11-Day Afriaca Tour from Marrakesh to Lisbon: Ait Benhadou, Ourzazate, Boulmane Dades, Todgha, Khorbat, Erfoud, Bhalil, Fez, Tangier, Seville, Lisbon

Welcome to Marrakech!!!. On arrival at the airport we shall be waiting to transfer you to the hotel. You can enjoy free time until your tour starts, information about the meeting place and start time can be found on the information boards in the hotel reception area.

At the end of the afternoon you will be able to experience a traditional Kalesa ride up to the famous Djema square. Dinner buffet included. Hotel accommodation.

08:15 hrs We start with a sightseeing tour of the city. Located among hundreds of palm trees and surrounded by ochre walls, this exotic city brims with activity and life. We return to the Jemaa El Fna square, Koutoubia Mosque, the Jewish Quarter and the Bahia Palace. Lunch at the hotel included and free afternoon. At night, we recommend attending the Fantasia dinner show where you can experience the rich and varied folklore of Morocco.

Total distance travelled: 300 km. Landscapes: Incredibly beautiful. We cross the Atlas mountains and pass by beautiful villages perched on the mountainsides.
Please note: Do not forget to keep your camera handy. We also recommend warm clothes for the mountains.


08:00 hrs - Marrakech - Departure. We begin a beautiful part of the journey, crossing the high mountains of the Atlas, a natural barrier of the Sahara desert. En route, we stop at a high mountain village.
13:30 hrs - Ait Benhaddou - Arrival in this fortified adobe-built town, which is a World Heritage Site, where many films have been shot due to its incredible landscape backdrop. Time for lunch and a stroll among its mud houses.


15:00 hrs - Ait Benhadou -Departure-
15:30 hrs - Ouarzazate A desert city with an imposing fortress, whose oldest part is also a World Heritage Site.


16:30 hrs - Ouarzazate- Departure. We continue through desert plains and valley oases.
18:00 hrs - Boulmane Dades. You can enjoy the facilities at our hotel. Dinner and accommodation.


Please note: In very exceptional cases, it may happen that, due to bad weather, the road through the Atlas is cut off (with snow or flash floods). In this is the case, Europamundo will arrange the following alternative route: FRIDAY: Marrakech-Essaouira / SATURDAY: Essaouira-Safi-El Jadida-Meknes / SUNDAY: Meknes-Fez.

Distance traveled: 280 km.

Landscapes: Extremely beautiful, following the so-called "Valley of the Kasbahs"; and an area with biblical landscapes.
Tip: Wear comfortable footwear. Are you carrying a book you have finished reading? Maybe you would consider donating it to the library that we are creating in Tinejad?




07.15 hrs - Boulmane Dades - Departure. We follow the Valley of the Kasbahs; adobe fortresses that protected the crops and villages from attacks from other nomadic tribes. Breathtaking oases and palm groves, where we glimpse delightful adobe-built villages.
09.00 hrs - Todra Gorge. A deep canyon cuts through the Atlas Mountains amidst one of the most beautiful areas of Morocco. We include free time to enjoy this beautiful landscape (sometimes, following intense rain, we cannot access the gorges due to flooding of the rivers).




09.45 hrs Todra Gorge -Departure-. The predominance of the desert becomes ever more marked as we progress along this part of our journey.
10.45 hrs- Ksar el Khorbat -If time does not prevent it (access road), we stop at this adobe/oasis town with which the Europamundo Foundation is collaborating. You will be able to learn about the lives of the desert peoples in these impressive fortified villages.




11.45 hrs Ksar el Khorbat -Departure-.
14.00 hrs - Erfoud -Arrival-. Lunch at the hotel. Relax in the gardens and pool at this desert hotel. Our tour guide will propose an optional excursion in all-terrain vehicles across the Merzouga sand dunes, with dinner included on the dunes: an unforgettable landscape and experience.

Total distance covered: 430 km.

Landscapes: Very beautiful scenery of the Atlas, passing into more verdant areas covered by forests.

Note: at this stage we will climb to high areas of the Atlas, which may be cold. Remember to bring some warm clothes.


08.00hrs- We will leave Erfoud early, we cross the Atlas between powerful gorges and stunning landscapes. We then cross a high and cold plateau area inhabited by nomadic pastoralists.
11.30 hrs- Stop in Midelt, in the center of this region, which lives mainly from agriculture, especially apples, and from stone, fossil and mineral crafts. Time for a stroll and lunch.
13.00 hrs.- Midelt- Departure. We continue our route to the Middle Atlas seeing how the landscape changes completely. We are in a region with abundant forests, and where it snows frequently in winter.
14.45 hrs- Azrú. Stop in this National Park to visit "the house of the cedars", a small museum that illustrates us about the region. We will be amused by the colonies of monkeys that inhabit this area.


15.30hrs- Azrú departure.
16.45hrs- Bhalil, arrival in a small and quiet town inhabited by Berbers of the Middle Atlas with a very picturesque historic center of colorful streets. Traditionally the population in this city lived in caves, today these caves have been integrated into the houses.


