Morocco: From the Desert to the Sea

ITINERARY

Breakfast=(B), Lunch=(L), Dinner=(D)

Saturday, April 19, 2025: Depart home
Depart home for Casablanca, Morocco.

Sunday, April 20: Arrive Casablanca, Morocco | Transfer to hotel | Introductory lecture
Arrive today at Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), where you will be met for individual transfers to our hotel. For those arriving in the morning, you may choose to join a short bus tour of the Ville Nouvelle and see the area’s colonial planning and architecture plus the Hassan II Mosque in the afternoon, or to spend the time at leisure. Later this afternoon we will gather at the hotel for an orientation and introductory lecture. Dinner is on your own this evening. Overnight at the 5-star Le Casablanca Hotel.

Monday, April 21: Rabat: Archaeological Museum, Chellah | Welcome dinner
This morning we drive from Casablanca to the stately capital city of Rabat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After lunch, we visit the country’s sole archaeological museum, renowned for its prehistoric and Roman collections. We also visit the site of Chellah, which originated with the Phoenicians but was taken over by the Romans in the 1st century as “Sala Colonia,” and was an integral part of the Roman Empire’s expansion into North Africa. The site was abandoned in 1154, but in the 14th century a Merinid sultan built a holy necropolis (chellah) on top of it, hence its modern name. This evening we gather for a welcome dinner in a private home. Two nights at the 5-star Hôtel la Tour Hassan Palace. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, April 22: Rabat walking tour | Salé | Rabat
This morning we visit the Royal Palace squares and gardens and take a leisurely walk through Rabat’s whitewashed Oudaïa casbah (North African citadel) and Oudaïa Gate, an example of Almohad Dynasty architecture. After lunch at the marina we cross the Bou Regreg River from Rabat to Salé, an old walled city, where we visit the restored, 14th-century medersa (religious college), a gem overlooked by mass tourism. We then return to Rabat and visit the Bank Al-Maghrib Museum, with a numismatic collection that traces the history of currency in Morocco from ancient times to the modern day, and an art collection that features works both of foreign artists (e.g., 19th-century Orientalists) who painted Morocco and of great Moroccan painters; and end the day with a stop at the 12th-century Hassan Tower. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B,L)

Wednesday, April 23: Volubilis | Meknes | Fes
Depart Rabat for the ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was Rome’s commercial hub for northwestern Africa until the 3rd century A.D., with well-preserved mosaics that are still in situ. After lunch we explore the Imperial City of Meknes, which 17th-century Sultan Moulay Ismaïl built as his capital. Today Meknes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Dar Jamaï Museum, housed in a 19th-century palace, which focuses on traditional Moroccan music. Continue on to the intellectual and spiritual capital (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) of Fes. Check-in to deluxe rooms at our boutique hotel, comprised of three vast, former homes (now connected and converted) in the old city. Freshen up and then gather for dinner at the hotel, which has one of the finest traditional restaurants in northern Morocco. Three nights at the 4-star Le Riad Maison Bleue. (B,L,D)

Thursday, April 24: Fes walking tour – part one
Take a morning walking tour through 9th-century Fes el-Bali (“Old Fes”), considered by scholars to be the best example of a typical medieval Arab city. Begin the day at the ruins of the Merenid tombs for a panoramic view over Fes. Walk to the 14th-century Medersa Bou Inania; the mausoleum to city founder Idriss II; the area of the world’s oldest functioning university, the Qaraouine; the 17th-century Nejjarine caravansary, now an exquisite Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts; and the 14th-century El Attarine Medersa. After lunch in Old Fes, visit the Seffarine (coppersmiths’ quarter), Sabbaghin (dyers’ quarter), and Dabbaghin (tanners’ quarter) before taking a driving tour of the ramparts. This evening, dinner is at the city’s finest French restaurant. (B,L,D)

Friday, April 25: Fes walking tour – part two
This morning we continue our walking tour of Fes beginning with a visit to Fes el-Jedid (“New Fes”), with its Alouite Palace Gate, and stroll through the walled Jewish quarter (“Mellah”), where we visit the restored, 17th-century Danan Synagogue and the cemetery. After lunch, visit a zillij tile workshop. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B,L)

Saturday, April 26: Atlas Mountains | Arfoud
Depart Fes this morning for a long day of driving through fascinating, ever-changing landscapes as we cross the Atlas ranges all the way to the edge of the Sahara. We begin with the Middle Atlas and its vast forests of giant Mediterranean cedars, passing mountain station Ifrane, site of Africa’s most esteemed international university, and stopping in the heart of the forest to look for the indigenous Barbary macaques (of Gibraltar fame). After a break for lunch in the Berber enclave of Midelt, we cross the wild, multi-hued expanses of the Eastern High Atlas, down the dramatic Ziz Valley, to the administrative center of Arfoud. Gather for dinner at our hotel this evening. Overnight at the 5-star Hôtel Palais du Désert. (B,L,D)

