from / to - marrakech 8 days round trip through royal cities of morocco

the huge Jemaa el Fna marketplace, where snake charmers, water sellers, fire eaters, folklorists and storytellers meet every evening, If you wish, you can eat at the market square (customers pay themselves) - Overnight stay in an authentic Riad in the old town on the edge of the market square. ( advantage )

- After breakfast, meet our guide in the reception of Riyadh for a city tour, awaiting you: The Menara Gardens, Grand Bazaar, Saadian Tombs, Koutoubia Mosque with its famous minaret. A visit to equestrian games (fantasy shows) outside of Marrakech is a mass tourist spectacle, but is possible on request. Instead we go to the Jardin Majorelle (home and botanical garden of Yves St. Laurent). In consultation with the travel companion and the tour group, a visit to the garden and house with the exhibition “Anima Garden” by the Austrian artist André Heller is possible. Overnight stay like day 1.

with our guidance you will discover The Palais de la Bahia (Bahia Palace) is a building from the late 19th century and was the largest palace of its time. The gardens built on the grounds of the palace are now part of the ensemble of parks in Marrakech. As with other palaces and gardens in Morocco from this period, the garden's purpose was to emphasize the essence of Islamic and Moroccan architecture. The total area of the complex, including the palace - some rooms of which open onto the courtyard - is approximately 2 hectares. The whole thing was built by the Grand Vizier of the Sultan - Si Moussa. The palace, built for his personal purposes, was named after one of his wives.

With our guide you will discover the old town of Marrakech There are many sights in the city, which is surrounded by thousands of palm trees: palaces, mosques, madrassas, gardens, the Grand Bazaar with its sprawling souks and the huge Jemaa el Fna marketplace, where snake charmers, water sellers, fire eaters and storytellers gather every evening.

Our tour will take you to the huge Jemaa el Fna marketplace, where snake charmers, water sellers, fire eaters and storytellers gather every evening.

One of the most beautiful sights in Marrakech is the Medersa Ben Youssef Koran School, once the most powerful place in the Islamic world. You should take your time for the madrasa, because it would be a shame to only see the many treasures, mosaics, carvings, frescoes and stuccoes in passing. The Ben Youssef Medersa was founded at the beginning of the 14th century. There are no exact records of the year it was founded. However, experts suspect that due to the architecture and interior design, only this period is possible. Most sources list the founder as the then Moroccan ruler Abou el Hassan, an art-loving monarch who was known for his magnificent buildings. The Koran school only acquired its current, magnificent appearance in 1570. The Saadian Abdallah El Ghalib expanded the Medersa Ben Youssef into the largest Islamic college of theology in the entire Arab world known at the time.

think about it The Koutoubia Mosque - Mosque of the Booksellers - is the largest mosque in Marrakech. It dates back to the 12th century, making it one of the oldest mosques in Morocco. After the conquest of Marrakech in 1147, Abd al-Mu'min, first Almohad caliph, began construction of the mosque on the site of the Almoravid Ksar el-Hajar (German: Stone Palace) palace. The construction history is very complex: the new Almohad building was replaced shortly after its completion in 1157 - allegedly due to incorrect alignment of the Qibla wall - by a second, even more imprecisely oriented building with similar dimensions. The Koutoubia Mosque was inaugurated in 1158 - at that time still without a minaret.

botanical garden by jaque majorelle

The protruding core building of the Bab Agnaou, which is angled on the inside, is made of bricks; However, only the cladding made of house stones with inscription bands and a lighter top - added later - decorated with crenellated ornaments is visible. The two upper pairs of columns were each supposed to end with a kind of console, but both were either not completed or destroyed at a later time. In the spandrels to the left and right of the horseshoe-shaped passage, which is framed in the upper part by an Alfiz, there are vegetal tendrils and the shell ornaments so typical of the Moorish style, which can be associated with “water”, “life force” and even “paradise”. . The inner and outer archway show a panel decoration; The two central arches, which are separated from each other in depth, are decorated with multi-pass arches, of which the outer one is divided into two and permanently overlaps the neighboring arch.

think about it The Saadian Tombs or Saadian Tombs in Marrakesh served as the Saadians' most important necropolis from 1557 to 1664. Today, like the entire city center of Marrakech, they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered one of the city's most important sights. back to the riad end of the day's routine say goodbye to the city leader

After breakfast, departure to Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco. Interior tour of the Hassan II Mosque (second largest mosque in the world), Mohamed V Square, United Nations Square. Continue to Rabat, the state capital and seat of the king.

