A grand 20 days with a comprehensive touring
of this North African Kingdom

Experience the romance of old Morocco everywhere on this 20-day tour, in ancient kasbahs standing sentinel against invaders, along the winding lanes of the medinas of Fez and Marrakech, the seaside towns of Essaouira and Agadir, and in your very lodgings – palaces and venerable homes that have been brought to life again as Riads, combining the best of Arab hospitality with the appointments of fine boutique hotels. Compare with the 14 day edition or the 12 day version.

Essaouira: Oct 2014
There are all of these tiny restaurants at the beginning of the port with beautiful fish displays. We did have lunch at a lovely beach side restaurant Chalet de Plage that has been there for 100 years, off to another fish restaurant for dinner. Everyone must visit this fascinating country sometime in their life.
Love, Kathy and John

Day 1 – Marrakech (arrive any day – private touring- Choose Your Own Date)
You’ll land at the airport of fabled Marrakech. Our local staff will greet you and usher you directly to your accommodations at La Maison Arabe (or similar upscale Boutique Riad/Hotel such as Jardin de Medinah, Riad Monceau. Riad Kniza, or similar subject to availability at the time we receive your booking), where a traditional welcoming mint tea and a fruit basket await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation are foremost.

Day 2 – Marrakech (BLD)
This morning you’ll take a private tour of Marrakech by horse-drawn carriage. You’ll see the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city, and perhaps you’ll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda of Seville, in Spain. You’ll continue to the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth century, with room after stately oriental room of intricate plasterwork and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens. Finally, you’ll see the Majorelle Botanical Gardens of Yves Saint Laurent, planted with trees and flowers from all over the world. In the afternoon, you’ll discover the old city and always-lively Djemaa El Fna Square, populated by water sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal tamers, who carry on an endless flurry of activities straight out of the middle ages. If you have a spare moment, the souks of Marrakech will always keep you entertained. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at your hotel.

Day 3- Marrakech (BD)
Morning at leisure. Late afternoon,we’ll escort you to the Palm grove on the outskirts of Marrakech for a wonderful experience of camel riding at sunset. Before we head for our gourmet Moroccan dinner with staff in traditional dress, Gnaouas singers and dancers – their music reflecting both Arabic and African influence, and Arabo-Andalusian music – will serenade us. The evening will culminate with the traditional Belly dancer performance and gourmet Moroccan food.

DAY4 – Trek in the High Atlas (BL)
After breakfast in you hotel, leave to Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech. On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with it man made lake. It will take you about an hour to reach Amizmiz, a typical Berber village, we tour the Kasbah and the “Mellah” (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important country market is held, where all the villagers from the area come for their weekly shopping and gossiping… You can buy there interesting Regragra potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home for a traditional Berber breakfast then you will start your hiking first through Sidi Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque landscapes of the Atlas mountains, Berber villages with their houses built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint tea, you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon. Remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 5 – Ouarzazate (BD)
Morning departure to Ouarzazate crossing the Atlas Mountains and its striking scenery through the Tizi N’Tichka Pass at an altitude of more than 2000 meters. Before reaching Ouarzazate, visit the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a wonderful site now protected by UNESCO, having served as natural decor to numerous films shooting. It is an area of crumbling Kasbahs grouped among patches of wheat fields, terraced orchards, olives and date palms. It ascends a small mountain and is surmounted by an “Agadir” (grain storage tower) giving it an epic scale. Dinner at hotel.

DAY 6 – Zagora & Tamegroute (BLD)
Starting bright and early, we traverse the Draa Valley with its six palm forests forming grand ribbons of greenery across the flat valley floor. Thanks to the proximity of the river, cereals, henna, vegetables, fruit and date palms are cultivated, either on the floor of the valley or on stepped terraces. We arrive in Zagora around noontime. After lunch, we embark on an excursion to Tamegroute to view the illuminated Korans, with holy verses inscribed on gazelle-skin parchment, the oldest dating from the 13th century. We’ll also visit the Potters’ Yard and huge Tinfou Dune before returning to Zagora and our hotel.

DAY 7 – Marrakech (BL)
After breakfast we drive back to Ouarzazate where we will stop for a break and enjoy lunch at one of the hotels, then continue on with our drive to Marrakech for the night.

DAY 8 – OURIKA VALLEY, THE POTTERS VILLAGE OF TAFZA (BL)
This morning, we’ll head 30 kilometers outside of Marrakech to the lush valley of the Ourika River, which winds down from the peaks of the High Atlas, through clusters of mud-walled houses. Our visit coincides with one of the regular market days, and we’ll walk among the stands of butchers and vegetable-sellers, merchants of cereals and olive oil, itinerant blacksmiths and sellers of patent medicines and herbal remedies. A barber sets up shop with nothing more than a scissors, hand clipper, and stiff wooden chair, an open-air eatery offers hot food freshly prepared on a brazier. We’ll continue to Tafza to see how vases and lamp bases are made in home workshops, and to view quartz and amethyst and other minerals of the region. We’ll be received for tea in the customary local manner. We’ll meet up with local villagers at a well, help to draw water, and join in preparing a Berber meal of soup, tanurt (bread), and tajine (meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot). Our hosts are modest local persons who will appreciate offerings of useful small items, such as pencils or notebooks, or even small treats, such as candy. We’ll return to Marrakech through the stunning scenery of the valley. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 9 – Marrakech (B)
Morning tour of the local souks and bazaars, a shoppers paradise. Free time to explore on your own at the souks or if you prefer, the driver will drive you back to the hotel for a break. Later this afternoon, we’ll call on you to take you for your sunset camel ride, in the 13,000 acres of palm groves around Marrakech. You’ll finish the day with a memorable experience of Moroccan hospitality, dinner in the home of a Marrakech family in the old Medina. Remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 10 – Marrakech – Culinary Experience and a home hosted dinner (BD)
This morning you’ll ride through Marrakech in a horse-drawn carriage.

One of the special ways of understanding a culture is through its cuisines–not only sampling exotic tastes, but experiencing the preparation of dishes, how they figure in ritual and ceremony, and how they have grown out of the earth and traditions, we’ll proceed to the Ecole Hotelière, Marrakech’s own hospitality & Culinary Academy and training school, for a demonstration of the preparation of pastry-style doughs. We’ll stay for a lunch of salads, tagine of Maghdour kebab, and refreshing fruits.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions – just let us know your preferences.

Day 11- Marrakech/ Taroudant (BD)
In the morning we drive to Taroudant crossing the Tizi N’Test pass. Upon arrival in we check-in at the charming Gazelle D’ Or Riad, based on the hotel category you choose, In the afternoon tour the charming old town of Taroudant with emphasis on the local souks and jewelry. We’ll enjoy dinner tonight at the hotel.

