Welcome to Morocco! The tour will meet at noon at the Casablanca Mohamed V International Airport.  From here, you will head directly to the Hassan II Mosque for a guided tour of this awe-inspiring edifice.  After visiting the mosque, you’ll make your way up the coast to the current capital city of Morocco, Rabat.  Once we check into our accommodations, you’ll have a little time to rest and then you will head to a local restaurant that specializes in Rabati cuisine for a welcome dinner.  Tonight will be an early night to give you a chance to recover from your journeys. Additional airport transfers can be arranged by request for an additional fee.  If you choose to arrive a day early, we will pick you up from your Casablanca hotel accommodations. 

After breakfast, you will enjoy a tour of the important monuments of Rabat, including Kasbah of the Udayas, the Royal Palace, Hassan Tower, and Mohammed V Mausoleum.  After your visit here, you will head to the lessor known imperial city of Meknes. As a contemporary of Louis XIV, Sultan Moulay Ismail built Meknes to rival Versailles and this city reflects the oddities of this eccentric ruler.  Your visit will begin by entering the old medina through the striking gate of Bab Mansour, which incorporates marble pillars that were taken from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Once you enter the gate, you’ll visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the dismal underground Prison de Kara. From here,you will visit the impressive Agdal reservoir which brings to mind the Grand Canal of Versailles, followed by Heri es-Souani, a former granary and royal stable that once housed over 12,000 royal horses. After your visit, you will end you day with a special dinner and enjoy a private performance of local Malhon musicians.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, you will have a later start – you can use the extra time to explore on your own or get a little extra sleep so that you’ll be ready to enjoy a later night at the music festival.  From Meknes, you travel to the once sacred city of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun where you will lunch “like the locals”: fresh meat and locally source vegetables grilled to order.  After eating, you’ll take a peak through the gateway towards the tomb of Moulay Idriss I, the founder of the first dynasty of Morocco and credited with spreading Islam throughout the Maghreb (what is now Morocco). This important and sacred mausoleum is the site of pilgrimages for those who cannot afford to make the journey to Mecca.  After this, you make the short drive to the Roman ruins 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 (see above), 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, but later abandoned when Moulay Idriss I established the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Morocco on a nearby hill, the city that is now named after him. After your guided tour here, you will make the short drive to Fes, where you will check into your riad and then attend the Sacred Music Festival.

This morning after breakfast, you’ll have a guided tour of this beautiful imperial city.  You’ll start with a visit to the Royal Palace where you will learn about Fes’s rich history.  From there, you’ll take a walk in the Jewish quarter of the city before heading to the Borj (city tower) where you will get a panoramic view of the city.  Next, you will head to a local mosaic house, where you will have a demonstration of the traditional pottery methods still used by artisans today.  After the visit here, you’ll be taken to the edge of the medina where you will continue your tour on foot. You will enter into the medina of Fes through Bab Boujloud (the Blue Gate), where you will discover the ancient streets and neighborhoods, as well as Al-Qarawaiyin University. Founded in 864 AD and still in operation today, it holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest continually operated university in the world.  Of course, no medina tour is complete without visiting some of the local artisans to see the ancient techniques still employed today.  During the tour, you’ll stop for lunch at Restaurant Najarine located in the center of the medina, where you will sample a variety of traditional Fesi dishes.  After the tour, you’ll have some free time to discover more of the city on your own before attending another night of the Sacred Music Festival. 

Today after breakfast, you will make your way to the desert. You’ll travel through the Middle Atlas Mountains through Azrou and through the largest cedar forest in all of Africa. This is also home to the Atlas Monkeys (aka Barbary Apes) that are always entertaining. After visiting the monkeys, and a picnic lunch in the cedar forest, you’ll continue to Midelt located in the high plains between the Middle and the High Atlas Mountains.  You’ll check into your hotel for the night and enjoy a traditional welcome of Mint Tea.  After tea, you’ll have the option to join a light hike in a nearby ecological park to stretch you legs.  Dinner tonight will be served at the hotel and it will consist of freshly caught local trout from the volcanic lakes in the region.  Bonus: This accommodation also has alcohol available for purchase.  Dinner will be followed by dancing to Atlas music performed by local musicians.

After breakfast, you’ll travel over the High Atlas Mountains directly to the city of Rissani – the last city of any size before reaching the dunes of the Sahara.  For lunch today,  you’ll sample the local specialty, medfouna.  Also known as Berber pizza, this dish is the Moroccan take on an Italian calzone.  After lunch, you’ll head to a village comprised of Gnaoua musicians, Khamlia, where you will be served tea and treated to a private concert.  After listening to this spiritual music and learning about its sub-saharan routes, you’ll head to a hotel on the edge of the giant dunes where you will be able to refresh yourself with a dip before climbing aboard your camel and trek through the dunes to your Berber camp for the night. Once there, you can climb the nearest dune to watch the sun set and the stars come out. Dinner will be served at camp followed by more traditional music while you relax and stargaze.  When you are ready, you can retire to your tent for the night… or, if you wish, you can sleep under the gazillion stars of the Sahara.

