Morocco. Moroccan Adventure

Days 1 - 3: Casablanca / Volubilis / Moulay Idris / Fez

After arriving in Casablanca, explore some of the region’s ancient sites, such as the Mosque of Hassan II (the second largest mosque in the world), the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the remains of the Hassan Tower. Rest up for the night and then travel to Fez, stopping along the journey to see palaces and tombs, explore Volubilis (a World Heritage Site and Morocco’s largest Roman ruins) and walk the cobbled streets of Moulay Idriss. In Fez, take a walking tour through a bustling medina with visits to a tannery, wool souk,spice shops and stalls loaded with Moroccan delicacies. Meet shopkeepers and craftsmen; visit the Qaraouine University, the Madrassa (Quranic school) and the Moulay Idriss II memorial; and then share a traditional dinner with a local Arab family. Overnights are at Riad Kalaa and Dar Anebar (or similar).

Accomodations: Riad Kalaa, Dar Anebar

Meals Included: Dinner

Days 4 - 5: Atlas Mountains / Zaouia d’Ifrane / Sahara Desert

Drive from lowlands into the Atlas Mountains, passing villages and fields. Stop to explore the village of Zaouia d’Ifrane and hike to a nearby waterfall before meeting your Berber hosts. As guests of a local family, enjoy the unique opportunity to experience daily life and sample home cooked cuisine. The next day, descend through the Atlas Mountains and to the mighty Saharan Desert, passing lush forests and the Beni Mguild Berber capital of Midelt along the way. After arriving in Rissani, participate in a henna ceremony. Overnights are at a Berber home and at Kasbah Ennasra (or similar).

Accomodations: Kasbah Ennasra

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 6 - 8: Sahara Desert / Todra Gorge / Ait Ben Haddou

The next day brings you on an unforgettable Moroccan adventure. Join Touareg nomads and ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi, a vast expanse of huge, drifting sand dunes, to a desert camp. Enjoy a cold drink and a delicious dinner under the star-lit desert sky before tucking in for the night (a hotel is available to those who may not want to camp in the desert). Wake early to ride your camel as the sun creeps over the vast desert horizon and then set off by vehicle to drive to Todra Gorge. Walk through the beautiful oasis to the spectacular carved gorge, passing locals tending their crops,and then stop to rest for the night in Ait Ben Haddou. Take a day hiking to a natural plateau in the Atlas Mountains, stopping for tea in a Berber home and visiting Ait Ben Haddou (a World Heritage Site and the setting for many desert films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Monty Python’s The Life of Brian and Gladiator). Overnights are at a luxury desert encampment and at Ksar Ighnda (or similar).

Accomodations: Desert Encampment, Riad Ksar Ighnda

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 9 - 10: Ouirka Valley / Mount Toubkal

Leaving the stark desert of southern Morocco behind, drive north into the High Atlas Mountains. Continuing to Imlil, leave the vehicle and transfer your bags to pack-donkeys, walking to a typical stone and rammed-earth Berber dwelling, your home for the next two nights. Take a full day to breathe in the fresh mountain air, joining our local hiking guides for a variety of excursions, customized to your interests –¬ take a half-day trek along sandstone ridges and colorful villages or embark on a full-day hike up the nearby mountain peaks. Overnights are at Douar Samra (or similar).

Accomodations: Douar Samra

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 11 - 13: Marrakech / Departure

Arriving in Marrakech mid-afternoon, there’s time to explore Djemaa el-Fna, the huge square in the medina with an eclectic array of jugglers, storytellers, snake charmers, musicians and soothsayers before retiring for the night. The next day, prepare for a full-on exploration of Marrakech, Morocco’s southern capital: tour the Palais de la Bahaia (the place that housed Bou Ahmed’s four wives, 24 concubines and numerous children), and visit the Saadian Tombs, the royal burial ground of the Saadian dynasty. Based on time and interest, walk among the narrow streets and shops of the old city, and view the extensive Berber collection of clothing, jewelry, textiles, doors, baskets and carpets at the Maison Tiskiwin. Enjoy a farewell dinner and one last night at the Riad Daria or Riad Samsara (or similar) before transferring to the airport in time for your international departure home.

Accomodations: Riad Daria, Riad Samsara

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner