Enchanting Morocco

Day 01: Marrakech

Arrival in Marrakech Airport.  After passing through customs and collecting your luggage, you will be met by our qualified English-Speaking driver to transfer to your Hotel.  Check-in and overnight at your hotel.

Day 02: Marrakech.

After breakfast at your hotel,  enjoy a whole day tour around the red city Marrakech, the “pearl of the south’’ founded by the Almoravides Dynasty at the end of the 12 Century.  Discover the Koutoubia Mosque, dating back to late 12th century and standing on almost the same spot as an older mosque. Koutoubia Mosque is one of the main symbols of Marrakesh. Although non-Muslim visitors are not allowed inside the grand mosque, the main point of interest lies outside: the soaring minaret. Built from red sandstone, the minaret is one of the best examples of architecture from the Almohad period. Continue to  The Bahia Palace, an ornate former royal palace that showcases glorious traditional designs. Colorful tiles cover floors and walls, monumental fountains add to the air of elegance, and graceful arches lead from one area to another. You will also see exquisite wood and plaster work.  The Palace is entered via a horseshoe-arch doorway from the main street, beyond which a long garden path leads to the palace. A minor courtyard leads into the Small Riad, a square courtyard garden divided by walkways along its two central axes and surrounded by richly decorated galleries and chambers.  Next visit  El Badi Palace, also frequently translated as the “Incomparable Palace” or Badi’ Palace, it is a ruined palace.  It was commissioned by the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the Saadian dynasty a few months after his accession in 1578, with construction and embellishment continuing throughout most of his reign.   Continue to the Saadiens Tombs,  a large complex of lavish mausoleums and tombs. The tombs contain the remains of royalty and those held in high regard by the sultan, the site dates back to the 1550s.  Optional: lunch at local restaurant. Discover the souks and the medina.  The main souk stretches out in the center of the medina, from the north of the famous Jemaa el-Fna square to the Ben Youssef Medersa. The central aisles that cross the souks are reserved for sales stalls originally supplied by artisans who work in the adjacent alleys.  Local traders and artisans make and sell their traditional Moroccan crafts: jewelry, vases, teapots, lanterns, cauldrons, trays, rugs, leather, body care, clothing, fabrics, fabrics, pottery, perfumes, food, Moroccan pastry , spices ….  Overnight at your Hotel.  (BB)

Day 03: Ouarzazate–Tinghir–Erfoud – Merzouga.

This morning travel to Ouarzazate via the TizinTichka Pass of the Atlas Mountains.  Your first stop will be at Ouarzazate, built as a garrison and administrative center by the French. Today it serves as the Hollywood of Morocco, the center of the country’s film industry. The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, Babel, Gladiator and many other biblical motion pictures were filmed in this region.  Despite the activity of the filming, the town itself is dusty and basically serves as a central point to make excursions to the surrounding areas.  Continue to the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, the most spectacular fortress in the south of Morocco, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Ait ben haddou kasbah served as a decor for filming international movies as well as a major economic and cultural crossroad since ancient times.  It is a striking example of the architecture of the traditional Moroccan South. The village appears as a set of buildings of earth surrounded with bulwarks, the ksar, which is a type of pre-Saharan traditional housing environment. Houses group together inside its defensive walls strengthened by tours of angle. Optional: lunch at local restaurant.  Another stop is the quaint Kalaat MGouna, a city in Tinghir Province, Dra-Tafilalt, Morocco. This afternoon you reach Erfoud, in the southern Ziz Valley, one of the last palmed oasis on the rim of the Sahara. Erfoud is the home to some of the most beautiful scenery in Morocco with ancient Berber Fortress’ set in palm groves as far as the eye can see.  Here you will switch to a 4WD vehicle to traverse the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi which were featured in the film Lawrence of Arabia. On arrival at your luxury Camp, you would be greeted in a big nomadic tent (made with camel hair). On the ground: Camels will be waiting for you to experience an unforgettable ride. The camels will carry you through sand dunes and spectacular scenery.  Enjoy a traditional Bedouin dinner before a magical guided-tour to admire the  of a star-studded sky.  Dinner & Overnight at the camp.  (BB, D)

Day 04: Merzouga – Erfoud – Midelt – Ifran -Fes

Early in the morning, walk among the majestic dunes and witness to witness the unique sunrise; admire and watch the pink disc of the sun appearing over the gigantic dunes.  After breakfast at your camp,  depart to Fes via Midelt.  It  is famous for its Handicraft Art, especially the Berber carpets and “Hanbel”. The drive winds through the resort city of Azrou with its Swiss style chalets and native handicraft markets, past cedar forests and broad plains.  Optional: lunch at local restaurant.  The next stop will be at Ifrane, gateway to the Atlas Mountains, an area of Kasbahs and Castles and an important mining center. Ifrane is a very surprising little town that will appeal to mountain lovers. Located at an altitude of 1,650 m and 50 km from Fez, it is nicknamed “little Switzerland” with its air of a Swiss village. Luxury chalets and western town planning make it an atypical destination in the Moroccan landscape.  Continue to Fes.  Check-in and overnight at your hotel. (BB)

Day 05: Fes.

