Morocco Uncovered: Royal Cities & Northern Charms

Today you will get the chance to wake up and live in Marrakech, a dream of many, so be sure to make the best of it. After your breakfast, our local guide and driver guide will be waiting for you to start a guided city tour of “Ochre City. We will visit first in the morning the Majorelle Garden which was named after the French painter, Jacques Majorelle who dedicated a lot of effort and passion to this art piece. After Majorelle, continue to Menara and though the name in Arabic translates to “lighthouse”, it is a pavilion with a basin and a garden of orchards and olive groves. We will be heading afterward to Bahia Palace, the Koutobia Mosque, and through the Jewish quarter called Mallah; finishing the tour with a carriage ride or
“Koutchi to Jamaa El Fnaa. The more you know: Marrakesh is known for being holy, Moroccans call it “the land of the seven men” who were huge religion and Sufi scholars who gave their lives for knowledge and worship.

• Overnight in Marrakech.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Local Experience: Kotchi Experience (Horse Carriage Tour)

Enjoy a lovely breakfast at your hotel before heading to Casablanca the economic capital of Morocco. Upon your arrival, join your tour guide for a guided city tour including the exterior visit of the Hassan II Mosque, the Habous quarter and its local Souks, the Place des Nations, admire the art deco of Casablanca through its crowded
streets, and finish the tour at la Corniche Ain Diab before to transfer to your hotel for check-in and relax. The more you know: If you are a fan of the Movie “ Casablanca “ then don’t miss out on the famous Rick’s café found on Boulevard Sour Jdid

• Overnight in Casablanca
• Meals: Breakfast
• Optional (s): Hassan II Mosque (interior visit) - Museum of Moroccan
• Judaism.

After breakfast at your hotel, your driver guide will take you to Rabat to join your tour guide for a tour of the capital city of Morocco. Rabat was founded by Abd Al-Mu’min, a ruler of the Almohad dynasty for military reasons. It was built to serve as a fortress, hence its original name Ribatu l-Fath, meaning stronghold of victory. Our guided tour
in Rabat will then revolve around uncovering the history of Rabat. The tour includes a visit to the Royal Palace, Chellah, Hassan Tower, and Kasbah Ouddaya. Free time afterward to stroll around the souks and bazaars in the old medina of Rabat which are full of all types of merchandise as well as leather-made traditional and modern shoes alongside Moroccan styles bags with some authentic Berber style and old jewelry shops. Then, continue to “Café Maure “on the bank of river Bouregrag, to enjoy an optional Moroccan mint tea alongside some Moroccan goodies like Kaab Ghazal and Ghariba.The more you know: Kaab Ghazal, meaning the hoof of the deer in Arabic, alongside Ghariba and Mint Tea, are symbols of Moroccan hospitality.

• Overnight in Rabat
• Meals: Breakfast, Tea break.
• Local Experience: Mint Tea Break at Café Maure overlooking the Abourgerag River

After breakfast, we will head to Fez. En route, we will be making a stop by Volubilis and Meknes. The archeological site of Volubilis is listed by UNESCO as a worldwide heritage. A specialized guide will walk you around the remains of the Roman and Berber cultures that once occupied it. Afterward, the trip will continue to the Imperial City of Meknes, one of Morocco’s lesser-visited. It was built by Moulay Ismail and was conceived to be the ‘Versailles of Morocco’. Once you meet your local guide, you’ll be able to visit the famed gate of Bab El Mansour, and Lhri. These sites are the main beating veins of the city. We will then continue our way to Fez.

• Overnight in Fez.
• Meals: Breakfast,

After breakfast, start your guided city tour of Fez, once the capital of the kingdom before 1912. Your visit today will revolve around exploring Fez the Medina which is a World Heritage Site, according to UNESCO, and it was founded in the 9th century and it is home to the world's oldest university. Your local guide will show you around the major sites like Bou-Inania and Attarin Medersa, the tanners, Ess-Seffarine Square, Moulay Driss tomb, El-Nejjarine square, and the cabinet makers’ souk, the Hebrew district ‘Mellah’. In your schedule, you will have a pottery workshop with a pottery master so that you get to have a full Moroccan experience. After lunch at a local restaurant, you are free to either choose to go back to your hotel or stroll in the narrow alley of the old town on your own. The more you know: each October Fez held one of the largest and most well-known Sufi festivals with performers from around the world.

• Overnight in: Fez
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Local Experience: Pottery workshops

After Breakfast, prepare for a drive to Chefchaouen via Ouazzane and through the Rif Mountains which are located in the northern region of the country. When you arrive at Chefchouan the first captivating feature will be the blue color all around. Chefchaouen is Morocco’s “Blue Pearl”. It has come to be known as such due to the distinctive
blue color all the inhabitants use to paint their houses. This tradition traces back to the Jewish traditions and beliefs that the color blue represents the sky which in turn reminds people of heaven and God. This color covering the city gives it an amazing charm as well as a sense and an atmosphere of relaxation, comfort, and peace. Have you heard of healing pearls and gems? Well, this one works. On the Road to Ras El Maa, you will encounter a group of Granada-styled houses before enjoying tea amid the freshwater. You will be able to visit the Kasbah Ali Ben Rachid and Plaza Uta el-Hammam and explore this beautiful city.

• Overnight in: Chefchaouen
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Optional (s) : Guided Tour of Chefchaouen

After your breakfast, travel to Tangier, the bride of the north. This city is located on the southern passage of the Strait of Gibraltar, a few miles from the Spanish shores. Tangier has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. Its whitewashed hillside medina is home to the Dar el Makhzen, a palace of the sultans that now a museum of Moroccan artifacts Starting your tour at the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean culture, move to the souks 3Petit Socco” and “Grand Socco” and enjoy some of the local product and street food (optional) before heading to the American Legation Museum and find between the arts works there the Moroccan Mona Lisa. One of the most interesting places is the St. Andrew Anglican Church which is built with a Moroccan style and with the lord’s prayers in Arabic over the altar.

• Overnight in: Tangier
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Wake up and enjoy a breakfast at your hotel before heading to the airport to catch a flight back home or to the port.

Meals: Breakfast