Discovering Morocco’s Treasures

Greetings from Morocco! When you arrive at the airport in Marrakech, we will greet you and take you to the hotel. After that, if you come early, you can spend your afternoon individually exploring Marrakech or unwinding by the hotel pool. At 6:00 p.m., we will have a welcoming meeting with the tour guide where you will get to know your fellow passengers. We will conduct the introductions again tomorrow morning if you are running late and cannot make it to the meeting. The hotel is providing dinner tonight.

We will go to Casablanca, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean's coast, from Marrakech this morning (about 3.5hrs). There's an optional lunch stop at the Hassan II Mosque after arriving. With a 210-meter-tall minaret, this mosque is the biggest in Morocco and the only one that we are aware of that welcomes non-Muslim visitors. This visit is highly recommended due to its amazing position with the sea waves crashing against it. Please take note that during Ramadan, entry to the mosque is prohibited. Following that, you'll have some free time to explore the city center on your own. At 6 p.m., we'll meet for supper and to meet other travelers who are joining the tour in Casablanca.

Rabat, the Moroccan capital, is where we are going to start today. Rabat, which is strategically situated on the Atlantic coast, was founded in the third century BC, and we will visit the Oudaia Kasbah, which is located in the oldest area of the city. We will also be able to see the Royal Palace and Hassan's Tower, Rabat's most well-known monument.
The Berber-walled Imperial City of Meknes, formerly the capital of Morocco, is the next destination. There are numerous exquisite gardens and elaborate entrances within the 40-meter-tall ramparts. The UNESCO-listed Roman site of Volubilis, which was established in AD 40, is the destination of our last excursion of the day. With numerous striking remains, this is Morocco's largest ancient site. We take a little drive to Fes to cap off our day.

At more than 1,200 years old, Fes is renowned for its bustling Medina and is regarded by many as the largest and oldest medieval city in the world. With 400,000 residents, this city is a heady blend of sights, sounds, and scents. It is filled with souks, mosques, and small, winding lanes. We'll have plenty of time to spend visiting the Medina, taking in the magnificent palaces and mosques (which are off-limits to non-Muslims) as well as the wide variety of handicrafts available for purchase. Hurts.
Along with the well-known dye pits and tanneries of Fes, our guided trip will also feature a traditional Moroccan pharmacy and pottery. We'll finally get back to our hotel to unwind following a strenuous day of sightseeing and strolling. You can enjoy a traditional supper inside the city this evening together with live Moroccan entertainment, such as belly dancers, musicians, and magicians.

As we go into the Atlas Mountains and toward the massive Erg Chebbi dunes on the border of the Sahara Desert, this will be a long driving day but one filled with breathtaking beauty. In the summer, we'll try to locate a place along the route for a leisurely swim. We will journey into the massive dunes of the Sahara Desert just before nightfall after leaving the highlands and arriving at Merzouga. After that, we'll head back to a real Berber camp near the edge of the desert, where we'll spend the evening with some local cuisine and music before hoping having a clear night to spend beneath the Saharan stars.

Reluctantly, we'll depart from the arid dunes this morning and continue to the striking Todra Gorge. During your free time this afternoon, you can try rock climbing in the gorge, which is well-liked by rock climbers due to its 1,000-foot high vertical cliffs encircling the base of the canyon. You can also stroll around the Palmerie neighborhood or go on a hike down the Gorge to see how the sun sets on the cliffs' shifting hues. Today, we will also go to a well-liked Berber cooperative where you can view and purchase genuine Berber hand-crafted carpets, kilims, and rugs that are created locally.

This morning we head out of the gorge and onto the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, which takes us past Ouarzazate and into Ait Benhaddou. Today, there are a number of choices available, such as an optional visit of the renowned film studios located just outside of Ouarzazate or a quad bike excursion across the desert dunes with the Atlas Mountains in the distance. These have contributed to the making of countless well-known films and television shows, such as The Living Daylights, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Man Who Would Be King, Gladiator, The Mummy, Asterix & Obelisk, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun, Legionnaire, Hanna, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, in addition to a portion of the Game of Thrones television series.
Our guided tour to Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the main event of the day. Ait Benhaddou, a fortified city or ksar (a collection of earthen dwellings encircled by high walls), is perched on a hill close to the Ouarzazate River. It is home to several excellent examples of classic Kasbahs and clay-built homes that are crammed together on the hillside that is shielded by the defensive walls. The fortified granary at the top of the hill, which offers stunning views over the surrounding valley and the high mountains we'll be crossing tomorrow, is where we'll wind our way up via the winding streets.

Today is another gorgeous morning drive as we ascend and traverse the High Atlas mountains, making a stop at the 2,260-meter-high Tizi N'tichka Pass, the highest pass in North Africa. For several months of the year, snow covers the nearby peaks, providing breathtaking views.
Your afternoon is free after you get to Marrakech, or you can schedule an optional guided tour of the city with our guide. The Koutoubia Tower, Marrakech's most famous structure, will be included on the tour. It is reported that the sultan who constructed the Giralda Tower in Seville and the Tower of Hassan in Rabat had his architect's eyes removed to stop him from ever constructing a more exquisite tower somewhere. Naturally, our tour will also include a visit to Marrakech's UNESCO-listed medina, which is brimming with shops selling crafts, spices, and just about anything else you can imagine. We will conclude our tour at the Djemaa-el-Fna, the well-known, expansive open space in Marrakech. At night, this comes to life with throngs of street food vendors, performers, and locals setting up shop for the evening. You can spend the remainder of the afternoon lounging by the hotel pool, taking in more of the markets, or shopping for mementos before we get together for our last group dinner of the evening. After that, you might want to return to the square for one last thrilling experience of Moroccan culture.

After breakfast today, your Moroccan trip with us comes to a close, and you have free time until your departure. You can extend your stay in Marrakech if you'd like to spend more time seeing the city, or our tour or the hotel can assist you in making the quick taxi ride to the airport.