Imperial cities of Morocco

( 5 Star )

Visit: Casablanca – Rabat-Fez-Meknes – Volubilis -Marrakech

Itinerary
Inclusion / Exclusion
Dates Pricing

At your arrival in Casablanca airport, our Representative will be meeting you for a welcome and transfer to Rabat, the Royal and administrative capital of Morocco, the first of the Imperial cities that you will discover. Overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel. Today you will drive to Fez after the visit of the capital of Morocco Rabat and itsmonuments. Start from the Mohammed V mausoleum, a rich decorated monument madeof white marble where you see the tombs of the last two kings of Morocco, many consider this as the most beautiful monument in the whole country and officials should visit it as apart of the protocol. Visit the museum of antiquities exhibiting objects discovered duringexcavations of pre-historic, Punic, Roman and Islamic sites. Your guide will lead you to therich “bronze room” where you will admire the roman statues discovered in different architectural sites in the country. End your visit in the medieval fort of Chellah garden.In the mid afternoon, you will leave the coast side and drive inland towards the city of fezacross the rich western plains of Morocco

After breakfast,Fes is the oldest royal city in Morocco. Founded in the 9th century, it is said to be the most complete medieval city of the Arab world as it has preserved all its medieval aspects and way of life. Start your day with a tour of the ramparts for a generous introduction to the history and the culture of the city.Fez will stimulate all your senses as you go for your guided tour inside Fes el Bali (old Fes) across food and spicemarkets, handicraft quarters, auction markets and colouful Souks. Visit the medieval children’s schools andmeet the school teacher and the pupils, enter artisan workshops and discover the secrets of their ancestral arts, visit the public bakeries and pastry makers in the residential quarters and see their historical fountains,mosques and sanctuaries. The highlight of your morning visit will be inside the 14th century Medersa (theological school) for its mostintricate architecture, and around the karaouine mosque which was once the oldest university in the world, founded in 857 ad. by a lady from Fez.In the afternoon visit to Royal palace of the late 19th century where the king Hassan I lived. This palace is nowa museum of Fez traditional arts.Continue to Fez El Jedid (new Fez) for a stroll in the Jewish quarter where you will be able to visit a 17th centurysynagogue and have some time in the jewellery market. Overnight stay.

After breakfast leave Fez and drive towards Meknes, another imperial city enclosed in the triplethickness of its walls and bastions. Meknes was built by a powerful King who made it his capital in 1672and wanted it to be as spectacular as the royal cities in Europe. You will be taken for a sightseeingtour that will include a visit to the famous granaries and stables of the 17th century, the mausoleum ofthe King and the main square before you stop at Bab el Mansour, an impressive gate that served asthe main entrance to the royal quarter and immortalized in a famous painting by Delacroix. From hereyou can take some free time to explore the traditional food market where delicious Moroccanpastries mix with olive stalls and piles of different spices. In the afternoon you will drive to the Roman Ruins of Volubilis, the most amazing and interestingarchaeological site in Morocco where a specialist guide will give you a comprehensive tour of thisantique city. Overnight stay

After breakfast After an early breakfast in your hotel, leave Fez and head south drive crossing the cultivated andfertile valley of Saiss up to Imouzzer de kandar with its nearby gorgeous lake ‘Dait Aoua’ and on toIfrane, a charming ski resort, and Azrou, a typical Berber town with its flat roofed earth houses. The road goes through magnificent cedar, pine and oak forests. This particularly varied itinerary fromnorth to south offers a diversity of impressions through the Middle Atlas Mountains where nomadshepherds live in black tents and move with their herds of goats and sheep across these mountains inthe hot season down to the desert land areas in the winter.Many stops will be made along this itinerary for pictures, breaks or lunch. As soon as you start seeingthe first palm trees of the oasis in the outskirts of Marrakech, you will know that you are not anymorefar from the red city of Morocco. Overnight Stay.