Day 12 -TAROUDANT (B)
Day at leisure, maybe to enjoy this unique palace /hotel, facilities or take a day trip on camels or horses into the desert with a lunch box (with our compliments).

Day 13 – AGADIR / Imouzzer Ida Outanane (BD)
Morning departure for Imouzzer Ida Outanane. We cross the Anti Atlas mountain range, with palm groves, green valleys and narrow gorges – before reaching the village & waterfalls of the “Bride’s Veil” with its small lake surrounded by olive groves. Dinner and accommodation at Les Cascades hotel.

Day 14 – Imouzzer Ida Outanane – Essaouira (B)
Drive to Essaouira, a a charming fishing harbor. Renowned for generations for its production of “Murex”, a small shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas, Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbor, with some Portuguese influence from when they settled here in the 16th century. Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah used it as a base for his corsairs. Today, protected from the sea and the wind behind its commanding fortified medieval walls, Essaouira shelters a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working wood with ebony, mother of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chessboards, caskets and bracelets. Enjoy a seafood lunch, before heading back to the hotel. Overnight accommodation in a suite at Riad Al Madina, Heure Bleue or similar.

Day 15- Essaouira (B)
Full day of relaxation at this sleepy small town by the sea.

Essaouira: Oct 2014:
There are all of these tiny restaurants at the beginning of the port with beautiful fish displays. We did have lunch at a lovely beach side restaurant Chalet de Plage that has been there for 100 years, off to another fish restaurant for dinner. Everyone must visit this fascinating country sometime in their life.
Love, Kathy and John

Day 16 – Essaouira (BLD)
Half day guided walking tour of the old souks and town. lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner is included at a charming local restaurant.

Day 17 -Fes (BL)
As always, private air-conditioned vehicle. We will be heading for Casablanca where we will tour King Hassan Mosque (entrance fees included- closed for Friday Prayers), then on to Fes by car, where you’ll be met and ushered to La Maison Bleue, or Riad Fes (or similar high end boutique Riad / Hotel – subject to availability at the time we receive your booking), the Blue House. This superb nineteenth-century home is the seat of the Abbadis family, one of the forebears of which was an eminent astrologer, lawyer, and professor at the Karawiyine University. It has wooden doors and its walls are covered with blue Zelliges. Its fountain is one of the most sumptuous in the city. La Maison Bleue offers five royal suites as well as a junior suite, and fully three dining rooms where Moroccan specialties may be appreciated. A Hammam (Moroccan steam bath) is available to guests. La Maison Bleue is literally one of the most prominent of houses in Fez, affording commanding panoramas of the old town from its terrace. You’ll be welcomed with a traditional mint tea,and a fruit basket. Lunch is included enroute.

Day 18 -Fes (BD)
Put on your walking shoes this morning for a trip in time back to the ninth century, as you explore the old city of Fez. Its Medina and its labyrinth of souks have been declared a world cultural treasure. Your afternoon is free for relaxation or shopping or further exploration as you wish. In the evening it’s dinner and a show, with a difference. The food is Moroccan-style, of course; and the show is a fascinating view into Moroccan life, including a traditional wedding ceremony, Arabo-Andaluisan music, and an enticing performance by a belly dancer.

Day 19 – Fes- Moroccan Culinary Delights (BD)
Spend a day in appreciation of Moroccan pleasures. In the morning, you’ll join a demonstration of Moroccan cuisine, known around the world. You will have tasted Tajine, harissa, couscous, and much more. Now you’ll learn more about how these plates and sauces are prepared, and of the many influences that have created the national cuisine enjoy lunch from what you prepared with your chef. In the afternoon (at leisure) maybe you will savor the benefits of the Hammam traditional relaxing and restorative steam bath (subject to availability of the riad / hotel with hamam at the time of booking). Your farewell dinner will be set at La Maison Bleue.

Day 20 -Fez – Casablanca (B)
Early morning drive from Fez to Casablanca airport, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur. Bon Voyage!

Category A Hotels: As listed above or similar Rate per person in US$
Triple	$ 10,369.00
Double	$ 10,675.00
Single	$ 12,205.00

Category B Hotels or similar Rate per person in US$
Double	$ 8290.00
Double	$ 8550.00
Single	$ 10,350.00

Category B Hotels
Marrakech:	Atlas Asni & Spa or similar
Taroudant:	Dar Zitoune or similar
Imouzzer Ida Outanane:	Les Cascades Hotel or similar
Essaouira:	Les Isles Hotel or similar
Fes:	Ramada Hotel or similar

Category C Hotels or similar Rate per person in US$
Double	$ 7780.00
Double	$ 7990.00
Single	$ 9790.00

Category C Hotels
Marrakech:	Atlas Medina & Spa or similar
Taroudant:	Dar Zitoune or Atlas Hotel or similar
Imouzzer Ida Outanane:	Les Cascades Hotel or similar
Essaouira:	Atlas Essaouira Hotel or similar
Fez:	Les Merinides Hotel or similar

Your tour includes:

• All transportation and / or domestic air in Morocco, including tax as per itinerary
• All airport transfers in Morocco as described in the tour itinerary
• Accommodation as described, (always subject to availability, we keep the right to use alternative hotels within same category). Welcome mint tea, roses, and fruit basket upon arrival at La Maison Arabe and La Maison Bleue.
• Meals as indicated: cB = Continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner
• Ground transportation in chauffeured, air-conditioned Mercedes Benz automobile or where applicable chauffeured four wheel drive Turbo Land Rover. Half-day horse-drawn carriage tour in Marrakech. Services of licensed English-speaking guide and entrance fees to sites visited. Camel ride in Marrakech palm grove.
• Hammam session (where available)

Not included:

• Personal expenses
• Tips to drivers/guides
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• International air fare from/to your home country

The grace and splendor of the Orient, traditional Arab hospitality, and the fine service and amenities of a boutique hotel all come together in the Moroccan Riad.

Hotel of charm Les “Jardins de la Medina”
A former Royal property, where the mother of the late King Hassan used to live a few years back. It is located close to the Royal Palace in Marrakech, with a superb Andalousian style garden planted with palm trees, lemon & orange trees. You’ll enjoy the old charm of the original Riad, even after its transfer into a modern hotel/Riad, “Les Jardins de la Medina”. The new French owners employed local artisans when they refurbished, restored & repainted the Riad. All work was done in cooperation with the Marrakech Dept. of Historical Monuments. From the old Royal Riad you’ll still be able to enjoy the original Grand Salon of the 19th century, the bar and the reception (meeting) room. New spacious rooms were built around the fabulous Andalusian gardens, thus profiting from the calmness and the coolness of the surrounding fruit trees. All rooms are refitted in the Marrakech architectural style, offering all the comfort and luxuries as modern hotel rooms: balcony, solarium and corner salon for most, air conditioning, satellite TV, Internet access, safe, minibar… The Riad services do include hammam, salon de massage, swimming pool heated toute l’année, parking, and money exchange. One room is handicap friendly.

