Casablanca/Rabat: 1 night

Arrive at Casablanca International airport.  Your driver and guide will greet you upon arrival. After a visit to the one and only beautiful Hassan Mosque, have lunch at one of the famous fish grills at the Casablanca fish market. Continue on to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Visit the Royal Palace (outside only), Mohammed the V Mausoleum, Hassan Tower, and the Chella Necropolis.  Also pay a visit to the Oudaya Kasbah which is built on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. If time permits, taste the famous Moroccan Mint Tea overlooking the beautiful ocean.

Meals Included: B/L

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Rabat to Fes: 2 nights                                                                                   

Depart for Fes with stops along the way.

Visit Meknes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the imperial cities of Morocco. Its impressive monuments recall the splendor of a city first built in the 17th century by the powerful Sultan Moulay Ismail, to rival the court of his contemporary Louis XIV of France. See the monumental Bab Mansour gateway - considered one of the finest great gates of Morocco - as well as the Granaries. Then continue to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa. Its triumphal arches and basilicas are among its greatest treasures. The stunning mosaic floors, which include Orpheus charming animals with his lyre, nine dolphins signifying good luck and a portrait of Amphitrite in a seahorse drawn chariot. Lunch in Meknes. Wine tasting and lunch are also an available option.

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Arrive in Fes late afternoon. Check into your riad. 

 

Roof top cooking class option at Palais Amani. 

 

Meal Included: B/L and D option available

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FES: 2 nights

Founded in the 8th century, Fes is home to several famed historical monuments, among them Al-Karaouine, the world's first university. The sprawling Medina of this UNESCO Cultural Heritage site will take you a step back in time. Explore Fez el-Bali (Old Fes), the cultural heart of Morocco, originally founded in the eighth century by Moulay Idriss I. The imperial capital was a renowned center of medieval learning; at its heart remains Karaouine, one of the oldest, still-functioning universities in the world. 

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Stroll the labyrinthine old quarter, with its 9,000 narrow lanes, alleys and souks, and a market visit of exceeding authenticity. Experience local artisans at work, working with bronze and pottery, which makes for a wonderful artisan visit. Next, proceed to the 14th-century Karaouine, the Hispano-Moorish Attarine Medrasa (Koranic college) and Nejjarine Square. You also see the magnificent Gates of the Royal Palace, madrasas and mellah (Jewish quarter) during your stay in Fes.  

 

Lunch in the Medina included at a traditional Moroccan restaurant, once a beautiful home.

Private home hosted dinner with a local family with special local surprises.

 

Meal Included: B/L/D

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Fes - Midelt Overnight in Midelt: 1 night

Begin your journey to the Atlas Mountains and stop along the way in Bhalil, Ifrane and the Cedar Forest. Each stop is unique, including a visit with Mohamed in his cave dwelling in Bhalil. Ifrane, a charming ski town with resemblances to the Swiss Alps villages. Take a short hike in the Cedar Forest followed by lunch.

See charming little villages each with its own unique personality.  Midelt, a small town, is mainly a stopping point on the way to the Sahara. This desert is known for its apple orchards and beautiful landscapes.
 

Meals Included: B/L/D 

Please note the Kasbah is rated 3.5 stars while clean and charming, it is not luxury. This is a stopping point to make your drive to the Sahara less lengthy.

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Midelt-Merzouga Desert Camp: 1 night

Sahara Desert/Erg Chebbi

Breakfast and check out of hotel as we begin our journey to the Sahara Desert. Pass through Erfoud and visit the nearby town of Rissani, home of the date market. We will have lunch in Rissani (maybe even Moroccan pizza) before transferring to SUV vehicles for your journey into the Merzouga Desert.

 

Continue to the desert dunes of Erg Chebbi by four-wheel-drive vehicle, (the journey is 1 hour) where a reception with mint tea and pastries awaits at your nomadic tented camp. Erg Chebbi’s stunning dunes can reach up to 500 feet high, creating an otherworldly landscape. Experience it like a local on camelback. As the sun sets over the dunes, celebrate your unforgettable desert foray with a scenic Sundowner. Then, return to your camp for a traditional meal and music by local musicians. End the evening by a campfire and slumber in comfort as the sounds of the Sahara lull you to sleep in your luxury tents. 

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Meals Included: B/L/D

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Merzouga - Ouarzazate: 1 night                                              

Say farewell to the Sahara Tent Camp. Enjoy breakfast and optional extra sunrise camel ride (not included).

