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TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
Ancestral Blue Rinsed Houses and Buildings11 DAY TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
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TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
The oldest and magic walled part of Fez, Morocco11 DAY TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
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TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
A wonderland of sand11 DAY TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
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TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
The most spectacular series of limestone river canyons.11 DAY TOUR IMPERIAL CITIES
TOUR INCLUDES:
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Transfer to airport/port in Tangier
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Transport by air conditioned 4x4 or minibus, fuel included
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Guide and Driver
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Hotel/Riad of your chosen category (Breakfast and Dinner)
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1 night in Merzouga Desert Camp (Jaimas) with breakfast and dinner
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Sahara Camel trek (one camel per person)
Travel Itinerary
NOT INCLUDED:
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Airfare/Ferry Fare
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Lunch Meals
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Drinks
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Entrance to museums and monuments
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Gratuities
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Other Services not mentioned
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ARRIVAL AT TANGIER
Upon arrival to Tangier you will be greeted by your driver and transferred to your hotel. Your first contact with Tangier will be an outing to the medina to discover the birthplace of Ibn Battuta, a famous 14th century traveller and writer. Then visit the old town and see the Grand and Petit Socco (squares), the Grand Mosque, the souk, the former palace of the Sultan Moulay Ismail (exterior) and the Mendoubia Gardens.
Dinner and lodging in your choice of hotel.
TANGIER-FEZ VIA MEKNES
After breakfast in your riad, you will start travelling to Fez via Meknes. We will stop in Larache for lunch. In Meknes, another significant imperial city in Morocco, known as the Ismaili capital of Morocco, you will see the famous gate Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani Bassin, and the Mulay Ismail Mausoleum. You’ll get to Fez at the end of the afternoon and check in to your Riad within the Medina.
Dinner and lodging in your choice of Hotel/Riad.
FEZ
FREE DAY in Fez. (You will have the choice of a local guide if you wish). The whole day will be devoted to discovering Fez, a UNESCO World Heritage and the oldest of the imperial cities, and one of the most complete medieval cities in existence. Surrounded by huge defensive walls, it seems suspended in a time warp, somewhere between the Middle Ages and the modern. But it’s more than that, it is a living city almost devoid of tourists, where whilst wandering amongst its amazing 9,000 tiny streets you experience its noisy hawkers selling everything from colorful vegetables, to delicious middle eastern pastries flavored with cinnamon and honey. Walk through the maze-like souks of the old medina and visit the Zaouia (sanctuary) of MoulayIdriss II, founder of Fez. Fez served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world. Visit the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the Nejjarine Fountains and the Tanneries. After visiting the old medina another option is to visit the exterior of the Royal Palace and walk through the famous Jewish quarter “the Mellah”, where you can visit one of the few living synagogues in Morocco, and also see the oldest mosque in Fez. Fez has always been associated with education and religion, and to this day continues to be the spiritual capital of Morocco.
FEZ-ERG CHEBBI DESERT
EEarly rise to continue our tour. Our driver will pick you up at your Hotel / Riad in Fez. We start to discover some of Morocco's beautiful mountainous landscape today as we leave Fez and follow the ancient caravan routes up into the hills. Along the way we'll stop at Ifran, known as the ''Switzerland of Morocco'' and a huge contrast to some of the other more Arabic feeling cities you'll see in Morocco. We will drive through the cedar forests of Azrou where the wild monkeys are located. It will be a good opportunity to take photos of wilderness in Morocco. We continue our journey through the Middle Atlas Mountains enjoying the landscapes to arrive at the small town of Midelt where we’ll stop for lunch. Next, we head on through the hills and through the scenic Ziz Valley as we descend to Erfoud on the edge of the Sahara Desert. We'll then drive in 4WD vehicles through the desert to Merzouga and the famous Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Here we transfer to camels (dromedaries) and take a sunset camel ride through the sand dunes to a traditional Berber camp nestled right on the edge of the dunes. You can enjoy some spectacular views over the sand dunes as the sun sinks below the horizon before enjoying a hearty Berber meal and a campfire this evening, often with local musicians helping enhance the atmosphere. You spend the night sleeping in comfortable Berber tents (jaima) in the heart of the desert under a blanket of stars.