In the heart of the region of Souss, in the south of Morocco, and just a few miles away from the city of Taroudant, Riad Dar Zitoune “house of the olives” welcomes you.

Once through the gate you are in the land of “a thousand and one nights”, in a setting that is typically Moroccan. Relax on the locally made berber furniture, enjoy doing nothing in the beautiful gardens, shaded by olive and citrus trees, or swin in the magnificient pool, designed in the shape of a moorish gate.

Tucked away amongst the trees and the 14 air conditioned Bungalows and 8 Suites, ideal for anyone seeking peace and quiet . Our elegant restaurant offers a fusion of Moroccan and European dishes and special males can also be catered for.

In the evening, enjoy a cocktail and live moroccan music in our pleasant cellar bar.

Hi Omar,

I wanted to post about my experience with Travel in Style.com. The company based in San Fran planned the most amazing trip for me and my new husband for our honeymoon. It was a trip that combined Morocco and Egypt into a 11 day trip. We signed up for a private tour and the only people with us during the trip were our guides and drivers (which was great for an intimate honeymoon vs. a tour bus with 20 plus people all waiting for each other to go places, etc).

First, we got to Morocco and already had a driver through the agency there to greet us to take us to Marrakesh (from the Casablanca airport). The drive was nice and the car clean. Our driver was really nice and was very professional. We got dropped off and brought to the cutest hotel named Riad Chergui (more like a bed and breakfast which was much more intimate and fun!) and shown to our rooms after we were greeted with tea and cookies from the staff there. They were just absolutely helpful in helping us get anything we needed throughout our stay there (i.e. dress ironed, a bag to carry home souvenirs, cigarettes, etc.). The hotel itself was clean and charming, and we had a very nice room with windows that opened to the courtyard below. The pool and chairs were spotless everyday and the breakfast was always tasty and served to us when we came to downstairs to eat. I absolutely recommend this place to everyone.

While in Marrakesh, we went to do activities pre-planned by Travel in Style and everything worked out exactly as described in our itinerary. We always had a guide and driver on time when we were going around the city and our guide even came with us to help us bargain with the stores to get the best souvenirs at the best prices. It was a relief to us, who were a little hesitant to visit some of these countries at first, to have a very knowledgeable guide and to have someone around when we wanted him and not around when we wanted to do our own discoveries. The trip was set up so that some days we only had plans in the morning and after our planned lunch, we would have the rest of the day to do our own things (perfectly planned in this way!). Our lunches and dinners planned in our itineraries were at beautifully decorated restaurants with the best service, and we really had a chance to experience Moroccan food. It was great.

While in Marrakesh we had a camel ride and a cooking class scheduled, which were great since we wanted to do some different types of activities while we were there. The camel ride was so fun and we got some great pictures. The cooking class was hands-on and we learned how to make a Moroccan meal with the recipe so we could take that home with us and be able to have a Moroccan dinner. We just loved it!

We continued on for the second half of the trip to Egypt which was planned just as nicely. We ate at the best restaurants and really got the feel for the country. Here we did a lot more site seeing of course, and we always had our guide and driver there to take us around and show us the sites. They took us to a pyramid that was the first successful one created and when we went, we were the only tourists there (of course we also went to see the ones in Giza) so we really got to enjoy the scenery and pictures without a ton of other tourists around. Also, while in Egypt, we had a planned dinner with an actual Egyptian family who opened up their home to us. It was great to see the country from that perspective and really get to know what the people are like.

In summary, these are just a few great things I could say about the Morocco/Egypt tour we took through Travel in Style and I HIGHLY recommend them for anyone looking to experience these countries without all the hassles of planning it all in detail (since they do this for you) and of trying to figure out how to get around while there (that is where the private drivers really came in). They really took out all our worry and we had an amazing experience.
THANKS!!

Tina and Vishal
Posted on Frommer.com

Luxury Upscale Romantic Escapade
For Your Honeymoon or Anniversary Vacation
Private Tour Of Morocco

Choose Your Own Arrival date
A Grand 15 day Tour of Morocco
with extended stay at the seaside Essaouira

Experience the romance of old Morocco everywhere on this 15-day tour of ancient kasbahs standing sentinel against invaders, along the winding lanes of the medinas of Fez and Marrakech, the seaside towns of Essaouira and in your very lodgings, palaces and venerable homes that have been brought to life again as Riads – combining the best of Arab hospitality with the appointments of fine boutique hotels. Compare with the 20 day edition, or the 11 day version.

Day 1 – Marrakech (arrive any day – private touring)
You’ll land at the airport of fabled Marrakech. Our local rep. will greet you and usher you directly to your accommodations at La Maison Arabe (or similar upscale Boutique Riad/Hotel such as Jardin de Medinah, Riad Monceau. Riad Kniza, or similar based on the category you choose and subject to availability at the time we receive your booking), where a traditional welcoming mint tea and a fruit basket await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation are foremost.

Day 2 – Marrakech (BD)
This morning you’ll take a private tour of Marrakech by horse-drawn carriage. You’ll see the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city, and perhaps you’ll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda of Seville, in Spain. You’ll continue to the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth century, with room after stately oriental room of intricate plasterwork and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens. Finally, you’ll see the Majorelle Botanical Gardens of Yves Saint Laurent, planted with trees and flowers from all over the world. In the afternoon, you’ll discover the old city and always-lively Djemaa El Fna Square, populated by water sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal tamers, who carry on an endless flurry of activities straight out of the Middle Ages. If you have a spare moment, the souks of Marrakech will always keep you entertained. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 3- Marrakech (BD)
Morning tour of the local souks and bazaars, a shopper’s paradise. Return to your hotel for the siesta.

Late afternoon, we’ll escort you to the Palm grove on the outskirts of Marrakech for a wonderful experience of camel riding at sunset. Before we head for our gourmet Moroccan dinner with staff in traditional dress, Gnaouas singers and dancers, their music reflecting both Arabic and African influence. Arab-Andalusia music well serenade us and the evening will culminate with the traditional Belly dancer performance, while we enjoy the gourmet Moroccan food.

