Morocco Tour - 5 Star Deluxe

12 days / 11 nights - Price US$3254 per person

Upon arrival in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, you will be met and transferred by van to your Casablanca hotel, where you will check in and relax for the afternoon. Depending on time, you could choose to have an optional tour of the Hassan II mosque.

After breakfast, you will leave by van towards Fes. On route, you will stop at Rabat, the capital city and residence of the King, for lunch and a time to enjoy the beautiful coastal city.  Lunch will be taken in Meknes, one of the Imperial Cities of Morocco. After lunch, you will set out to explore the 2000-year-old, ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. Your day will conclude by driving to Fes, the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco.  Dinner will be served in the hotel. 

After breakfast you will begin your guided tour of the medina, one of the world’s largest walled in cities.  You will explore the narrow streets lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets and many other art objects of Morocco.  A visit to the Kings Palace, the tanneries, and potters are just a few places you will experience.  For lunch you will eat in traditional restaurant in the heart of the medina. After lunch you will complete the tour and return to your hotel for the evening.  Dinner will be served in a local restaurant. 

This will be a free day to enjoy Fes and experience more of this wonderful city.  Dinner will be served at the Riad Masion Bleue.

After an early breakfast you will begin your ascent across the Middle Atlas Mountains.  Most of the day will be spent winding your way through the beautiful forests, jagged rock faces, and Berber villages as you cross the Atlas Mountains and begin to descend towards the Sahara Desert. Half way, you will stop for lunch in the town of Midelt, famous for its fossils and rocks.  On arrival at the Kasbah in Erfoud, a hot shower or dip in the swimming pool (depending on the weather) will be a treat after the drive.  Dinner will be served in the Kasbah. 

Most of the day will be spent relaxing at the hotel or exploring the small but interesting desert town.  You may wish to visit a nearby fossil factory to see all the painstaking labor involved in revealing the beauty of fossils found in rock taken from the mountains.  In the afternoon, you will head off in some 4-wheel drive vehicles across the barren land to the majestic Sahara sand dunes.  You will travel by camel for a 1 ½ -hour trek out to the oasis where you will spend the night in a Berber tent (Dinner is included). 

After breakfast, you will return by camel to the 4x4s and head back to Erfoud.  From Erfoud you set out behind the High Atlas Mountains on route to the Todra Gorges.  In the afternoon, you will take a walk up in the towering Todra Gorges (600 feet high).  The picturesque river valleys make for a beautiful journey towards the southeast of Morocco.  You will stay the night in the Dades Gorges before you cross the High Atlas Mountains. Dinner will be served in the hotel. Xaluca Dades

After an early breakfast you set off to Marrakech via Ouarzazate. Tucked away in the High Atlas Mountains, it is one of the jewels of Morocco.  In typical Moroccan fashion, the true treasures must be searched out and discovered...usually off the beaten path.  In actuality, this setting has been used for more films than any other location in Morocco; films including, Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and recently The Gladiator.  Lunch can be taken at Ait Ben Haddou.

After lunch, you will head over the mountains to Marrakech.  Once in Marrakech, you will check into your hotel and then head off to the Djemaa el-Fna, the center square of the medina.  The famous Djemaa el-Fna, is one of the center attractions of Marrakech.  Coming alive at night with the local storytellers, entertainers, and mouth-watering barbeque pits, the square is well worth a visit.  A quiet cup of tea on the terrace of an adjacent café provides a spectacular aerial view of the bustling square.  Dinner will be served in the hotel. 

After breakfast, you will have a guided tour of Marrakech, the southern pearl of Morocco. You will discover the Palace of the Bahia, the Saadian Tombs, and many other hidden treasures.    After lunch, you will continue with the tour on to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque and the famous Djemaa el-Fna, one of the center attractions of Marrakech.  The tour will conclude with an exploration of  the souk (market) lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets and many other art objects of Morocco.  Dinner will be served in a local restaurant. 

After breakfast, you will set off to the coastal city of Essaouira, a picturesque fishing town, lying on the southwest coast of Morocco.  With an exquisite beach to the south, Essaouira has become one of Morocco's most popular coastal towns.  Many of the countries wood carvers and artists make Essaouira their home.  Lunch will be served in one of the restaurants in the medina. After lunch, you will continue your tour of Essaouira, possibly taking an optional camel ride on the beach.   Dinner will be served in the hotel.

Your last day of travel will take you back to Casablanca along the beautiful coastal road.  Lunch will be found along the way and you will have dinner at the hotel. Hotel Royal Mansour

In the morning, you will be transferred to the airport for departure.