17.45 hrs- Bhalil- departure.
18.15- Fez. Arrival in the spiritual heart city of Morocco, a labyrinth of alleys and souks, doors and smells. Before going to the hotel, we will admire the view of the city from the Saadian tombs. Dinner included.

Total distance: 395km

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Guided city tour of Fez. Admission prices included. Lunch and dinner included.


08.00hrs- We leave the hotel to discover Fez with an informative scenic tour with a local guide.
In the visit we will get to know the most interesting part of the city, with its emblematic architecture and its lively souks of ancient atmosphere that will not leave us indifferent. We will enter through the Bronze Gates of the Royal Palace and get to know the Jewish quarter, its lively souks, the tanners´ quarter... The cultural capital of the country is known for its impressive Medina that preserves the traditional Arabian atmosphere. After the visit we include a typical Moroccan lunch in a beautiful old Palace of the Medina.

15:00 hrs. –Departure from Fez. We take the modern highway to the north of Morocco through olive and wheat fields in the Rif valleys. Fertile areas of sugar cane and fruit trees.
20.00 hrs. - Tangier. Arrival. Dinner included.

Distance covered by road: 280 km.

Landscapes: Amazing views over the cliffs and Straits. Pleasant scenery of white villages in Andalusia.
WARNING: Remember to keep your passport handy.
PLEASE NOTE: The ferry departure time varies depending on the season. Border formalities may involve delays. Returning to Spain, you will have to put your clocks forward by 1 or 2 hours (depending on time of year). Your guide will advise you about the change.


At about 11:00 hrs (variable), we shall depart from the port of Tangier. Boarding formalities. Each traveller must carry their bags and hand luggage, as required by the Spanish national security authorities. Crossing of approximately one hour. We suggest having lunch on the ferry.


Arrival in Algeciras/Tarifa. Our journey continues through beautiful white villages.


20.30 hrs Seville. -Arrival.

Highlights: Guided visit with local expert in Seville. Boat trip along the river Guadalquivir. Evening transfer.


After breakfast, a local expert guides you through a scenic visit of Sevilla (if the English-speaking group is fewer than fifteen people, the tour can be conducted in both English and Spanish). Lasting one hour and a half featuring the Cathedral and the Giralda, Plaza de España, the beautiful banks of the river Guadalquivir, the Golden Tower, the districts of Santa Cruz and Triana, the Maestranza Bullring, and Cartuja Island. After the tour, we will include a boat trip along the river Guadalquivir, enjoying the panoramic views from the boat. Enjoy leisure time straight afterwards or the tours to the Cathedral or the Flamenco Show that will be offered as optionals by your guide.


At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area (calle Alfonso XII) where many different restaurants can be found. You can choose your favorite cuisine: Indian, Halal, Chinese, Spanish, International and so on. Return to the hotel.

Total distance: 460 km
HIGHLIGHTS: a beautiful scenery where we will visit walled villages. Evora Chapel of bones.
Scenery: Attractive landscapes of white-painted villages, mountain ranges and castles.

Note: In Portugal we must set our watches back one hour.


08.15 hrs.- We will leave Seville and journey toward western Andalusia. Eye-pleasing landscapes will greet us en route amidst the hills and olive groves as we enter Extremadura.
11.00 hrs.- JEREZ DE LOS CABALLEROS, we will make a stop in this town that once belonged to the Knights Templar and where Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was born.

13.00 hrs- Jerez de los Caballeros. We will continue our trip and enter Portugal.
13.30 (14.30 hrs in Spain) - MONSARAZ, one of the most picturesque villages in Portugal with fortified walls, a castle, great views and white-painted streets brimming with flowerpots. Time to have lunch.
15.00 hrs.- Monsaraz- Departure.

16.00 hrs.- EVORA, a city declared a World Heritage Site thanks to its white-painted streets, Renaissance palaces and cathedral. We will also visit the impressive Chapel of Bones (admission included), which was built using the bones from over 5000 skeletons!
18.00 hrs- Evora- Departure.
20.00 hrs.- LISBON- We will arrive toward the end of the day.

Highlights- Comprehensive tour of Lisbon. Night transfer to Restauradores Square.


09:00h.- Start of our tour with a local guide. We visit traditional neighborhoods, which take in the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the fifteen century. We shall look round the Monument to the Discoveries, Belem Tower and to the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The afternoon is free so that you can explore this great city independently.




18:00h.-At the end of the afternoon, we include transportation to Restauradores Square , full of atmosphere with its bars and cafes from where you can take the "Elevador da Gloria" (not included) that brings you to the Upper district and its viewpoint of San Pedro with beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto.
Return to hotel.

After breakfast, end of our services.

Note: Remember that check-out time is usually at 10.00 hrs. In most cases, you can leave your luggage at the hotel reception at check-out time so you can enjoy the city and pick it up at the time you require that same day. If you need more time to use your room, please consider booking an additional night at the end of your tour.