Day 4 – Trek in the High Atlas (BLD)
Enjoy breakfast in you hotel, leave to Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech. On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with it man-made lake. It will take you about an hour to reach Amizmiz, a typical Berber village, where we tour the Kasbah and the “Mellah” (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important country market is held, where all the villagers from the area come for their weekly shopping and gossiping… There you can buy interesting Regragra potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home or tent for tea and then you will start your hiking first through Sidi Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque landscapes of the Atlas Mountains, Berber villages with their houses built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint tea, you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon. Remainder of the day at leisure. Enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel.

Day 5 – Marrakech – Ouarzazate- 203 Kilometers (about 2 hours) (BLD)
In the morning you will be driven to Ouarzazate through the impressive scenery and the beautiful landscapes of the High Atlas Mountains range and crossing the Tichka Pass, at more than 2,000 m high. Enjoy the wide range of fossils available en route. Before reaching Ouarzazate, tour the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah region made famous by Hollywood, which served as the backdrop for several of movies, protected now by UNESCO. It is an area of Kasbahs grouped among patches of wheat fields, terraced orchards, olives and date palms. It ascends a small mountain and is surmounted by an “Agadir” (grain storage tower) giving it an epic scale. Lunch will be served at a restaurant facing the Kasbah. In the afternoon we continue to Ouarzazate, a small town set at the foot of the arid southern slopes, where we may find Golden Oriole, Melodious and Bonelli’s Warblers, Cattle and Little Egrets, Kentish Plover, Black-winged stilt and Bee-eater. Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel: Berber Palace or similar.

If you prefer to visit the Merzouga Oasis camping one night in the Sahara (deluxe camp-tent), please click here.

DAY 6 – Ouarzazate- Taliouine – Taroudant- 292 Kilometers (about 3 and half hours) (BLD)
Heading westwards we travel to Taliouine from where we can explore the fine gorge at Aoulouz, one of the few remaining areas in which the Bald Ibis can be expected, as well as Peregrine, and possibly Lanner and Barbary Falcon which may be seen in the air together. The long-legged Buzzard and other species of eagle are also likely, as well as Roller, Spanish Sparrow, Red-rumped Swallow, Bulbul etc. Between Aoulouz and Agadir the principal species of tree is the Argana which gives the region an East African Savannah appearance. Here Great Grey and Woodchat Shrikes are common, and we look out for the Tawny Eagle and Chanting Goshawk. Lunch is included enroute. Late afternoon arrival in Taroudant for dinner and overnight, we check-in at the Gazelle D’Or Rida a true gem boutique hotel.

Day 7 -TAROUDANT (BL)
This morning we tour the charming old town of Taroudant, with emphasis on the local souks and jewelry. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure, maybe to enjoy this unique palace /hotel facilities or go on a half day trip on camels or horses into the desert with a lunch box (with our compliments).

Day 8- IMOUZZER IDA OUTANANE (BD)
Morning departure for Imouzzer Ida Outanane. We cross the Anti Atlas mountain range, with palm groves, green valleys and narrow gorges – before reaching the village & waterfalls of the “Bride’s Veil” with its small lake surrounded by olive groves. Dinner and accommodation at the Cascades hotel.

Day 9 – IMOUZZER IDA OUTANANE / ESSAOUIRA (BLD)
Drive to Essaouira, a a charming fishing harbor. Renowned for generations for its production of “Murex”, a small shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas, Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbor, which was influenced by the Portuguese who settled here in the 16th century. Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah used it as a base for his corsairs. Today, protected from the sea and the wind behind its commanding fortified medieval walls, Essaouira shelters a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working wood with ebony, mother of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chessboards, caskets and bracelets. Enjoy a seafood lunch before heading back to the hotel: accommodation in a suite at Riad Al Madina, Heure Bleue or similar. Dinner is included at one of the local charming restaurants.

Day 10- Essaouira (B)
Full day at leisure to enjoy this sleepy small town by the sea, as you wish, or ask us for available optional tours.

We were out at the port before 8 AM to see all of the activity. We have been there 3 times today, the boats and the fishermen are fantastic. The fishing boats range from small individual boats to large ones but none of these are huge commercial boats. For every one fisherman 5 more jobs are created. In Morocco…… Everyday we see “the next great thing”!
Kathy & John – Florida

Day 11 – Essaouira (BL)
Half day walking tour of the old souks, bazaars and old town. We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before we head back to your hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 12 -Essaouira – Casablanca – Fes (BL)
Breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Lunch is included today: Lunch box or at a local restaurant enroute.

Private air-conditioned vehicle as always: heading for Casablanca to tour King Hassan Mosque (entrance fees included. Closed to visitors for Friday Prayers), then on to Fes by car, where you’ll be met and ushered to: Riad Fes/Relais & Chateaux, Riad Kniza or La Maison Bleue (or similar high end boutique Riad / Hotel – subject to availability at the time we receive your booking), the Blue House. This superb nineteenth-century home is the seat of the Abbadis family, one of the forebears of which was an eminent astrologer, lawyer, and professor at the Karawiyine University. It has wooden doors and its walls are covered with blue Zelliges. Its fountain is one of the most sumptuous in the city. La Maison Bleue offers five royal suites as well as a junior suite, and fully three dining rooms where Moroccan specialties may be appreciated. A Hammam (Moroccan steam bath) is available to guests. La Maison Bleue is literally one of the most prominent of houses in Fez, affording commanding panoramas of the old town from its terrace. You’ll be welcomed with a traditional mint tea, and a fruit basket. Your dinner is at La Maison Bleue or similar enchanting establishment.

Medina of Fès, Morocco. Video by Amazing Places on our Planet.

Day 13 -Fez (BD)
Put on your walking shoes this morning for a trip in time back to the ninth century, as you explore the old city of Fez. Its Medina and its labyrinth of souks have been declared a world cultural treasure. Your afternoon is free for relaxation or shopping or further exploration as you wish. In the evening it’s dinner and a show, with a difference. The food is Moroccan-style, of course; and the show is a fascinating view into Moroccan life, including a traditional wedding ceremony, Arabo-Andaluisan music, and an enticing performance by a belly dancer.

Day 14 – Fez- Culinary Class (BD)
Spend a day in appreciation of Moroccan pleasures. In the morning, you’ll join a demonstration of Moroccan cuisine, known around the world. You will have tasted Tajine, harissa, couscous, and much more. Now you’ll learn more about how these plates and sauces are prepared and of the many influences that have created the national cuisine. In the afternoon, you will savor the benefits of the Hammam traditional relaxing and restorative steam bath. Your farewell dinner will be set at La Maison Bleue or a charming local Moroccan restaurant.

Day 15 -Fez – Casablanca (B)
Early morning drive from Fez to Casablanca airport, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur. Bon Voyage!

