Itinerary
Morocco: African Explorations from
Imperial Cities to the Sahara Desert
June 1–14, 2010

 

Program description Printable itinerary

 

Tuesday, June 1
Group flight departs Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Wednesday, June 2
Arrive Casablanca, Transfer to Rabat (D)
On arrival at the Casablanca airport, we are met by our national guide and we leave immediately for Rabat by private coach. Group dinner at the hotel.

Thursday, June 3
Rabat (B, D)
Guided tour of this capital city including the old medina; the picturesque Kasbah of the Oudaya and the Oudaya Gate, built during the Almohad dynasty; the well-preserved Hassan Tower and the Chellah, which were built by the Merinides in the 12th and 13th centuries; the Mohamed V Mausoleum, the burial place of the present king’s father; the front of the Royal Palace; and the government district. Lunch on your own.

Afternoon visit to the archaeological museum of Rabat. Tucked away behind the Mosquée as-Sounna, Rabat’s archaeology museum contains Morocco’s greatest Roman treasures, in particular the Salles des Bronzes, an impressive collection of bronze statues from Volubilis, including a 2,000-year-old bust of Juball, a muscular charioteer, and a lifelike bronze dog, ready to pounce on a Roman postman. In the main hall stands a delicate wooden statue of Juba’s son Ptolemy, surrounded by a collection of coins, skeletons and Islamic tombstones. Group dinner.

Friday, June 4
Rabat—Fes (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning drive to Meknes, a city founded in the 9th century by Zenata Berbers. Guided visit includes the old ramparts; the Agoudal Basin, which was used to water the royal gardens and amuse the favorite concubines; the Moulay Ismail royal stables; granaries; House of Water (Dar el Ma) which was built in the 17th and 18th centuries to house, feed and water the sultan’s twelve thousand horses; Bab el Mansour, one of the most beautiful gates in Morocco; and the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, one of the few holy sites in Morocco which may be visited by non-Muslims.

Lunch on your own. Afternoon visit to Volubilis to see the impressive and well-preserved Roman ruins, including approximately 30 mosaic floors dating from 25 BC. Continue the drive to Fes. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Merinides, Fes.

Saturday, June 5
Fes (B, L, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day guided sightseeing tour of Fes, the religious capital of Morocco, including the old and new medinas and the 14th-century religious schools (madrasahs) of Bou Inania and Attarine. The impressive labyrinth of souks has been declared by UNESCO to be one of the world’s cultural treasures. Also visit the imposing gate of Bab Boujloud, the splendid fountain at Place Nejjarine, the ancient ramparts, and the beautiful front entrance of the Royal Palace.

Group lunch at Palais Menebhi, an old private palace originally built as a home to a Moroccan grand vizier and later used as the home of French General Lyautey when he was in charge of Morocco. Dinner and overnight at the Merinides Hotel, Fes.

Sunday, June 6
Fes (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning guided tour through the colorful souks of Fes, declared by UNESCO as a universal heritage. Divided into smaller souks according to goods sold, this grand labyrinth features handcrafted Moroccan goods such as babouche slippers, woodworks, brass works, ironworks, bronze works, jewelry, kaftans, carpets, spices, pottery, and antiques. Lunch on your own and part of the afternoon free. Dinner and overnight at the Merinides hotel, Fes.

Monday, June 7
Fes—Sahara Desert (Merzouga Dunes Nomad Tents) (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day drive across the cedar forests and picturesque scenery of the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud, situated among the impressive sand dunes of the Sahara Desert and one of the largest oases in Morocco. Lunch on your own. Ride in Landrovers to the dunes of Merzouga. Those who wish may hire camels at the dunes. Enjoy a Berber dinner and overnight in nomad tents.

Tuesday, June 8
Sahara—Ouarzazate (B, D)
Those who wish may rise early to view the sunrise over the dunes. Breakfast in the Sahara. Return via Landrovers to our coach in Erfoud. Full day drive along the Route of 1,000 Kasbahs past palm grove oases and Kasbah dwellings, through the Gorges of Todra and the Dades Valley, and in to Ouarzazate, the film capital of Morocco. Lunch on your own. Guided tour of the city including the 17th-century Kasbah Taourirt and Kasbah Tifoutoute, both of which served as homes of the Pasha Glaoui (provided they are not closed for filming). Dinner and overnight at the Bérbere Palace Hotel, Ouarzazate.

Wednesday, June 9
Ouarzazate/Day Excursion (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Zagora along the Draa Valley with its thousand and one oases. Guided tour of the city, then continue to Tamegroute for a look at the Madrasah’s impressive library, which contains 12th- and 13th-century Korans and works on medicine, botany and astronomy. Lunch on your own. Dinner and overnight at the Bérbére Palace Hotel, Ouarzazate.

Thursday, June 10
Ourzazate—Marrakech (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning drive to the ancient Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, an impressive 11th-century structure, which has been declared by UNESCO to be an historical treasure. Ait Ben Haddou still remains home to five families. Free time at the Kasbah. Continue our drive over the High Atlas Mountains at Tizi N’Tichka pass (6,666 feet) across the Haouz Plain to Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at Kenzi Farah Hotel, Marrakech.

Friday, June 11
Marrakech (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. A guided half-day historical sightseeing tour begins in the old medina, buried within the imperial walls, where we stop at the foot of the famous Koutoubia Minaret, one of the masterpiece works of Islamic architecture. Walk through the Kasbah to the 16th-century monument site of the Saadian Tombs with its Hispano-Mauresque architecture surrounding the burial ground of the royal family. Afterward, visit the remains of “the incomparable” Badi Palace, where 360 rooms were built over a span of 25 years beginning in 1578 to be used for the celebration of festivals. Visit the aristocratic Bahia Palace with its lush Moorish-style garden in the courtyard of a large palace. Finally, stroll through the famous Jemaa El Fna Square, the ancient meeting point of the tradesmen in Northwest Africa.

Lunch on your own. Afternoon guided tour through the colorful souks of Marrakech. Group buffet dinner at the hotel. Overnight at Kenzi Farah Hotel, Marrakech.

Saturday, June 12
Marrakech/Day Excursion (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. A full day excursion to the Atlantic coast to visit the charming town of Essaouira, one of the oldest and most important fishing ports in Morocco. Old Mogador was founded by the Romans and inhabited by the Portuguese during the 17th century. This typical Portuguese harbor, with fine examples of both Moorish and Portuguese art , was the setting for many scenes of the film “Othello.” Visit the harbor, the old medina, the 17th-century cannon brought from Spain and the local artists’ quarter. Late afternoon return to Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at Kenzi Farah Hotel, Marrakech.

Sunday, June 13
Marrakech—Casablanca (B, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive from Marrakech to Casablanca. Morning guided sightseeing tour of Casablanca, including the port; the old medina; place Mohammed V, a busy shopping street lined by residential blocks dating from the 1930s; United Nations Square, designed by French architect Joseph Marrast; the League of Arab States Park, which was built in 1925 and offers a large area of greenery with palm trees, arcades, pergolas and cafés with shady terraces; and the impressive and newly built Hassan II mosque, the second largest mosque in the world and one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Dinner and overnight at the hotel Sheraton Casablanca.

Monday, June 14
Return to the United States (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Casablanca airport for flights home.

Register
Register online, call toll-free 866-255-6523 or fax 507-786-8232. A deposit of $500 per person guarantees your space.