Morocco and Sevilla Itinerary (May 2019)

We had a fantastic 2-week trip to Morocco and Sevilla. While we usually travel completely independently, on this trip we used a company called Morocco Explored to arrange a private driver for most of the trip, as well as some local guides, some of the local experiences, and lodging outside the bigger cities. We're so glad we did. We wouldn't have had access to some of the best experiences without them.

Day 1 - Marrakech

Arrive Marrakech early afternoon. Get settled in our beautiful home for the next three nights, the Riad Le Clos des Arts, inside the old medina (historic walled core of the city). Take the rest of the day to just wander the medina, getting the feel of its bustling lanes and alleys, and getting our first look at the Jemaa el-Fna, a vast open square filled day and night with carts, street vendors, musicians, fortune-tellers, snake-charmers, and more.

Day 2 - Marrakech

City tour with a local guide, showing us the Mellah (Jewish quarter) market, the Saadian tombs (our first encounter with grand classical Islamic architecture with its colorful tile work, intricate carved cedar wood, and ornate carved plaster), the Koutoubia mosque, and foray deep into the "souks" (shop-filled alleys) to encounter classic crafts (weavers at looms, cloth dyers, wood carvers, herbal apothecaries) being practiced much as they were centuries ago, and still-used remnants of 15th century urban life such as neighborhood fountains (water sources) and community ovens.

Day 3 - Marrakech

On our own to explore the new Yves-St-Laurent museum, the vibrantly colorful Majorelle Gardens (French painter Jacques Majorelle has a distinctively intense shade of blue officially named after him), the dazzling Bahia Palace (even more extravagant array of tile, wood, and plaster design work), and the Jewish cemetery (an impressive remnant of the sizable Jewish community that thrived here).

Day 4 - Crossing the High Atlas to Ait Benhaddou

We begin the car part of our journey with a nice 4-wheel drive vehicle and a private driver arranged by Morocco Explored. We drove up and over the 7400' Tizi n'Tichka pass (some visible peaks still had snow in May), going from the rainy green side to the dry side, where we saw dramatic desertscapes that reminded of Arizona and Utah. In a remote spot, we encounter our first "kasbah", Telouet, an impressive semi-ruin of a reddish-brown mud-brick desert fortress with remnants of opulence hidden inside. We stop to visit a bootleg salt mine. And the highlight at the end of the day, the ancient "ksar" (earthen clay village) of Ait Ben Haddou, a picturesque and evocative UNESCO World Heritage site. (Hotel 1 night arranged by Morocco Explored at Ksar Ighnda.)

Day 5 - "Ourza-wood", Berbers, and Nomads

In the morning we visited Egypt, Israel, China, and Tibet, which is to say that we visited Atlas Studios in Ourzazate, the "Hollywood of Africa", where we saw huge film sets for all sorts of big productions from Gladiator to James Bond films. For lunch, our driver arranged the special experience of having lunch in the home of a Berber family in the Dades Valley. In the afternoon, we visited Mars, which is to say that we went off road into some amazing red rock terrain, where we encountered some totally off-the-grid nomads who live in caves, raise sheep and chickens, and welcomed  us into their cave for a cup of mint tea! (Hotel 1 night arranged by Morocco Explored at La Perle du Dades.)

Day 6 - Tinghir, Todra Gorge, and a Camel Trek to a Desert Camp in the Erg Chebbi

Tour the town of Tinghir with a local guide, meeting local farmers in community gardens, and visiting a carpet collective where we end up buying a carpet. Explore the dramatic rock formations of Todra Gorge. While crossing the desert, inspect ancient underground waterways called "khettaras". Arrive at the edge of the Erg Chebbi late in the day for a sunset journey by camel through the mesmerizingly beautiful golden sand dunes to a luxury desert camp. Enjoy Berber music around the campfire after dinner. (Lodging 1 night arranged by Morocco Explored at Bivouac Azawad.)

Day 7 - On the Road to Fes: Fossils, Palmeries, Macaques

Watch the sunrise over the dunes, then ride the camels back out. Today is a long driving day to Fes, but lots of interesting stops, and stunning geography as we cross the stark High Atlas then the lush green Middle Atlas. We shopped for fossils and bought dates in Rissani, admired the oasis palmeries of the Ziz Valley, had an awesome lunch at a "boucherie" (meat market), and went through a forested mountain area where we saw a bunch of macaque monkeys and fed a few of them. (Hotel for 2 nights in Fes at Riad El Yacout.)

Day 8 - Fes

A full day in Fes, with a local guide to lead us through the labyrinthine medina. Fes is the ancient capital of crafts, many of which are still practiced as they have for centuries. We visited a tile and ceramics factory where we saw how they make those intricately shaped tile pieces for mosaics, and we visited a tannery where men trample hides with their feet in giant vats of colorful dyes. We went through the food market, saw medersas and mosques, and dodged donkeys and carts in the bustling lanes as if it were still the 14th century.

