Cities, Mountains and Sahara Morocco Tour

Today is the day of time travel! This journey will take you from imperial Rome to theninth century A.D. Unlike the movies, this temporal voyage will take almost the entireday. (Of course, there will be stops along the way.)

The first stop will be the ancient Roman city of Volubilis. Volubilis was a critical city inthe imperial Roman department of Mauritania (modern-day Morocco, and WesternSahara) during the reign of Caracalla. Volubilis is impressively well preserved and thegenius of Roman urbanism is still intact. The two central integral streets in every Romancastrum, the Cardo, and Decumanus, are prominent. The cardo is the boulevard whichruns north-south and the Decumanus, east-west. The intersection of the two is the heartof every Roman city. There you will find the ruins of the ancient forum.

Jumping forward in time and just a few minutes away is the venerated citadel of MoulayIdris, founded in the 8 the century by Moulay Idris Al Akbar, grandson of the ProphetMohamed (s.a.w.s). This citadel is considered to be both the cradle of Sufism toMoroccan society as well as the first Islamic capital for the premier Arab dynasty. Thecity was created primarily for the indigenous population that migrated with Moulay Idrisfrom the Middle East.

You will drive around 15 miles to the next stop, the imperial city of Meknes. Meknes is a17th Century city built by Moulay Ismail to rival Fez. It is also considered to be theVersailles of Morocco.

Finally, you have reached your destination, the ninth century city of Fez. In the evening,you will get a taste of the greatest of the Imperial Cities. You will visit the sights on theoutside of the ancient walled city, including the ramparts, the gates, and the Borjs (MoorishForts). After this introductory aperitif to Fez, you will dine in your hotel and prepare forday three: Fez!

Undeniably fascinating, Fez stimulates the senses with its haunting yet beautiful sounds,visual splendor, and evocative smells. The most ancient of the imperial capitals and the complete medieval city of the Islamic world, Fez is reminiscent of a city suspendedin time, unfazed by the constantly evolving world outsides of its walls. Fez owes nothingto the Western world, save electricity.

Time spent in Fez will reveal much about the sophistication of the Moroccan artisan,providing an unparalleled learning experience to those who cross its path. Your morningwill be spent visiting the Medina. Our specialized guide will take you on a historicdiscovery of the city of Fez starting at the Kings Palace and its Meshwar with rampartsand majestic gates.

Next, you will explore the Jewish quarter, a 15th-century citadel with all its Moorish mazearchitecture and medieval glory. Visits to Sephardic synagogues and mausoleums of holyRabbis will be the highlights of this part of town.

Then, we will drive to the Merinides hill to visit their necropolis. Here you will enjoy thebest panoramic view of the old walled Medina, brimful with its countless minarets to callfor the prayers in a city that has responded to these calls for 12 centuries. Drive down thehills to the gate of Bab Guissa to leave your vehicle and enter an ancient world. Fez haspreserved its Medina as it was centuries ago. Not even a bicycle is able to be used as a toolfor transportation. Only donkeys, mules and horses are able to help to move all that thecity produces and needs as supplies.

The first guilds you will immediately encounter are the cobblers, the saddlers and blacksmiths interlaced by some caravansaries for tribesmen who come from the surroundingareas to trade and supply their needs. Down the hill to Juteya you will encounter all sortsof crafts but noticeably carpenters and leather workers as one of the traditional tanneriesis not far. This walk will lead you to El Ashabine square with its variety of activities.From there, you will find your way to the Sgha square which will lead you to Attarinethen Souk el Henna and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idris, the founder of Fez. Next, to it,you will visit the Nejjarine square with its famous fountain, its guild of carpentry and themuseum of folk arts at the Fondouk.

You will walk to the tannery and on to visit the great Mosque university of AlQuarrawiyyine, passing by Shemmaine, the market of dried fruits. After that, you willvisit the Medersa Attarine and walk to Sbetryyine, a guild of bookbinders, which willlead you to the Seffarine Square, where the tapping of metalworkers is still deafeningpasserby as it was the case for centuries. You will break for midday meal then continueexploring the marvels of Fez Medina. These will highlight the Dyers souk, FoundoukTetouani and the shrine of Sidi Ahmed Tijani.

You will end your walk at foundouk Lihoudi where a local Fez family will host you fortraditional mint tea in their home. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner andother accommodations.

You will spend your day discovering the rural environs of the Atlas Mountains Berbers.Covered with evergreen pines, tall cedar trees, and poplars, and laced with flowingstreams, your first view of the Middle Atlas will appear oddly un-Moroccan. Passing byImouzzer, with a quick stop at the Swiss-like town of Ifrane, you will soon come acrossthe first real town of the Middle Atlas, Azrou.

Azrou is an important market center for the regions Berber tribes, located at a majorjunction of mountain routes. Your driver will take a little detour in a cedar forest tointroduce you to one of the oldest inhabitants of this region, the Berber apes. This mayalso coincide with the encounter of a nomadic family in its temporary enbase campment. Asnomads are very hospitable people, whenever we encounter them we are all invited atleast for a mint tea under their tents.