Ultra Deluxe Accommodation: Based on hotels listed above or similar high end Riad/Hotels Rate per person in US$
Triple	$ 7851.00
Double	$ 8065.00
Single	$ 9570.00
For the Gazelle D’ Or Riad: accommodation in a suite: Ultra Deluxe Hotel in Taroudant: Please add: $550 PER person to the above listed rates.

Based on Modest 5 Stars Hotels / Riads Rate per person in US$
Triple	$ 6840.00
Double	$ 6960.00
Single	$ 8500.00

5 Star Hotels
Marrakech:	Atlas Asni & Spa or similar
Ouarzazate:	Berber Palace Hotel Ouarzazate or similar
Taroudant:	Palais Salam Hotel or similar
Imouzzer Ida Outanane:	Les Cascades Hotel or similar
Essaouira:	Les Isles Hotel or similar
Fez:	Ramada Hotel or similar

Based on Modest 4 Stars Hotels / Riads Rate per person in US$
Triple	$6260.00
Double	$ 6650.00
Single	$ 7621.00

4 Star Hotels
Marrakech:	Atlas Medina & Spa or similar
Ouarzazate:	Berber Palace Hotel Ouarzazate or similar
Taroudant:	Dar Zitoune (www.darzitoune.com) or Atlas Hotel or similar
Imouzzer Ida Outanane:	Les Cascades Hotel or similar
Essaouira:	Atlas Essaouira Hotel or similar
Fez:	Les Merinides Hotel or similar

Your tour includes:

• All transportation in morocco, private air conditioned sedan, mini van depending on the number in your party.
• Domestic air in Morocco, economy class, including tax, as per itinerary.
• All airport transfers in Morocco as described in the tour itinerary, always on a private basis.
• Accommodation as described, (always subject to availability, we keep the right to use alternative hotels within same category).
• Welcome mint tea, roses, and fruit basket upon arrival at each location available only with the
• Ultra Deluxe category.
• Meals as indicated: cB = Continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner.
• Ground transportation in chauffeured, air-conditioned Mercedes Benz automobile or where applicable chauffeured four wheel drive Turbo Land Rover. As well as horse-drawn carriage tour where applicable.
• Services of private licensed English-speaking guide.
• Entrance fees to sites visited.
• Camel ride in Marrakech palm grove.

Not included:

• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for local personnel
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• International air fare from/to home country.

The grace and splendor of the Orient, traditional Arab hospitality, and the fine service and amenities of a boutique hotel all come together in the Moroccan Riad.

Hotel of charm Les “Jardins de la Medina”
A former Royal property, where the mother of the late King Hassan used to live a few years back. It is located close to the Royal Palace in Marrakech, with a superb Andalousian style garden planted with palm trees, lemon & orange trees. You’ll enjoy the old charm of the original Riad, even after its transfer into a modern hotel/Riad, “Les Jardins de la Medina”. The new French owners employed local artisans when they refurbished, restored & repainted the Riad. All work was done in cooperation with the Marrakech Dept. of Historical Monuments. From the old Royal Riad you’ll still be able to enjoy the original Grand Salon of the 19th century, the bar and the reception (meeting) room. New spacious rooms were built around the fabulous Andalusian gardens, thus profiting from the calmness and the coolness of the surrounding fruit trees. All rooms are refitted in the Marrakech architectural style, offering all the comfort and luxuries as modern hotel rooms: balcony, solarium and corner salon for most, air conditioning, satellite TV, Internet access, safe, minibar… The Riad services do include hammam, salon de massage, swimming pool heated toute l’année, parking, and money exchange. One room is handicap friendly.

Hi Omar,

I wanted to post about my experience with Travel in Style.com. The company based in San Fran planned the most amazing trip for me and my new husband for our honeymoon. It was a trip that combined Morocco and Egypt into a 11 day trip. We signed up for a private tour and the only people with us during the trip were our guides and drivers (which was great for an intimate honeymoon vs. a tour bus with 20 plus people all waiting for each other to go places, etc).

First, we got to Morocco and already had a driver through the agency there to greet us to take us to Marrakesh (from the Casablanca airport). The drive was nice and the car clean. Our driver was really nice and was very professional. We got dropped off and brought to the cutest hotel named Riad Chergui (more like a bed and breakfast which was much more intimate and fun!) and shown to our rooms after we were greeted with tea and cookies from the staff there. They were just absolutely helpful in helping us get anything we needed throughout our stay there (i.e. dress ironed, a bag to carry home souvenirs, cigarettes, etc.). The hotel itself was clean and charming, and we had a very nice room with windows that opened to the courtyard below. The pool and chairs were spotless everyday and the breakfast was always tasty and served to us when we came to downstairs to eat. I absolutely recommend this place to everyone.

While in Marrakesh, we went to do activities pre-planned by Travel in Style and everything worked out exactly as described in our itinerary. We always had a guide and driver on time when we were going around the city and our guide even came with us to help us bargain with the stores to get the best souvenirs at the best prices. It was a relief to us, who were a little hesitant to visit some of these countries at first, to have a very knowledgeable guide and to have someone around when we wanted him and not around when we wanted to do our own discoveries. The trip was set up so that some days we only had plans in the morning and after our planned lunch, we would have the rest of the day to do our own things (perfectly planned in this way!). Our lunches and dinners planned in our itineraries were at beautifully decorated restaurants with the best service, and we really had a chance to experience Moroccan food. It was great.

While in Marrakesh we had a camel ride and a cooking class scheduled, which were great since we wanted to do some different types of activities while we were there. The camel ride was so fun and we got some great pictures. The cooking class was hands-on and we learned how to make a Moroccan meal with the recipe so we could take that home with us and be able to have a Moroccan dinner. We just loved it!

We continued on for the second half of the trip to Egypt which was planned just as nicely. We ate at the best restaurants and really got the feel for the country. Here we did a lot more site seeing of course, and we always had our guide and driver there to take us around and show us the sites. They took us to a pyramid that was the first successful one created and when we went, we were the only tourists there (of course we also went to see the ones in Giza) so we really got to enjoy the scenery and pictures without a ton of other tourists around. Also, while in Egypt, we had a planned dinner with an actual Egyptian family who opened up their home to us. It was great to see the country from that perspective and really get to know what the people are like.

In summary, these are just a few great things I could say about the Morocco/Egypt tour we took through Travel in Style and I HIGHLY recommend them for anyone looking to experience these countries without all the hassles of planning it all in detail (since they do this for you) and of trying to figure out how to get around while there (that is where the private drivers really came in). They really took out all our worry and we had an amazing experience.
THANKS!!