One of the most worth seeing attractions in Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque, which was opened in 1993 on the exact birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. The mosque was built on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the old Moroccan King Hassan II. It is the fifth largest after the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the Imam Reza Shrine (in which the Goharshaad Mosque is integrated) in Mashhad, Iran, and the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia Mosque in the world and can accommodate 25,000 people. The minaret of the mosque, completed in 1993, is 210 meters high and is the tallest minaret and the tallest religious building. Named after the father of the current King Mohamed VI. The named mosque was controversial from the start.

cafe break

the state capital and seat of the king.

In Rabat everything seems to be hidden behind walls! Right next to the Medina are the Andalusian Gardens and the Kasbah of Oudaias: one of Rabat's most impressive sights. The Andalusian Gardens are a wonderful oasis in the midst of Rabat's hectic life. If you've had enough of the beautiful gardens, you can simply continue on to the Kasbah des Oudaias. A kind of village that lies behind these gardens and yet allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of the Moroccan capital. Here you can climb up and down or enjoy an exceptional view of the sea that flows next to Rabat.

The Hassan Tower is the minaret of an unfinished mosque in Rabat, Morocco. It was commissioned by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, the third caliph of the Almohad Caliphate, towards the end of the 12th century. The tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world, and the mosque would have been the largest in the Western Muslim world when completed. When al-Mansur died in 1199, construction of the mosque stopped. The minaret remained at a height of 44 meters. The rest of the mosque also remained unfinished, as only the beginnings of several walls and 348 columns were built. Together with the remains of the mosque and the modern mausoleum of Mohammed V, the tower forms an important historical and tourist complex in Rabat.

This mausoleum is guarded by four beautifully dressed guards, and in the mausoleum itself you will of course find the tomb of Mohammed V and a (living!) Imam who seems to be permanently guarding him.

Chellah is a little removed from the other attractions in Rabat, but that doesn't make the city any less impressive. Many rulers and regents claimed this beautiful place, but that still could not guarantee its survival. In the fourteenth century, this abandoned village was surrounded by massive sandstone walls and a necropolis was built over the Roman settlements. Once you walk through the impressive entrance gate, you land in a beautiful tropical garden. Away from the hustle and bustle of Rabat. The further you go down, the louder the rattling gets. At the bottom of this vast area, dozens of families of storks sit and enjoy the burning Moroccan sun. A magnificent view! Especially if you stay until sunset.

After breakfast, perhaps some sightseeing and onward journey to Moulay-driss Volubilis and Meknes (the city with the most beautiful gate in Morocco, the Bab El Mansour El Aleuj). Visit to the storage vaults, the horse stables and the Medina with the large mosque. Meknes is often called the Moroccan Versailles and, along with neighboring Fez, was the preferred residence of the rulers of Morocco for centuries. Continue to Fez. Overnight stay with breakfast in a well-kept riad in the old town.

The religious center of Morocco, Moulay Idriss is an impressively 'immaculate' city high on a hill, home to the shrine of Moulay Idriss, the founder of Morocco's first Muslim dynasty.

Full-day sightseeing of Fes on foot. Fes is the oldest of the Moroccan royal cities. The three districts of Fes El Djedid, Fes El Bali and the new town are visited. The mighty walls that surround the entire old town are impressive. You will see the Botha Palace (built at the end of the 19th century), which now houses a craft museum, the Bou Inania Koranic School, the Karaouine Mosque, the tomb of Idriss II, the founder of Fez, and the pottery district. Overnight stay like day 4

The three districts of Fez can be seen on it

look at the facades

inside inspection

inspection

discovery

inspection

inspection

discovery

inspection

blue gate

cafe break - walk

walk

Today you drive to the Atlas Mountains, originally called Morocco, a very beautiful landscape and an opportunity to experience the Berber way of life

The water falls in several cascades and in several stages 110 m over red rocks and flows into a small lake. The banks of the waterfalls are covered with fig trees and jungle-like lianas. There is a footpath to get to the top of the falls and a steep path down the right side of the falls. At the bottom you can cross the river with a small ferry and go back up the stairs the normal way. Above the falls there are a few mills that are still in operation. Barbary macaques can be observed during the day and at dusk.

Drive to Marrakech.Arrival Today you have time to reflect on the impressions of the trip and shop in the big bazaar with the help of our travel companion. Overnight stay in an authentic Riad in the old town with breakfast.

- Individual extension days or weeks possible in Marrakech, Essaouira (170 km west on the Atlantic) or Agadir on the Atlantic (240 km).