DAY 1

• CASABLANCA

slide 5 of 2

• Here we Go!
• Upon arrival into Casablanca, you will be met on the tarmac by a local representative and escorted through Customs and Immigration, avoiding any queues along the way.
• Our local representative will provide you with your travel documents and go over the itinerary in great detail.
• You will be privately transferred between your hotel and Casablanca's international airport by an English-speaking guide & driver. Approximate travel time varies based on the location of your accommodations, taking up to one hour.
• Driver and guide at disposal for the rest of the day.
• The largest city in the Maghreb, Casablanca is a bustling city, brimming with history while embracing modernity. Dense and sprawling with an eclectic miscellany of unique buildings both old and new, each corner reveals a new street with a character all its own. The city has seen an incredible amount of change through the centuries; the 1755 Lisbon earthquake all but destroyed the old city, and most of the city’s reconstruction was ordered and organized by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah in the mid-18th century. The King Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, stands out in the skyline. Located by the sea and featuring a 690-foot minaret – the world’s tallest – it’s a spectacular temple. The mosque welcomes non-Muslim guests to tour its incredible interior as part of a daily group visit which you will have the opportunity to experience. Another site of interest is the Jewish Historical Museum of Morocco, found in the Oasis area of Casablanca. This museum – the only museum dedicated to Judaism in the Arab world – features a considerable range of artifacts which provide insights into both Moroccan Jewish history and Berber history, while Casablanca Cathedral (or the Church of the Sacred Heart) is another important site for many guests. Worth noting is that the cathedral is found within walking distance of the Old Medina; a relaxed and colorful, vendor-lined neighborhood that reveals the true personality of this cosmopolitan gem, thereby making it the ideal place to relax and perhaps enjoy an afternoon refreshment. Around midday you'll be treated to a lunch at Rick’s Cafe, designed to capture the atmosphere of the bar made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the 1942 classic Casablanca. With both a professional driver and a private guide at your disposal, the best of Casablanca is yours to discover.

DAY 2

• CASABLANCA TO FES

slide 5 of 2

• A Dazzling Drive
• An English-speaking driver will transfer you from Casablanca to Fes. Continue to the diplomatic and administrative capital of Morocco, Rabat. Visit the Royal Palace, the wild gardens of the Chellah, a 14th-century Merinid necropolis, and walk through the Andalusian Gardens within the walls of the Kasbah of the Oudaya. Visit the Hassan Tower, a huge unfinished minaret, built mostly at the end of the 12th century. Next, travel to the city of Meknes, the famed Ismailia capital known for its 24-mile (40-kilometer) long walls and numerous gates. Next, visit Bab Mansour, an impressive and elaborately decorated gateway that is today a popular arts and crafts galleria. Interestingly, the marble columns seen here were taken from the nearby Roman city of Volubilis. Next, visit the historic Royal stables, the amazing artisan markets and the popular Jewish quarter. Before arriving in Fes, stop in Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay Idriss to take in the fascinating history and scenery. Upon arrival into Fes, you will be delivered to your hotel.
• DAY 3
• FES

slide 5 of 2

• A Journey Back in Time
• Driver and guide at disposal for the day.
• Meet your guide in the hotel lobby this morning, then set out to explore Fes, the cultural and spiritual center of Morocco. Also known as Fes el Bali, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century and is also home to the world's oldest university, founded in 859 CE. The city of Fes reached its true economic and cultural height through the 13th and 14th centuries under the Merinids, at which time it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fes has retained its status as the country's artisan center. Workshops hosting master craftsmen in the medina are as busy today as they were hundreds of years ago, and strongly contribute to the city’s industrial economy. Trades such as blacksmithing, leather working, ceramics, silk weaving, and sculpting are still practiced, and you’ll sure to witness this firsthand throughout the day. The tannery of Fes, colorful and pungent, is a must-see; here, workers labor in small pools filled with specific dyes to treat their wares. The original ramparts still protect this ancient city, and its estimated 9,000 passageways and bustling streets are a joy to explore. With a private driver and expert guide at your side, discover the essential highlights of Fes over the course of this full-day tour.

DAY 4

• FES TO ERFOUD TO MERZOUGA

slide 4 of 4

• A Change of Scenery
• Sit back and relax as a private vehicle driver and guide provides you with a transfer between Fes and Erfoud.  En-route you’ll pass through a scenic forest of cedars and across the Middle Atlas Mountain range to the mineral mining city of Midelt, where today's lunch will be picked up.
• PICK MENU AT LEAST 2 DAYS IN ADVANCE:
• Option 1: Mixed Salad, Turkey Skewers, Fruits; 1/2 Water, Soda or Coffee
• Option 2: Moroccan Salad, Ground Beef, Fruits; 1/2 Water, Soda or Coffee
• Option 3 (Vegetarian): Cooked Salad, Vegetables with Cheese Gratin, Fruits; 1/2 Water, Soda or Coffee.
• This journey continues along through the dramatic Ziz Gorge, passing en-route the ancient, holy city of Rissani.  It is here where the one would find the ruins of Sijilmasa, a once capital and merchant stopping locale for the ancient caravan routings of the 8th century.  After an approximate 7 hours of travel you will arrive in Erfoud.
• A 4x4 vehicle will be waiting for you to continue your adventure by heading towards the dunes of Erg Chebbi, possibly the largest dunes in the Sahara desert. The dunes of Erg Chebbi are a strikingly strange natural formation. On the top of the flattest area you could imagine, suddenly a long mountain of sand rises. This mountain is surrounded by flat and desolate nature on all sides, and you could end up wondering if it really is real. But so it is, even if its existence is so weird that it has given rise to legends and myths among the locals. Upon arrival at the camp you will witness the sunset from over the desert dunes and be astounded by the peace and calm as well as the changing colors of the landscape.
• This evening, get on the back of a camel and venture into the desert for a chance to see one of the most beautiful sunsets of your lifetime. Traverse the golden sands of the Sahara until you reach a perfect viewing spot for one of the Nature’s greatest shows. As another day comes to an end, watch the sky come to life with a fiery glow and the rays playfully change the colors of the endless dunes around you. Tonight’s experience will be one to remember.