Tina and Vishal
Posted on Frommer.com

Upscale – Private Tour of Morocco
A Grand 14 days with extended stay at the seaside Essaouira

Experience the romance of old Morocco everywhere on this 14-day tour, in ancient kasbahs standing sentinel against invaders, along the winding lanes of the medinas of Fez and Marrakech, the seaside town of Essaouira, the Roman Ruins at Volubilis, Moulay Idris and in your very lodgings, palaces and venerable homes that have been brought to life again as Riads, combining the best of Arab hospitality with the appointments of fine boutique hotels. Compare with Taroudant, Imouzzer Ida Outanane 15-Day version. Compare with the 20 day edition, or the 12 day version.

Essaouira: Oct 2014
There are all of these tiny restaurants at the beginning of the port with beautiful fish displays. We did have lunch at a lovely beach side restaurant Chalet de Plage that has been there for 100 years, off to another fish restaurant for dinner. Everyone must visit this fascinating country sometime in their life.
Love, Kathy and John

Day 1 – Marrakech (arrive any day – private touring- Choose Your Own Date)
You’ll land at the airport of fabled Marrakech. Our local staff will greet you and usher you directly to your accommodations at an upscale Boutique Riad/Hotel: Marrakech: Jardin de Medina, Riad Monceau, Riad Kniza, or similar (subject to availability at the time we receive your booking), where a traditional welcoming mint tea and a fruit basket await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation are foremost.

Day 2 – Marrakech (BLD)
This morning you’ll take a private tour of Marrakech by horse-drawn carriage. You’ll see the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city, and perhaps you’ll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda of Seville, in Spain. You’ll continue to the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth century, with room after stately oriental room of intricate plaster work and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens. Finally, you’ll see the Majorelle Botanical Gardens of Yves Saint Laurent, planted with trees and flowers from all over the world. In the afternoon, you’ll discover the old city and the always lively Djemaa El Fna Square, populated by water sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal tamers, who carry on an endless flurry of activities straight out of the middle ages. If you have a spare moment, the souks of Marrakech will always keep you entertained. Lunch is included at a charming local Moroccan restaurant. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Day 3- Marrakech (BD)
Morning tour of the local souks and bazaars, a shopper’s paradise. Return to your hotel for the siesta.

Late afternoon,we’ll escort you to the Palm grove on the outskirts of Marrakech for a wonderful experience of camel riding at sunset. Before we head for our gourmet Moroccan dinner with staff in traditional dress, Gnaouas singers and dancers, their music reflect both Arabic and African influence, Arabo-Andalusian music will serenade us, the evening will culminate with the traditional Belly dancer performance, gourmet Moroccan food.

Day 4 – Trek in the High Atlas (BLD)
After breakfast in you hotel, leave to Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech. On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with its man made lake. It will take you about an hour to reach Amizmiz, a typical Berber village, where we tour the Kasbah and the “Mellah” (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important country market is held, where all the villagers from the area come for their weekly shopping and gossiping. There you can buy interesting Regragra potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home for a traditional Berber breakfast then you will start your hiking first through Sidi Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque landscapes of the Atlas mountains and Berber villages with their houses built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint tea, you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon. Remainder of the day at leisure. Enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel. Compare with Taroudant, Imouzzer Ida Outanane version.

DAY 5 – OURIKA VALLEY, THE POTTERS VILLAGE OF TAFZA (BLD)
This morning, we’ll head 30 kilometers outside of Marrakech to the lush valley of the Ourika River, which winds down from the peaks of the High Atlas, through clusters of mud-walled houses. Our visit coincides with one of the regular market days where we’ll walk among the stands of butchers and vegetable-sellers, merchants of cereals and olive oil, itinerant blacksmiths and sellers of patent medicines and herbal remedies. A barber sets up shop with nothing more than a scissors, hand clipper, and stiff wooden chair, an open-air eatery offers hot food freshly prepared on a brazier. We’ll continue to Tafza to see how vases and lamp bases are made in home workshops, and to view quartz and amethyst and other minerals of the region. We’ll be received for tea in the customary local manner. We’ll meet up with local villagers at a well, help to draw water, and join in preparing a Berber meal of soup, tanurt (bread), and tajine (meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot). Our hosts are modest local persons who will appreciate offerings of useful small items, such as pencils or notebooks, or even small treats, such as candy. We’ll return to Marrakech through the stunning scenery of the valley. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 6 – ESSAOUIRA (BLD)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Essaouira, a a charming fishing harbor. Renowned for generations for its production of “Murex”, a small shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas. Check-in at your hotel where lunch awaits you. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure. In the evening your guide will call on you for a stroll along the water front and dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Day 7 – ESSAOUIRA (B)
Breakfast is included always at the hotel. Day at leisure. Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbor, with some influence by the Portuguese who settled here in the 16th century. Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah used it as a base for his corsairs. Today, protected from the sea and the wind behind its commanding fortified medieval walls, Essaouira shelters a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working wood with ebony, mother of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chessboards, caskets and bracelets.

Day 8 – Essaouira (B)
Half day walking tour of the old souks and town. Remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 9 – Casablanca (B)
Breakfast at the hotel, We’ll escort you by private air conditioned car/van heading for Casablanca. Remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 10 – Casablanca / Fes (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Tour the old souks & local vegetable markets in the old Medina with the Witches Market, where herbs and spices used in traditional cures, magic spells, talisman and potions are sold, Olives souks and the market of Bab Marrakech. Lunch included at a local restaurant. Tour the Grand Mosque of Hassan II the largest in the world after that of Mecca (entrance tickets included), then on to Fes (private air-conditioned vehicle), and your hotel or boutique Riad / Hotel – subject to availability at the time of booking. You’ll be welcomed with a traditional mint tea,and a fruit basket.

Day 11 -Fes (BD)
Put on your walking shoes this morning for a trip in time back to the ninth century, as you explore the old city of Fez. Its Medina and its labyrinth of souks have been declared a world cultural treasure. Your afternoon is free for relaxation or shopping or further exploration as you wish. In the evening it’s dinner and a show, with a difference. The food is Moroccan-style, of course; and the show is a fascinating view into Moroccan life, including a traditional wedding ceremony, Arabo-Andaluisan music, and an enticing performance by a belly dancer.

DAY 12 – Fes, Volubilis, Moulay Idriss (BL)
We’ll set out in the morning for the site of Volubilis, once the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitania. We’ll have lunch en route, and continue to Moulay Idriss, the picturesque shrine village named for the founder of the kingdom, who is interred here. In the evening, you’ll attend a Sound and Light show in the Medina of Fez, in which illumination and jets of water along with words help portray the history of the city.