This morning you will be awoken by your camel guide before dawn so that you can witness the breathtaking beauty of the Saharan sunrise. Afterwards, you will take your camels back to the kasbah on the edge of the dunes where breakfast will be served. You will also be given a room where you can shower and prepare for your day. After breakfast and showers, you will start the journey towards Marrakech. On the way, you’ll stop to visit the ancient irrigation system that once brought water all the way from the Saghro Mountains to the desert. Next, you will head to the town of Tinghir. where you will have a guided walk of the oasis palmeraie before heading to nearby Todgha Gorge. You’ll have another opportunity to stretch your legs once again as you walk through the most impressive part of the gorge. From here you will make the short drive to the Dades Valley to your auberge for the night.  This auberge is one of our favorites for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is the food.  Made with locally sourced organic ingredients, this is Moroccan food the way mom makes it.  Delicious and plentiful, you may want them to save the leftovers for breakfast!

Today, you will have a choice of a leisurely morning and breakfast, or go for a light hike in the valley.  After your morning hike (or morning of leisure), you will spend the rest of the day living like the locals.  You’ll head to one of the local markets to acquire ingredients for lunch and then head to a local family’s home.  Once there, you can participate in the lunch preparations or just relax and visit with the family before enjoying a traditional lunch of couscous.  After lunch and a little rest, you will have the opportunity to experience a traditional Hammam OR discover a little of the nearby town center.  In the late afternoon, you will return back to your hotel for another delicious dinner.  After dinner, you’ll have another private concert of local musicians and you’ll be invited to join in the fun participated in Ahidous – the tribal music and dance of the region.

After breakfast, you will take the road of 1000 Kasbahs on your way to the city of Ouarzazate (pronounced: Wor-za-zet, also known as the Hollywood of Morocco). After passing through Ouarzazate you will make the short drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou. You’ll have a chance to explore this impressive ksar, before traveling over the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka path, reaching an altitude of nearly 7500 feet above sea level. There will be plenty of stops for tea and photographs as you take in the breathtaking vistas before arriving in the evening to Marrakech.  Upon your arrival in Marrakech, you’ll check into your riad and then head to nearby Jemaa El F’na (located less than a minute’s walk away) where you can dine at one of the many food stalls that pop up just as the sun sets and which offer everything from chicken brochettes to brains of sheep. If you are an adventurous foodie, this is the place to be! When you’ve had your fill, literally, you can head back to your riad for the night.

After breakfast, you will meet your local city guide who will show you all around Marrakech. Your tour will include visits to the old Ben Youssef Madrasa, El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and the beautiful Koutoubia Mosque. After you’ve visited these monuments, your guide will escort you to the souks of Marrakech to see how artisans still use traditional methods for their handicrafts today. After your tour, you will be free to explore on your own.  Marrakech has a vibrant international restaurant scene, so it is a perfect place to have a meal at an upscale restaurant of your choice — and since you will have been eating like a Moroccan for 9 days straight, you may be ready for some non-Moroccan food.  Amnay can offer some suggestions and/or help you with reservations as needed!

You’ll have another late start today.  Before departing “crazy” Marrakech, you’ll head to the home Madame Nawal for lunch.  Madame Nawal is a sought after chef of traditional Moroccan cuisine and today she will prepare for you one of the specialties of Marrakech: Rfissa. After enjoying this special lunch, you say good-bye to Madame Nawal and Marrakech and head for the coast to the tranquility of Essaouira. This laid-back beach city is the perfect place to end your trip and to help you unwind and get in an “Essaouira” state of mind, you’ll make a stop at a local winery for a tasting.  The wine will be accompanied by small plates of French cuisine to hold you over until dinner.  After the wine tasting, you travel through the groves of Argan trees where you just might see some goats snacking on one of their favorite foods. You’ll also stop at one of the local Argan oil cooperative to see how Morocco’s “liquid gold” is produced with their help.  Argan oil used both cosmetically and for cooking, so you’ll also have a chance to sample this nutty oil at the cooperative. After this, you’ll finish up the day’s drive at your accommodations in Essaouira. You’ll have some free time to explore this cool medina and grab a bite to eat before attending the Gnaoua World Music Festival later in the evening.

Today, you’ll have the morning on your own and just before lunch time you’ll head to another local women’s cooperative where you’ll learn to make a traditional Moroccan meal using the specialty of the region: Argan Oil.  This cooking class will include everything from start to finish including shopping at the local market for your fresh ingredients to eating your creation!  After your class, you’ll have free time to continue to explore Essaouira.  Don’t miss the sunsetting over the ramparts!  The soundtrack to this nightly event is provided by street musicians and adds to the party-like ambience of this great city.  After the sunset the party will continue with another night of the Gnaoua Music Festival.

This morning, you’ll have an early breakfast and then make your way back to the airport in Casablanca.  The estimated arrival time is 12 PM, so make sure your flight departs after 3 PM (to allow time to check in and get through security).  At the airport, you’ll say bon voyage to Amnay and Morocco until your next visit!

Transfers to Marrakech can be arranged upon request for an additional fee.