February 20, 2023 || MARRAKECH

Upon arrival in Marrakech, after proceeding through immigration customs and collecting your baggage, our representative is waiting for you outside of the terminal with a big welcome before transferring to your hotel. Upon arrival, check in to rest and freshen. A welcome dinner is arranged at the hotel with a briefing of the tour with your guide. After dinner, overnight.

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Accommodation:  La Maison Arabe Hotel, Spa & Cooking Workshops

Meals: Dinner

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February 21, 2023 || MARRAKECH

After a sumptuous breakfast, enjoy a half day tour of Marrakesh, the “Red City”, a majestic place filled with palaces, gardens, markets, and mosques. Upon arrival, you will first stand by the Koutoubia Mosque with its 282 ft minaret, an architectural landmark dating back to the late 12th century.

You will continue to the 19th century stunning Bahia palace and discover the intricate work done by the local artisans to decorate this splendid home built by a powerful Vizir for his Harem. The building includes one hundred and fifty rooms, countless courtyards and interior gardens, a veritable labyrinth of corridors, a Koranic school, hammams, a harem, stables. From there we will start exploring artisan quarters and the colorful Souks to interact with the real life of Marrakech people.

Visit to the 16th-century Saadian Tombs, where approximately 60 members of the Saadi Dynasty found their final resting place. Before sunset we will be strolling in the square of which the city is so famed, Jemaa El Fna, where hundreds of locals and tourists come to spend the end of the day watching jugglers, dancers, fortune tellers, story tellers and traditional musicians.

After the tour, back to your hotel to freshen up and get ready for a traditional Hammam and massage. The hammam is a must-do activity in Morocco. Historically, the Hammam was a public bathhouse for locals to clean off the dirt and grime invariably accumulated after traveling through the desert. Today, the hammam still serves this purpose for the locals, and also became popular as a therapy, a method of cleansing, and a place of relaxation. In the hammam, you’ll be submerged by a complete relaxation experience within an authentic oriental décor where you’ll be listening to your own body in an atmosphere filled with water, oils, essences and perfumes.

Enjoy a 30-min. scrub with black soap or soothing spices eliminating toxins from your body. After Hammam, sway to the massage room where you will experience a 30-min. traditional Moroccan massage to eliminate tensions and gain energy and vitality.

When you finished the Hammam and are ready, transfer to a local restaurant to enjoy a typical Moroccan dinner with entertainment. After the dinner, back to your hotel for overnight.

Accommodation:  La Maison Arabe Hotel, Spa & Cooking Workshops

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

February 22, 2023 || MARRAKECH

Float above Morocco’s countryside and enjoy aerial views of the Atlas Mountains on a sunrise hot air balloon flight. After about a drive in a 4x4 pickup from Marrakech, you’ll arrive at the airfield where Moroccan tea will be served. First part of the flight is in high altitude to admire the region in its entirety: Jebilet Mountains, Marrakech, and the Atlas Mountains. Second part of the flight is at low altitude over typical villages where you’ll see valleys, farms, kids going to school, etc. After flight, you’ll be driven through the Moroccan bush in a kaidal tent where a typical Berber breakfast will be served. 

Note: The activity will be confirmed the previous due day depending on weather forecast. All flight times are approximate and subject to change due to weather conditions and weight restrictions.

After you get back to Marrakech, you have the option to join your guide to purchase a traditional Moroccan outfit (at your own expense). 

At 4PM, you’ll be picked up for a unique gastronomic experience, 20-min. drive from Marrakech. The cooking class is taking place on the terrasse of the villa in a spectacular décor with the Atlas Mountains in the background. The New York Times 3-stars Executive Chef will unlock the secrets of the Moroccan recipes he has mastered over the years. You’ll leave with an inside perspective on one of the world’s most highly cherished cuisines. Dinner with the Chef (cooked class food will be served). This activity includes a welcome drink and a brief introduction to the property with picking fresh produces from the garden if season permits; a traditional tea session, bread making and spices demonstrations; and the preparation of a 3-course meal (appetizer, traditional Moroccan dish, and dessert).

Accommodation:  La Maison Arabe Hotel, Spa & Cooking Workshops

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

February 23, 2023 || AIT BEN HADDOU – OUARZAZATE – DADES  

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After breakfast, bid farewell to Marrakesh and journey across the High Atlas Mountains and the spectacular Tichka Pass on your way to Boumalne Dades. Stop for a brief tour of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A giant fortification, it is a unique example of pies clay architecture and one of the filming locations for several films and TV shows, including Gladiator and Game of Thrones ... "Are you not entertained?!?"

Enjoy lunch on your own before arriving to Ouarzazate, also known as the “Hollywood” of Morocco. Enjoy the city tour of Ouarzazate, beginning with the Taourirt Kasbah that is considered one of the most beautiful Kasbahs in the country. Continue to Dades, located at the edge of the Sahara Desert, where you’ll be swept away on your orientation tour by the magnificent canyons and breathtaking landscapes. Arrive at your upscale hotel where you’ll enjoy an included dinner.

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Accommodation:  Xaluca

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

February 24, 2023 || DADES – TINGHIR – MERZOUGA  

Today, travel to Erfoud, widely described as an “oasis” in the Sahara Desert. Along the way, marvel at one of Morocco’s most visited natural sights, the lush Todra Palmeraie Gorge, with dramatic 985-foot-high walls that will make for spectacular photographs along your walking tour, so be sure to have your camera ready!

