MOROCCAN DISCOVERY ITINERARY
DAY 1
Depart New York this evening aboard your Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca.
DAY 2 - Casablanca/Rabat
Arrive this morning in Casablanca, Morocco’s chief port, economic capital and largest city. You’ll meet your Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director at the airport then transfer by coach to Rabat, stopping for refreshments along the way. After checking in at our elegant well-located hotel near the Royal Palace, we have the remainder of the day at leisure. For your convenience, lunch at the hotel is included today.
Tonight you’ll meet your fellow travelers over a welcome dinner at a local restaurant in this city known for its traditional cuisine.
DAY 3 - Rabat
Capital of the French Protectorate of Morocco from 1912 to 1956, and Moroccan capital since independence, Rabat has a European elegance all its own. We spend the entire day touring this unique city that also was one of the four ancient capitals, or imperial, cities, beginning with the fortified Kasbah des Oudaias that surrounds the 17th-century Royal Palace and the beautiful Andalusian Gardens. This afternoon we visit the outdoor quarters of the official Royal Palace and the ruins of the 12th-century Hassan mosque and splendid dressed stone minaret; and the Mohammad V Mausoleum, in traditionally Moroccan style designed, surprisingly enough, by a Vietnamese architect.
After a full day of touring, we return to the hotel in time to freshen up before dinner there tonight.
DAY 4 - Rabat/Meknes/Volubilis/Meknes/Fez
After breakfast this morning we depart by motorcoach for Meknes, Morocco’s youngest Imperial City and also a UNESCO World Heritage site, whose construction was dominated by the Sultan Moulay Ismail, one of Morocco’s most powerful leaders. Despite his reputation as a ruthless warrior, the Sultan was also a builder, and during his 55-year reign developed Meknes from a small town into a majestic capital with gigantic ramparts, monumental gates, more than 50 palaces, and 15 miles of exterior walls. We see the impressive Bab el Mansour gateway and visit the ruins of the imperial stables and granaries.
After lunch we continue on to Volubilis, the largest of the Romans’ 17 colonies established in Morocco between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. The excavated ruins here are particularly noted for their colorful mosaics. The setting is a photographer’s delight, and we’ll have ample time at this UNESCO World Heritage site to take photos. From here we travel to Fez, arriving late this afternoon.
Tonight we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.
DAY 5 - Fez
“The history of Fez,” writes author Walter Harris, “is composed of wars and murders, triumphs of arts and sciences, and a good deal of imagination.” And a more fascinating city you won’t find anywhere, as we discover on our full-day tour. We begin in Fez Elbali, the 9th-century medina (the term is used for the original ancient part of a city) that is a maze of tiny streets and alleyways buzzing with workshops, vendors, and architectural wonders. We see two prominent monuments: the mosques of Andalus and Kairaouyine. On the way to the Nejarine complex of a medieval inn and canopied fountain, we stop at the gate of the shrine of Moulay Idriss II, the city’s founder. Next we visit the guilds of the tanners and dyers before stopping for lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon we tour the 14th-century medina of Fez Ejdid and the mellah (Jewish quarter) in the Merinids district.
Late this afternoon we return to our hotel, where we dine tonight.
DAY 6 - Fez/Midelt/Erfoud
We leave Fez this morning for a day of dramatic scenery changes as we cross the Middle Atlas Mountains bound for Erfoud, where we’ll stay for the next two nights. Our journey takes us past the resort town of Ifrane then through the cedar forest of Michlifen. Along the way we pass through a variety of landscapes, ranging from lush fruit tree groves and densely forested mountain slopes of cedar, cork, and pine to barren, rocky fields and arid steppe, as we follow historic caravan routes.
En route we stop in Midelt for lunch then continue through the High Atlas Mountains and the Ziz River Valley of date palm groves to Erfoud. Originally an oasis fort built by the French, Erfoud is now a sizable city and the gateway to the Sahara.
We arrive late this afternoon and have time to relax and freshen up before dinner at our hotel.
DAY 7 - Erfoud/Rissani/Merzouga
This morning we visit the city of Rissani, with its 18th-century ksar, a virtually impenetrable warren of alleys; then continue on to the ruins of 17th-century Ksar Abbar fortress. We enjoy a tour highlight this afternoon as we set out on a sunset excursion to the breathtakingly beautiful sand dunes at Merzouga on the edge of the Sahara. In the enormous silence we watch the sun set over the desert as we take a camel ride along the erg, Morocco’s only Saharan dunes.
Following this experience we return to our hotel, where we dine together tonight.
DAY 8 - Erfoud/Tinehir/Todra Gorges/Ouarzazate
We leave Erfoud this morning bound for Ouarzazate in the snow-topped High Atlas Mountains, passing one scene of natural beauty to another. Our first stop is in Tinehir, a stunning mountain oasis rising on a series of lush riverside produce gardens accented by palm trees and dominated by ornate clay villages. Here we visit 984-foot Todra Gorge, home to a variety of rare plant and bird species.
After enjoying lunch here, we begin our journey along the “Route of a Thousand Kasbahs,” a region of fortresses with elaborately decorated façades. We continue on through “Valley of the Roses” and El Kelaa M’gouna, Morocco’s “rose capital,” before arriving in Ouarzazate late this afternoon.
