Moulay Idriss. Check in to your riad in the evening.

   OvernightFes – riad or hotel (category chosen at booking)

   MealsBreakfast (typical plan – to be confirmed)
3. 3

   Guided Day in Fes

   Short local transfers only

   Today is devoted to Fes el-Bali, one of the largest car-free medinas in the world. With a licensed local guide, you wind through narrow lanes past the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas with their carved cedar and zellige tilework, glimpse the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and see the leather tanneries from a terrace. Craft quarters for brass, weaving and ceramics show traditions passed down for generations; you are never obliged to buy. In the afternoon, a drive to the Royal Palace gates, the Mellah (old Jewish quarter) and a panoramic viewpoint over the city completes the day. Evening free.

   OvernightFes – riad or hotel (category chosen at booking)

   MealsBreakfast (typical plan – to be confirmed)
4. 4

   Fes – Ifrane – Beni Mellal – Marrakech

   approx. 7–8 h driving plus stops (≈ 480 km)

   A long travel day takes us south to Marrakech. We climb to Ifrane in the Middle Atlas and continue past cedar forests and farmland along the edge of the mountains to Beni Mellal, where lunch is usually taken and the Ain Asserdoun spring and garden make a pleasant stop. The afternoon crosses the Tadla plain towards Marrakech, arriving in the early evening. Alternatively, you can choose to return via Rabat and Casablanca on the motorway – similar in time, but less scenic – or take the train from Fes to Marrakech (about 7 hours) and be met at the station. Evening at leisure in Jemaa el-Fna.

   OvernightMarrakech – riad or hotel (category chosen at booking)

   MealsBreakfast (typical plan – to be confirmed)
5. 5

   Marrakech – Guided Tour and Departure

   Short local transfers only

   Spend the morning on a guided visit of Marrakech: the Koutoubia Mosque minaret, the Bahia Palace with its painted ceilings and courtyards, and the Saadian Tombs. Continue into the souks, where dyers, leather workers and metalsmiths each have their own lanes, ending at Jemaa el-Fna. Depending on your flight or onward plans, you may also visit the Majorelle Garden (tickets booked in advance). The tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel or Marrakech airport. If you would like to see the desert next, we can link this tour with a Sahara extension starting from Marrakech.

   OvernightNot included – end of tour

   MealsBreakfast (typical plan – to be confirmed)

Inclusions & exclusions

Accommodation, meals & transport

Nights are in riads or hotels in Rabat, Fes and Marrakech. Budget level means simple, well-located guesthouses; standard covers characterful riads; luxury includes palace-style riads and high-end hotels. Exact properties are confirmed at booking.

Breakfast daily is the typical plan; lunches and dinners are flexible so you can try local restaurants. Travel is by private air-conditioned vehicle with driver. Local guides in Fes and Marrakech are arranged on request.

Good to know

Departure

Casablanca

Finish

Marrakech

Possible departure cities

Casablanca, Rabat (on request)

Tour type

Private

Group size

Confirmed on request

Pickup & drop-off

Pickup at Casablanca airport or your Casablanca hotel.

Safety, age & accessibility

Medinas involve a lot of walking on uneven, sometimes steep lanes; wear comfortable shoes. Day 4 is a long drive of 7–8 hours. Mosque visits require modest dress (shoulders and knees covered). Many riads have stairs and no lift, and medina lanes are difficult for wheelchair users – tell us about mobility needs and we will suggest accessible hotels outside the medina where possible.

Price

Contact us for a price. Every trip is priced for your dates, group size, tour type and accommodation level. Send us your plan on WhatsApp or by email and we will send you the price.

Payment & cancellation

[TO CONFIRM: payment method (e.g. bank transfer), deposit amount and balance deadline]. A booking is confirmed only after we confirm availability and payment arrangements in writing. We never ask for card details on this website.

[TO CONFIRM: cancellation windows and refund conditions]. See our Cancellation Policy. Read the policy, our booking terms and the Sahara tour FAQs.

Destinations you visit

• Marrakech travel guide
• Fes travel guide
• Meknes & Volubilis travel guide
• Rabat travel guide
• Casablanca travel guide

FAQs