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The
Grand Tour of Morocco
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 the
hotel. After that, you will tour the city of Casablanca
including the gateway to the royal palace, the new town, and the
Mahkama de Pasha'law court. You will also tour the suburb of Anfa,
scene the famous Casablanca Conference between Roosevelt and Churchill
in 1943, then drive along the Corniche of Ain diab to the city hall and
the old Medina to visit the second biggest Mosque in the world' The
Hassan II Mosque'.
Day 3:
After breakfast, you will continue to Rabat where you will visit 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, visiting the Hassan Tower with its
Mausoleum and see the beautiful Chella Gardens which houses a famous
historical ruin in Morocco. The Chella Gardens are also home
to many interesting bird species. The city tour will be with an
official English speaking guide who will take to visit the Old Town
(Ancienne Medina) and the Mellah (old Jewish Quarter) .
Day 4:
Depart for Fes. The road to Fes takes us along a beautiful
stretch of farmlands where olives, grain, vegetables and grapes are
grown. Before arriving to Fes you will visit Meknes and Volubilis.
Volubilis is the sight of the famous Roman ruins left from the Roman
Empire's most southern outpost. Meknes is the site of the
first Arab dynasty created by Moulay Ismail and has the Medersa Bou
Inania and the Bab Mansour, the Gateway to Moulay Ismail
Palace. This leads us into the Heri es-Souani, the horses
stable and granaries. Upstairs is a rooftop garden and cafe
with a great view of the city. Arrive into Fes, check into
the hotel.
Day 5:
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 6:
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 7: 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 8: You
will rise early to see the beautiful sunrise, have a traditional nomad
breakfast and pack your gear to ride the camels back to the
Landrover. You will travel 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 drive back to Tinghir and check into
the hotel.
Day 9:
After breakfast, you continue to Ouarzazate via the "Road of One
Thousand Kasbahs" which crosses the Roses and Dades Valleys you will
stop for lunch in The beautiful Dades Gorge. After lunch, you will
arrive into Ouarzazate and check into the hotel.
Day
10:
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
11:
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 UNESCO 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
12:
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
13:
After breakfast, you will continue to Essaouria through the
forest of the unique Argane oil trees. Arriving to this little romantic
city that was originally settled by the Portuguese, you will visit the
Mellah, which is the originally Jewish quarter of the town.
Enjoy the seafood and the ambiance of this special city. Your
hotel will be on the beach.
Day
14:
After breakfast, you will return to Marrakech. The rest of
the day will be free to explore the rest of this exotic city walking
through the souk. Tonight you will enjoy a traditional
Moroccan dinner and the Arabian Fantasia show at Chez Ali.
Day
15: 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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