AIA Tours: land

Morocco: From the Desert to the Sea

Tour Dates: April 19 - May 3, 2025 in the planning stages (15 days)

Tour Leader(s): Trevor Marchand ,

This tour is in the planning stages for a April 2025 departure. For more information on this tour, or to be notified in advance when this tour is ready, contact us at 800-748-6262 or aia@studytours.org.

Join us for a unique look at the history, architecture, archaeology, and art of Morocco in the company of Professor Emeritus Trevor Marchand and a professional national guide/tour manager. Explore the magnificent landscapes that helped form the country’s ancient and modern cultures, from the wild Atlantic coast to the High Atlas Mountains, dense cedar forests, and vast Sahara Desert. It is a land of extraordinary contrasts, and on this custom-designed itinerary you will visit all of the country’s best-known historic sites, including six that are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, as well as bustling casbahs, medinas, and souks.

Highlights Include:

  • The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Aït ben Haddou casbah, with its tall adobe forts; all four of Morocco’s Imperial Cities: the vibrant medinas of 9th-century Fes and 11th-century Marrakech, the historic city of Meknes, and the stately modern capital and historic city of Rabat; plus the ruins of Volubilis, Rome’s regional commercial hub until the 3rd century A.D.
  • Architectural gems such as Salé, a traditional Moroccan residential city untouched by mass tourism, including its restored, 14th-century medersa
  • The former caravan center of Sijilmassa, Africa’s second largest city until the 14th century; and Aghmat, the recently uncovered first capital of the 11th-century Almoravid Dynasty, which is still being excavated and is closed to the public
  • Several fascinating museums, including Rabat’s archaeological museum, the only one of its kind in the country; and Fes’s exquisite Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts, housed in the 17th-century Nejjarine caravansary
  • Scenic excursions into the mountains and the desert, including a drive across the Atlas ranges from Fes to the edge of the Sahara, taking four-wheel-drive vehicles to the great Erg Chebbi Dunes, and a drive over the spectacular Tizi-n-Tichka Pass
  • Delicious Moroccan and Continental food, with opportunities to dine independently in Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, and Marrakech; as well as carefully-chosen hotels in each location
  • An excellent touring pace, with 12 nights at 4- and 5-star hotels, and one night in Merzouga at the Desert Luxury Camp in deluxe tents
  • A small group of no more than twelve guests!

Tour Pricing (13 nights)

Per person, double occupancy

TBA

Single room supplement will be charged when requested or required. With fewer than 8 participants, a small group surcharge may be added.

This tour is in the planning stages for a April 2025 departure. For more information on this tour, or to be notified in advance when this tour is ready, contact us at 800-748-6262 or aia@studytours.org.

The Oudaïa casbah in Rabat. © Adam Jones Ph.D

Bab El Khemis Gate, Meknes. © Hiroki Ogawa

The Roman ruins of Volubilis. © Jerzy Strzelecki

Village in the Saharan dunes of the Erg Chebbi. © Rosino

One of the well-preserved mosaics at Volubilis. © Jerzy Strzelecki

Ait ben Haddou Kasbah

Lamps at a Marrakech bazaar. © I.Barrios & J.Ligero.jpg

Itinerary


This tour is in the planning stages for a April 2025 departure. For more information on this tour, or to be notified in advance when this tour is ready, contact us at 800-748-6262 or aia@studytours.org.

View Detailed Itinerary

This tour is in the planning stages for a April 2025 departure. For more information on this tour, or to be notified in advance when this tour is ready, contact us at 800-748-6262 or aia@studytours.org.


For reservations or questions, please email us at aia@studytours.org (and include your full name) or call us toll-free at (800) 748-6262 (toll: 603-756-2884). To reserve your space using the online form, click here.

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