DAY BY DAY JOURNEY

Day 1:  Casablanca Airport – Rabat

Upon arrival at Casablanca International Airport, you will be met and transferred to Casablanca to begin the city tour with an outside visit of Hassan II mosque, Ain Diab Corniche and Mohammed V Square. Enjoy lunch at Rick’s Cafe then transfer to Rabat for a brief tour that covers the entrance to the Royal Palace. Overnight in Rabat.

Day 2: Rabat-Tangiers

After breakfast, explore Rabat with your local guide at the exterior of the impressive Dar Al- Makhzen Palace, the residence of Morocco’s King. Continue to the ancient necropolis of Chellah, now abandoned and overgrown. From the viewing platform, see the expansive ruins of this once-great Roman City. On to the magnificent marble Mohammed V Mausoleum, built in traditional Moroccan style. Observe the minaret of the Great Mosque and the towering 12th-century red sandstone Hassan Tower, Rabat’s most famous landmark. Afterward, visit Kasbah des Oudaias in the old part of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue to the Archaeological Museum, housing the archaeological finds uncovered in Volubilis, Lixus, Banassa & Thamusida. This afternoon, drive along the Atlantic Coast to Tangiers, visiting the archaeological site of Lixus en route. Stop in Asilah for a mint tea break (a small-town from the Roman era) known for its imposing ramparts and Portuguese fortifications which enclose the old town of white and blue washed houses. Continuing the drive along the Atlantic coast arrive to the urban area of Tangier and before long, pass the gate of the Kasbah to reach your hotel for the next night.

Day 3: Tangier- Chefchaouen

Today explore Tangier, an incredibly unique city with many landmarks: Morocco’s main gate to Europe and the settling place of many artists from around the world. On a peak of the central hill, surrounded by historic cannons, an engraved stone monument displays the speech King Mohammed V gave to the French asking for Moroccan independence in 1947. Later, head to the Museum of Antiquities which has many objects like mosaics from the excavations of various Roman colonies such as those of Volubilis and Cotta. Visit the Marshan district and its Roman tombs and admire the Moorish interiors of St. Andrews Church. This magnificent church is a tribute to the harmony of Christianity and Islam where you can see the Lord’s Prayer written in exquisite Arabic calligraphy. Cross the fish market where fresh fish is sold at auction to arrive to the Jewish cemetery, dominating the sea front. Visit the American legation, the first American property to ever open outside the United States. A few streets further away enter into the local synagogue. Make your way up the intricate streets and step back into the Kasbah district. There is no better end to the day then having a drink on a roof terrace dominating the whole Medina, at the time when the sun drowns into the Atlantic. Drive to Chefchaouen as the roads wind around the valley edges towards the Rif Mountains. En route briefly explore Tetouan, one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, famous for the beautiful patios and palaces of Moorish heritage. More than its architecture, the cuisine, music, jewelry and embroidery speak of their Andalusian origin. Continue to Chefchaouen through the dramatic gorges of Oued Laou, connecting the Mediterranean beaches to the world famous azure town. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 4: Chefchaouen – Volibulis – Meknes – Fez

After breakfast, explore Chefchaouen with your local guide, quite likely the most charming village in Morocco with its Medina, Bab el Ansar and the famed Ras el Maa (waterfall), where a short walk takes you to Rif Sebbanin, the laundry district with the Seat of Sebbanin and its 15th century mosque. Chefchaouen is about losing yourself in its streets without any precise goal. Their Kasbah built in the 15th century is worth a detour. Twisting cobblestone paths lead up and up, around the ocher-colored Kasbah to a landscape of green hills and mountaintops, uninterrupted sky extending beyond. Drive to the ancient Roman city of Volubilis to explore its stunning ruins. That so many of these tiles are still in place and exhibiting their colors after centuries of exposure to the elements, is astonishing. Next, drive to the Imperial city of Meknes, the one-time home of the Moroccan Sultanate with its all-winding narrow streets in the Medina and grand buildings that warrant it as an imperial city. The king’s tomb sits at the heart of what remains of the original imperial city, flanked by an almighty royal granary, the magnificent Bab el-Mansour. After an independent lunch, continue to Fez for a two night stay.

