Welcome to Morocco! Your tour will start at the hotel in Rabat (details provided upon booking). You can arrive any time, as today will be a day of leisure to recover from your travels and prepare for the journey ahead. For those that arrive prior to 2 PM, there will be an excursion to visit the monuments most important monuments. This evening you will meet in the lobby at 6:45 PM from which you will head to a welcome dinner to get to know your fellow travelers and to get all of your questions answered about the journey to come.

Airport transfers can be arranged by request and are complementary from Casablanca. Transfers from airport in Marrakech can be arranged for an additional fee.

Meals: Dinner
Overnight: Rabat
Accommodations: Hotel des Oudaias (or similar)

This morning after breakfast you enjoy a tour of the current capital city of Morocco, Rabat. Your visit will include all of the important sites such as Hassan Tower, Mohammed V Mausoleum, and Kasbah of the Udayas. After you tour, you will continue to the Blue city of Chefchaouen. You’ll arrive here by mid afternoon and have time to explore this magical small city before returning to your riad for the evening.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Chefchaouen
Accommodations: Riad Hicham (or similar)

Today you will have the whole day free to explore this magical city and discover why it is called Morocco’s Blue Pearl. Optionally, you can head to nearby Akchour River for a hike to the waterfall, Cascade d’Akchour.  The hike to the big waterfall is a somewhat challenging 10 miles round trip, but there are several smaller waterfalls along the way, so you can do as much or as little of the trail as you’d like.  If you choose to hike, you’ll return to Chefchaouen by early afternoon and have the rest of the evening free to explore on your own.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Chefchaouen
Accommodations: Riad Hicham (or similar)

After breakfast, you will depart Chefchaouen and head south towards Fes. On the way, you will stop to visit the ruins of the Roman outpost of Volubilis. Before the Romans came, Volubilis was an Amazigh city known as Oulili (pronounced wa-lee-lee) which dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century and subsequently further damaged by Moulay Ismail’s architects (who used pieces to build the gates of the city of Meknes), it is still “an exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire”, according to the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The city was reclaimed by the local Amazigh tribes around 235 AD and it was near here in the 8th Century that Idriss I established the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Morocco.

After a guided tour of Volubilis, you will head to the lessor known imperial city of Meknes. Your visit will begin by entering the old medina through the interesting gate of Bab Mansour, which incorporates marble pillars that were moved from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Once inside the medina, you will visit the tomb of Sultan Moulay Ismail. It was under this eccentric ruler’s reign from 1672 to 1727 that Meknes served its time as the capital of Morocco. Next you will visit the impressive Agdal reservoir and Heri es-Souani, a former granary and stable that lay alongside the reservoir and which once housed 12,000 horses.

After exploring Meknes, you’ll make the short drive to Fes where you will stop for the night. Dinner will be served at your riad tonight.

Important Note: The majority of the monuments in Meknes are currently under extensive restoration for the foreseeable future, so the tour here may be skipped or very limited.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Fes
Accommodations: Riad al Makan (or similar)

Today after breakfast, your local guide will meet you at your riad for a guided tour of the city. To start your tour, you will first go to the Royal Palce and then walked through the old Mellah (Jewish Quartier) of the city. From here, you will head to one of the Borj (towers) and get a panoramic view of the entire medina. Next, you’ll head to a mosaic house where you will have a demonstration of the traditional pottery methods utilized by Fassi artisans – you’ll see every step of the process from the formation of the clay to the piecing together of the mosaics. After this, the tour will take you into the medina of Fes where you will discover the ancient streets and neighborhoods, visit the various artisan sections (including the tanneries), and the important historic monuments (including the tomb of Idriss II and the Al-Qarawaiyin University – the oldest continually operated university in the world). Your tour will end after lunch at which time you’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to explore the medina. Don’t worry if you get lost – that is all part of the experience.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Fes
Accommodations: Riad al Makan (or similar)

Today after breakfast, you will make your way to the desert. Your first stop of the day will be in the Alpine-like city of Ifrane. Known as “Little Switzerland”, this garden city is different from anywhere else in Morocco. Even the local cafe has a more European feel with delicious deserts and coffee. After a brief stop here, you will continue through the Middle Atlas mountains to Azrou and through the largest cedar forest in all of Africa – home to the Atlas Monkeys (aka Barbary Apes). These demanding little guys will likely expect you to pay a toll in peanuts before allowing you to continue to the high plains between the Middle and High Atlas mountains where you will stop for the night. After your welcome tea, you stretch your legs by heading to the adjacent ecological park before heading back to your accommodations for dinner. Bonus: This accommodations has a full bar, so don’t be surprised if you find a bit of a party here!

