travelinB

Hello. I am in the early stages of planning my 10 day Morocco trip, so sorry if some the questions sound redundant. I love the idea of the desert but am just concerned that the travel part will eat up too much into my time and i aint very good in cars for long periods of time. how can i get a glimpse of the desert/mountains without spending 2 travel days. i was thinking maybe a day trip into Erg Chebbi. I would love to see the gorges, is that possible at all, again with the travel time constraints?

I will be coming in from either seville or granada into morocco. i would ideally like to fly into Fez (havent found many flight options) and do the rabat-casablanca-marrakech circuit and back into spain for flight back home. any input would be grealty appreciated. thanks

doug_stallings

Your best options for flights are going to be Casablanca and Marrakesh. If you wanted to get a taste of the desert, you could fly directly to Agadir, but it's pretty far south and probably wouldn't make the cut for such a short trip otherwise.

The mountains are really close to Marrakesh (an hour or two at most). So you can easily spend 1 night up there and 2 nights in Marrakesh, but the desert is further, about a half-day's drive, and a bit further to the first dunes.

I think you'd be better off flying direct to Marrakesh and then moving north to Fez. If I skipped anything, it would be Casablanca and Rabat. For ten days you could concentrate your visits on Marrakesh, Fez, and perhaps Essaouira with a day-trip to the mountains from Marrakesh and an overnight to the desert. That might make a nice 10-day trip.

tower

10 days could be a little tight to do what you're thinking of covering. We spent nearly a full month and if I could (which unfortunately I can't) I would not hesitate to spend some more time in that alluring, intriguing country. I am currently re-editing, separating and updating many of my pics. I still have to do Essaouira and Marrakech which I will fininsh in another day or so. I will gladly share with you to serve as a familiarization with the exotic surroundings. Every place you've mentioned will be found therein.

My three separated photo blocks are divided into Maroc 1 (Fes)...Maroc 2 (Atlas Mts, Erg Chebbi and surrounding desert) Todra Gorge and Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Draa Valley and Ait Benhaddou)... Maroc 3, Marrakech and Essaouira.

Warning: Do not expect award-winning snaps..I'm a rank amateur, but enjoy telling stories of my many decades of world wide travels through pics, since I do not do trip reports any longer.

You're in for an exciting, educational and very meaningful journey, but I wish you could extend for a few days or more.
Stu

travelinB

thanks for the feedback. I wasn't very sure about doing the whole desert trip but I have talked myself into it especially considering on what I will be missing out. it's just that I get motion sickness, nothing a little Dramamine won't fix. I will just settle for the 2 days and 1 nt version. Stu, I am going to take u up on the offer, once you are done editing ur pics please send them to me. I am sure they came out great.
I have decided to cut out Rabat out of my itinerary and just going the fly out of Casablanca. so 3 Nts Marrakech, maybe 1 nt in essaouira and 2 Nts in fez with my desert camel safari. Any ideas on flight options into fez from any place in Andalusia? flying will save another day of travel between the ferry bus and train. thanks

tower

Travelin:

Here you are. Use "slide show",set for 4 or 5 secs. or individual pics. Enjoy Maroc!

Stu Tower (L.A., too)

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Morocco# (Fes)

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...KvrpeoxMr2uwE# (Atlas Mts., desert, Erg Chebbi, Todra and Dades Gorges, Ouarzazate, Fintt, Draa Valley,Ait Benhaddou)

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Maroc3# (Marrakech, Essaouira)

Sally_Carol

10 days is enough for a tour in MoroccoHer is a suggested Itinereary. Better to Fly to Casablanca or Marrakesh. If possible to arrive in one of the citries and leave frol the other, it would be ideal.
Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca , visit Hassan 2 mosque and Rabat.Spending the night in Meknes.
Day 2 Sightsee Meknes, Volubilis and driving to Fez
Day 3 Sightseeing Fez
Day 4 Spending the night in the Middle atlas in your way to the desert.
Day 5 Going to Erg Chebbi , camel trekking , a night in a camp
Day 6 Gorges
Day 7 Ouarzazate- Aitbenhaddou
Day 8 Arriving in Marrakesh
Day 9 Exploring Marrakech
Day 10 Back to the airport.
I hope will this could be of any help. It is more or less the same itinerary we had when we were in Morocco.

Sally_Carol

If you want to have more info about itineraries, I would suggest to check the sample tours in this company I booked my trip with when I was in Morocco www.teckettomorocco.com I had a wonderful time with them.