Colours of Morocco

On a captivating adventure through a land of centuries-old culture and customs, discover the “Land of Sunset” and “Gateway to Africa” – the country called Morocco.

Welcome to Morocco! After you land in Casablanca you'll transfer to Rabat, which is approximately an hour and a half journey. With no scheduled sightseeing today, spend the day as you wish, exploring the city independently. Depending on your arrival flights, you may join your local Tour Manager on a vicinity walk to get acquainted with the area around your hotel in Rabat and join in a first toast to the tour.

Come to know Rabat on an in-depth tour* with a local guide who’ll share his knowledge of this city and its architectural gems. Visit the Chellah, a walled town containing both Roman ruins and a medieval necropolis. Explore the mausoleum of Mohammed V, the epitome of modern Moroccan design. The mausoleum’s ornate woodwork, marble, and bronze ornamentations make this a tomb truly fit for a king. See the Kasbah de Oudaias and its whitewashed buildings. Enjoy free time to explore on your own in the afternoon. At the end of your day, join your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.**

Depart Rabat for Fes this morning. On your way to Fes, make a stop at a winery estate for a tour and a delightful, paired lunch. Enjoy a guided tour through the vineyard and cellar, where you'll take in the vines' stunning views and gain insight into customs involving wine in a Muslim country. Then continue on to Fes, where you’ll spend the next three nights at a <I>riad</I>.

Get ready to discover Fes, one of the holiest cities in the world. Learn about its history as a centre of government, philosophy, medicine, and religion. Visit the Al-Qarawiyyin University (UNESCO), the oldest continuously operating university in the world, admiring its high arches and Andalusian influences. Take a deep breath before getting a closer look into an ancient tannery. Some Fes tanneries date back to the 11th century and continue to operate using traditional methods, offering a unique glimpse into the ancient craft of leather-making. On a walking tour of the ninth-century medina, explore the alleyways and stalls of this ancient market.

Enjoy your day at leisure in Fes. Explore the city further, strolling through marketplaces or maybe visiting a museum, like the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts, where you can admire displays of fine woodwork and artifacts inside a restored caravanserai. Perhaps you’ll join an optional tour to the archaeological site of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its impressive and well-preserved Roman ruins, to then venture to one of Morocco's more remote and unique villages, where tourists rarely tread. Here, you'll be warmly welcomed by the locals and treated to an authentic local lunch.

Cross some of Morocco’s most breathtaking desert landscapes on the way to the Sahara. En route, pause to bask in majestic views of the Middle Atlas Mountains. Arrive in Erfoud, called the “Door to the Desert,” and where many famous movies were filmed, including <i>The Prince of Persia</i> and <i>The Mummy</i>.

Today, enjoy some free time in Erfoud, a fascinating oasis town known as the “Gateway to the Sahara.” You may want to relax at your hotel or take this chance to explore more of Erfoud. Consider visiting the ancient, fortified village Ksar Maadid, admiring the Royal Palace, strolling through the <i>souk</i>, or relaxing at a local café with some mint tea. In the afternoon, make your way into the Sahara in a 4x4 for a 2-night stay under the stars in a luxury tented camp in the desert. On the way, make a stop at a date farm to explore the significance of an oasis. Learn about the traditional methods of irrigating the fields, passed down through generations. Discover how these ancestral techniques have sustained agriculture in arid regions for centuries.

Rise early to watch the sun illuminate the Sahara in stunning hues of orange, yellow, and red. This morning you’ll have the opportunity to ride through the dunes on the back of a camel. Continue your day by travelling to the village of Khamlia. Meet with locals for an eye-opening and meaningful discussion before experiencing traditional sub-Saharan <I>Gnawa</I> music. Return to your camp as the sun sets over the desert. This evening, sit with your Tour Manager and learn more about the importance of Islam in Morocco through the centuries and its impact on today’s day-to-day life in sub-Saharan Africa.

Return to the edge of the desert this morning and marvel as the sun illuminates the sweeping sands. Visit the fortified village of El Khorbat. Dating back to the 17th century, this village showcases Jewish and Muslim architecture and artifacts. Learn more about Berber culture while visiting the museum within the village. Enjoy a simple lunch at a local restaurant. This <b>Impact Moment</b> supports a business whose profits are used to conserve the cultural heritage and improve the living conditions of this small community. Later, arrive in Boumalne du Dades, where a golden sun lights up the gorge’s river valleys, <i>palmeraies</i>, and burnished mud-brick homes.

Follow the rugged “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs,” where turreted fortresses rise up like sandcastles along this ancient trading route. Arrive at the UNESCO site of the <i>ksar</i> of Ait-Ben-Haddou and discover the earthen buildings, defensive walls, and corner towers that make the <i>ksar</i> a striking feat of Moroccan architecture. Before you reach the exotic city of Marrakech, enjoy a homemade meal, then continue along the Tizi n’Tichka Pass in the High Atlas Mountains, a scenic route through lush oasis valleys, imposing mountains, and Berber villages.

This morning, <b>it’s your choice!</b> Explore the Bahia Palace with its stunning architecture and gardens on a locally guided tour <b>-OR-</b> visit the Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum to discover the fusion of Arab, Amazigh, Mediterranean, and French influences in Moroccan cuisine. Then, wander through the vibrant streets of Marrakech and the Medina, and you may want to take a moment to delve into the world of spices and their enchanting uses or enjoy some free time for exploring the intricate alleyways, a perfect opportunity for shopping and savouring the local flavours at your own pace. This afternoon, visit the enchanting Jardin Majorelle, an iconic site beautifully showcases Morocco’s rich cultural heritage.

Visit a women’s training centre during today’s <b>Impact Moment</b>. With your visit, support a program that empowers women seeking social and financial stability through culinary training. Enjoy an interactive cooking class, gathering fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden and learning the secrets to making <i>tagine</i>, while also getting to know the stories of the chef trainees and the stigmas they face around women’s roles in society and the workplace. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. This evening, perhaps you‘ll join an optional horse-drawn carriage ride through Marrakech, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Depart Marrakech for Casablanca this morning. Upon arrival in Casablanca, visit the largest functioning mosque in Africa, the Hassan II Mosque. Learn about the history and the significance of this mosque on a privately led tour. Gaze upon the intricate, colourful artistry of the ceramic tile and hand-carved stone of this architectural wonder. Then say goodbye to your Tour Manager and fellow travellers during a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Your tour comes to a close this morning.