18 Days in Morocco: The Ultimate Road Trip Travel Itinerary | Morocco Travel Vlog

0:01 | welcome to Morocco if we had a dollar for every
time we heard that phrase during our 18-day

0:07 | adventure we’d probably have enough to fund
our next trip join us as we take you along on

0:14 | this incredible journey through a country that
truly stole our hearts from the coastal cities

0:21 | of Casablanca and Rabat to the breathtaking
Landscapes of the Sahara Desert and the Atlas

0:26 | Mountains we’ll lose ourselves in the ancient
medinas of Fez and Marrakesh Marvel at the

0:33 | Striking beauty of the blue city of Chefchaouen
and finally unwind in the Charming Seaside town of

0:40 | [Music] Essaouira hi guys thanks for joining us
as we highlight our full itinerary of our 2 and

0:54 | a half Week adventure around Morocco but Morocco
is a big place and there’s a lot to see and do

1:00 | so we’re Chris and Lydia let’s let’s get
roving our adventure begins in Casablanca

1:08 | the main gateway to Morocco and the country’s
largest city located on the Atlantic coast we’ve

1:16 | arrived at our hotel the Val de Anfa Hotel in
Casablanca and it’s right by the water [Music]

1:34 | welcome to Casablanca I’ll show
you around let’s have a look at

1:39 | the view we’ve got an ocean view have
we there we go look at that we can see

1:49 | the ocean oh beautiful have window
open we can hear the ocean [Music]

2:04 | as Morocco’s Economic and Business Hub
Casablanca is also its most modern city

2:10 | yet it retains historic charm through its
Old Town known as the Medina and cultural

2:15 | landmarks like the stunning Hassan 2 Mosque
all the shop owners are just setting up for

2:21 | the day you have some sprookers already
trying to sell us uh their wares [Music]

2:39 | a visit to Casablanca would not
be complete without a tour of the Magnificent Hassan 2 Mosque one of the
largest and most beautiful mosques in the

2:48 | world we’re in a golf cart at the king Hassan 2

3:00 | Mosque Hassan 2 Mosque is one of only two
mosques in Morocco that’s open to non-muslims

3:08 | wow this is [Music] amazing just look at the
size of Lydia compared to the size of this

3:16 | building beautiful ornate
ceilings chandeliers archways

3:30 | wow this is an immense mosque this prayer
room is 200m long 100m wide and 65m

3:41 | tall look at that Cedarwood [Music]

3:50 | ceiling our visit to Hassan 2 Mosque was
the highlight of our day in Casablanca

3:59 | and we ended the evening with the
first of many amazing Moroccan sunsets good morning everyone we’re here in
Casablanca it’s our final day in Casablanca

4:11 | this morning and we’re about to set off on our
trip we’re going to have some breakfast had

4:16 | an amazing orange juice yesterday it’s the
best orange juice I’ve ever had in my life so I was dreaming about orange juice last time
after breakfast we joined the other 12 Aussies

4:27 | on our 17-day small group tour of Morocco even
though the group was small we were lucky enough

4:33 | to have a full-sized bus which meant plenty
of space for everyone and a seat to ourselves

4:40 | from Casablanca we head north along the coast
for about an hour to Morocco’s Capital City

4:46 | [Music]

4:52 | Rabat Rabat’s ancient Fortress the Kasbar
of Udayas dates back to the 12th century

5:04 | is the oldest part of the city we’re
standing in front of the main gate of the kasbar here in Rabat we’re about
to Rock The kasbar Rock The kasbar Rock

5:15 | the kasbah the kasbar was built high on
the hill to guard the mouth of the river

5:24 | and the city below and the Terrace offers
great views of the city of Sale to the North and the ramparts the beach
and the Atlantic Ocean to the

5:34 | West only a mile up River from the kasar lies the
iconic Hassan Tower the minaret of An Unfinished

5:43 | mosque from the 12th century had the mosque been
completed it would have been the largest in the

5:49 | Western World at the [Music] time across the
Square from Hassan Tower is the mausoleum of

5:56 | Muhammed V the first king of independent Morocco
and grandfather of the current King the mausoleum

6:03 | is the final resting place for King Muhammad V as
well as his two sons hi guys sorry to interrupt

