Timeless Morocco
- Sightseeing in Casablanca and Rabat
- Overnight in Chefchaouen, the blue city
- Meknes and the archaeological site of Volubilis
- Walking tour of the Medina of Fes
- A visit to Yves St. Laurent’s Majorelle Gardens
- Visit to Aït Ben Haddou
- Overnight in the Sahara Desert with a sunset camel ride
- High-quality hotel, riad and kasbah-style accommodation
Overview
Morocco. Just hearing the name evokes vibrant images of an ancient culture, romantic Moorish architecture, delicately spiced North African cuisine and wildly desolate landscapes.
Our tour starts in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco and a place where old meets new. From here we head to Rabat where our exploration includes the Royal Palace, ancient ruins of Chellah, and the Oudaya Kasbah.
Romantic Chefchaouen, with its bright blue buildings, is next on our programme. In Meknes the monumental Bab Mansour gate with its priceless mosaics and lavish tile inscriptions will steal your breath. In Fez, our knowledgeable guide will lead the way as we walk through the maze of alleyways in the bustling Old Quarter with its souks and tanneries. A visit to Nejjarine Square with its elaborate mosaic tile fountain is a highlight.
There is so much to discover in the colourful chaos that is Marrakesh! Journey through narrow streets lined with fruit stalls, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets, leatherworks and ceramics. Bargaining for treasures at the sprawling medina, with its endless maze of souks is an art as old as time. We learn to cook a traditional tagine and visit Yves St. Laurent’s Majorelle Gardens. Boasting over 300 plant species from five continents, this is another highlight of the tour.
We travel back in time in Aït Ben Haddou, and no visit to Morocco is complete without spending a night in the world’s largest desert, the Sahara. The quietude and space are indescribable, the night sky boundless with skies so crisp and clear that the stars seem close enough to touch. A sunset camel ride over its rolling dunes will be imprinted in your memory forever.
Experience Morocco the way you always dreamed of on this 12-day tour from 26 October 2024 to 06 November 2024.
Itinerary
Day 1: CASABLANCA ARRIVAL
Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival at the Casablanca International Airport, we will be welcomed and transferred to our hotel for check in.
Tonight, we enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel.
O/N at the Hotel Idou Anfa or similar including a Welcome Dinner.
DAY 2: CASABLANCA – RABAT
After breakfast, we enjoy a tour of Casablanca including architectural treasures of the city such as Hassan II Mosque, Parc de La Ligue Arabe, Place Mohammed V, Place des Nations Unies, Habous Quarter and The Royal Palace exterior.
Later, we drive to Rabat where we will check in at our hotel and enjoy dinner.
O/N at the ONOMO Hotel or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 3: RABAT
After breakfast, we set off on our Rabat city tour. The exploration of Rabat begins at the exterior of the Dar al-Makhzen Palace, the residence of Morocco's King. Then on to the Mohammed V Mausoleum, built in traditional Moroccan style, dedicated to the founder of modern Morocco. Observe the minaret of the Great Mosque and the towering 12th-century red sandstone Hassan Tower. Afterward, we visit the National Museum of Ornaments. King Mohamed VI has gifted more than 3 500 pieces of Berber jewellery from his own collection to the museum. Caftans and other pieces of traditional costumes are also on display.
There will be some time to stroll along the lanes of the Andalusian gardens, designed by the French during the colonial period.
The rest of the day is at leisure.
O/N at the ONOMO Hotel or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 4: RABAT – CHEFCHAOUEN
After breakfast, we drive to Chefchaouen. Nestled high in the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen is famous for its buildings washed in bright shades of blue – this is undeniably one of the world’s prettiest cities.
We arrive in time for lunch. This afternoon we enjoy a sightseeing tour of the medina. We explore its winding alleyways, cobbled plazas and unique doorways and find out what makes the city so alluring.
O/N at Dar Ba Sidi or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 5: CHEFCHAOUEN – MEKNES – FEZ
Breakfast and check out. Today we will drive to Fez, passing through Meknes to view the many treasures within its walls. The first one can be admired even before we enter the imperial city: Bab Mansour. We also visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.
From here we continue to the Archaeological Site of Volubilis and then onto Fez for check in and overnight.
O/N at the Barcelo Fes or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 6: FEZ
After breakfast, we will meet our guide for an in-depth guided walking tour of Fes.
We will explore the walled city, stopping at ancient mosques, beautiful madrasas, and colourful souks to shop for unique Moroccan souvenirs. On your own, it’s easy to get lost in the complex maze of streets that make up the Fes medina. But on this tour, we’ll navigate the narrow, winding alleyways with a knowledgeable local guide who will enlighten us on all the historic sites along the way.
We’ll visit the top Islamic sites of Fes, including Bou Inania Madrasa, which dates to the 13th century, and view the courtyard of the beautiful Kairaouine Mosque and University from the outside. Other points of interest along our route include Boujloud Square and the Nejjarine Fountain with its elaborate mosaic. Another highlight of this walking tour is Zaouia of Moulay Idriss II, the tomb of the founder of Fes and the palace exterior.