Begin the day with a city tour of Fes.  Fes founded in the 8th century, is arguably Morocco’s most fascinating city. This metropolis, sited in a valley, was Morocco’s first capital, and is today the kingdom’s intellectual, religious and cultural center.  The university here is one of the oldest in the world, and the city’s handicrafts are admirable (look for handmade items like rugs, fabrics, ceramics, leather goods, as well as copper, brass, and silver pieces). Fes street life in the medina may be the most memorable you’ll ever experience.  The souks in the medina are an open-air department store, with the spice shops next to the   carpet sellers, across from the fishmonger. This is the hub of  Moroccan life, filled with vitality.   Natives of Fes are known as “Fassi”, and have a reputation within Morocco as being excellent businessmen. Generally speaking their origins are divided into 4 distinct categories: descendants of the Moors of Spain, Arab Moslems, Berbers from the High Atlas or the South, and the Islamized Jews, who came here generations ago to take refuge from persecution in their home countries and subsequently converted to Islam. Sightseeing includes the monuments and historical sites of the ancient medina, a walking tour to the Karaouine Mosque and the University. You will visit the Attarine Medersas constructed in the early 14th century by the Merinides At the center of the square stands the Nejjarine Fountain, which is completely decorated with tiles. They are considered to be the finest examples of geometric ornamentation in the city. In back is the Nejjarine Museum, dedicated to the extraordinary woodwork. In the afternoon visit the various markets of the souks and the tanneries with time for shopping.  Overnight at your Hotel.  (BB)

Day 06: Fes – Volubilis – Rabat – Casablanca

Departure to Casablanca via the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis.  During the period between 45-285 AD the city reached its peak of prosperity as the capital of the province of Mauretania Tingitania, but had in actuality been in existence centuries before the first Roman proconsul arrived. (Entrance fee included).  From this tranquil site you can view the Holy City of MoulayI driss – a national pilgrimage site. The town holds the tomb of MoulayIdriss – “el Akhbar” (the Great) – the great grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, and the founder of Islam in Morocco.  When he escaped Arabia and came to Volubilis in 787 with his loyal slave Rashid, he was accepted as the 6th Caliph. Unfortunately, he was poisoned by his enemies in 792, and in his stead, Rashid ruled as regent until he too was poisoned in 807. Subsequently Moulay Idriss II, assumed rule at the age of 15, and reigned for many years. His tomb as well is in Moulay Idriss. The tombs were rediscovered in the 15th century and became a focus of pilgrimages from the Islamic world.  Continue to Rabat for a city tour of Imperial “garden city”.  The well-planned city consists of broad tree-lined avenues, a landscaped central park, and impressive quarters for the foreign embassies and ministries. See the Kasbah of the Oudayas, located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river opposite Salé. The edifice was built in the 12th century during the reign of the Almohad Caliphate (AD 1121-1269). When the Almohads had captured Rabat and destroyed the kasbah of the Almoravid dynasty in the town, they began reconstructing it in AH 544 / AD 1150. They added a palace and a mosque and named it al-Mahdiyya, after their ancestor al-Mahdi Ibn Tumart. After the death of Yaqub al-Mansur (AH 595 / AD 1199), the kasbah was deserted.  Optional:  Lunch at local restaurant.  Continue to Casablanca and start a panoramic tour of Casablanca.  This city is the chief port, the financial, commercial and manufacturing center of the country. A modern city with office buildings and big-city traffic, it will not remind you of the eponymous film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman!  The population has grown from approximately 20,000 in the early 1900s to more than four million today (including the suburbs), and is the largest city in Africa. Drive along the wide boulevards, United Nations Square, the residential area of Anfa and Ain Diab.  Visit of the great Mosque of Hassan II (Outside). Situated on the edge of the Atlantic in the easternmost point of Morocco, the mosque is truly an architectural masterpiece. Designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau, begun in 1980 and completed in 1993, the mosque is the second largest religious edifice in the world (after Mecca) and has the tallest minaret at 689 feet.  It can accommodate 25,000 worshippers inside, and an additional 80,000 in the courtyard perimeter.  Built on reclaimed land, almost half the surface lies over the Atlantic. King Hassan II was inspired by a verse of the Koran which states “the throne of God was built upon the water”.  Although traditional in design and decoration, the mosque also has some very modern features such as an area of glass floor so that when the worshippers kneel above it, they can view the sea below.   Overnight at the hotel.  (BB)

Day 07: Departure

Transfer to Casablanca International Airport approximately 30 minute drive for your departure flight.  (BB)

This is a sample itinerary which can be further customized to suit your preference. Prices will be quoted upon request according to the date of travel and the number of passengers in your vehicle.