Day 5: Fez

Welcome to Fez, the most monumental of the Imperial Cities. The Medina of Fès el-Bali (Old Fez), a World Heritage site, is the city’s great drawing card. It’s an assault on the senses, a warren of narrow lanes and covered bazaars bursting with aromatic food stands, craft workshops, mosques and an endless parade of people. Walk along narrow, uneven alleyways, with daylight filtering down from above high gray walls, flanked by tables heaped with spices, dried fruits, fresh fish or silk and leather garments. Here, in the heart of Fez, the old and the new constantly collide – the man driving the donkeys and mules is likely to be chatting on his mobile phone, while the ancient skyline is punctuated equally with satellite dishes and minarets. The city tour will include Bab Boujloud, Mellah, Jamaa Al-Karaouine the oldest continually operating university in the world. The Medersa Bouanania complex is the spiritual heart of Fez & Morocco. The Chaouwara tanneries are one of the city’s most iconic sights (and smells) offering unique window into the pungent, natural process of producing world-class leather by methods that have changed little since medieval times. Time permitting, visit clay workshops, artisan quarters, the souks of the largest and oldest Medina in Morocco and the Batha Museum.

Day 6: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga

Discover some of Morocco’s beautiful mountainous landscape today as you leave Fez early and follow ancient caravan routes up into the hills. Along the way stop at Ifran, known as the ”Switzerland of Morocco” and a huge contrast to some of the other more Berber feeling cities you’ll see in Morocco. Continuing towards cedar forests you’ll stop to enjoy the view and natural beauty of it and then continue on to Azrou where you’ll see houses with their classic painted doors, windows and glazed tiles. Next head on through the hills to Midelt for an independent lunch. Afterwards, continue along through the dramatic Ziz Gorge to Erfoud. This frontier town on the Algerian border has a definite Wild West (in this case, Wild South) feel to it. Fossilized bathtubs and moist, sweet dates are its current claim to fame, though it was once the end of the road and then overland to Merzouga, the heart of the desert, and surf the sandy sea on a powerful 4 WD Land Rover. Dinner and overnight at the Desert Camp.

Day 7: Merzouga – Tinghir – Dades – Ouarzazate

Enjoy a sunrise camel ride along the golden sand dunes in Merzouga. Back to the camp for breakfast then drive to Tinghir and Todgha gorges – the highest & the narrowest gorges in Morocco. ThemTodgha Gorge is recognized around the world as one of the most spectacular canyons. Here, both the Todgha and Dades Rivers have carved out cliff-sided canyons on their final 25-mile stretch through the mountains, leaving behind this series of reliefs and etches in the rock. In places, this gorge measures just 33 feet across, but the cliffs are more than 500 feet tall on either side. The river has since dried up leaving only the imagination to picture the powerful natural forces that once carved this region. The gorge is popular for its hiking paths and a well-maintained dirt road for visitors to share with mules and other pack animals. After an independent lunch in the heart of the gorge drive through the Dades Valley with its majestic sandcastles and incredible rock formations known as “monkey toes”. The route through Dades Valley is also known as the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs. The sand-colored walls of the Kasbahs may all start to look the same, but each holds a special historical treasure within and offer innumerable opportunities for remarkable photos. Meet Berber Nomads in their caves in the fertile Rose Valley, perhaps stopping briefly at Kalaat M’gouna, “the rose city”, to purchase rosewater. Arrive at Ouarzazate by late evening. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech

Enjoy the city tour of Ouarzazate, beginning with the Taourirt Kasbah, considered one of the most beautiful Kasbahs in the country and the film studios (optional visit), where some of the most famous desert landscapes are shot. Continue to the spectacular fortress of Ait Ben Haddou, the iconic landscape immortalized in films such as, Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. Leave Ait Ben Haddou crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the magnificent Tiz In Tichka pass (2262m) to Marrakech for overnight.

Day 9: Marrakech

After breakfast, enjoy a very rich trip with amazing landscapes. The half day excursion covers the village of Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains. Continue through different landscapes and spectacular views to this valley. On the way, you will have the chance to visit a cooperative run by women for extracting the unique Moroccan argan oil. Pass through traditional Amazigh (Berber) villages built from adobe and stones. The latter is famous for its fruit trees (apples, walnut, almonds, peaches). Enjoy a typical tea session with a local family. Drive back for a half day exploration of Marrakech. Start at Majorelle Garden where it took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) forty years of passion and dedication to create this enchanting garden in the heart of the “Ochre City”. The visit includes the Yves St Laurent and the Berbere Museums. Head to Djemaa el Fna, the central square and Marrakesh’s heartbeat surrounded by bazaars, mosques, terraced cafes, snake charmers, fire-eaters, and fortune-tellers. After the visit, stop at the Koutoubia Minaret, the oldest of the three great Almohad towers, and the Bahia  Palace, a marvelous display of painted wood, ceramics and symmetrical gardens. Proceed to Saadian Tombs followed by a walk through the old Medina. Head to a local restaurant for your farewell dinner. Back to the hotel and overnight.

Day 10: Marrakech departure

End your grand Moroccan journey today bidding farewell to Morocco. Your vehicle and driver will transfer you to Marrakech airport for your flight back home.

PROPERTIES

PRICES PER PERSON 

From $2,399 per person based on double occupancy