Gess Where? Medinas, Camels and Deserts Experience Morocco Tour Size This is a custom tour that will operate with a minimum of 11 people. Maximum size is 14. Tour Date September 13, 2018 Tour Costs Based on Double Occupancy $3040 $3390 based on final group size (CAN) Land only Single Supplements $644(CAN) Payments as follows: Deposit - $500 to hold spot Final Payment - July 1, 2018 Tour Leader Bev Gess Inclusions -18 nights accommodation including hotels, gite, riad and camping -breakfast daily -1 lunch, 8 dinners including one with a show -all sights and entrances as described -private transportation -English speaking tour guide -tips for guides and driver Not Included -meals not identified -drinks during included meals -optional activities Morocco in Nine Words Berber, Jalaba, Fes, Medina, Tagine, Harira, Souk, Riad, Kasbah
Itinerary September 13 Leave Canada on your international flight. Flight routings will be determined in the new year. September 14 The group will be transferred to the hotel on arrival. You are free until it is time to meet the local tour leader at 6 pm. After our meeting with the tour leader you will visit Rick s Café, a well know restaurant in Casablanca for a welcome dinner. Hotel Kenzi Basma (D) September 15 After breakfast enjoy a guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque. Completed in 1993, this monument was the late king s most ambitious project and his legacy to the city. It can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and is one of few religious sites open to non-muslims. After this we leave Casablanca for an hour drive to the capital city of Rabat. With a long and colorful history there is much to see on your guided tour in the afternoon before you enjoy free time to relax, explore on your own and enjoy dinner. Hotel des Oudaias (B) September 16 This morning we drive to the archaeological site of Volubilis for a guided tour of this World Heritage Site that was once a provincial Roman capital. After our tour we go to the nearby city of Meknes for a guided tour to explore this small provincial town that was turned to a spectacular city in the 17 th century by Sultan Moulay Ismail. Hotel Palais didi (B) September 17 We leave this morning for a 3 hour drive to Chefchaouen, the blue city, one of the prettiest places in Morocco. Set against a wide valley and nestled between 2 peaks in the stunning Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen will surprise you. The medina has blue and whitewashed houses, red tiled roofs and artistic doorways. After an orientation walk through the ancient medina with our tour leader you ll have time to shop for handicrafts or sit at a café and enjoy the pleasure of time passing by. Hotel Atlas Asmaa (B) September 18 Enjoy the relaxed pace of this retreat. You have the day to explore Chefchaouen on your own or enjoy one of the optional activities that will be suggested. You might sample the delicious local goat cheese at a café in the Plaza Uta el-hammam, admire the architecture of the 15 th century Mosque (closed to non-muslims) or browse the shops in the square. Or you might enjoy a wander through the tranquil gardens inside the walled fortress of the Kasbah. In the evening sample a tagine at a local restaurant or visit a hammam, the traditional Moroccan spa. Hotel Atlas Asmaa (B) September 19
We leave Chefchaouen this morning for a 3.5 hour trip to Fes. Fes is the best example of medieval Arab world and you will have a chance to learn more of its past and modern times. You ll have some time for orientation after you check into the hotel before enjoying a memorable dinner of one of the city s signature dishes, the salty and sweet pastille. Riad Al Makan (B/D) September 20 Today you really discover the city of Fes, the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. Your senses will be overwhelmed as you head into the world s most fascinating and confounding old city. You ll walk through twisting streets and alleyways, pass donkeys piled high with goods, explore the specialty sections that divide the souk. You ll return to your hotel in the late afternoon and might enjoy an evening relaxing in this calming oasis after the buzz of the medina. Riad Al Makan (B) September 21 Enjoy a free day to relax, experience a traditional hammam and massage. Your local guide can provide some direction if you want to go out for more exploring. Riad Al Makan (B) September 22 Today you make the long drive through changing scenery, from barren mountainsides to fertile valleys, as you journey to Merzouga. With a backdrop of the orange-colored Erg Chebbi sand dunes, the charming Saharan village of Merzouga feels wonderfully isolated, left behind by the modern world. The Erg Chebbi dunes are the most stunning in the country with towering dunes up to 150 metres in height. An erg is a vast sea of shifting wind-swept sand that forms into picturesque, undulating crests and valleys. You will leave your gear at a simple auberge and then ride camels into the edge of the Sahara Desert, enjoying a spectacular sunset along the way. Tonight you camp in your luxury tents and enjoy some fantastic local cuisine while you sit around an open fire, enjoying lively music and dancing under the stars. Aladdin Luxury Camp (B/D) September 23 Enjoy a real Lawrence of Arabia moment this morning with a sunrise camel ride across the desert on your return journey to the auberge. We then drive to M goun Valley (approximately 4 hours). You ll have the rest of the day to explore the beauty of this backcountry. Accompanied by your tour leader, you ll walk a trail that isn t too challenging if you have a basic level of fitness. On the walk you ll pass Berber villages, meeting local Berbers along the way and perhaps having a chance to share a cup of mint tea with some of them. We spend the next two nights in a simple Berber guesthouse called a gite. The surrounding mountains and famous Rose Valley make a sensational setting. Gite Tamaloute (B) September 24 Today you learn more about the customs and lifestyles of the Berber families. Experience a tapestry demonstration session with local women and then you enjoy a cooking class with a local family to make a local dish. After that, learn more about the famous local specialty in a rose jam making class. Later you will enjoy a local Berber dinner where you will be able to interact with a local family and discover more about their lifestyle.