After breakfast this morning we will go for a tour of Marrakech which is considered as one of Morocco’s most cosmopolitan cities and boasts a spectacular location surrounded byfarmlands and snow capped mountains including the highest peak in North Africa rising at 14,000 ft. As we start our visit thismorning we will discover an exciting blend of modern architecture and an ancient walled medina. We will first stand by theKoutoubia Mosque with its 282 ft minaret, an architectural landmark dating back to the late 12th century. We will then enter the Kasbah from Bab Agnaou gate to visit the historical and beautifully ornate Saadian necropolis of the 16th century. Our walk through the 12th century Kasbah and its food market, bakeries and narrow alleyways will lead us to the Badii palace builtin the 16th century. Here we will admire the marvelous pulpit of the Koutoubia mosque made in 1137 in the city of Cordoba bythe best cabinet making artisans of that time. We will continue to the 19th century Bahia palace and discover the intricatework done by the local artisans to decorate this splendid home built by a powerful Vizir for his Harem. We will end our exploration with a stroll inside the Jewish quarter and visit the historical synagogue built in 1492 by Sephardic Jews expelledfrom Spain. After a break for lunch we will be guided through the “Hidden sides of Marrakech” where we will admire the architectural beauty of Medersa Ben Youssef, a medieval theological school dating back to the 16th century as well the oldest building inthe city called the Koubba of the Almoravids, a dynasty who ruled in the 12th century. From there we will start exploringartisan quarters and the colourful Souks to interact with the real life of Marrakech people. Before sunset we will be strolling inthe square of which the city is so famed, Jemaa El Fna, where hundreds of locals and tourists come to spend the end of theday watching jugglers, dancers, fortune tellers, story tellers and traditional musicians. You may wish to stay here for dinner either on the square where you may sample street foods from simple kebabs to the mostbizarre recipes, or sit comfortably in one of the good restaurants around the square for a nice dinner before you return to your hotel. Overnight stay

After breakfast, this morning we will be going for a morning tour of the gardens and museums of Marrakechstarting at Dar Si Said museum (closed on Tuesdays) to discover this aristocratic home of the 19th century. Next we will visit the private museum of Birt Flint, a Dutch anthropologist who displays in this beautiful Moorishhome his collection of Berber and sub Saharan artifacts. Most of the time this morning will be spent in thefamous garden created by the orientalist Jacques Majorelle. The gardens house a collection of plants fromthe four corners of the earth flourishing among elegant ornamental lakes and an Art Deco villa of which thespecial shade of bold cobalt blue is named after the artist, the Majorelle blue. The garden hosts more than15 bird species that are endemic to North Africa and has an amazing collection of cacti. Since 1980 thegarden has been owned by Yves Saint-Laurent. The visit of the Berber museum displaying Yves Saint Laurent’spersonal collection of Berber antiques will make us learn some fascinating facts about the Berbers ofMorocco and admire this marvelous treasure. As we return to our hotel, the rest of our day will be at leisure torest, explore the artisan quarters of the city.Overnight stay

After breakfast your tour leader will assure our transfer and assistance to the airport for the return flight.

Inclusion

07 Nights Accommodations at hotels as shown or similar / with daily Breakfast A/C Private deluxe Transport at disposal High qualified English Speaking Guide throughout Entrance fees to monuments throughout the program Meals as mentioned in the itinerary VIP Fast Track at the airport (arrival & departure flights) Water in the car during the Tour All Local taxes.

Exclusion

International / Domestic Airfare Optional activities Meals, drinks, tips and other personal expenses or services not specified on the program Personal equipment Travel insurance Gratuities Voluntary tips for guides or drivers Travel and medical insurance Personal expenses Certain meals not included please refer to Inclusions

Note

Optionals on request at additional costs. These are starting from fares subject to revision at the time of booking Hotels La Tour Hassan or Similar Palais Faraj or Similar Villa Des Orangers