Morocco Culture and Adventure Tour

Today is the day of time travel! This trip will take you from imperial Rome to the ninth century A.D. Unlike fiction, this temporal voyage will take almost the whole day. We will have some tops along the way.

The first visit will be to the ancient Roman city of Volubilis. Volubilis was a critical city in the imperial Roman department of Mauritania during the reign of Caracalla. Volubilis is impressively well preserved and the genius of the Roman metropolis model. The two central integral streets in every Roman castrum, the Cardo, and Decumanus, are prominent. The Cardo is the main north-south street, and the Decumanus is east-west. The intersection of the two is the heart of every Roman city. There you will find the ruins of the ancient forum.

Jumping forward in time and just over the next hill is the venerated citadel of Moulay Idris, founded in the 8th century by Moulay Idris Al Akbar, who fled the persecution of the Calif of Damascus. This town is considered holy as it is both the cradle of Sufism in Moroccan society and the first Islamic capital of the first Arab dynasty. The city was created primarily for the indigenous population that migrated with Moulay Idris from the Middle East.

You will drive around 15 miles to the next stop, the imperial city of Meknes. Meknes is a 17th Century city built by Moulay Ismail to rival Fez. It is also considered to be the Versailles of Morocco. Finally, you have reached your destination, the ninth-century city of Fez. In the evening, you will taste the greatest of the Imperial Cities. You will visit the sights outside the ancient walled city, including the ramparts, the gates, and the Borjs (Moorish Forts). After this introductory aperitif to Fez, you will dine in your hotel and prepare for day three: Fez!

Fascinating, Fez stimulates the senses with its haunting sounds, visual splendor, and evocative smells. This world Heritage is featured in most Morocco Tours. The most ancient of the imperial capitals and the complete medieval city of the Islamic world, Fez is reminiscent of a city suspended in time, unfazed by the constantly evolving world outsides of its walls. Fez owes nothing to the modern world but 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 morning will be spent visiting the Medina. Our unmatched guide will take you on a historic discovery of Fez, starting at the King s Palace and its Meshwar with ramparts and majestic gates.

Next, you will walk through the Jewish Quarter, a 15th-century town with all its Moorish maze architecture and medieval glory. Visits to Sephardic synagogues and mausoleums of holy Rabbis will be the highlights of this part of town. Then, we will drive to Merinides Hill to visit their necropolis. Enjoy the best panoramic view of the old walled Medina, brimful with its countless minarets to call for prayers in a city that has responded to these calls for 12 centuries. Drive down the hills to the gate of Bab Guissa to leave your vehicle and enter an ancient world. Fez has preserved its walled Medina as it was centuries ago. Not even a bicycle can be used as a tool for transportation. Only donkeys, mules, and horses can help move all that the city produces and needs as supplies.

You will end your walk in the afternoon at Foundouk Lihoudi, where a local Fez family will host you for traditional mint tea in their home. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner and other accommodations.

You will spend your day discovering the rural vistas of the Atlas Mountains, Berber villages, wards, and nomadic enbase campments. Covered with evergreen pines, tall cedar trees, and poplars and laced with flowing streams, your first view of the Middle Atlas will appear oddly un-Moroccan. Passing by Imouzzer, with a quick stop at the Swiss-like town of Ifrane, you will soon come across the first real town of the Middle Atlas, Azrou.

Azrou is an important market center for Berber tribes, located at a major junction of mountain routes. Your driver will take a little detour in a cedar forest of Ain Leuh to introduce you to one of the oldest inhabitants of this region, the Barbary apes. This may also coincide with the encounter of a nomadic family at its temporary enbase campment. Berber Nomads are very hospitable people; whenever we encounter them, we are all invited at least for a mint tea under their tents.

At Khenifra, the Middle Atlas gives way to the High Atlas Mountains, whose peaks are visible through the haze, soaring to over 12,000 feet. After midday meal, you will leave the Mountains, finally arriving in the foothills overlooking the magnificent oasis city of Marrakech Alhamra. Some of the stops above will include visits to Berber villages, scenic views, and traditional markets. You will conclude your day with dinner at your hotel.

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

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

It is your day with free time to do whatever you wish and explore Marrakech your way. However, an optional excursion to the Ourika Valley is offered for those who like to discover the beauty of the Atlas Mountains nearby.

In the afternoon, your guide will take you on a monumental tour exploring Casablanca, the largest port of the Maghreb and “capital in all but administration.” Next, you will visit the Habous quarter to be introduced to your first Spanish Moorish ambiance of a lively market in old Casablanca, then the Art Deco colonial downtown with the natural flavor of the Mystic French connection.

Your guide will introduce you to La Corniche and Ain Diab shorelines. This will give you an idea of the creative architecture in neighborhoods of the well-off Moroccans of Anfa Quarter and the inclusive resort of La Corniche. And, of course, you will not miss the great mosque of Hassan II, the second-largest mosque in the world. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner.

It will take you to Casablanca airport to connect for your flight back home. Assist you with checking and bid you goodbye. Thank you for visiting Morocco.