6:12 | if you like what you’re watching we’d really
appreciate if you could subscribe to our Channel and leave a comment and let us know if you’ve been
to Morocco and what you enjoyed about your travels

6:21 | there anyway back to the video after a busy
morning exploring Rabat we hit the road once again

6:28 | for a 250 km Journey North into the Rif mountain
range destination the stunning city of Chefchaouen

6:39 | welcome to Chefchaouen the blue City when we reached our accommodation we stepped
through a gate in the wall and were instantly

6:50 | rendered speechless the beautiful garden and
traditional Moroccan architecture just blew

6:56 | us away the rooms were just as impressive
adorned with Moroccan Decor and colorful

7:02 | lanterns and to top it all off the Riad even
had a pool with fantastic views across the blue

7:08 | City you’ve got tears in your eyes it’s just

7:14 | so beautiful [Music] incredible it’s
lovely this is what we come for yeah

7:35 | [Music] Chefchaouen is a Charming Town famous
for its blue wash buildings and winding Alleyways

7:41 | earning it the nickname the blue City the town
is best explored early in the morning before the

7:46 | day Trippers arrive and the streets begin to
[Music] fill some say the blue symbolizes the

7:55 | sky and heaven a tradition started by Jewish
refugees While others believe it helps keep

8:01 | the town cool or even deters mosquitoes whatever
the historical reason these days they continue to

8:08 | paint the town blue to keep the tourists coming if
you visit make sure your camera is fully charged

8:14 | and bring a good pair of walking shoes this
magical town is a photographer’s dream [Music]

8:41 | perched high on the hill overlooking
Chefchaouen is the Spanish mosque just

8:46 | walking along the track high above the town
of Chefchaouen up to the Spanish Monastery

8:55 | which has great views of the sunset from Over
the town and the mountains [Music] beyond the

9:04 | next morning we reluctantly said goodbye to
Chefchaouen and began our journey back down through the scenic Rif mountain range descending
to the fertile Plains Below on route to Fez

9:29 | [Music] we’ve come to the old Roman ruins of
Volubilis on the fertile Plains near Meknes

9:38 | in Northern Morocco Romans are very smart
in where they built this remote center for

9:45 | the Roman Empire it’s very fertile lands
around here farming lands I think they made their money growing olives Roman ruins in
Morocco wasn’t expecting to see that [Music]

10:04 | after spending 2 hours exploring Volubilis we
hopped back on our bus for a short 30 km drive to

10:10 | Meknes Meknes is one of Morocco’s four Imperial
cities that have one time or other been the

10:19 | historical capital of Morocco the other three
being the current capital of Rabat as well as

10:25 | Fez and Marrakech we’re in Meknes now and
we’re going to go have lunch and think I’ll

10:32 | have a camel Burger never tried camel before
go thank you good what’s it taste like like

10:45 | a lamb I guess lamb M more lamb than beef SP
got lots of spices in it so it’s very tasty

10:59 | [Music]

11:04 | [Music]

11:09 | after our walk through the Royal quarter of
Meknes it was getting late in the day and we still had an hour left to drive until
we reached [Music] Fes we arrived as

11:21 | the sun was setting and checked into our re
accommodation on the edge of the old Medina

11:29 | oh wow oh my goodness this is is beautiful look
at the bed it’s a four posted bed and this is a

11:41 | proper riad because let’s have a look here’s the
courtyard down below oh my goodness a riad is a

11:50 | traditional Moroccan house with an internal
Garden or Courtyard surrounded by bedrooms

11:56 | Riads are typically inward facing with with
few or no windows facing the street instead

12:03 | they feature beautifully decorated Interiors
offering a peaceful escape from the Lively

12:08 | chaos of the Medina but it’s the Medina that’s
brought us to Fes and we can’t wait to explore

12:14 | it hopefully we won’t get lost in the Medina or
Fez apparently there’s 9,000 little Alleyways and

12:22 | streets so we’ve got two days to find our way
home Fez is Morocco’s oldest Imperial City and

12:33 | is often considered the country’s cultural and
spiritual heart founded in the 8th Century it’s

12:39 | home to one of the world’s oldest universities and
a sprawling UNESCO world heritage listed [Music]

12:49 | Medina it’s a School of Theology yeah
and it only took 2 years to build and