Dinner tonight is at our hotel.
DAY 9 - Ourzazate/Ait Ben-Haddou/Marrakech
Today we leave Ourzazate for Marrakech via the scenic Tizi N’Tichka Pass in the High Atlas Mountains. En route we stop at Ait Ben-Haddou, one of southern Morocco’s most recognizable villages since it is often used as a location for fashion and film shoots (including Gladiator). A UNESCO World Heritage site, the village’s old section consists of deep red kasbahs so tightly packed together they appear as a single building. The fragility of the buildings – and their state of conservation – means that we may have to stop outside the city itself depending on conditions at this UNESCO site when we visit. Continuing on we descend from the mountains, passing through typical villages whose stone houses have earthen roofs.
Late this afternoon we arrive in fabled Marrakech, an ancient intersection of Berber, African, Mediterranean, and Asian cultural and artistic influences. Considered Morocco’s most cosmopolitan city – and some would say its most beautiful – Marrakech boasts a spectacular location surrounded by rich farmlands and high mountains.
After we settle in at our hotel, we’ll enjoy an orientation driving tour as our first glimpse of this fascinating city. Dinner tonight is at our hotel.
DAY 10 - Marrakech
Although its origins are disputed, it is believed Marrakech was settled in the early 11th century; five centuries later it was one of Morocco’s dominant centers of art and culture. Today Marrakech is the nation’s fourth largest city, with an exciting blend of modern architecture and an ancient walled medina. On our full-day tour we concentrate on Old Marrakech, taking in the Koutoubia Mosque with its 282-foot minaret, an architectural highlight visible from miles way; the relatively contemporary (19th century) Bahia Palace with its Andalusian influence and fascinating harem quarter; and lush Majorelle Garden, a botanical garden in the heart of the city.
After lunch on our own we’ll explore the different souks, including those of yarn dyers, wrought iron and lantern makers, herbalists, and wood carvers and painters. Then we’ll venture to Djemaa El Fna, the heart of Marrakech where your fantasies of Morocco will come to life. Here are snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats, and musicians asking only a few dirhams to enlighten, fascinate, and entertain you. It’s a circus atmosphere that has existed since the city’s earliest days, serving as a mecca for both locals and tourists who come here for food, for fun, or to find a brief respite from daily life.
We return to our hotel late this afternoon and dine there tonight.
DAY 11 - Marrakech/Ourika Valley
This morning after a pleasant horse and carriage ride through the city’s Kasbah district, we head to Ourika Valley, where we visit a typical Berber home and enjoy mint tea with a local family.
After returning to Marrakech around lunchtime, the afternoon is free to explore your own, and Marrakech offers plenty of options. For shopping, you’ll want to head to the souks in the main market area, which sell all manner of goods including jewelry, textiles, woolens, rugs, sheepskins, leather, and more. Take a map, as this area is a virtual maze of stalls and alleyways. Or just wander through the colorful streets. You may also want to spend some time in the mellah (Jewish quarter). Though today it is almost entirely Muslim, it was created in the 16th century to house the city’s Jews, who thrived here as salt dealers, bankers, jewelers, and tailors. The wealth that was once here is reflected in the size of the houses, which are taller than those in other parts of Marrakech.
This evening we enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner at one of Marrakech’s local restaurants.
DAY 12 - Marrakech/Essaouira
On today’s excursion we travel to the fortified city of Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Known especially for its white washed homes trimmed with blue shutters and doors, Essaouira is considered one of Morocco’s loveliest cities; its medina (old town) and city ramparts have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today this relaxed city also is renowned as a windsurfing mecca, with beautiful (but windy) beaches. As we explore today we see traces of Essaouira’s Phoenician, Portuguese, Jewish, and French past in the well-preserved architecture, harbor, and artisans’ workshops. We visit the street where craftsmen carve objects ranging from souvenirs to high end furniture from Yew wood, a hard aromatic burled wood found only in this part of Africa.
After a full day of touring we return to Marrakech late afternoon and dine together tonight.
DAY 13 - Marrakech/Casablanca
We leave Marrakech this morning by coach for Casablanca, Morocco’s largest and most sophisticated city, combining French and Moroccan influences. On this afternoon’s tour we visit the Grand Mosque of Hassan II, the world’s second largest Islamic house of worship, with a 656-foot minaret and a prayer hall three times the size of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. A stunning architectural achievement, the mosque boasts an equally stunning setting on the banks of the Atlantic shoreline. It is also Morocco’s only functioning mosque that is open to non Muslims and our tour affords us the opportunity to see the palatial interior, with its polished marble floor, Venetian chandeliers, and Moorish arches with 70 cedar-paneled cupolas. Other highlights of our Casablanca tour include La Corniche, and the city hall square. If you look carefully, you can see the art deco touches that enliven the city’s architecture which, unlike the imperial cities we will have visited, is truly a product of the early 20th century.
Tonight we gather for a farewell dinner to celebrate our discovery of Morocco.
DAY 14
This morning we transfer to the Casablanca airport for our flight to New York, where we arrive this afternoon.