Sunday, April 27: Sijilmassa | Ksar Oulad Abd al Halim | Erg Chebbi Dunes | Merzouga
Today we explore the Tafilalet Oasis, Morocco’s largest, and its ruins of Sijilmassa, Africa’s once-immense “City of Gold.” Continue on to visit the ruined 18th-century walled compound of Ksar Oulad Abd al Halim (pending re-opening), where early Alaouite rulers kept their families, and visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif. After a lunch of local Saharan specialties, visit Achour Fossils Erfoud, a factory that produces all manner of decorative fossil marble items. Late this afternoon we will take four-wheel-drive vehicles out to the great Erg Chebbi Dunes, rising 600 feet above the desert floor. Scramble (or take a camel, if you prefer) up the dunes to witness the sun set over the Sahara, and then gather for dinner and an overnight in deluxe tents at the Desert Luxury Camp Morocco. (B,L,D)

Monday, April 28: Todgha River Gorge | Tinghir | Ouarzazate
Departing Merzouga this morning, we drive west along desert hills to the narrow, 1,000-foot-deep Todgha River Gorge, and then view the 16th-century adobe casbah of Tinghir. After lunch we drive to the international filming center of Ouarzazate, whose exotic surroundings were first used in the film Lawrence of Arabia. Upon arrival we visit the partially-restored Taourirt Kasbah (pending re-opening), the former palace of the el Glaoui clan, built in the 19th century, and then check-in to our hotel, where we have dinner. Overnight at the 5-star Le Berbere Palace. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, April 29: Casbah of Aït ben Haddou | Marrakech: PM at leisure OR Bahia Palace and Koutoubia minaret
At 7:00 am we depart Ouarzazate and drive to the Aït ben Haddou casbah, a World Heritage Site and oft-used film backdrop (e.g., Gladiator). Continue driving north (about 4.5 hours), over the spectacular Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, with views over deep verdant vales and their adobe hamlets. Arrive in legendary Marrakech in time for lunch at our hotel, one of the city’s finest boutique properties, located just inside the medina of Marrakech (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Take time to unpack and relax at our hotel or explore a couple of the city’s highlights: the Bahia Palace of vizier Ba Ahmed, a prime example of Moorish-Andalusian art that is spread over 20 acres; and the 12th-century Koutoubia minaret, a masterpiece of Almohad Dynasty architecture. Gather this evening for a superb Moroccan dinner in the heart of the medina. Four nights at the 5-star La Maison Arabe. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, April 30: Marrakech: Bab Agnaou, El Badi Palace, Jewish Mellah, Almoravid Qubbah, Ben Youssef Medersa
Begin the day with a visit to the imposing Bab Agnaou, one of Marrakech‘s 19 original gates. Continue on to the Saadian Dynasty’s ruined El Badi Palace and the necropolis of the Saadians, the last window into the splendor of early 17th-century Moroccan interior art, with its finely sculpted plaster, cedar panels, and Carrera marble. Before lunch we will enjoy a short stroll in the Jewish Mellah, including a visit to its synagogue. This afternoon, we will see the Almoravid Qubbah and the Ben Youssef Medersa, both of which are architectural highlights of the city. The Ben Youssef Medersa was originally built as a religious school for Islamic studies in the 14th century, and was expanded in the 16th century when a large courtyard and minaret were added. It was once the largest Islamic school in North Africa and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building is decorated with intricate geometric patterns of carved wood, stucco, and tilework. This is the oldest structure in Marrakech and one of the masterpieces of Moorish architecture. Dinner is on your own this evening, for a chance to sample the city’s array of excellent eateries. (B,L)

Thursday, May 1: Marrakech walking tour | Farewell dinner
This morning is dedicated to exploring Marrakech’s vast, reed-covered bazaars, where all types of crafts are still fashioned by hand. Two sites of special interest are the Souk des Teinturiers (wool-dyers), also known as Souk Sebbaghine; and the courtyard of the fascinating Zawiya (shrine) of holy man Sidi Bel-Abbes, patron saint of the blind. After a Continental lunch in the medina, take a stroll in the Jardin Majorelle, the exotic, 12-acre garden created in the 1930s and restored by the late Yves St. Laurent, and visit its exquisite Museum of Berber Culture. Return to our hotel and freshen up before we gather this evening for a farewell dinner. (B,L,D)

Friday, May 2: Marrakech: Full day at leisure OR AM at leisure & optional PM culinary tour
Today is at leisure in Marrakech for independent pursuits. Some options at our hotel (at additional cost) include pampering yourself at the spa, which offers traditional and contemporary treatments; and/or taking a cooking class to learn some secrets of Moroccan gastronomy. These options may be booked and paid for prior to the tour to ensure availability. Alternatively, your tour manager can arrange for a guide to take you back to the souk in the morning for independent shopping. There is also an optional, late afternoon excursion that you may choose (at additional cost; details will be sent to participants with a sign-up form): a tour of local food markets in the old town of Marrakech to learn about history of the markets, spices, and traditional foods before sampling some local specialties in the main square of Jemaa el-Fna. Lunch and dinner are on your own today. (B)

Saturday, May 3: Marrakech | Fly home
Transfer as a group or individually this morning to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) for flights homeward. (B)