DAY 5

• MERZOUGA TO ERFOUD TO SKOURA

slide 5 of 2

• The Journey Continues…
• A 4x4 vehicle will transfer you back to Erfoud where your private vehicle awaits for your onward journey.
• Travel today between Erfoud and Skoura with private vehicle and driver. En-route, stop in the Dades Gorge located just southwest of Tinerhir and some 110 km (65 miles) from Ouarzazate. Experience the unbelievable glory of the massive canyon walls reaching some 300 meters (900 feet) high and continuing for some 100 meters (300 feet). A little north-east of the southern city of Ouarzazate, lies the Dadès Valley-stretching out between the peaks of the High Atlas and the Jbel Sarhro mountain range. Known as 'The Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs', it is the most prominent of the oasis valleys that dominate southern Morocco. Before reaching Ouarzazate, continue to Skoura - one of Morocco’s beautiful oasis.  Skoura offers travellers a chance to rest their weary feet and enjoy the abundance of nature. At first glance from the road, it resembles a sort of thin, long, oasis. However once you get off the road you discover that Skoura in Morocco is very large and that what appeared to be a line of trees is actually a flourishing oasis.

DAY 6

• SKOURA

slide 5 of 2

• Sun and Sand
• Driver and guide at disposal.
• Today, enjoy time at leisure in Skoura, a small desert oasis. Whether you choose to kick back and relax at your hotel or to explore the markets or the surrounding region, this unique region is sure to impress. Skoura is often referred to as the “Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs” and boasts some of the most outstanding Kasbahs in Morocco, many offering incredible views of the Atlas Mountain Range. Palm groves in the area were laid out in the 12th century by the Almohad sultan Yacoub el-Mansour and named after its original inhabitants, the Berbers of the Haskourene tribe. In this relaxed region of Morocco, it is easy to unwind, making it the ideal place to simply relax with a glass of mint tea in hand, taking in the views of local life.

DAY 7

• SKOURA TO MARRAKECH

slide 5 of 2

• Onward and Upward
• Travel in a private vehicle with English speaking driver between Skoura and Marrakech. This route offers wonderful photo opportunities like the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Aït Benhaddou, where movies such as Gladiator and Jesus of Nazareth were filmed. Drive through the High Atlas Mountains, across the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka pass to Ouarzazate, a very diverse Moroccan city home to some 40,000 inhabitants. The focal point to this town is the long and wide street Avenue Muhammed V, which begins just before the city starts, and continues along past the Kasbah of Tifoultoutte.

DAY 8

• MARRAKECH

slide 5 of 2

• Strolling the Magical Streets
• Driver and guide at disposal for the day.
• The sweeping and dynamic history of Marrakech – an imperial capital in centuries past – is best appreciated with the help of a private guide. Today, begin your tour of the Ochre City with a visit to the Koutoubia Mosque. Constructed in the 12th century, it’s known for its a beautiful minaret which can be seen from nearly every approach to the city due to a long-standing ordinance that forbids any other building in the old city to rise above the height of a palm tree. After viewing Koutoubia Mosque, visit nearby El-Bahia Palace. Translated to English, the El Bahia Palace means “Palace of Brilliance,” and this incredible, ornate and meticulously crafted property is endowed with some of the finest ceramics in the country. This 19th century palace was built over a seven-year period for Ba Ahmed, the son of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa. Featuring a trapezoidal garden, tiled courtyard, and many hidden treasures in the form of antique objects d'art and the palace's convergence of Andalusian and Moorish architecture, it is a must-see site. Your next stop is one of most coveted archeological sites in Morocco: the Saadian Tombs. Opened to the public in 1917, they are accessed through a narrow passage which leads to an enclosed garden and into two mausoleums that host more than one hundred mosaic-decorated tombs. The Musee De Marrakech, your next stop, is an important example of Moorish architecture, and the main courtyard and chambers are host to impressive feats of design; elaborate archways, gorgeous stained glass, and a collection of ceramics that are sure to dazzle. Finally, wander through the mesmerizing souks of Marrakesh. With 18 souks selling a dizzying array of handicrafts, textiles, spices, foods, electronics, antiques and everything in between, the souks of Marrakech are the perfect place to find a keepsake to bring home, or to simply get in touch with day-to-day life in the Red City.

DAY 9

• MARRAKECH

slide 5 of 2

• Breathe the Mountain Air
• Driver and guide at disposal for the day.
• After breakfast, you will be met at your accommodation by an English-speaking mountain guide to begin a day of trekking in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains and through orchards of apples, peaches, cherries and apricots. Visit the old hydraulic mill and village olive press, have lunch with local family, visit Takherkhort Reserve and try your luck at spotting a Barbary sheep or one of the 150 species of bird’s native to the area. Relax with a cup of refreshing mint tea and watch a presentation of how to make Berber bread. Enjoy fresh bread made al fresco, locally-produced organic olive oil, wild thyme and lavender organic honey for bread dipping. The trekking is not physically demanding, however you will cross a river valley and hike gentle slopes so appropriate footwear and hiking attire is recommended.

DAY 10

• MARRAKECH TO CASABLANCA
• Until Next Time…
• A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer between Marrakech and the airport in Casablanca.  The approximate travel time is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

‍