15-Day Moroccan Escorted Tour including Air

• Thanks to our small group size, we can get to the heart of our destination, visit places that other tours miss, and get to know the locals.
• .
• Begin your tour in Rabat, a heady swirl of color, culture, and history. Drive past the beautifully tiled entrance to the Royal Palace, followed by a stop at Bab Rouah, or the city’s “Gate of the Winds.” En route to Fez, stop at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Volubilis. While exploring the sprawling medina of Fez, enter via the Bab Boujloud, or “Blue Gate” and visit the famed Al-Bou Inania Madrasa. Then, stop at the Chouara Tannery to see how leather is cut and dyed using traditional techniques.
• .
• Adventure into Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains and stop in Ifrane, a Moroccan ski resort. Ascend scenic roads past pine groves and giant cedar trees, cross the 6,000-foot pass and continue toward the great Sahara, and enjoy views of the remarkable Ziz Gorges and vast valleys as you approach Erfoud.
• .
• Explore the small city of Rissani, then venture into the Sahara Desert, where you’ll settle in to your camp to watch the dunes rise and fall around you then witness an incredible sunset. Gaze at the spectacular Todra Gorge, a deep ravine carved by the Todra River over millennia, before continuing to the Dades Valley, where roses bloom in profusion in springtime. In magical Marrakesh, explore its 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Gardens.
• .
• Wander the seaside town of Essaouira, with its bustling fish market and fascinating mix of ancient and modern sensibilities, then finally, discover Casablanca where you will see the fabled city’s important sights including the Mohammed V Square, Hassan II Mosque and the Royal Palace.

• • Round trip direct flights Montreal-Casablanca, Casablanca-Montreal
    Other departure cities available at various prices.
  • Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
  • 13 nights in First Class accommodations
    •    2 nights Rabat
    •    2 nights Fez
    •    1 night Erfoud
    • 1 night Sahara Tented Camps
    • 1 night Ait Ben Haddou
    • 3 nights Marrakesh
    • 2 nights Essaouira
    • 1 night Casablanca
  • Hotel porterage
  • All transfers and sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned vehicles
  • 28 meals: 13 breakfasts, 7 lunches & 8 dinners (including a home hosted dinner, and welcome & farewell dinners)
  • Services of local English-speaking tour manager throughout
  • Comprehensive, guided sightseeing and entrance fees per itinerary
  • Active itinerary with unique cultural features
  • .

DAY 1 – Depart for Morocco
Depart on your direct flight from Montreal to Casablanca, Morocco

DAY 2 – Arrive in Casablanca, Transfer to Rabat
Arrive in Casablanca this morning and transfer to Rabat, a heady swirl of color, culture, and history. Arrive at your hotel and spend the afternoon at leisure. Tonight, join your fellow travelers for a welcome briefing. Following the orientation, enjoy a Welcome Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Rabat
Meals: Dinner

