Itinerary:

​DAY 1: October 5, 2024 Flight to Morocco (airfare not included) 

Casablanca, Morocco, is the International Airport when flying from the USA. There are direct flights from New York and Montreal on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operated by Royal Air Maroc. If you fly any other way, you will have to change flights in Europe, with about 30 choices of airports, having direct connections to Casablanca. The airfare is not included. Your return flight will be from Casablanca. 

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DAY 2: October 6, 2024: Casablanca / Rabat - D1 

Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival at Casablanca Airport, you will be met by your driver/guide with a sign with your name,  and embark on a tour of the city, passing through Art Deco and Neo-Moorish architecture on the wide avenues, with a short stop to admire the majestic Hassan II mosque, and other attractions. Then you will on your way to Rabat, Morocco's Capital.  

Dinner with the group. Overnight in Rabat.

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DAY 3: October 7, 2024: Rabat/Meknès/Volubilis/Fes - B1-L1-D2 -

After breakfast, a morning tour in Rabat will include the Kasbah of the Oudayas, the Royal Palace within the walls of the Mechouar, The Hassan Tower, and the city’s invariable symbol, magnificently situated on the crest of a hill, the Mohammed V Mausoleum.

After lunch with the group, we will drive to the Imperial City of Meknes, the Versailles of Morocco, after which we will visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis,  and after to continue to Fes.

Lunch and dinner with the group. ​Overnight in Fez -

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DAY 4: October 8, 2024: Fes  - B2-L2-D3

After breakfast, take a step back the Middle Ages with a visit to Fes El Bali, the world's largest living medieval medina, and the cultural heart of Morocco. Explore some of the 9,000 narrow lanes, alleys, and souks, that make up the labyrinth of the city's old quarter.

The Medieval Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fes was a renowned center of medieval learning, and at its heart lays the Karaouine, which, according to Guinness World Records, as well as UNESCO, is the oldest continuously operating, degree-granting university in the world. Interestingly, though students at the university must be both Muslim and male to attend, the original establishment was founded in 859 by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri. Al-Fihri migrated with her family from the Tunisian city of Kairouan (the namesake of the mosque and university) to Fes, Morocco.

She proceeded to spend all of her family inheritance, on constructing a mosque for her community, with an associated school, known as a madrasa.  In the neighboring building, is the Attarine Medersa (Koranic college), a jewel of Hispano-Moorish architecture, built in the 14th century. Continue to Nejjarine Square, whose centerpiece is a beautiful fountain, made up of mosaics and elaborate tile-work, considered to be the finest examples of geometric ornamentation in the city. The nearby Fondouq (Caravanserai) has now been converted into a museum of carpentry artifacts.

The leather produced in Fes is renowned worldwide, and the manufacturing methods remain the same today, as in medieval times. During your visit to the tanneries, learn about the different methods that are used to process the skins of goats, and cows, to prepare them for the beautiful leather goods seen at the markets.

 

Next on your itinerary is Dar Batha and the Museum of Moroccan Arts, which houses historical and artistic collections of wood carvings, embroidery, tribal carpets, and ceramics.

 

Then, it is on to Fes El Jedid (New Fes), built by the Merinid Dynasty, in the 13th century. Admire the Royal Palace, mosques, madrasas (schools), souks, and the city wall. Most notably, Fes El Jedid is home to the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, which provides an interesting insight into Jewish architecture.

 

Visit a pottery factory to discover how the beautiful zellij tiles are made. These tiles are fantastic examples of Arabo- Andalusian décor and are also used in the manufacture of famous tagines.

Dinner on your own. Night in Fes

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Day 5: October 9, 2024: Fes-to Erfoud - B3-L3-D4           

On your journey to the small, sun-drenched Erfoud, we will be passing through Berber villages, sprawling date palm plantations,

and the awe-inspiring Atlas Mountains.

A stop on the way for lunch in Midelt. 

Then we continue to Erfoud, for the night. Lunch and dinner with the group.

 

Day 6: October 10, 2024r: Erfoud to Merzouga - B4-L4-D5                            Drive deep in the Sahara Desert. Climb aboard a four-wheel-drive vehicle and traverse the spectacular reddish-hued dunes, creating an otherworldly landscape. Afterwards, switch to a more traditional mode of transport: a graceful camel, to ride to a nomadic tented camp.

Enjoy a refreshing mint tea and pastries in the camp's reception,

before taking in the beauty of the setting sun over the desert.

Later, dinner on a traditional meal by campfire and be entertained with unique Moroccan music and stories. Finally, drift off to sleep to the tranquil sounds of the desert. Lunch and dinner with the group.