Our tour takes us to Place Lalla Eydouna, where old fondouks have been renovated and where now we can see all the craftsmen at work – weaving, pottery and ceramics, leather, caftans and more… all the traditional crafts of Fes. We’ll also have a chance to see the Chouara Tannery, packed with round stone vessels filled with colourful leather dyes. It promises to be an unforgettable day!
O/N at the Barcelo Fes or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 7: FEZ – MIDELT – ERFOUD - MERZOUGA
Today is a long day of driving. We will travel towards Morocco's Middle Atlas Mountains via Ifran, a Moroccan ski resort. Midmorning, we cross the 6,000-foot pass and continue west toward the great Sahara. Next, we travel through the village of Midelt where we will stop for a light lunch.
As we approach Erfoud, panoramic views of the remarkable Ziz Gorges and vast valleys surround you. From Erfoud we travel in 4x4 vehicles to the Merzouga Dunes and our Berber camp.
We'll have the opportunity to enjoy a short camel ride at sunset and then end the day with dinner around the campfire and enjoy the night under the stars.
O/N at the Sahara Stars Camp or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 8: MERZOUGA - DADES VALLEY - OUARZAZATE
After breakfast, leave the camp and make your way to the oasis of Tinghir and the Todra Gorge, a deep ravine carved by the Todra River over millennia.
Continue to Ouarzazate via the road of the thousand kasbahs and the Dades Valley where roses bloom in profusion in the springtime. The locals make good use of the prolific flowers by producing rose water here which is used in Yves Saint Laurent’s perfume called Paris.
Our hotel for the night, Dar Chamaa, is situated in the Ouarzazate Palm Grove with spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains.
O/N at Riad Dar Chamaa or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 9: OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU – MARRAKECH
After breakfast, we take time to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou, a ksar - or fortified city - along a former caravan route, enjoying its desert-dusted Kasbahs and maze-like warrens.
From here we make our way to the city of Marrakesh.
O/N at the Riad Dar Sara or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 10: MARRAKECH
Enjoy breakfast. Today we will discover historic and exotic Marrakesh. Our tour begins at Majorelle Gardens and Museum, a botanical marvel set in the heart of Marrakesh with over 300 plant species from five continents.
Next, we visit Koutoubia, a 12th-century Mosque and minaret, still topped with four copper globes. Bahia Palace, where 360 rooms were once adorned with Italian marble and Sudanese gold, is another highlight of our day, as is the richly decorated tombs of the Saadi Dynasty.
In the afternoon we will visit the souks and the famous Djemaa El Fna square, known for its dazzling display of acrobats, story tellers, and snake charmers. Informal tastings will offer nice moments to discover the secrets of Moroccan spices, olive oil, argan oil, and other local products…
O/N at the Riad Dar Sara or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 11: MARRAKECH
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning. Later, we head to the Morocco Museum of Culinary Art to attend a Food Tour and Cooking Class in this exceptional Riad. Learn how to successfully prepare traditional Moroccan dishes from a local chef. It is sure to be an experience for all our senses.
This evening we enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a very special restaurant.
O/N at the Riad Dar Sara or similar including breakfast, light lunch, and dinner.
DAY 12: MARRAKECH – CASABLANCA – DEPARTURE
Sadly, our tour of Morocco has come to an end. After an early breakfast and check out, we drive back to Casablanca to be in time for our afternoon departure flight back to South Africa.
Meals: Breakfast.
END OF TOUR
Dates
26 October 2024 – 06 November 2024
Rates
LAND PACKAGE COST
Per person sharing: EUR 2,880 (± R 59,040)
Single Supplement: EUR 610 (± R 12,505)
Average rate of exchange used EUR 1.00 / ZAR 20.50 for rand price indicated. Please use as a guideline only – final cost subject to rate of exchange at the time of confirmation and payment. Flights excluded.
Included
- Meet and greet upon arrival.
- Services of a qualified English-speaking local driver-guide throughout the tour.
- Services of an additional specialist local step-on guide in cities or monuments in Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fes, and Marrakech.
- All transport in a luxury air-conditioned motorcoach.
- 11 nights’ accommodation in four-star hotels and riads as specified, including in overnight spent in a luxury tented Sahara Desert camp.
- 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 11 dinners.
- All sightseeing and excursions as specified.
- Sunset camel ride in the Sahara Desert.
- Porter fees in hotels and riads and tips to waiters for dinners.
- A bottle of mineral water every day, per person.
- All current applicable tourism taxes.
Excluded
- All international flights and airport taxes (quoted and booked separately).
- Visa Fees
- Driver, guide and local escort gratuities.
- Drinks and meals not specified.
- Telephone bill, laundry and any items of a personal nature.
- Comprehensive travel insurance.
- Any items not specified.
FLIGHTS
International flights between Johannesburg / Cape Town and Casablanca. Approximate total flight cost per person including airport taxes: start from R 18 000 per person.
Flight costs are an estimate only and can only be confirmed on day of booking as it is subject to airport tax fluctuations.
NOTES
- This tour requires a minimum of 10 guests to offer it at the quoted price.
- Maximum tour size is 14 guests.
- South African Nationals require a visa to enter Morocco. Passports must be valid at least 6 months after travel date, with sufficient blank pages.
- Prices for flights, airport taxes, monument entrance fees or park fees may be changed without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will be payable by the traveller.
Reservations
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