Day 13 – Fes – Cooking Classes (BD)
Spend a day in appreciation of Moroccan pleasures. In the morning, you’ll join a demonstration of Moroccan cuisine, known around the world. You will have tasted Tajine, harissa, couscous, and much more. Now you’ll learn more about how these plates and sauces are prepared, and of the many influences that have created the national cuisine. In the afternoon, you will savor the benefits of the, the Hammam traditional relaxing and restorative steam bath. Your farewell dinner will be at your hotel.

Day 14 -Fez – Casablanca (B)
Early morning drive from Fez to Casablanca airport, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur. Bon Voyage. Compare with Taroudant, Imouzzer Ida Outanane version.

Rate per Person: Based on Luxury 5 Stars Hotels
Triple	US$ 6720.00
Double	US$ 6925.00
Single	US$ 7810.00

Luxury 5 Star Hotels
Marrakech:	Jardin de Medina. Riad Monceau. Riad Kniza, or similar
Ouarzazate:	Berber Palace Hotel Ouarzazate or similar
Essaouira:	Palais des Remparts, Riad Loussia. Heure Bleue Riad or similar
Rabat:	Villa Mandarine
Fes:	Riad Fes/Relais & Chateaux
Casablanca:	Royal Mansour Hotel

Rate per Person: Based on Modest 5 Stars Hotels / Riads
Triple	US$ 5110.00
Double	US$ 5310.00
Single	US$ 6410.00

5 Star Hotels
Marrakech:	Atlas Asni & Spa or similar
Essaouira:	Les Isles Hotel or similar
Casablanca:	Idou Anfa Hotel or similar
Fez:	Ramada Hotel or similar

Rate per Person: Based on Modest 4 Stars Hotels / Riads
Triple	US$ 4610.00
Double	US$ 4810.00
Single	US$ 6010.00

4 Star Hotels
Marrakech:	Atlas Medina & Spa or similar
Essaouira:	Atlas Essaouira Hotel or similar
Casablanca:	Golden Tulip Farah Hotel or similar
Fez:	Les Merinides Hotel or similar

Your tour includes:

• All transportation in Morocco, private air conditioned sedan, mini van depending on the number in your party.
• All airport transfers in Morocco as described in the tour itinerary
• Accommodation as described, (always subject to availability, we keep the right to use alternative hotels within same category).
• Welcome mint tea, roses, and fruit basket upon arrival at your Riads / Hotels
• Meals as indicated: cB = Continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner
• Ground transportation in chauffeured, air-conditioned Mercedes Benz automobile or where applicable chauffeured four wheel drive Turbo Land Rover. Half-day horse-drawn carriage tour in Marrakech.
• Services of licensed English-speaking guide.
• Entrance fees to sites visited.
• Camel ride in Marrakech palm grove.

Not included:

• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for local personnel
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• International air fare from/to home country.

A 10-Days Tour of Morocco
Including 2 nights camping in the Sahara
The Dunes and Kasbahs of Morocco

Explore the historic kasbahs (fortresses) and natural alpine beauty of southern Morocco’s mighty High Atlas Mountains on this 11 day tour to Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Zagora, Erfoud, and Berber villages at the edge of the Sahara Desert. This tour starts weekly on Sundays, year round.

Day 1 – MARRAKECH – Sunday – Weekly – Year Round
Welcome to Marrakech! We escort you to your hotel, a welcome mint tea & fruit basket awaits you at your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure. Prefer to start in Casablanca? please click here.

DAY 2 – MARRAKECH TREKKING- Monday (BLD)
After breakfast in you hotel, leave to Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech. On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with it man made lake. It will take you about an hour to reach Amizmiz, a typical Berber village, we tour the Kasbah and the “Mellah” (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important country market is held, where all the villagers from the area come for their weekly shopping and gossiping… There you can buy interesting Regragra potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home for a traditional Berber breakfast then you will start your hiking first through Sidi Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque landscapes of the Atlas mountains and Berber villages with their houses built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint tea, you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon. Remainder of the day at leisure. In the evening enjoy a delicious Dinner & music at a Moroccan restaurant.

DAY 3- OUARZAZATE Tuesday (BLD)
This morning we take a closer look at Marrakech’s most important historic and architectural wonders: the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace. In the afternoon we hit the road, climbing through striking alpine scenery into the High Atlas Mountains, crossing to the southeastern side of the range via the Tizi N’Tichka Pass (7415 feet). We descend to the Draa Valley, dotted with ancient kasbahs (fortified palaces), to the caravan-town of Ouarzazate at the edge of the mighty Sahara Desert.

DAY 4 – ZAGORA – TAMEGROUTE Wednesday (BLD)
Starting bright and early, we traverse the Draa Valley with its six palm forests forming grand ribbons of greenery across the flat valley floor. Thanks to the proximity of the river, cereals, henna, vegetables, fruit and date palms are cultivated, either on the floor of the valley or on stepped terraces. We arrive in Zagora around noontime. After lunch, we embark on an excursion to Tamegroute to view the illuminated Korans, with holy verses inscribed on gazelle-skin parchment, the oldest dating from the 13th century. We’ll also visit the Potters’ Yard and huge Tinfou Dune before returning to Zagora, change our mode of transportation to 4 wheel drive jeeps: on our camp site for tonight, we enjoy a one hour camel trek before sunset. Dinner and overnight under the stars (Camping – Bedouin Tent)

DAY 5 – ERFOUD, RISSANI & MERZOUGA/ Camp- Thursday (BLD)
Today it’s off to Erfoud through a dramatic landscape of “regs” (rocky tables), small mountains and oases, each with its small Berber village. In the early afternoon we arrive in Rissani, the cradle of Morocco’s royal Alaouite dynasty, to admire the exterior architecture of the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, and to take a tour of the Abou Aam Ksar (fortified village). In the late afternoon we head out by camels to our camp sites and the golden dunes of Merzouga. Watch the sunset over the pastel-colored Saharan dunes, Dinner and overnight under the stars (Camping – Bedouin Tent).

DAY 6 – TINERHIR, TODRA GORGE & OUARZAZATE Friday (BLD)
Enjoy a pre-dawn camel ride to the Dunes to watch the sunrise, then we change our mode of transportation and drive through the beautiful Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs to Tinerhir. A former military outpost built on terraces above a magnificent palm grove, Tinerhir stands at the entrance to the Todra Gorge, framed by awesome thousand-foot-high cliffs which make you think that you’re “at the ends of the Earth.” From Tinerhir we proceed past a series of great kasbahs to Boumalne du Dades, a large town at the foot of the gorge to Skoura. Beyond Skoura, the desert palms give way to orchards and irrigated gardens. Roses are the specialty of El Kelaa des Mgouna. The rose oil is sent to Paris to be made into perfume by Yves Saint-Laurent. Do some “rose” shopping here–rose water, body milk, and dried rose petals before returning to our hotel in Ouarzazate.