Continue to Erfoud, the gateway to the desert, where you’ll switch to 4x4 vehicles that allow a smooth navigation on the sand, and drive to the desert camp through the dunes. Upon arrival, enjoy your free time to rest and freshen then get ready for your dinner under the stars or under a Berber tent (depending on the weather). Overnight at the camp.

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Accommodation:  Desert Luxury Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

February 25, 2023 || MERZOUGA

Wake up early today to enjoy a sunrise camel ride through the dunes. Back to your camp for breakfast and a shower. Later, enjoy a memorable, full day included excursion through the Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco.

You’ll begin by discovering the town of Rissani, formerly a caravan center and still an important commercial center in the region, with a large and vibrant souk at its center.

Then, head into the desert via a 4×4 caravan and discover various small villages until you reach Tissardmine, a serene village where you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch before ascending to the peak of Erg Chebbi. This stunning view of the vast surrounding desert will take your breath away. 

Return to your camp after sunset and enjoy an included dinner.

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Accommodation:  Desert Luxury Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

February 26, 2023 || MERZOUGA – IFRANE – FEZ  

Leaving Merzouga this morning, we drive through the Middle Atlas into the north enjoying the marvelous oasis of the Ziz Valley before arriving in Midelt, a small town located between Erfoud and Fez. You may want to enjoy your lunch here on your own before heading to the quiet French built alpine resort town of Ifrane. It feels more like Switzerland relocated to the Middle Atlas than North Africa, with its clean air, scrubbed streets and leafy outlook. The French built it in 1930, deliberately trying to re-create an alpine-style resort. It is a popular summer day trip for picnickers; in the winter, the affluent flock here to ski.

Continue to Fez and check in at your Riad! Tonight you will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant with entertainment. Return to you Riad for overnight.

Accommodation:  Riad Salam

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

February 27, 2023 || FEZ

This morning you will be met at your hotel for a guided city tour of the spiritual capital of Morocco, Fez. 

The first stop is the entrance of the biggest royal palace of Morocco. This palatial complex is located in the center of the Fez El-Jedid area and is surrounded by high walls with an intricate and elaborate decorated doors. The doors are bronze and they shine like gold. The palace is closed to the public.

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You then continue the tour with a panoramic view of the medina, before venturing to the heart of the largest old souk in the world in the medieval center of Fez. The medina of Fez has not changed for centuries. Its narrow alleys house hundreds of merchants and craftsmen selling a range of products such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns, carpets, and musical instruments. One of the most interesting sites in Fez is the Leather Sook and the oldest Leather Tannery in the world. The tannery dates back nine centuries.

In Fez, you will visit the Jamaa Al-Karaouine (the world’s first established university) and a Medersa (a Koranic school). You will also visit the tannery, a clay workshop, the artisan quarters, and the other souks.

Back to your hotel and get ready for an afternoon trip to the surrounding village of Bhalil. A very charming village, with well-kept houses, a seasonal river dividing it and its numerous bridges. This rocky hilltop village which its people have carved into the mountainsides looks a lot like Swiss cheese. Bhalil offers visitors spectacular views of the town and the lush, green valleys, a sparkling river and fertile land that embrace it. The streets of Bhalil are lined with artisans who produce traditional and exquisite crafts to admire and purchase. The entire town has an extremely laid-back atmosphere to it. The younger women of Bhalil wear a Djebella, while older women wear ihafs or tarfs on their heads that cover their entire bodies and men don a head wear referred to as Razzas. But above all, Bhalil is known for its cave-houses, in which residents take great pride.

Back to Fez for dinner and overnight.

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Accommodation:  Riad Salam

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

February 28, 2023 || MEKNES & VOLUBILIS – RABAT  

Breakfast at the hotel. We drive to the ancient Roman city of Volubilis to explore its stunning ruins.

Impressive stone arches and columns, some tumbled down and others still standing tall against the vivid blue sky, invite us to take a step back in time. Only about half of the 40-hectare UNESCO site of Volubilis has been excavated. The better-known monuments are in the northern part of the site, farthest from the entrance in the south: The Capitol, dedicated to the Triad of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, dates 218AD; the Basilica and 1,300 sq. meters Forum are nearby. Here, floors of what were once family dwellings are still covered with decorative tile mosaics depicting mythological beings, such as Orpheus charming animals with their lyre and Hercules performing his legendary 12 labors. The fact that so many of these tiles are still in place with their colors, after centuries of exposure to the elements, is astonishing.

Then on our way to Fez, visit the Imperial city of Meknes, the one-time home of the Moroccan sultanate with its Medina all-winding narrow streets and grand buildings that justify its stamp of Imperial City. Remnants of three sets of fortifications, ingeniously incorporated into the city roads network, emphasize its past importance and glory.  The king's tomb sits at the heart of what remains of the original imperial city, flanked by an almighty royal granary, the magnificent Bab El-Mansour.

Continue to Rabat and check in at your hotel to freshen up and get ready for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant with entertainment.  After dinner, back to your hotel for overnight.

Accommodation:  Villa Mandarine

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

March 1, 2023 || RABAT - CASABLANCA AIRPORT  

After breakfast, transportation to the international airport of Casablanca for your return flight.

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Meals: Breakfast