THE DELIGHTS OF MOROCCO: A Melting Pot of Cultures

You will meet your driver or guide at the Casablanca airport to transfer you to the hotel. Check-in and time to relax. After an orientation about Moroccan society and culture, you will go on a bus tour of Casablanca. You will drive through the Cornish seaside, see the gates of the Royal Palace and walk in the French-built Quartier des Habous. Visit the Mellah, home to most of Morocco’s Jewish community. Finally, you will stop by Rick’s Cafe before heading back to the hotel.

In the morning, you will visit the Hassan II Mosque, a glorious structure believed to be only second in size to Islam’s most important site, Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Head to Marrakech. After lunch, you will be driving around Marrakech walls, gates, Royal places, and gardens, before resuming the ride to your Riad.

The second day in Marrakech is devoted to exploring the most important places of historical and cultural interest. With a local tour guide, you will visit the Koutoubia Mosque, Al Bahia Palace, the Mellah (Jewish district), gardens, and bazaars. In the afternoon, you will walk through the old Medina Markets and Jemaa el-Fnaa plaza, where you will experience the snake charmers, drummers, acrobats, belly dancers, and local food stands.

This morning, you will mount horse carriages for a scenic ride of Marrakech. You will have a chance to visit The Majorettes Gardens and Al Menara site.
Spend the afternoon at leisure to explore other sites and museums of Marrakech.

You will be driving across the gorgeous scenery of the high Atlas Mountains before arriving at the captivating Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, in the Ouarzazate area. You will stop for lunch before resuming the ride to the heart of Nkob village for the night; the home of the Ait Atta tribe.

On the way to Merzouga, you will visit the towns of Erfoud and Rissani and explore the local activities of the area. After lunch, you will meet the local Khamlia tribe, originally slaves brought from Sudan, for a Gnawa musical performance. After that, you will mount 4×4 vehicles just in time to witness the spectacular sunset over the dunes. Camel ride, camp in Berber tents and enjoy the magical Saharan landscape.

Enjoy the breathtaking sunrise in the Sahara dunes. Drive 4×4 vehicles across the dunes back to Merzouga village to explore the irrigation system in the Sahara oases, visit a local NGO, and see fossil plants before resuming the journey to Rissani. Visit the shrine of Moulay Ali Sherif, the founder of the Alaouite dynasty.
You will have a free afternoon to either rest, enjoy the sunshine by the pool or sign up for the optional desert experience, camel ride, and other activities in the area.

In this journey, you will experience glimpses of the Middle Atlas and Higher Atlas Mountains. Drive through the luxuriant Ziz Valley and stop at Azrou, a Berber village in the middle of the famous cedar forest – the largest in Morocco – where you may sight Barbary Macaque monkeys.

The guided tour of Fes will take you into the heart of this extraordinary medieval walled city; walking in its alleys and small streets. Our field visit starts with a panoramic view of the whole Medina of Fes. Then it’s on to the Royal Palace, the Jewish district (the first Mellah ever built in Morocco), the famous Al Qaraouiyine University (the oldest in the region), and the tanneries. After lunch, you will visit the ceramic factory to learn about the fascinating tile and ceramic industry.

You will travel to the imperial city of Meknes, the Ismaili capital of Morocco. In Meknes, you will see the gorgeous gate of Bab Mansour,  built by the Sultan My Ismail, the granary, and the Sahrij Souani used for irrigation and plantation. After lunch with a Moroccan family, you will resume the ride to Rabat, where you will explore Morocco’s youngest imperial city and modern capital of Morocco. You will visit the Mausoleum, the Hassan Tower, the royal palace, and the Kasbah of Oudayas.

Transfer to the airport