Morocco Deserts and Oases - Itinerary
|
|  Click on the image to enlarge the map |
Day 1: Casablanca On your arrival at the Casablanca Airport, you'll be met by a private chauffeur who will assist you with luggage and transfer you to our upscale Casablanca hotel by the Atlantic Ocean beachside promenade. Originally a Phoenician settlement - Anfa, then a Berber town, today Casablanca is a modern city, representing the vibrant, modern Moroccan culture. In the afternoon, we'll start with an introductory tour of the city, including a visit to the impressive Hassan II mosque, second only in size to Mecca. In the evening, we'll go back in time as we enjoy our welcome dinner at Rick's Cafe, where we'll get to know other women joining us on this tour and celebrate our upcoming adventures. Day 2: Casablanca - Rabat - Fez On our first full day in Morocco, we'll visit Rabat, the first of Morocco's Imperial Cities and the administrative capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. Rabat, on Morocco's northern coast and facing the Atlantic Ocean, is an intriguing mix of the region's past glories and modern marvels. During our tour of this imposing city, we'll visit the Palais Royal, the Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum, and in the afternoon, we'll continue our journey to the medieval city of Fez, our home for the next four nights. Day 3: Fez The oldest of Morocco's Imperial Cities, Fez, is the symbolic heart of Morocco, as well as the country's spiritual and cultural capital. Today, we'll explore this medieval walled city, as we take a private tour along the ancient labyrinthine streets, past the crumbling grandeur, to the historic medina and the Royal Palace, while absorbing the visually fascinating culture, intoxicating scents, and colors of this rewarding city. After the city tour, we'll enjoy a lavish traditional Moroccan lunch at a beautifully restored private riad. Day 4: Fez and Volubilis Today, we'll begin the day with a visit to the impressive and well-preserved site of Volubilis, one of the Roman Empire's most remote outposts in Africa, and dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. After an extensive, archaeologist led tour of the site, we'll take a break from touring to relax over an elegant lunch, served on a panoramic terrace of a private home in the holy city of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. Following lunch, we'll return to Fez for a free afternoon to explore the city and its medina at one's own leisure. Day 5: Fez Moroccan cuisine is one of the most fascinating in the world, and Fez is the capital of Moroccan cooking. Today, we'll spend the day preparing Moroccan dishes during a private cooking class. We'll start with the morning visit to the souk to gather the necessary ingredients, then enjoy an authentic cooking experience. We'll prepare traditional appetizers, main dishes and desserts, then enjoy lunch at a Moroccan home, a riad, beautifully restored and featuring all the modern amenities. We'll return to the hotel in mid-afternoon, and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Day 6: Fez - Azrou - Erfoud This morning, we'll set out on our journey south through the Middle Atlas Mountains, a Berber country of high, windswept plateaus and forests of giant oak, cork and cedar. We'll stop in Ifrane, a French-style winter ski resort, then continue to the friendly Berber town of Azrou, a handicrafts center set among steep volcanic hills. We'll travel through the cedar forests, complete with resident monkeys, and through the Ziz Valley, dotted with date palm trees, to a small town of Erfoud on the edge of the Sahara. We'll arrive in the afternoon, watch the sunset and see the stars come out, before enjoying dinner at our kasbah. We'll spend the night in a beautiful kasbah style hotel, surrounded by the magical desert landscapes. Day 7: Erg Chebbi, Sahara Desert Today, we'll spend the morning exploring the Erg (sand sea) of the Sahara Desert traveling in the shadow of the giant dunes to fully appreciate their height, stopping at nomad desert villages, enjoying mint tea with the locals and learning about the significance of the mint tea ritual. The entire Sahara Desert was once underwater as evidenced by the abundant snail and squid fossils found here, so we'll have the opportunity to search for these relics that date back several millions of years. During lunch of the local specialty of Medfouna or “Berber Pizza”, we'll learn about Gnawa music and its spiritual, sub-Saharan origins and we'll be treated to a private concert. In the afternoon, just before sunset, we'll travel by camels onto the dunes to our luxury Berber desert camp for the night of the ultimate glamping. After dinner, we'll enjoy traditional Berber music around the campfire, before falling asleep under the starry skies of the desert, or in a comfortable Berber tent. Day 8: Erg Chebbi - Dades We'll wake up early today, to watch the sun rise over the dunes. In the stillness of the morning, this magical experience borders on transcendental. After breakfast, we'll begin our journey towards the Valley of Roses. We'll stop in the 8th century caravan town of Rissani, visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, the founder of the current ruling dynasty of Morocco, and visit the fairytale Tafilalt Oasis. As we travel west, we'll pass by lush palm, olive and almond groves, by tiny Berber villages and magnificent kasbahs. We'll stop in Kharttarat, to admire the ancient irrigation system, and in Ksar El Khorbat to tour the Museum of the Oasis featuring the Berber culture and history. After lunch, we'll stop in the oasis town of Tinghir for a guided walk through the oasis palmeraie (garden) and through the old Mellah (Jewish area). When we reach the Todra Valley on the remote eastern side of the High Atlas Mountains, we'll take a leisurely walk in the spectacular surroundings of the Todra Gorge, where the Todra River carved out a canyon into the pink cliff walls of the mountain. The path follows an icy river flowing through the gorge, passing by several kasbahs built into the gorge. In the afternoon, we'll arrive at our hotel with a panoramic view of the Dades Valley, just on the edge of the Sahara Desert, and the terrace will be a perfect place to watch another sunset. Day 9: Dades to Marrakech This morning, we'll continue our journey towards Marrakech. Our first stop will be the photogenic ancient town of Ouarzazate, featured in many movie sets. We'll visit the carefully restored Taourirt Kasbah on the eastern edge of town, with its labyrinth of tightly packed houses and stately towers in the ocher color representative of southern Morocco. We'll also visit the tranquil, picture-perfect village of Ait Benhaddou, and its fortified and richly decorated kasbah, one of the most spectacular sites in Morocco. In the afternoon, we'll continue across the High Atlas Mountains, stopping to admire the mountain views at Tichka Pass, and a co-op producing the prized argan oil to arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon. Day 10: Marrakech The city of Marrakech is located in the middle of a lush oasis. Our guided morning walk will introduce us to this fascinating Imperial City. We'll visit the Bahia Palace, with its gardens and harem quarters, see Ben Yussef Madrassa and the Koutoubia Tower. In the afternoon, we'll have free time to shop for local crafts in the souks or wander through Jemaa El Fna Square, famous for its market stalls, food vendors, performers, snake charmers, acrobats, storytellers and musicians. In the evening, we'll enjoy an elegant dinner at a nearby restaurant. Day 11: Marrakech For our last full day in Morocco, we'll enjoy a free morning to explore the city of Marrakech according to our individual interests. We'll meet at noon and continue to lunch at a local cooperative, dedicated to the empowerment of disadvantaged women in the workplace. After lunch, we'll enjoy a leisurely tour among the rich variety of exotic plants set against the Berber signature cobalt blue of one of Marrakech's most impressive western landmarks: The Majorelle Gardens. We'll end the day with a farewell dinner reminiscing over our magical Moroccan adventure. Day 12: Marrakech Departure After breakfast, depending on your flight departure time, you may have some time to further enjoy Marrakech. We'll have individual transfers to the Marrakech airport in accordance with your return flight back home.
|