12:59 | they had it would house 37
students who were studying [Music] [Music] theology Fez is renowned for its skilled Craftsman

13:23 | who have been perfecting their
trades for Generations [Music]

13:40 | it’s 100 100 I’ll give you 20 no problem okay

13:46 | okay where at the tannery I can smell
it it’s not a nice smell [Music]

14:22 | going to go and get a massage

14:29 | we’ve just come back from a lovely evening
with a local family in Fez they’re beautiful

14:36 | mama had eight children and the youngest boy
was still in the house to help entertain us

14:41 | and they opened their home up to our group
and cooked us a three course meal we started

14:47 | off with Harissa which was a nice soup with some
dates and some sweet treats for the main course

14:54 | we had Pastila filo pastry with chicken
inside and lots of cinnamon both inside

15:00 | and outside and nuts and whatnot beautiful so
it was a wonderful night people here are just

15:08 | the Moroccan people are so welcoming and just
beautiful and friendly and they’ll come up and say welcome to my country and it’s just like
oh that’s so beautiful the next day we left

15:19 | Fez and began our journey through the Atlas
mountain range towards the Sahara Desert our

15:25 | route first took us over the Middle Atlas
Mountains to Midelt the apple capital of [Music] Morocco as we crossed the
middle Atlas we passed through

15:39 | forests of towering cedar trees in the
higher slopes we encountered a tribe of

15:45 | endangered barbery macaque monkeys up
close along with some other surprising

15:50 | Wildlife after crossing the highest peaks of the
middle Atlas Mountains the landscape transformed

15:59 | but it’s not just the scenery that changes as
we travel further the appearance of Berber camps

16:05 | signals a cultural shift from the European
influence North to the traditional nomadic

16:11 | South after checking into to our
Villa accommodation in Midelt we

16:24 | set out for a late afternoon hike in
what seemed like the middle of nowhere

16:36 | as we walked an incredible Gorge suddenly revealed
itself before us appearing as if out of nowhere

17:08 | [Music] the next day we were up early eager for a
scenic drive across the High Atlas Mountains

17:15 | the journey took us through breathtaking
mountain passes following the Ziz River as it carved its way through dramatic
gorges and Lush oases filled with date

17:25 | palms finally arriving in Merzouga right
on the door doorstep of the Sahara [Music]

17:39 | Desert wow look at [Music] that the
breathtaking to Tizi n’Talghaumt

17:59 | Mountain Pass is an ancient Caravan route
through the High Atlas Mountains it was

18:05 | once used by Traders traveling from Fez to
the Sahara Desert and onward to Timbuktu

18:10 | in Mali the Ziz River is the lifeblood of
the towns south of the High Atlas Mountains

18:18 | it flows through the valleys nourishing a
lush Oasis of date palms Orchards and crops

18:29 | [Music] late in the afternoon we
arrived at our hotel in Merzouga tired and hot from a long day on the road
we were glad to unwind by the pool and

18:39 | soak in the stunning views of the sand
dunes from the hotel’s rooftop [Music]

18:50 | Terrace this morning we’re heading off on
a four-wheel drive Safari into the Sahara

19:01 | Desert it’s a beautiful warm 33° so plenty
of Sun cream on this [Music] morning first

19:13 | stop was just down the street at the
Merzouga Oasis the Oasis is a patchwork

19:19 | of individual plots each one belonging
to a local family these small sections

19:24 | are carefully cultivated with date palms
and crops irrigated by underground Springs

20:04 | [Music] S at the edge of a bedouin camp on the edge
of the Sahara to see how the nomadic people

20:12 | of the area live they’re cooking some
bread in a on a fireplace in a little

20:17 | tent and doing some weaving it’s very
humbling to see how the locals here live

20:33 | [Music] our final stop on the 4×4 tour
was the village of Khamlia where

20:39 | we enjoyed delicious Berber pizza and
were treated to the hypnotic rhythms of traditional gnawa [Music] music later in
the afternoon we traded our 4x4s for a more

20:55 | traditional mode of Transport camels as as
we journeyed into the desert for a night at

21:00 | a luxury desert Camp nestled amongst the
dunes a long way up here on the camel’s

21:05 | [Music]

