LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Moroccan Odyssey
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ONE MONTH / IMPERIAL CITIES & THE SOUTH
The arc from cosmopolitan Casablanca to chic Essaouira involves a journey of around 1500km. En route, you'll pass through a microcosm of Moroccan landscapes, from coast to quiet mountain valleys to the solitude of Saharan sand dunes and back to the shores of the Atlantic. You'll need a month to make the most of this itinerary.
With a month at your disposal and taking little time to rest, you can get a taste of the best Morocco has to offer, by journeying from the sea to the Sahara and back again. Fly in to
Casablanca before heading to
Meknès and
Fès.
From Meknès, leave behind the noise and hassles of the city and head directly south to the relatively under-visited Middle Atlas around
Azrou where the Barbary apes are one of Moroccan wildlife’s most mischievous sights. Pretty
Ifrane also stands at the heart of some stunning mountain scenery and offers enticing possibilities for hiking in the lush countryside, although continuing south through
Midelt is arguably even more scenic. The journey through the delightfully palm-and-
ksar (fortified stronghold) terrain of the
Ziz Valley is one of Morocco’s most picturesque roads and carries you down towards
Merzouga, southwestern Morocco’s gateway to the Sahara. Lorded over by towering dunes, it’s an ideal spot to saddle up your camel and sleep under the stars amid Morocco’s largest sand sea, the perfectly sculpted
Erg Chebbi.
Shadowing the High Atlas as you head southwest brings you to the sharp cleft of the
Todra Gorge. From here, you can travel through dramatic boulder-strewn valleys, full of nomad camps in spring time, into the
Dadès Gorge. If time allows, strike out from Boumalne du Dadès for some spectacular trekking around the
M’Goun Massif before making for
Aït Benhaddou which seems like an evocation of a fairytale.
En route to the coast, check into a luxurious riad in
Marrakesh, stay as long as you can, and then don’t stop until you reach artsy
Essaouira.
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