Day 9 - Meknes and Volubilis on the road to Chefchaouen

We drive across the verdant valley from the Middle Atlas to the Rif Mountains, and into the Rif. In the morning, we visit Meknes where we visit the Bou Inania Medersa, a gem of Marinid Islamic architecture (tile, carved wood, ornate plaster) dating from 1341, and the vast royal stables of Moulay Ismail. In the afternoon, we explore Volubilis, the remains of an ancient roman city, where we wander among evocative columns and arches, discover beautiful mosaic floors, and discern the plan of a whole city from the foundations and outlines of homes, public buildings, and streets and squares. Arrive in Chefchaouen shortly before sunset denotes the beginning of Ramadan. (Hotel for 2 nights in Chefchaouen at Casa Sabila.)

Day 10 - Chefchaouen - the Blue City

A full day on our own to explore this uniquely charming and beautiful "blue city", where nearly all of the plaster walls in the old medina have been painted or washed in shades of blue. It is a feast for the eyes, and you'll take a thousand pictures. The town spills down the side of a mountain, alongside a clear stream coming from a mountain spring. It's a delight just to wander the lanes. The town is just big enough to be interesting, but small enough that you can't get too lost for long. Late in the day, we hike up to the old Spanish Mosque to watch the sunset over the blue city. As we descend, we hear the evening call to prayer marking the end of the first day of Ramadan fasting.

Day 11 - Quick look at Tetouan, Ferry to Spain

Today is a travel day with a mix of cars and boats. We drive out of the Rif toward the coast for a quick visit to Tetouan, the "white city", with a small historic core that felt like a Moroccan version of Nice. Then on to Tangier, where we said farewell to our wonderful driver, and hopped on a ferry for a 1-hour ride from Africa to Europe. We grab lunch in the Spanish coastal town of Tarifa, then a private car picks us up and drives us to Seville, passing by the impressive Rock of Gibraltar and through a scenic national park. (Hotel for 4 nights in Sevilla at Legado Alcazar.)

Day 12 - Sevilla

Full day to explore this magnificent city. Explore the Alcázar, a complex of royal palaces and gardens, a stunning example of Mudéjar architecture, similar to the palaces of Morocco with exquisite tile, carved cedar, and ornate plaster. Visit Seville's cathedral, dating from the 15th century, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Climb its famous Giralda tower, originally a minaret fashioned after the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech. Take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the city, a mode of transport that seems perfectly fitting for these historic surroundings. The timeless feeling is further enhanced as we were here during the Feria de Abril, a week-long traditional civic festival held two weeks after Easter. All over town, we were seeing women in flamenco-style dresses and men in traditional attire. They looked completely in place in a horse-drawn carriage.

Day 13 - Córdoba Day Trip

A morning visit to the Plaza de España, a Beaux Arts wedding cake of a building, a remnant of the 1929 World's Fair, with a canal with boats along its front. Then take the high-speed train to spend the rest of the day exploring Córdoba — its Jewish quarter with a synagogue dating from 1315; the awesome Mezquita, a sprawling cathedral built into the remains of a large mosque; a Roman bridge and arch; a picturesque river with old mills along it; and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a medieval fortress with beautiful Moorish-style gardens.

Day 14 - Sevilla

A day to explore the noble houses of Seville. The Palacio de las Dueñas, the stately home of the Dukes of Alba is filled with exquisite furnishings, art, and family touches that gives you a sense of how the top 1% of Seville of centuries past and present lived and lives. The Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija is an equally marvelous home with the distinction of being filled with the late countess's fantastic collection of Roman mosaics, Asian art, and European masters, a museum-worthy personal collection. The Casa de Pilatos is an Italian renaissance ducal palace adorned with Roman statues and busts, and decorated with a wealth of azulejo (Spanish glazed tile).

Day 15 - Travel Home

Fly home from Seville. No direct flights from here to the US, but it's served by many airlines and a short hop will get you to a larger connecting airport.

Notes In Retrospect

Overall, I think we were very happy with this itinerary. Really good sampling of Morocco, and very interesting to pair it with Sevilla which has so much shared history and cultural heritage in common (Andalusia in southern Spain was essentially part of Morocco for five centuries). Very happy with our decision to use Morocco Explored to provide a driver and arrange parts of the trip. Their suggestion to take a full three days to get from Marrakech to the camel trek was a good one — there were many unexpected highlights in that stretch that we'd have totally missed just planning our own trip independently. I wouldn't have changed any of it. If we'd have spent more time in Morocco, we might have added Essaouira, which looks to be a lovely coastal town, and easily could have filled an extra day in Marrakech and/or Fes. Some ask why we skipped Casablanca and essentially skipped Tangier. My impression from what I'd heard and read is that those are more modern cities without the same concentrated historic and cultural richness of Marrakech or Fes. On the Spanish side, with another day or two, we might have made forays to Jerez (sherry!) and Gibraltar or a beach day on the Malaga coast. And of course if you haven't seen the rest of Andalusia (Granada, Ronda, the white hill towns) as we had, that would also fit in very nicely. For timing, May was quite good. We had a few hot days getting to 90-ish, but most of the trip was nice 80s temperatures, even in the desert. It was neat to have just a little overlap with Ramadan to experience that, and being in Seville during the Feria (two weeks after Easter) was very fun.