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Enjoy a twin centre holiday, taking in the hustle and bustle of Fes before travelling to the markedly different mountainside town of Bhalil.

This unknown corner of Morocco hides away a unique 4th Century village, where locals still live in caves, taking advantage of Mother Nature’s climate control…

Our expert guide is a Bhalil local who can answer any question about this historic way of living.  Visit a local tailor, Olive groves and drink mint tea with the Berbers.

 

Your Itinerary

The walled city of fes

1 - Arrive in Morocco

Upon arrival at the airport you will be met outside by your private transfer driver and taken directly to your Riad.  Prepare for a week of exploration through Fes and Bhalil.

Ryad Mabrouka is our suggested accommodation for your stay in Fes. Please click on the link below to see the details of the accommodation.

Ancient fes medina

2 - A guided tour through the historic city

Take a wonderful adventure through Fes the imperial city.

You will begin Fes guided tour by discovering the old Medina and its narrow streets.  Wander through the ancient architecture, stopping along the way at shops selling fruits, spices, traditional candies, as well as the traditional handmade crafts such as carpets, leather bags, copper lamps, wood furniture, ceramic, silver decorative pieces…

Essaouira Market Olives

3 - Seek out the best food in Fes

This is a unique experience to indulge in Moroccan food culture and local life.

Visit the exotic food markets within the ancient Medina with a foodie guide expert.

Meet the owners of shops who will share their stories along with the delicious flavours of the Moroccan food.

Taste Moroccan pancakes, a variety of honey, dates and olives, sip mint tea and snack on other specialities of Fes.

Volubilis ruins on the way to Bhalil

4 - Visit the UNESCO site Volublis

Morocco is known for one of the best-preserved Roman archeological sites, Volublis, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thought to be occupied from prehistoric time through the Islamic period. Visit the ruins, the basilica, the temple and enjoy Roman mosaics. Meknes is another UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the imperial cities of Morocco. Here you will find many fascinating architectural treasures.

Boys play football in Bhalil

5 - Transfer to the mountain village of Bhalil

Located 35km from Fes and a precipitous 5km uphill from Sefrou is the unique village of Bhalil.  This village has a number of cave houses, also known as troglodyte dwellings, which are found within the mountain itself.

These houses are historic and have sheltered locals for hundreds of years.  They can be visited but, as they are still occupied and are the homes to Bhalil locals, it’s not just a case of knocking on the door – you need a trusted guide who supports the local town and whose parentship provides a source of income and support.

Your guide will arrange a visit, so that you can discover these amazing cave formations and how they support daily life, used for cooking, sleeping and occasionally with a separate bedroom.

You will also explore the village, meet a local tailor and learn about beautiful Djelleba buttons, before heading back outside to see the gorgeous agriculture and olive groves.

6 - Go trekking in the Bhalil mountains

3 to 4 hours easy walk in the Bhalil Mountains For this trek a transfer is not required.

You will head off to the Bhalil mountains, it is not a difficult path, and you will climb from 950 to 1060 meters high, this is also the occasion to have wonderful conversations with a local expert about Moroccan culture.

You may meet and sit down with Berbers for a cup of mint tea.

7 - The Sunday Souk

Visit to a Berber village located 80 km south of Fes, this excursion is only possible on Sundays & Tuesdays.

The souk is 1500 meters high compared to Bhalil village which is already 950 meters high. During the drive, you make two interesting stops, one is about traditional ovens for Ancestral lime stone productions where you will get a good technical level of information, then the 2nd stop is for onion production & storage!

Once you arrive at the village, you will spend the next couple of hours exploring the mystical souk.  The locals are Berbers, they speak the Berber (and Moroccan) language and sell their own products, this is an extremely authentic place where most likely you will be the only tourists!

Old bhalil town

8 - Heading home

Enjoy your final day in Bhalil, soaking in the atmosphere before your private transfer back to the airport.

Find more inspiration here

Details -

Cost for the 8 days and 7 nights is £1050 per person in mid season (excluding flights). It is based on 2 sharing and B&B (Fes) and Half Board (Bhalil) basis. Private transport as well as all activities mentioned in the itinerary.

You can get flights from as little as £100 per person return and do ask us for advice.  Alternatively we can book the flights for you but a booking fee may apply.

All prices correct at the time of writing.  Give us a call or email us at morocco@fleewinter.com to discuss your requirements and get a confirmed price.

Please remember this is a sample itinerary and we are happy to modify it to suit your plans.  We can add or remove days and look at different places to stay.

What's included?

  • Prices start from £1050 per person
  • Fes Accommodation on a B&B basis
  • Bhalil Accommodation on Half Board basis
  • Guided Tour of Fes
  • Tasting Trail Tour in Fes
  • Bhalil Village Discovery
  • Mountain Trek
  • Guigou Excursion including lunch
  • Private transfers
  • Local taxes
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Your adventure starts here!

Do you fancy having a chat about Fes and Bhalil? Personally, it's one of our favourite things to talk about.

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