Portugal and Morocco Tour: 10 Days from Lisbon to Casablanca

Overview

Highlights

• Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery and the old Alfama quarter
• Pena Palace in Sintra and the Cascais coast
• Jemaa el-Fna square and the Atlas road to Aït Ben Haddou
• Camel ride and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Guided day in the medina of Fez
• Rabat and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Lisbon

   Welcome to Portugal. A private driver meets you at Lisbon airport and takes you to your hotel. After a rest, you can walk in Baixa and Chiado, the elegant central areas with wide squares, old cafes and shops. Try a warm custard tart, a famous local sweet. Lisbon is built on hills, so wear comfortable shoes. The evening is free, and we can suggest restaurants near your hotel.

   Overnight: Lisbon

2. 2

   Day 2

   Day 2: Lisbon: Belém, Alfama and tram 28

   Today you discover Lisbon. In the Belém area you see the Belém Tower by the river and the large Jerónimos Monastery, both linked to the age of the great sea explorers. Then you go to Alfama, the oldest quarter, with steep lanes and views over red roofs. You can ride the yellow tram 28, a classic way to see the city. In the evening you can join an optional fado music dinner, the traditional song of Lisbon.

   Overnight: Lisbon

3. 3

   Day 3

   Day 3: Day trip to Sintra and Cascais

   You leave Lisbon for a full day in the green hills of Sintra. The colourful Pena Palace sits on top of a hill and looks like a palace from a fairy story. You can also walk in the old village centre. In the afternoon you drive along the coast to Cascais, a pleasant seaside town with beaches and a small harbour. You return to Lisbon in the evening for your last night in Portugal.

   Overnight: Lisbon

4. 4

   Day 4

   Day 4: Flight Lisbon – Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fna

   Today you take a short flight from Lisbon to Marrakech, about 1 hour 45 minutes (flight not included). Your Morocco Trip Joy driver waits for you at the airport and takes you to your riad. In the late afternoon you walk to Jemaa el-Fna, the main square of Marrakech. At sunset, food stalls open, and you hear musicians and storytellers. It is a lively first evening in Morocco.

   Overnight: Marrakech

5. 5

   Day 5

   Day 5: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou – Dades

   You leave Marrakech and climb into the High Atlas mountains by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at 2,260 metres. You see Berber villages on the slopes. Then you visit Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed earth village used in many famous films. After lunch you pass Ouarzazate and the Rose Valley. You arrive in the Dades Valley in the evening for dinner and the night in a kasbah-style hotel.

   Overnight: Dades Valley

6. 6

   Day 6

   Day 6: Dades – Todra Gorges – Merzouga desert camp

   After breakfast you drive to Tinghir and walk inside the Todra Gorges, a deep canyon with very high rock walls. Then you continue east across the stony desert to Merzouga. Here you meet your camels and ride into the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset. You have dinner around a fire and sleep in a desert camp. Our team is from this area, so you are in good hands.

   Overnight: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

7. 7

   Day 7

   Day 7: Sahara sunrise – Midelt – Ifrane – Fez

   Wake up early to see the sunrise over the dunes, then ride back to the village for breakfast and a shower. Today you drive north along the Ziz valley with its many palm trees. You have lunch in Midelt and pass the cedar forest near Ifrane, where Barbary macaques live. Ifrane is a clean mountain town often called the Switzerland of Morocco. You arrive in Fez in the evening.

   Overnight: Fez

8. 8

   Day 8

   Day 8: Fez guided medina visit

   Today a licensed local guide shows you Fez el-Bali, the huge old medina. You walk through narrow lanes where donkeys still carry goods. You see the Bou Inania madrasa, the outside of Al Quaraouiyine, and the colourful Chouara tannery from a terrace above. You also visit workshops of weavers, brass makers and tile makers. The afternoon is free to rest in your riad or shop for souvenirs.

   Overnight: Fez

9. 9

   Day 9

   Day 9: Fez – Rabat – Casablanca

   You drive about 3 hours to Rabat, the capital of Morocco. You visit the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the blue and white lanes of the Kasbah of the Oudayas above the ocean. After lunch you continue about 1 hour 30 minutes to Casablanca, the largest city in the country. You check in to your hotel and can walk along the Corniche by the sea in the evening.

   Overnight: Casablanca

10. 10

    Day 10

    Day 10: Hassan II Mosque and Casablanca airport

    On your last morning you visit the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the Atlantic Ocean and one of the largest mosques in Africa. When open for visitors, you can join a guided tour inside. Then your driver takes you to Casablanca airport, about 40 minutes away. Casablanca has had direct flights to São Paulo, which makes the trip home easier for Brazilian travellers. Please check current flight times.

Route map

Lisbon → Sintra → Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka pass → Aït Ben Haddou → Dades Valley → Todra Gorges (Tinghir) → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) → Midelt → Ifrane → Fez → Rabat → Casablanca

Accommodation by category

Choose your hotel category. The final hotel names are confirmed when you book, depending on availability.

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Frequently asked questions