Hi all,
Just starting to plan our honeymoon trip to Morocco for next September! I know I'm on the early side but I'm so excited (and going to be swamped with wedding planning soon, so would like to get this sorted out!)
Background: Late 20s/early 30s, we love exploring cities by walking around them, eating local food and drink, hiking, a little bit of nightlife. We'd like to be in the mid-range budget, affordable but wouldn't mind splurging for some things given its our honeymoon! Not huge into museums/history but wouldn't miss key sites. Currently have about 16 days and itinerary looks like this (flying into Marrakech, out of Fez but could be reversed or changed entirely!):
Thursday 9/6/2018 ATL - Marrakech
Friday 9/7/2018 Marrakech
Saturday 9/8/2018 Marrakech
Sunday 9/9/2018 Marrakech
Monday 9/10/2018 Essaouira
Tuesday 9/11/2018 Essaouira
Wednesday 9/12/2018 High Atlas?
Thursday 9/13/2018 Sahara tour
Friday 9/14/2018 Sahara tour
Saturday 9/15/2018 Sahara tour
Sunday 9/16/2018 Chefchaouen
Monday 9/17/2018 Chefchaouen
Tuesday 9/18/2018 Chefchaouen
Wednesday 9/19/2018 Fez
Thursday 9/20/2018 Fez
Friday 9/21/2018 Fez - ATL
1) Please advise if the order and number of nights at each place makes sense. Are we missing any must see places that may offer great food/drink or local Moroccan culture? Casablanca and Tangier were easy cuts, but I've also heard about Rabat, Meknes and Agadir. Any of these worth cutting a day anywhere?
2) We're planning to come back to Marrakech after Essaouira as most Sahara tours seem to leave out of there and ends in Fez. However, we'd like to do Chefchaouen before Fez (as we fly out of there). Any suggestions on how we can make this work? Or do we have to do Fez-Chef-Fez after the Sahara tour? Suggestions on great sahara tours also appreciated!
3) We love hiking! We would like to fit in some time for High Atlas as I hear there is good hiking there. Is this doable as a daytrip or worth overnight? Any suggested hiking routes would be lovely.
Thank you so much and please feel free to provide any other feedback and suggestions as well!
Hi, I think it looks good. For the high atlas, I suggest Kasbah du Toubkal - fantastic location, authentic and also giving back to the local community without compromising service and luxury. You will need at least 2 nights.
As for desert safari, make sure it is not in the outskirts of Marrakesh - it is not "real" desert. Try and go a bit further south for some real experience.
Best/Ulrika
HI there! What an exciting trip you’re planning! Congrats :)
I can’t answer ALL your questions; but I can tell you this - we ADORED our time in Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains and, especially, a last minute change we made to switch out Essaouira to Oualidia. The hotel we chose for Marrakech was only *ok* but for the other two places - the La Sultana Oualidia Hotel and the Kasbah Tamadot in the mountains - both of these were absolutely MAGICAL.
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