Berber Villages of Morocco's Middle Atlas, 8-Day Tour from Casablanca
This 8-day tour from Casablanca visits Berber villages in Morocco’s Middle Atlas on the way from Fes to Marrakech. After Rabat, Meknes, Volubilis and Fes, you drive through the cedar forests around Ifrane and Azrou, down to Khenifra and Beni Mellal, and stay a night by the Ouzoud waterfalls before Marrakech.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
Berber villages tour in Morocco at a glance
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Casablanca · Rabat · Meknes · Volubilis · Fes · Ifrane · Azrou · Khenifra · Beni Mellal · Ouzoud · Demnate · Marrakech · Casablanca
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: Spring and autumn
Through the Middle Atlas from Fes to Marrakech
From Fes the route stays in the mountains, following the Middle Atlas south through cedar forest, lakes and market towns to the waterfalls at Ouzoud.
It suits summer, when the desert is hot, and travellers who prefer walking and green valleys to dunes.
Highlights
- Meknes and Volubilis
- Fes el-Bali with a local guide
- The cedar forest near Azrou
- The Ouzoud waterfalls
- The natural bridge at Demnate
Read more: Archaeological Site of Volubilis (UNESCO) and Ouzoud Falls.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the eight days go, from your pickup in Casablanca to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Casablanca to Rabat
Pickup in Casablanca and the drive to Rabat.
- Overnight: Riad in Rabat
Day 2 · Rabat to Meknes
Rabat in the morning, then Meknes.
- Overnight: Riad in Meknes
Day 3 · Meknes to Fes
Volubilis on the way to Fes.
- Overnight: Riad in Fes
Day 4 · Fes to Khenifra
A guided morning in Fes, then Ifrane and Azrou to Khenifra.
- Overnight: Hotel in Khenifra
Day 5 · Khenifra to Ouzoud
Beni Mellal and Azilal to the Ouzoud waterfalls.
- Overnight: Guesthouse at Ouzoud
Day 6 · Ouzoud to Marrakech
A morning at the falls, then Demnate and its natural bridge on the way to Marrakech.
- Overnight: Riad in Marrakech
Day 7 · Marrakech
A guided morning in the medina and a free afternoon.
- Overnight: Riad in Marrakech
Day 8 · Marrakech to Casablanca
Drive to Casablanca or its airport.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the eight days
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Casablanca
- One night: riad in Rabat, breakfast
- One night: riad in Meknes, breakfast
- One night: riad in Fes, breakfast
- One night: hotel in Khenifra, breakfast
- One night: guesthouse at Ouzoud, breakfast
- Two nights: riad in Marrakech, breakfast
- Local guides for the city visits in the itinerary
- Fuel and road costs
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees at the sites
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Pickup, best time to go and what to bring
Pickup points
Pickup at your hotel in Casablanca or at Mohammed V airport; tell us your flight time.
Best time to go
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) suit a trip that covers the mountains, the desert and the cities. Winter works with warm layers, and summer is hot inland.
What to bring
Clothes for warm days and cool evenings, a warm jacket for any desert night, comfortable shoes, clothes that cover shoulders and knees for the medinas, and a small bag for the camp night.
Good to know
Carry cash in dirhams for entrance fees, lunches and tips, since cards are not taken everywhere outside the cities. Driving days vary, so we plan stops for photos, tea and lunch along the way. Dress modestly in villages and medinas, and ask before you photograph people. Phone signal is good in towns and weaker in the mountains and the desert.
Price, deposit and cancellation
Prices are per person and depend on the size of your group. You book with a 20% deposit by card or PayPal and pay the balance on the first day of the tour.
If you cancel 30 days or more before the start, we refund the deposit in full; after that the deposit is kept. You can change the date once for free if you ask 14 days or more before. The details are in our Cancellation Policy.
Questions about the Berber villages tour in Morocco
What is a Berber village like?
Usually a cluster of stone or earth houses around a mosque, fields and orchards, often on a slope above a river. People speak Tamazight and Arabic, and many still farm and keep animals.
Are there monkeys in the Middle Atlas?
Yes. Barbary macaques live in the cedar forests near Azrou and Ifrane, and you often see them by the road. Please do not feed them.
Can we change the route or the hotels?
Yes. We can add nights, change hotels or swap the order of the stops, since only your group is on the tour. Tell us what you have in mind when you enquire.
Can we bring children?
Yes. Tell us how old they are and we plan the driving, the stops and the pace around them.
How do I book?
Send an enquiry with your dates and group size and we reply with availability and a quote. When online booking is open for this tour, you can also reserve with a deposit by card or PayPal.
Book this tour
Send your dates and group size and we reply with a quote.
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Route and stays adjusted to you
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