21:13 | back and we’re down oh just like an expert

21:37 | voila wow this is how you camp
our tent was more luxury than Camp complete with comfy beds
running water and a gourmet

21:46 | dinner after the meal we gathered around

21:53 | the campfire for an evening filled with
music and dance under the starry desert [Music] [Music] Sky good morning Mr

22:22 | Camel the next morning we
watched the sunrise alongside

22:28 | our camel friends before saddling up
once more for the track back to [Music]

22:44 | civilization today we hit the road once again
heading Northwest to the foothills of the High

23:00 | Atlas Mountains to explore the spectacular
Gorges of Todra and [Music] Dades as we

23:10 | drove along the barren plain between the high
Atlas and the anti-atlas mountains I was struck

23:16 | by how dry and seemingly inhospitable
the land was and then all of a sudden

23:21 | we reached the Todra river and the ancient town
of Tinghir Tinghir is like a green jewel in the

23:28 | desert it’s amazing how in the midst of such
an arid landscape life can suddenly flourish

23:36 | just beyond tinghir lies one of Morocco’s
most breathtaking natural wonders The Todra

23:42 | Gorge welcome to Todra Gorge this is
absolutely magnificent check out the

23:49 | scale of this place it’s incredible you definitely have to put this on your list if you come
into Marocco it’s pretty special [Music]

24:15 | well we’ve reached the end of The Gorge
at least our little track it was just the

24:22 | road basically walking along the
river but it’s very picturesque

24:29 | after another hour’s drive we entered
the Dades Valley the road ahead twists

24:36 | and turns winding its way through the
valley below the Dades River flows

24:41 | gently bringing life to the fertile Farm
plots that line the valley [Music] below

24:54 | it’s slow progress as we navigate the
winding roads but as the sun sets we

24:59 | finally arrive at our accommodation for the
night the beautiful Riad Paradise [Music]

25:10 | Dades the next morning we
joined a guide for a Scenic

25:19 | walk through the lush green Oasis
blanketing the valley floor [Music]

25:30 | later we hopped on a local bus gripping
tightly as it climbed The Hairpin turns up the cliff wall rewarding us with a breathtaking
view of the Gorge from above well that was a

25:42 | hairy ride up the mountain wasn’t it came
up those roads glad we didn’t come up in

25:48 | the Big Bus yeah there a little bus a little
green bus local bus over there the ride down

25:58 | was just as nail biting but soon we were
back on the road the road of a thousand

26:04 | kasbahs next stop the ancient
Kzar of Ait Ben Haddou [Music]

26:17 | This is Ait BenHaddou the scene of many Hollywood movies and you can see why
just look at this [Music]

26:39 | [Music]

26:51 | Ait BenHaddou is an ancient fortified Village
or Kzar along the old Caravan route between

26:57 | the Sahara desert and Marrakech believed
to have been built in the 17th century it

27:03 | served as an important trading post for
goods like salt gold and spices it’s one

27:09 | of the best preserved mud brick kzar in all of
Morocco and is now a UNESCO world heritage site

27:32 | [Music] earlier in the afternoon we had checked
into one of the most unique and memorable

27:37 | accommodations of our trip an old restored
kasbah nearby Ait Ben Haddou [Music]

27:51 | Our apartment even had its own rooftop
Terrace offering stunning views of the kasbah and the surrounding Oasis [Music]

28:10 | in the morning we savoured a special Sunrise from
our private Terrace before bidding farewell to the

28:15 | desert and setting off for another of Morocco’s
legendary Imperial cities Marrakesh our journey

28:22 | to Marrakech took us back across the High Atlas
Mountains via the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass once

28:30 | one of Morocco’s most treacherous roads recent
upgrades have significantly improved its safety

28:36 | still as the clouds gathered on the higher slopes
the route promised to be another thrilling Journey

28:43 | what happened to the sunshine it’si freezing it
is pretty cold the views of The Hairpin turns and

28:49 | switchbacks were stunning even shrouded in Mist
however the moisture in the air added an extra

28:55 | layer of tension not just for the slippery roads
but also due to the increased risk of Rock [Music]

29:05 | Falls but soon enough the terrain
leveled out the sun broke through the

29:12 | clouds and the iconic red walls
of Marrakech came into [Music]