ERG CHEBBI DESERT-OUARZAZATE
Early rise to watch the sunrise over the spectacular Merzouga dunes around the camp. This is a once in a lifetime experience that you will not soon forget and one of the high points of our journey. We will return by camels (dromedaries) to the town of Merzouga where we will have breakfast. We continue towards the Valley of Dades via a road speckled with different kasbahs that were built here for the added protection the valley provides, giving this area its name the “Land of a Thousand Kasbah”. After several stops along the road to enjoy the Valley of the Roses and the big Skoura palm grove we`ll get to Ouarzazate. Ouarzazate is a city south of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, known as a “The gate of the Desert”, its name comes from a Berber phrase meaning "without noise" or "without confusion", it is also famous for its movie studios.
OUARZAZATE-MARRAKECH
After breakfast we will visit the Taourirt Kasbah, home to a 19th-century palace. We will then reach Ait Ben Haddou, an ighrem (fortified village), and traditional Mud Brick city on the edge of the High Atlas Mountains. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and has been featured in many films including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Game of Thrones and many others. Driving through the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, that with 2.260m is the highest point in our country, we´ll then enjoy beautiful landscapes and make some stops to take pictures of the berber villages. We´ll continue through the Ounila valley, where you can see the small berber villages and kasbahs built in caves, that speckle the mountains. Then we´ll take the ancient caravan road that joined the cities of Ouarzazate and MARRAKECH, finally taking us to the Telouat Kasbah. We continue on to MARRAKECH “The Red City”.
Dinner and lodging at Hotel/Riad of your choice.
MARRAKECH
FREE DAY (Guided tour if chosen). MARRAKECH, a former imperial city in western Morocco is also known as the ―Red City or ―Pink City due to the distinctive hue of the local earth used in the construction of its many brick buildings. The medina, is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with maze like alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. Marvel at the city's architectural jewels, including the soaring Koutoubia minaret and Dar Si Said; housed in a palace, it is among the most beautiful of its kind in the world. Visit the Bahia Palace, an exemplary specimen of privileged life in the 19th century. Then visit Djemaa el-Fna, MARRAKECH’s main square, which is filled with orange juice stalls and vendors, and is well worth returning to in the evenings when it is packed with street food stalls, fire-eaters, mime artists, snake charmers and street musicians performing at every turn. Also, worth seeing is the 16th century Saadines Tomb, where Saadian royalty found their final resting place, and the magnificent Majorelle Botanical Gardens, inspired by French artists and fashion designer Yves St. Laurent. In the middle of the old market (Rahba Lakdima) you'll find queues of stalls filled with jars upon jars of spices, petals, bark and leaves inside.
MARRAKECH-CASABLANCA
In the morning we will head towards Casablanca, the financial capital of Morocco and mythical city along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. In Casablanca you will see the Hassan II Mosque, the largest one outside of Mecca and experience the coastal Cornish seaside.
Dinner and lodging in Hotel.
CASABLANCA-RABAT-ASILAH
After breakfast we'll head to Rabat, Morocco's administrative capital and tour the old town, including the Royal Palace (Mechouar), the Oudaya Kasbah, Hassan Tower, and Mohamed V Mausoleum. We leave Rabat and drive towards Asilah and visit its beautiful blue and white Medina. Its old town, or medina, is enclosed by well-preserved 15th-century ramparts and gates, built by colonial Portuguese. The medina is an art hub, known for its murals and Moussem Culturel International d’Asilah, an annual festival. Venues include the exhibition space Centre de Hassan II Rencontres Internationales and early-20th-century Palais Raissouni.
Dinner and lodging in Hotel of your choice in Asilah.
ASILAH
FREE DAY to visit the city, rest, shop and relax…….
Dinner and Hotel.
ASILAH-TANGIER (46Km)
Breakfast and transfer to port or airport at pre-arranged time. Our services end here. Until next time!!!
TAGS -12 DAY TOUR AROUND MOROCCO
- Anti Atlas Mountains 21
- Nejjarine Fountains and the Tanneries 2
- Moulay Idriss mausoleum 24
- Ifrane 14
- Valley 14
- Medina of Essaouira 28
- Jewish quarter 8
- Land of a Thousand Kasbahs 21
- Tangier 10
- Mellah 10
- Middle Atlas Mountains 10
- Essaouira 31
- Gueliz 8
- Saadines 2
- Qarawiyyin University 10
- Khenifra 14
- Royal Palace 10
- Boumalne Dadés 10
- Sahara Desert 21
- Fes el-Bali 10