DAY 3 – Rabat City Tour
After breakfast, you tour the capital. Begin with a drive past the beautifully tiled entrance to the Royal Palace, followed by a stop at Bab Rouah, or the city’s “Gate of the Winds,” so called because it’s been battered by Atlantic winds since its construction in 1197. Visit Hassan Tower, part of an unfinished mosque started by a 12th-century caliph. At the incredibly preserved Kasbah of the Udayas, explore the fortress and take a stroll in the French-colonial Andalusian gardens. End the day at Chellah, the necropolis and ruins of an ancient Roman outpost. Balance of the day is at leisure
Overnight: Rabat
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4 – Explore Volubilis & Meknes, Overland to Fez
This morning, drive inland to Fez. Along the way, stop to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Volubilis, the once-bustling city and African administrative center of the Roman Empire. The site also has vestiges of the Berber civilization that took the city from Rome in AD 270. Continue to Meknes and view the Bab Mansour gate, beautifully patterned with zellij mosaics. Afterwards, head on to Fez and enjoy dinner at the hotel later this evening
Overnight: Fez
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 5 – Tour Fez, Home Hosted Dinner
Explore the sprawling medina of Fez on foot this morning. It’s said that this is the world’s largest car-free urban area; undistracted by traffic, you’re sure to agree that strolling here is a feast for the senses. You’ll enter via the Bab Boujloud, or “Blue Gate” and visit the famed Al-Bou Inania Madrasa. Afterward, you will have an opportunity to shop for authentic Moroccan carpets. Then, stop at the Chouara Tannery to see how leather is cut and dyed using traditional techniques. At the Nejjarine Museum, browse the collection of wooden arts and crafts, then view copper craftsmen at work in Seffarine Square. The tour ends outside the Karaouine Mosque and University, the oldest continuously functioning university in the world, founded in the year 859. After lunch in the medina, your guide leads you through the Jewish Quarter, or mellah, built in 1438. By the end of the walk, you’ll be at the King’s Palace. This evening, you’re the guests of a local Fez family for dinner. Over typical Moroccan, home-prepared food, you’ll connect with your hosts
Overnight: Fez
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6 – Cross Middle Atlas Mountains, Drive to Erfoud
Today, experience a thrilling adventure into Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains. Begin with a stop in Ifran, a Moroccan ski resort. Then ascend scenic roads past pine groves and giant cedar trees. Midmorning, you cross the 6,000-foot pass and continue west toward the great Sahara. Next, stop for lunch in the village of Midelt. Then as you approach Erfoud, enjoy views of the remarkable Ziz Gorges and vast valleys. Continue to Erfoud for dinner and overnight
Overnight: Erfoud
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7 – Experience Rissani, Sahara Camp
This morning, explore the small city of Rissani on the edge of the Sahara. En route, stop at a fossil factory to learn more about this unique activity which is famous in the region. Then, wander its lively souk, and visit a 17th-century ksar. Afterward, stop to discover the ancient ruins of Sijilmasa on the River Ziz, once a bustling Berber city and medieval trade depot. You’ll pause to visit a local bread shop, where you’ll witness and sample an ancient culinary art. After lunch at the hotel, you journey into the Sahara Desert, stopping en route to share tea with some welcoming locals in a Berber tent. Later, settle into your Sahara camp, where dunes rise and fall around you and feel the adventuresome spirit of explorers of old. You’ll even have the opportunity to enjoy a short camel ride. Witness an incredible sunset and enjoy traditional music under a canopy of stars
Overnight: Sahara Tented Camps
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8 – Explore Desert & Todra Gorge, Overland to Ait Ben Haddou
Awake amidst the silence of the desert this morning as Morocco’s natural beauty continues to astound you. After breakfast, leave the camp and make your way to the lovely oasis of Tinghir for lunch. The real attraction here is the spectacular Todra Gorge, a deep ravine carved by the Todra River over millennia. There’ll be time to marvel at this sight before you continue to the Dades Valley, where roses bloom in profusion in springtime. The locals make good use of the prolific flower by producing rose water here. Dinner tonight is at your Ait Ben Haddou hotel
Overnight: Ait Ben Haddou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 9 – Visit Ait Ben Haddou, Travel to Marrakesh
After breakfast at the hotel, take time to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Ben Haddou, a ksar – or fortified city – along a former caravan route. This is the true Morocco: a village that seems to rise from the sands. Its desert-dusted Kasbahs and maze-like warrens are sure to enthrall you. Next, make your way to the magical city of Marrakesh. This evening, get the details about henna painting during a talk and demonstration. Dinner tonight at your Marrakesh hotel
Overnight: Marrakesh
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 10 – City Tour of Marrakesh, Bahia Palace, Majorelle Gardens
Discover historic and exotic Marrakesh today. Begin at Majorelle Gardens, a botanical marvel set in the heart of Marrakesh. Next visit the Koutoubia, a 12th-century Mosque and minaret, still topped with four copper globes. Then, explore Bahia Palace, where 360 rooms were once adorned with Italian marble and Sudanese gold. For a more recent archaeological find, you’ll see the richly decorated tombs of the Saadi Dynasty. End your thrilling morning in the famed Djemaa el Fna square, a dazzling display of acrobats, story tellers, and snake charmers. Take your time and absorb this vibrant kaleidoscope of culture, torn from the pages of Ali Baba. Balance of the day at leisure.  This evening, an optional horse-drawn carriage ride takes you through the lively streets of Marrakesh followed by a lavish dinner of Moroccan fare. Relive the days of Arabian folklore while enjoying classic Moroccan music and an elegant belly dancing performance
Optional: Dinner with Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride (PM)
Overnight: Marrakesh
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 11 – Day At Leisure
Spend the day at leisure  at leisure or participate in the optional tour to the scenic Ourika Valley where typical Moroccan villages are scattered amidst the towering Atlas mountains. Here, discover the area’s natural herbs and their many uses. Before lunch at the gardens enjoy, a “Berber foot bath”. Afterward, return to the hotel
Optional: Ourika Valley and Botanical Gardens with Lunch (AM)
Overnight: Marrakesh
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 12 – Morning Cooking Class, Travel to Essaouira
This Morning, enjoy a half day cooking class in an authentic Medina’s Riad and learn from one of the best “Dada chefs” in town how to successfully prepare traditional Moroccan tajine and salads, as well as delicious Moroccan flatbread. After lunch, we depart Marrakesh for Essaouira. Stop at the Argan Oil Women’s Cooperative to learn how this skin-nutrifying elixir is extracted from the argan nut. Arrive in Essaouira in time for dinner on your own
Overnight: Essaouira
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 13 – Discover Essaouira, Gnawa Performance
Seaside Essaouira has grown into an artist’s enclave over the years, and this makes for a fascinating mix of ancient and modern sensibilities. You’ll be introduced to its culture with a stroll through the vibrant medina and its bustling fish market. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore its inviting ancient streets. This evening, learn about traditional music during a talk with a local expert. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail while viewing a Gnawa performance and dance
Overnight: Essaouira
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 14 – Travel to Casablanca, & City Tour
Transfer to Casablanca today, stopping en route for a light lunch in a local restaurant. Upon arrival, see the fabled city’s important sights, including the Mohammed V Square, the city’s administrative seat. Next, marvel at the massive Hassan II Mosque*, dramatically perched on a promontory on the Atlantic. Its indoor and outdoor space can accommodate 105,000 worshippers. In the Habous district, peruse the market and admire the exterior of the Royal Palace. Tonight, a special venue was selected for your Farewell Dinner
Overnight: Casablanca
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 15 – Depart Morocco
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your direct flight to Montreal flight
Meals: Breakfast

*

This is an active trip. Our small group covers a lot of ground each day, and we spend 2-3 hours on our feet during tours. The pace is fast, with 4 one-night stays, 3 two-nights stays, and 1 three-night stay. Three days require long transfers by bus. Some of our tours require walking over uneven surfaces or up and down steep slopes or steps. We have many early mornings. This tour is not recommended for people who have difficulty walking or who have heart conditions.

*Includes return airfare from Montreal, airport taxes, transfers, accommodations, most meals plus sightseeing & entrance fees as per itinerary. OPC Indemnity Fund fee of $1 per $1,000 of travel products sold is additional. Limited space, other conditions and restrictions may apply. Not all travel dates available. Subject to change or cancellation at any time.