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Midelt
Accommodations: Ksar Timnay (or similar)

After breakfast, you will continue your journey to Merzouga and the great sand sea of the Sahara, Erg Chebbi. You’ll arrive in time to do a little exploration of desert region and with a little time to relax and unwind from the day’s driving. Just before sunset, you will climb aboard your camel and trek through the dunes to your Berber camp for the night. Once there you will watch the sunset and the stars come out. Dinner will be served and traditional music will be played while you lounge around the campfire gazing at the stars. When you are ready, you can retire to your tent for the night… or, if you wish, you can sleep under the stars.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Merzouga
Accommodations: Merzouga Dunes Luxury Camp (or similar)

This morning, you will want to wake early so that you can watch the sun rise over the dunes.  After watching the sunrise, breakfast will be served at camp and you’ll have time to shower and prepare for your day before taking to your camels on more time to trek back to the edge of the dunes and transfer back to your more conventional transportation. From here, you’ll head to the breathtaking Dades Gorge.  Along the way, you’ll stop to search for fossils and visit the ancient irrigation system that once brought water to the desert from the distant Saghro Mountains.  After this, you’ll head to the oasis town of Tinghir where you will have a guided walk of the palmeraie and Mellah (old Jewish area). Next, you’ll visit nearby Todgha Gorge where you will walk through the most impressive part of the canyon.  After this, you’ll head to the beautiful Dades Valley to your accommodations for the night.  Dinner will be served here.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Boumalne Dades
Accommodations: Chez Ichou (or similar)

This morning after breakfast, you’ll make the short drive to the “next valley over” to the heart of the Valley of Roses.  On the way, you can visit a local market and then go to the home of a local family where you can help to prepare lunch (or just relax) and then join the family for a traditional couscous lunch.  After lunch (and a little relaxation), you can explore a little more of the Valley either by car or by foot before heading back to your hotel in time for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Boumalne Dades
Accommodations: Chez Ichou (or similar)

Following breakfast, you will make your way back to Marrakech traveling on the Road of 1000 Kasbahs. You’ll take a slightly different route and stop along the way to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou located just outside of Ouarzazate. If this impressive ksar looks familiar, it is because it has starred (or at least made an appearance) in many movies and TV shows including Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile, and Game of Thrones. After exploring and having lunch, you will travel over the High Atlas mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass. You’ll arrive to your riad in Marrakech by late afternoon/early evening. Once you’ve checked into your accommodations, you’ll be free to explore on your own.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Marrakech
Accommodations: Riad Nesma (or similar)

After breakfast, your local city guide will meet you at your riad and show you all around Marrakech. Your tour will include visits to Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and Koutoubia Mosque. After you’ve visited these monuments, your guide will escort you to the souks of Marrakech where you’ll have a chance to visit the various artisans and to learn about their crafts. Your tour will end by mid-afternoon and you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore on your own.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Marrakech
Accommodations: Riad Nesma (or similar)

Today after breakfast, you will travel to the walled city of Essaouira, also known as Mogador from the Portuguese word meaning “wall”. Archeological evidence shows that this area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but the city as it is now was designed in the 18th century by the French engineer, Thédore Cornut. On the way to Essaouira, you will see groves of Argan trees from which Morocco’s liquid gold (argan oil) is produced with the unique help of local goats. You will arrive to the coastal city at around lunch time – just in time to make your way to the shore for a seafood lunch of freshly caught fish. Afterwards, you will have the afternoon free to discover this beautiful city.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Essaouira
Accommodations: Maison du Sud (or similar)

After two weeks of sampling Moroccan cuisine, you may wish to know how to recreate it when the craving hits after you return home. Well, today is your chance to learn! After a relaxing morning, you’ll meet your cooking guru and head to the souk to shop like a Moroccan. After you have gathered all of the fresh ingredients that you’ll need, you will head to her home for a step by step hands-on cooking class. Once you have created your last Moroccan feast, you’ll sit down as a group for one last meal together. After the cooking class, you’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to do some last minute shopping and prepare for your departure. Don’t forget to catch the best show in town – the sun setting behind the ramparts to the sound of the street musicians!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Essaouira
Accommodations: Maison du Sud (or similar)

This morning after breakfast, you will transfer to the Casablanca airport for your departing flights. Once there you’ll bid your tour manager au revoir until your next trip to Morocco.

ETA to Casablanca Mohamed V Airport is 1 PM; be sure to book your departing flight in the late afternoon to allow time to check in and get through security and immigration. Transfers can be arranged to Marrakech Airport for an additional fee.

Meals: Breakfast