The Magical Morocco Tour

( 5 Star )

Visit: Marrakesh - Skoura - Merzouga - Fez - Chefchaouen - Casablanca - Atlas Mountains

Itinerary
Inclusion / Exclusion
Dates Pricing

As we arrive at the airport we will be met and greeted by our representative who assists us and assures our transfer to our hotel or Riad. Overnight.

Marrakech is considered as one of Morocco’s most cosmopolitan cities and boasts a spectacular location surrounded by farmlands and snow capped mountains including the highest peak in North Africa rising at 14,000 ft. As we start our visit this morning we will discover an exciting blend of modern architecture and an ancient walled medina. We will first stand by the Koutoubia 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 built in the 16th century. Here we will admire the marvelous pulpit of the Koutoubia mosque made in 1137 in the city of Cordoba by the best cabinet making artisans of that time. We will continue to the 19th century Bahia palace and discover the intricate work 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 expelled from Spain. After a break for lunch we will be guided through artisan quarters and the colourful Souks to interact with the real life of Marrakech people. Before sunset we will be strolling in the square of which the city is so famed, Jemaa El Fna, where hundreds of locals and tourists come to spend the end of the day 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 most bizarre recipes, or sit comfortably in one of the good restaurants around the square for a nice dinner before you return to your hotel. Overnight.

A cooking class usually starts with a comprehensive introduction that highlights the importance of cooking in Moroccan society, and reviews the variety of recipes created by Dadas (traditional female cooks) over the centuries for special occasions such as marriages, holy days, and family festivals. We then proceed to an overview of the most traditional recipes such variety of tajines (stews usually made with lamb or chicken), while reviewing some of the basic pillars of Moroccan cuisine; a ‘spices and herbs’, technique of cooking. Then visit a nearby spice market and communal bread oven, where neighborhood families bake their bread. Overnight.

After breakfast, follow the old tribal pass over the Atlas Mountains that bore the traffic of the old Caravan route. On our way we stop to visit Ait Benhaddou along the fabulous Ounila valley. Often used today by enchanted film-makers, this fortified village is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a walk up to the old village and visit some of the Berber families still living there. Here you will discover one of the most beautiful pages of the Berber architecture that the UNESCO is trying to preserve. The beauty of the whole area has attracted many film producers who made here over the last few years films such as Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, Babel. Continue to Skoura. Overnight.

In the morning we leave the Oasis of Skoura behind and head East through the beautiful Valley du Dades. This valley is known as both the “Valley of Roses” and the “Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs”. Then you will stop off for a visit to the spectacular ‘Todra Gorge’. The ‘Todra Gorge’ is clearly among the most dramatic sights you can see in Morocco. Continue the journey across the semi Saharan plains to reach your final destination, the Great Saharan Dunes of Erg Chebbi. Here you will enjoy a memorable experience in a Luxury desert Bivouac. The Sahara is a great desert area in North Africa that extends from the Atlantic Ocean eastward past the Red Sea to Iraq. The entire desert, the largest in the world, is about 1600 km wide and about 5000 km long from east to west. Here you will ride camels over the impressive dunes and watch a magnificent sunset before dinner in your private desert camp. Overnight the Desert Camp Breakfast and Dinner.

Driving north through the amazing oases of the Ziz valley. This is one of the longest canyons in the south of Morocco along which the desert caravans used to go for an easy and safe passage to the northern part of the country. We will pass through the French Foreign Legion outpost of Errachidia then on to Midelt, renowned for its minerals and fossils where we stop for an optional lunch. In the afternoon we will resume our drive up the Middle Atlas mountain range and the unexpected cedar forest where some trees are several hundred years old. We may see the Barbary apes who have always used this area as their habitat. We will make a break at the alpine resort of Ifrane for refreshments and a stroll before the final leg of the journey to Fez, situated between the Atlas and the Rif Mountains. Overnight.

The old city of Fez is said to be the most complete medieval city in the Arab world and has preserved its medieval aspects and way of life. This walking tour will stimulate all our senses as we go for a guided tour inside Fez el Bali (old Fez) across food and spice stalls, handicraft quarters, auction squares and colorful stores. We will see the local communal bakeries and have a look into children’s pre-schools, enter artisan workshops and discover the secrets of their ancestral arts and walk by many historical fountains, mosques and sanctuaries. After a break in Nejjarine square to visit the museum of Fez carpentering and cabinet making we will meet the traditional agave silk weavers, visit the famous leather tanneries, coppersmiths and dyers to learn more about their traditional art. Fez is the spiritual and artistic capital of Morocco which we discover in detail as we walk into the amazing 14th century Medersa (theological school) and see the intricacy of the work done over hundreds of years or look through the gates of al-Qarawiyyin mosque which is the oldest university in history of humanity founded in 857and was in the middle ages the cultural link between the Middle east and Europe. Overnight

This morning we will go for a drive across a beautiful countryside to the archaeological site of Volubilis, the largest of the Roman colonies established in Morocco between the 1st and the 2nd centuries AD. We will be guided for a comprehensive walking tour of this World Heritage site of which the excavated ruins are particularly noted for their amazing colorful mosaics. We will discover some remains of Roman monuments such as the Basilica, the Temple and the Arch of Triumph. Meknes served as the capital of Morocco in the 17th century for the Sultan Moulay Ismail. This king had a reputation of a ruthless warrior but he was also a builder as during his 55-year reign, he developed Meknes from a small town into a majestic capital with gigantic ramparts, monumental gates, palaces and more than 15 miles of exterior walls. Our local guide will take us for a tour of the city’s highlights such as the impressive granaries and stables built by the Sultan for his cavalry, the Mausoleum of the King located inside a beautifully built mosque, the monumental gate of Bab El Mansour a part of which has been immortalized by the French painter Delacroix in 1832. We will take some time to explore the square of El Hedim with its different activities and food market. Optional break for lunch. In the Afternoon . The drive takes us to the delightful town of Chefchaouen which perches at 2000 meters above sea level, in the Rif Mountains. We will be negotiating small hills and agricultural fertile plains where farmers till grain cereals and some fruit trees including oranges, figs. Overnight.

