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11
DAY IMPERIAL CITIES & THE SOUTH
Day 1:
Depart from JFK New York airport on Royal Air Maroc for your overnight
flight to Casablanca.
Day 2: Upon
arrival at Mohamed VI airport in Casablanca, our staff will meet you,
assist you with customs and then escort you to your hotel in
Rabat. Check into the hotel, have lunch and rest. In Rabat
you will visit the HassanTower,the MohamedVI Mausoleum, the Oudaya
Kasbah,which is the "heart of the military history" of Morocco. The
kasbah is named after a Bedouin tribe that came into Morocco in the
13th century. We continue our tour to see the beautiful
Chella Gardens which houses a famous historical ruin in
Morocco. The Chella Gardens are also home to many
interesting bird species.
Day 3:
After breakfast, you will continue to Meknes this road takes you along
a beautiful stretch of farmlands where olives, grain, vegetables and
grapes are grown. Arriving to Meknes where you will visit the most
decorated gate of the kingdom, Bab Mansour, the old town of Lahdim and
the Royal palace surrounding areas. After that you will drive
through the stately groves of olive oil trees to the most sacred town
of the country of Morocco, where the first man who brought Islam to the
country is buried. You will explore the Roman ruins of Volubilis, and
enjoy some time in this interesting example of the Roman occupation in
Morocco. Arrival into Fes. Check into the Hotel.
Day 4:
After breakfast you will begin your visit of "the oldest living medina
in the world" with an official tour guide. You will tour the medina
with its "souks" (markets) stopping at the gateway of the
Royal Palace, the 9th-century Karouine Mosque and University.
You will visit the tomb of the city founder, Moulay Idris II.
Lunch will be at one of the traditional restaurants in the old
medina. After lunch you will continue to explore the Najarine
Fountain, the gateway of the Bab Boujloud, the old harem gardens and
the Batha Museum. On the way back to the hotel, we will stop
to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
Day 5:
Depart to Erfoud across the cedar forest in the Atlas Mountains,
stopping at the mountains villages of Ifrane and Azrou to see this
beautiful area that the French once built their vacation homes
in. Along the way we will see the Berber monkeys who live and
frolic in this area. Before descending to the Ziz Valley, we
will stop for lunch in Midelt.
You will arrive in Erfoud by the sunset and check
into the hotel Kasbah Asma, which is situated in the middle of the
Tafilalet Valley.
Day
6: The
morning will be free for rest, enjoying the swimming pool and have time
to get ready for the Sahara Desert Adventure. After lunch you will
visit the little town of Erfoud which is famous for its authentic
fossils, as well as the fossil factories which produce many beautiful
and unusual handcrafted items. You will continue through the
"hammada" to get to the highest dunes of Merzouga, where you will meet
our Bedouin nomad camel team members and exchange your Landrover for
Camels. After 2-1/2 hours riding, you will arrive at our camp
in an oasis. Enjoy a Saharan dinner around the campfire and the Sahara
drumming with the Bedouins. You will be mesmerized by the
desert night sky with its unclouded view of the stellar constellations.
Day 7:
After breakfast, you will drive across the desert landscape and see
many fortified villages in the magnificent palm gardens of the Ziz
Valley. Arrive in to Tinghir, you will stop for lunch in the
heart of the spectacular Todra Gorge, with its huge, breathtaking red
cliffs. It is a paradise for mountain climbing.
After lunch, take a small hike through the canyons and explore the
area. In the afternoon, you will continue to Ouarzazate via the "Road
of One Thousand Kasbahs" which crosses the Roses and Dades Valleys.
Arriving to Ouarzazate and check into the hotel.
Day 8:
After breakfast you will visit the old part of the town, where you will
see the beautiful Kasbah of Taourirte and have lunch at the Kasbah
Restaurant. In the afternoon you will drive to the oasis of
Fint where you will meet with village chief. He will bring
you to his home to drink Moroccan tea. Within this oasis
there are 50 families that still live there. They were
originally coming with their caravans of camels from Mali across the
Sahara desert and decided to stay in this "small paradise on earth" as
they call it. You will be surprised by the way they live and
you will learn about the first people who arrived in North Africa. They
will let you take pictures, visit all the houses, and they will teach
you how to make Moroccan tea.
Day 9:
Depart for Marrakech, you will drive through one of the highest passes
in the country, the Tizi-n-Tishka, which is 2260 meters at the top. On
the way, you will see the traditional Berber farmers using the terraced
style of planting on the mountain sides. You will visit the
famous Ksar of Ait ben Hadou, which has been declared the site of a
UNISCO project for restoration of its ancient architecture. It also
serves as the setting for many movies such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and
"the Jewell of the Nile". Arriving to Marrakech you will
check into the Hotel.
Day
10:
There is much to see in this great city which Winston Churchill called
"the most beautiful place in the world at sunset". You will visit the
Koutoubia Mosque and its Minaret, the hidden tombs of the Saadian
dynasty, the Menara Gardens and Pavilion, the Bahia Palace, the ben
Youssef Medrassa and chapel of el-Baaiyn. Entering into the
souk you will see some of the age old art guilds at work.
Finally, you end up in the famous place "Djemaa-el-Fna" with its circus
atmosphere of itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers,
soothsayers, snakecharmers, medicine men and public scribes.
Day
11: You
will wake up early in order to have breakfast and depart for the Menara
Airport where you bid farewell to Morocco. Departure with
Royal air Maroc to New York via Casablanca.
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