 

Journey overland to Ouarzazate, once a stopping point for African traders traveling to the cities of Morocco and Europe. En route, absorb views of the High Atlas’ southern slopes, intersecting the Dades Valley’s flourishing crops, irrigation canals and palm trees. Travel along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” and make a stop to visit the Todras Gorges before proceeding to just outside of Ouarzazate and your delightful oasis of a traditional Kasbah. The journey time is approximately 5 hours.  Lunch is along the way. Overnight in Ait Ben Haddou, minutes away from the UNESCO World Heritage site. Be sure to check out the many rooftops for stargazing. 

 

Meals Included: B/L/D 

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Ouarzazate - Marrakech: 4 nights                                       

Begin the day by exploring elaborate Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of the region’s most exotic kasbahs, where the structures all but defy the laws of gravity as they perch upon the steep slope. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture.

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(Some of these buildings have been featured in films, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator).

 

Lunch in Ait Ben Haddou or on the way in a small village of the Atlas Mountains. Then proceed to the fascinating “Red City” of Marrakech and settle into your next home for 4 nights. The journey time is 4 hours plus stops along the way.

 

Marrakech is a frantic circus of activity in the arid foothills of the Atlas mountains; prepare to lose your inhibitions and sense of direction and embrace the loud, colorful city and its hurried population. Try to walk ten paces in any direction and you'll come up against towering piles of spices, trundling donkey carts, piles of vibrant leather poufs or stills selling fragrant slow-cooked dishes to make your mouth water.

 

Here you can lounge like a sovereign in a palatial riad, graze the stalls at Jemaa el-Fnaa or lose yourself in the tiny switchback alleyways of the Medina, perusing the many souks as you go. If it all gets too much, escape to the villenouvelle for the contemporary art, restaurants and boutiques of the new town. 

 

Meals Included: B/L

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Marrakech Day 2

Begin unearthing the secrets of Marrakech, starting in the Medina, the old walled section of town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This thousand-year-old city was long a political, economic and cultural center. Marvel at its architectural jewels, including the soaring Koutoubia minaret . Continue to the Bahia Palace, an exemplary specimen of privileged life in the 19th century. You will visit Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech’s main square, which is filled with orange juice stalls and vendors, along with fire-eaters, mime artists, snake charmers and street musicians performing at every turn. We will explore the city’s fabled, labyrinthine souks.

 

Meals Included: B

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Marrakech Day 3

Today you will explore Marrakech's famous, beautiful gardens which are dotted around the city. The Secret Garden is an Islamic Garden nestled in the Medina. The more popular garden is the Jardin Majorelle (Majorelle Gardens), originally designed in 1924 by French artist Jacques Majorelle. After taking up residence in Marrakech, Majorelle transformed the property's existing garden into a tropical paradise, surrounded by vivid cobalt blue buildings with verdant exotic groves, lily-covered pools, and enormous sculptural cactuses. Visit Yves-Saint-Laurent museum and then head to the Patti Burch outdoor museum. Stop at the famous Bar Dacha Coffee/Tea shop before heading to the Berber Pharmacy. Lunch to follow at a rooftop restaurant in the medina (not included).

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Meals Included: B

 

Marrakech/Atlas Mountains Day 4: DAY TRIP OPTION 1                                                               

Depart for the Atlas Mountains to explore some local villages and weekly markets. Enjoy a hike  passing the  many villages of the Berber people, before meeting a Berber family in Imlil and joining them for some famous Moroccan tea and cookies. Lunch with the family is also an option and highly recommended. Mules up to their homes are available to ride as well. Berber Markets are on specific days and specific villages so this may change depending on the day of week.

 

Marrakech/Essaouira Day 4: DAY TRIP OPTION 2  

Day trip to Essaouira. We recommend departing no later than 9:00am for more time. 

The approximate drive time is 3 hours. Depart Marrakech and stop along the way to see goats in trees - only in Morocco! Continue on and visit a women’s Co-op where they press and process argon for the famous argan oil and creams.

 

*Optional winery stop. Please note that since you only have a day trip, we recommend skipping this stop to maximize your time in Essaouira. We recommend the winery outside of Fes for this experience. 

 

Continue onto the charming fishing village of Essaouria, enjoy a short walking tour to learn the history of this seaside village.

 -  There is a new beautiful small Jewish museum outlining the Jewish influence and history of 

     this small fishing village. Beautifully done and highly recommended. 

 -  Visit the port where fishermen arrive with the daily catch. Enjoy lunch after picking out your 

     fresh catch. This is a local experience, tourists do not generally do this. If this is not for you 

     we can take you to a proper fish restaurant nearby. Please discuss with your guide. 

  -  Free time to explore the village on your own before heading back to Marrakech.

 

Meals Included: B/L

  

DEPARTURE from Marrakech Airport

Travel back to the US or your next destination from Marrakech Airport. If you need to depart from Casablanca, this is also possible. Please keep in mind that the journey to Casablanca is 3 hours, so plan flight departure accordingly. 

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