At Midelt, the Middle Atlases give way to the High Atlas Mountains, whose peaks arevisible through the haze, soaring to over 12,000 feet. You will stop in Midelt for midday meal,enjoying the dramatic sight before you. You will then continue to Erfoud, one of the mostdelightful southern regions consisting of a dry, red belt of the desert with a sudden drop intothe lush valley of Ziz, with copious date palm groves and flowing streams. Visit thegorges of Ziz and some of the oases and natural sites before you reach the magnificentoasis of Erfoud.

After you arrive in Erfoud, you will leave your vehicle and hop into the 4-Wheel Driveboat tripr which takes you to meet a caravan of camels that you will ride to base camp. You willconclude your day in your base camp over the dunes of Merzouga where tents are pitched foryou to enjoy a night under the African Skies. After dinner, the Rokba drummers willilluminate your night with their lively dances and moving chants. Enjoy this encounter ofMan and nature at its best.

You will wake up early to reach the highest peak of the dunes and watch the sun rise overthe spectacular Merzouga dunes. This is an experience that should not be missed.

Afterward, you will eat morning meal with the Tuaregs and continue onward. You will leaveErfoud traveling west toward the Valley of Todra, which lies right between the AtlasMountains and the Sahara Desert. You will reach Tinghir, the town where we will bespending the night. Only 15 kilometers from Tinghir inside the Valley of Todra, you willfind the Todra highest and narrowest gorges in the region.

Next, you will travel through the Dads valley, wherein the spring, thousands of Persianroses bloom in hedgerows, filling the air with their heavenly perfume. You will also seethe thousands of Kasbahs scattered along the Dads River, majestic sandcastles with avisually appealing, timeless beauty.

You will continue to explore the Dads Valley, traveling through El Kela De Mgounaand Boumalne to view the inimitable natural vistas and unusual rock formations. Youwill then continue onward to Ouarzazate, which is one large oasis that intercepts the flowof water between the Dads, the Dra valleys, and the majestic High Atlas Mountains. This is an ideal place to stop for the night. You will conclude your day with dinner andother accommodations in your hotel.

You will spend most of your day en route to Marrakech, exploring the legendary Kasbahof At-Benhaddou, a renowned architectural marvel classified as UNESCO world heritage.

Your journey will lead you to the highest pass in Morocco, the Taddart, and Tizi Tishkapass, at an altitude of 11,000 feet. This pass divides the mountains into two distinctfacets: the harsh, stark side acting as a shield that protects the hinterland from the harsh,dry expansion of the Sahara, and a lush side, soft and evergreen, which collects themoisture from the Gherbi winds of the Atlantic Ocean.

You will arrive in Marrakech, a city of pleasure for both visitors and locals, wheresouthern tribesmen and Berber villagers bring their goods to market and find a variety ofentertainment. To tourists, the city is a feast for the imagination, full of incomparablebeauty, situated before the towering mountains that provide a thrilling backdrop. After avisit to the bustling Jemaa El Fna square, you will conclude your day with dinner andother accommodations at your hotel.

You will devote your morning to the exploration of Marrakechs many historical sites,starting at the Menara, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowerbeds, reflecting the imageof an exquisite Moorish edifice. It was constructed in 1866 for dignitaries, who enjoyedglorious sunsets with the ethereal Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. The pool alsofunctions as an innovative irrigation system that is serving dry life in the desert.

Your tour will cover many impressive sites, including the Koutoubia Minaret (which isidentical to la Giralda, a tower found in Sevilla, Spain), and the Saadien tombs, whichdemonstrate Moorish architecture at its best. The tombs consist of sixteenth-centurymausoleums, which had lain walled-in and undiscovered until 1917. Next, you willexplore the gardens of the Agdal then the Marjorelle. Finally, you will return to yourhotel for dinner and other accommodations.

You will begin your day with an excursion to the Ourika Valley, where you will visit thetraditional Berber Souks, as well as the Jewish shrines. After midday meal, you will visit theBerber Museum of Arts and Crafts to learn about the dwellers of these mountains andtheir products before you discover their workshops and sophisticated, hand-madeproducts. You will return to Marrakech for dinner and other accommodations at yourhotel.

You will begin your day by traveling to Essaouira (Mogador), a picturesque city with arich history. With a fascinating antiquity, Essaouira was occupied by the Phoenicians andCarthaginians, supplied essential purple dyes to the Romans, absorbed the sophisticatedJewish arts of the silversmith, and spent centuries as a Portuguese enclave.

Despite the obvious influence of these civilizations, Essaouira has managed to remain asmall, authentic Berber town. Alive with the breath of fresh air provided by the Atlantic,Essaouira is a jewel nestled in the rugged coast, with a vast expanse of empty sandstrailing back along the promontory towards the South. After an introductory tour, youwill conclude your day with dinner and other accommodations in your hotel.

You will travel to Casablanca, stopping at El Oualidia for a seafood midday meal. You willcontinue onward to El Jadida, where you will visit the citadel, evidence of the 11th-century Portuguese occupation. Finally, you will arrive in Casablanca, having completeda journey that has led you to immeasurable antiquity. You will conclude your daywith a farewell dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

In the morning, your driver will meet you at your hotel to assist you with your luggageand transport you to the Mohamed V Airport. Your driver will assist you with yourcheck-in and bid you farewell.