Gite Tamaloute (B/D) September 25 You leave the Dades Valley this morning and set off on the fabled Road of 1,000 Kasbahs. The first stop is at Skoura Oasis, home to several privately owned kasbahs. You ll visit the Kasbah Ameridhl with its extravagant decorations and mud-brick fortifications. Continue on your journey to Ait Benhaddou perched on a hilltop and almost unchanged since the 11 th century. Ait Benhaddou is one of Morocco s most iconic sites. Its grand Kasbah is one of the most beautiful in Morocco and the fortified village is a fine example of clay architecture. You may recognize the place as the town has a long list of film and TV credits, including Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and Gladiator. Enjoy a walk through the winding streets of old town, making your way to the top of the hill, from where you can enjoy the views across the surrounding plains. Back at the hotel, sit back on the roof terrace and watch the sun setting over the magical Kasbah. Riad Maktoub (B/D) September 26 This morning journey along mountain roads and over Morocco s highest pass, Tiz n Tichka (2260 metres). It is a long drive through the winding roads of the Atlas as you make your way to Marrakech, an ancient, exotic city wrapped in European modernity. This evening you will head to the great square of Jemaa el Fna, one of the largest public spaces in the world and unique to Marrakech. When night falls, it transforms into a hive of activity henna painters, performers and storytellers share the square with a street food bazaar, packed with stalls loaded with Moroccan delicacies. Enjoy a Moroccan dinner in the square and then finish your day with a cup of tea on one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking the square. Riad Challa and Spa (B/D) September 27 After breakfast meet your local guide and set off on a tour of the old medina, visiting the bustling souks that are the lifeblood flowing through the city. You ll explore tranquil courtyards filled with the scent of orange blossoms, visit the splendid Bahia Palace, a mansion built in 1866 and then continue to the Marrakech Museum. You ll visit a few more sites before returning to the old medina. The rest of the day is free to explore further, visit the tropical gardens of the French painter Jacques Majorelle or check out the ruins of the Palais Badi. You may decide to go back to the medina and watch skilled artisans perfect their craft, practice your haggling skills or take a break from the hustle to sip on tea or share a tagine. Enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants lining the square. Riad Challa and Spa (B) September 28 Today is free for you to explore or relax or do both! You might want to head back to the medina, where every step brings a new smell, a new sight or a new gift to buy. Visit the seemingly endless mosaic of souks, each devoted to a separate trade pottery, woodwork, copper, leather, carpets and spices. In the evening you will visit the sophisticated neighborhood of L hivernage where you will have enjoy a magnificent memorable oriental/moroccan dinner and show. Riad Challa and Spa (B/D) September 29
This morning you leave the ochre city behind and head west to the coastal town of Essaouira (approximately 3 hours). Its charm is undeniable. Within the stone ramparts you ll find whitewashed houses with bright blue shutters, art galleries and wood workshops. This laidback artists town is a former Portuguese trading colony and was once home to sizeable British and Jewish populations. The town faces a group of rocky islands called the Mogador and is surrounded by sandy beaches and dunes. It s still a busy fishing port and its pretty harbor is filled with colorful boats. We arrive in early afternoon and join a local guide for a walking tour through the old medina, Jewish mellah, port and skala (sea wall). The narrow streets of Essaouira are ideal for casual exploration. You ll enjoy a delicious seafood lunch at a local restaurant. You ll also visit a local argan oil cooperative that employs women in the area. It was created as part of the national program to improve the socioeconomic development of rural women. Riad Maison du sud (B/L) September 30 Enjoy a relaxed day that will include a hammam or local style bath, a must do activity in Morocco. The rest of the day is free to relax, enjoy a walk in the old medina, explore the port or browse the plentiful shops and intriguing art galleries. A freshly cooked plate of the day s catch is highly recommended for lunch or dinner or both. Riad Maison du sud (B) October 1 Today you will return to Morocco s economic capital of Casablanca. You have the remainder of the day to see the sites of the city, take a walk through the lively United Nations Place and Mohammed V Square, wander the souks of the old medina or admire the elegant architecture in the Habous Quarter. This evening the group will enjoy a farewell diner at a local restaurant. Hotel Kenzi Basma (B/D) October 2 Your journey to Morocco ends after breakfast. Transfer time to airport will be available. Departure will be determined after flights have been arranged. Notes: Our time in Casablanca is limited. Pre or post nights at the Casablanca hotel are available if you would like to arrive early or spend extra time at the end.