After breakfast, depart to Marrakech passing through the berber village of Immouzer Kandar and Ifrane en route to Beni Mellal. The city sits in the foot of Mount Tassemit and is one of the agricultural centers of Morocco. Continue on to Marrakech, arriving in late afternoon.
On day 7, head out for a full day tour of Marrakech city:
Koutoubia Minaret
The centre piece of Marrakech is the square tower of the Koutoubia minaret, attached to the Koutoubia Mosque, which was built in the late 12th century. It's not particularly high—about 250 feet—but it towers over the Medina thanks to a long-standing planning ordinance that forbids any other building in the old city to rise above it.
El-Bahia Palace
This 19th century palace is elaborate in its decoration and was built over a period seven years for Ba Ahmed, the son of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa, there are row after row of apartments—that once housed Ahmed's harem—a trapezoidal garden, a huge tiled courtyard, and many hidden treasures, both in the form of antique objects d'art and the palace's convergence of Andalusian and Moorish architecture.
Saadian Tombs
One of the most visited sites in Morocco is the Saadian Tombs which were once only accessible via the mosque next door. However, in 1917 they were opened to the public and can now be accessed via a narrow passage that leads to an enclosed garden watched over by two mausoleums that include more than one hundred mosaic decorated tombs.
The Souks:
At the heart of Marrakech, filling the alleys north of the central square, are the souks, mile after constricted mile of tiny, closet-sized emporia. The sheer number of shops is overwhelming—100 of them in 100 yards. Every section of the souk has its own specialty, with alleys devoted to everything from spices and ironwork to the ingredients necessary for casting magic spells.
The Square, Jemaa el Fna
Jemaa el-Fna is the main open space in Marrakech, and is as old as the city itself. Once the scene of public executions in ancient times, it is now the city's cultural epicenter, thronged day and night with a carnival of local life including snake charmers, dentists, scribes, herbalists, musicians and storytellers.