Chefchaouen is famous by the Blue lime-washed houses, busy squares, steep alleyways, and the best way to discover this holy town is to wander around it taking in the atmosphere. Cut into the sides of two mountains, Chefchaouen is a city with blue and white lime-washed houses. A powerful charm that you really can feel in the Outa-el-Hammam square, in the cobblestone medina. Sat on the terrace of a cafe, you can enjoy the attractive view of the grand Tarik-Ben-Ziad mosque whose octagonal minaret is inspired by that of the Torre de Oro in Seville. This Andalousian architecture can be found in the Kasbah and its gardens, at the centre of the medina. Its walls and its 11 crenulated towers, of which one used to be a dungeon, house an interesting ethnographic museum. In the small museum in the Kasbah can be found collections of embroideries and coloured and varied pieces of clothing like those worn by the region's women. The famous Djellaba, this long and ample garment worn by the men and women of North Africa, was created here. The welcome and great hospitality provided by its inhabitants can be experienced during a visit to craftsman's workshop. Over and above its weaving, Chefchaouen is renowned for its basket-making and its pottery. Overnight.

After a late breakfast, Leave Chefchaouen and head to the Economic city of Morocco Casablanca via high way; the journey trip lasts for almost 5 hours (driving time). The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight.

After Breakfast, we will visit the Hassan II mosque. This is the most impressive architectural achievement in Morocco over the last few generations and it reflects the beauty and the intricacy of Moroccan traditional arts. After this rich introduction to Morocco, we will continue through the 1930’s streets and boulevards built during the French protectorate and where we can still see a lot of art deco architecture. We may stop to visit the church of Casablanca and the amazing stained glass work accomplished here by a French artisan, Mr. Gabriel LOIRE, in the mid fifties. Afternoon transfer to the Atlas Mountains. Overnight.

Today you will have a day with the Locals of the Atlas Mountains. The round-trip through lush Ourika Valley and dramatic Atlas landscapes by luxurious SUV will be your only non-Berber experience on this eye-opening, hands-on adventure. Bake bread and prepare tagine in the kitchen of a village family and get to know them better over a pot of traditional mint tea – made by you! The conversation should also start to flow, with a little help from your guide! While lunch is simmering, get your hands stuck into wet clay in a ceramics workshop. Later, try your hand at weaving a colourful kilim with the local women behind their prized ancestral looms, and walk the farm terraces to see the sweated labour that goes into ancient irrigation and subsistence farming methods. Overnight.

After breakfast, your tour leader will assist you with your transfer to the airport for an easy check in and formalities.

Inclusion

- 12 Nights accommodation at hotels as shown above or similar
- A/C Private deluxe car Vito or Via at Disposal
- High qualified English Speaking guide throughout
- All Visits and activities as per the itinerary
- Entrance Fees to The Monuments
- 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 expense

Note

Option 1: Premium Accommodation
Accommodation:
Day 01 - 04: Marrakech - Riad Kniza Deluxe Room - Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 04 – 05: Skoura Ksar - El Kabbaba Superior Room - Half Board (Room with Breakfast and Dinner)
Day 05 - 06: Merzouga - Luxury Desert Camp - Private Tent Half Board (Room with Breakfast and Dinner)
Day 06 – 08: Fez - Riad Myra - Standard Room Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 08 – 10: Chefchaouen - Riad Lina - Junior Suite Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 10 - 11: Casablanca - Novotel - Standard Room Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 11 – 13: Atlas Mountains - Kasbah Bab Ourika - Deluxe Room Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)

Option 2: Standard Accommodation
Accommodation:
Day 01 - 04: Marrakech - Riad Ilayka Superior Room - Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 04 – 05: Skoura Ksar - El Kabbaba Superior Room - Half Board (Room with Breakfast and Dinner)
Day 05 - 06: Merzouga - Luxury Desert Camp - Private Tent Half Board (Room with Breakfast and Dinner)
Day 06 – 08: Fez - Riad Salama - Standard Room Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 08 – 10: Chefchaouen - Riad Lina - Junior Suite Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 10 - 11: Casablanca - Novotel - Standard Room Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)
Day 11 – 13: Atlas Mountains - Kasbah Bab Ourika - Superior Room Bed and Breakfast (Room with Breakfast)

Meals:
All Breakfasts
Day 03: Marrakech La Maison Arabe Cooking Class & Lunch
Day 04: Skoura Ksar El Kabbaba Dinner
Day 05: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp Dinner
Day 12: Atlas Mountains Local Family Lunch

Optionals on requests at an additional cost.

These are starting from fares subject to revision at the time of booking.