 

Day 7: October 11, 2024: Merzouga to Ouarzazate -B5-L5-D6                Today you will travel overland to Skoura, which was once a stopping point for African traders, en route to the cities of Morocco and Europe. Pass by the Todra Gorges and marvel at the impressive cliff faces. Continue by road through the southern slopes of the High Atlas range, following the Dades Valley, as you pass by flourishing crops, irrigation canals, and palm trees. Following the Thousand Kasbahs route, see the breathtaking vistas of impressive hundred-year-old Kasbahs nestled in lush palm groves.

Along the way, make a stop at a small, but fascinating, private museum in a Ksar near Tingherir, which hosts exhibits showcasing local art, culture, and history.

Overnight in  Ouarzazate- Lunch and dinner with the group.

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DAY 8: October 12, 2024: Ouarzazate/ Marrakesh  - B6-L6-D67

In the morning on our way to Marrakech, we stop to look at the movie studios of Ouazazate. Then on to Kasbah Tourirt, the old Glaoui Palace we head off towards Ait ben-Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Southern Morocco's most interesting and scenic villages. Then as we begin our descent from the High Atlas mountains we pass through typical villages with fortified walls and stone houses with earthen roofs. In Tichka, we traverse the Pass of the Pastures (alt 7,415 feet), where life is much as it was centuries ago…arriving in Marrakesh late afternoon. You will be transferred to your hotel where you will be given time to settle in and freshen up.

In the evening take an orientation tour with your driver/guide, also witness the carnivalesque public square Djemaa el-Fna come alive at sunset, before going to dinner with the group.

Overnight in Marrakesh - Lunch and dinner with the group

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Day 9: October 13, 2024: Marrakesh - B7-L7

After breakfast, a sightseeing tour of this beautiful city includes:

16th-century Saadian Tombs, the Museum of Moroccan Arts, the famous Koutoubia Minaret, and the magnificent Bahia Palace. After lunch, we continue to Djemaa-el-Fna Square, the heart of Marrakesh.

Overnight in Marrakesh. Lunch with the group - Dinner on your own

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Day 10: October 14, 2024: Marrakesh - B8-L8

Today we will visit Marrakesh's famous garden:

• Majorelle Garden

The Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh is one of the most visited sites in Morocco. It took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) forty years of passion and dedication to create this enchanting garden in the heart of the “Ochre City”. Located in the heart of Gueliz, it is within the Imperial city of Marrakesh. It is one of the most delightful and stunning spots within this red-walled city. To arrive at this meticulously designed botanical garden you must pass through Marrakesh's medina filled with acres of olive groves and palms. His studio is painted blue, a specific hue, developed by Majorelle. It is known

today as Majorelle Blue. Jacques Majorelle returned to France in 1962 after a car accident and died later that year of complications from his injuries.

​The garden was to be demolished to leave room for a complex of hotels and shops. Luckily, it was bought by Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, who kept the garden as it was, and transformed the studio into a small, but exquisite museum dedicated to the arts of the Berbers, the original population of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, before the 7th Century Arabic invasions. They prefer to be called Imazighen or Amazigh.

Afternoon free at leisure, or going with Jean to discover, the newly opened Yves-Saint-Laurent Museum, and a small museum with interesting artifacts telling us more about the Amazigh of Morocco.

Overnight in Marrakesh. Lunch with the group - Diner on your own

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DAY 11: October 15, 2024: Marrrakech /Essaouira - B9-L9-D8

After breakfast, departure to Essaouira the most charming and attractive coastal town, with art galleries, wood workshops, and colorful fishing boats, all enclosed by ancient red walls.

Essaouira is the city that mystically fascinates artists, authors, and musicians from all over the world, The city faces a group of rocky islands and is surrounded by a stretch of sandy beaches and dunes.  

Overnight in Essaouira. Lunch and dinner with the group.

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DAY 12:  October 16, 2024: Essaouira - B10-L10

We will continue to visit the attractive coastal town with the "castle" after the Jimi Hendrix song "Castles in the Sand." Everything in the small center is easy to walk and the streets are very clean, and it melts into the sea on a beach just on the outside of its old gate. Many tourists are attracted by the wind, good for surfing, which brings windsurfers from all over the world.

You will have time to go on your own if you want to experience, this artist town.

Overnight in Essaouira. Lunch with the group. Diner on your own 

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DAY13: October 17, 2024: Essaouira / El Jadida / Casablanca

- B11-L11-D9

After breakfast, we depart to Casablanca. We will follow the road that parallels the Atlantic Coast. We will make a stop at Safi, a city that was Portuguese and later the residence of the French Consul in Morocco. Today it is a fishing port and a city known for its ceramics. Continuing on the Coastal Road and its splendid sights, there will be another stop in the city of Oualidia for lunch. Then we will have a short visit to the town of El Jadida, known as Mazagan, the medieval city occupied by the Portuguese in 1506, a  World Heritage UNESCO Site since 2004. Then on to Casablanca.

Overnight in Casablanca. Lunch & Farewell dinner with the Group

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DAY 14: October 18, 2024: Casablanca Airport (B12)

Breakfast at the hotel. You will be driven to the airport.