29:20 | view after settling into our traditional riad in
the heart of the old Medina we ventured out into

29:29 | the winding alleys leading to Jemaa el-Fnaa the
bustling main square of Marrakech historically a

29:36 | Marketplace and Gathering point for locals these
days the square is filled with street performers

29:42 | snake Charmers food stores and crowds of people
especially in the evenings welcome to the chaos of

29:51 | main Square Jemaa el-Fnaa as the sun began to fall
we found a peaceful Rooftop Bar with views over

29:59 | both the square and another beautiful Moroccan
Sunset it’s morning time 9:00am in the morning

30:07 | here in this main Square in Marrakech first stop
of the day we’re going to go to the Palace before

30:14 | it gets too busy there Bahia Palace was once the
residence of a powerful Grand vizier of Morocco

30:20 | who effectively governed the country during the
late 19th century this opulent Palace was also

30:27 | home to his four four wives and 24 concubines
we’re back out of the palace now and we’re just

30:33 | walking through some of the Alleyways watching
out for the motorbikes as we go so we’re going

30:40 | to visit a an old Quranic school the Ben Yousiff
Madrasa is a stunning 14th century Islamic school

30:49 | and was once the largest madrasa in Morocco it’s
similar to the one we saw in Fes only much larger

31:02 | [Music] the Medina of Marrakech is a UNESCO world
heritage site and a maze of narrow Alleyways

31:09 | bursting with life history and color at its
heart are the bustling Market places or Souks

31:15 | where Artisans and Merchants sell everything
from leather goods to spices and traditional

31:20 | lanterns wandering through the Medina is
an unforgettable sensory experience with

31:26 | the scent of spices the bright colors of wares
and the sounds of haggling filling the [Music]

31:31 | [Music] air this is the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech
it’s a local Landmark it’s one of the largest

32:02 | mosques in the country so if you ever get lost
you can always look up and find your way back [Music] here at night Jemaa el-Fnaa
transforms into a magical chaotic

32:27 | spectacle of light sound and activity
it’s an experience that can’t be [Music] [Music] missed the next morning we left the hustle and
bustle of Marrakech trading the organized chaos

32:58 | of the city for the cool sea breezes
and laidback Vibe of the seaside town

33:04 | of Essaouira Essaouira attracts both locals
and international visitors with its stunning

33:11 | beaches relaxed Medina and unique Argan tree
forests where goats famously climb trees while

33:18 | we didn’t catch any goats in the act during our
visit they certainly seem to be contemplating it

33:30 | Essaouira is a photographer’s dream with its
picturesque fortified walls historic rampards

33:37 | and iconic blue fishing boats attracting both
amateur photographers and Hollywood filmmakers

33:44 | the town is also famous for its bustling Fishing
Harbor where the Catch of the Day is unloaded each

33:50 | morning visitors can sample fresh oysters crab
and Sea Urchin from Street vendors or buy Seafood

33:58 | straight off the trawlers and have it grilled
to Perfection on the spot at the Harbor’s open

34:03 | air [Music] barbecues Essaouira is a cultural Hub
where live music fills the bars and restaurants

34:17 | each night the town has a strong connection to
traditional gnawa music with its deep rhythms

34:23 | and spiritual Roots playing a central role in
Essaouira’s music scene after a busy 2 1/2 week

34:31 | journey through Morocco Essaouira was the perfect
place to relax unwind and let our hair [Music]

34:46 | down the next day we made our way back up
the coast to Casablanca where our incredible

35:01 | Moroccan Adventure sadly came to an end the
trip seem to pass by in a blink of an eye yet

35:08 | we experienced so much of this beautiful
country we’ve truly fallen in love with

35:13 | Morocco especially its people their warmth
generosity and strong sense of community are

35:19 | refreshing and inspiring Morocco has stolen
our hearts and we know we’ll return one day

35:33 | thanks for joining us today for
the highlights of our incredible trip around Morocco so we have some more
detailed videos of our trip around Morocco

35:41 | yeah videos in each of the different places
and so please go and check out our playlist on Morocco and if you like what you see we’d
really appreciate if you could subscribe and

35:50 | leave us a message and tell us what you
liked about our travels and where in the world you’re watching from and we hope you
come roving with us again soon bye for now