DAY 7- MARRAKECH Saturday (BLD)
We drive back to Marrakech over the High Atlas, admiring the majesty of towering Djebel Toubkal (13,665 feet). In the afternoon, drive to the ancient Kasbah complex of Ait Ben Haddou, and impressive 11th century site that ‘s now declared as a historical treasure by the UNESCO. A photographer’s wonderland, Ait Ben Haddou remains home to five families.

In Marrakech we tour the city by “caleche,”; the traditional horse-drawn carriage: a romantic first look at this fabled metropolis, discover Marrakech’s teeming, labyrinthine souks (bazaars) with their hundreds of tiny little shops, and Djemaa El Fna square with its medieval circus atmosphere. In the evening we have a special treat: a Moroccan “fantasia” dinner served in tents, with a traditional folklore show.

DAY 8 – MARRAKECH – Sunday (BLD)
There is much to see in this great city which Winston Churchill called “the most beautiful place in the world at sunset.” Grab your guidebook and explore! The top sights include the stately Koutoubia Minaret, the hidden tombs of the Saadian dynasty, the Menara pavilion and gardens, the ruins of sprawling Badi Palace, the Bahia Palace Museum, the Ben Yousef medersa, and the Koubba (chapel) of el-Ba’adiyn. Lunch is included at a local charming restaurant. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Day 9 – MARRAKECH – Moroccan Culinary Experience – Monday (BL)
Morning walking tour of Marrakech’s fabulous medieval souk (bazaar), penetrating the labyrinthine souk, you’ll see some of the age-old guilds at work, including the dyers and tanners, bring your camera–for famous Djemaa el-Fna square with its circus atmosphere of itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers, soothsayers, snake charmers, medicine men and public scribes. Spend this afternoon in appreciation of Moroccan pleasures. For your lunch: You’ll join a demonstration of Moroccan cuisine, known around the world. You will have tasted Tajine, couscous, and much more. Now you’ll learn more about how these plates and sauces are prepared, and of the many influences that have created the national cuisine and sit down to enjoy the lunch you helped prepare. Dinner is included at an elegant Moroccan restaurant.

DAY 10 – DEPARTURE Tuesday (B)
We escort you to Marrakech airport for your homeward flight, Bon Voyage!

Rates per person, In US $
In Triple Occupancy	US$ 3270.
In Double Occupancy	US$ 3409.
In Single Occupancy	US$ 4500.

Your tour includes:

• Accommodation in, superior first class hotels, as shown in the table “Our Hotels;” all rooms with private bath.
• ALL Meals as indicated in the itinerary: Continental (cB) or full breakfast (B) daily; set-menu lunch (L); set-menu dinner (D)
• Transportation throughout by deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach
• Locally guided sightseeing tours by air conditioned private car/van or motor coach as indicated in the itinerary, including all entry fees.
• English speaking private driver escorting you all the way.

Not Included:

• Tips
• Travel Insurance
• International air fare from / to your home country

Your Hotels (or similar)
Tent	Deluxe Camp tent
Marrakech	Imperial Borj or Kenzi Farah
Ouarzazate	Meridien Berber Palace
Essaouira	Dar Al Madina Riad or similar
Zagora	Kasr Tinsouline or Kasbah Asmaa (3 stars)
Erfoud	Kasbah Tizimi (3 stars)

What a great last day. We went to cooking school and yes John did it too! We got there and they promptly handed us our shopping baskets and off to the local market where we bought all of the ingredients including a live chicken the our chef picked out and had de-feathered and made ready for cooking.

John learned to chop!! It was a great way to spend out last day, thank you Omar for the itinerary!

For the one night in the Sahara here is a list of things we suggest that you bring:

• Thermal clothing, to use as sleeping wear, for tenting in the desert, where evenings and early morning can be quite chilly (particularly in October, April and May). Polar fleece jacket or woollen sweater for early morning and late evening. Windbreaker. Long-sleeved shirts to cover your arms and shoulders from the intense sun.
• Sturdy jogging or walking shoes, well broken in (NOT brand new); lighter tennis or regular shoes; sandals for wear in camp and in your tent
• Linen or straw sunhat, cap and/or head scarf
• Good sun block cream or lotion

Miscellaneous personal items:

• good sunglasses with UV protection, in a sturdy case
• spare pair of prescription glasses, if you wear glasses
• insect repellant

For the one night camp: SANITARY FACILITIES
To ensure your utmost comfort, showers /toilets are available

Lebes (Berber greeting) or sbah ikheer (Arabic for good morning)!

Spring break is about over and it’s back to work tomorrow. It will be a shorter week at CAS for me because on Thursday I’ll be leaving for the Optimal Match Conference (SPED and Technology) in Rabat. Last year I attended the conference in Madrid, Spain. I’m eager to see if the teachers from Rome, Paris, and Barcelona who I met last year will be attending this year. It is great to network with other teachers and find out about their programs plus hear about new and innovative strategies. The presenters are from the US.

Paul is currently enroute between Casablanca and Amsterdam with arrival due in the US at about 5:30 tonight and then back to work for him tomorrow. We had a fantastic week of touring and seeing more of Morocco – a truly remarkable country with beaches, mountains, deserts, and everything in between in a relatively small area. Paul will send from his email account a number of pictures which might give you an idea of our experiences this past week.

Trekking in the Amizimiz area while seeing the Atlas Mountains with its picturesque landscapes and Berber villages was quite remarkable. Our guide Said served us Moroccan tea and a lamb tagine for lunch in his home. As you can see from the photo they also decided to dress us up in the typical Berber attire for lunch.

We continued on with the drive through the High Atlas Mountains crossing through the Tizi N’ Tichka Pass and descended down through the Draa Valley stopping to see ancient Kasbahs (fortified palaces) and to the caravan-town of Ouarzazate (movie site of The Mummy, Black Hawk Down, Babel, Syriana, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.). Enroute we stopped to hike up Ait Benhaddou and up the sandstone hill which has been the site for a variety of movies including Gladiator. People still live in this UNESCO World Heritage village including Uemna and her husband. She invited us in to see her cave dwelling in the side of the hill and shared delicious home-grown almonds.

Our next two nights were spent in the desert. The first night was at Zagora and in the middle of a sandstorm. Paul thinks that I probably have never been so grouchy upon awaking in the morning after a night spent trying to breathe while attempting to sleep in our nomad Berber tent amongst a haze of blowing sand. I think that the sand is all out of our ears by now. The next night after some fun camel riding we enjoyed a night on the Merzouga Desert in a deluxe tent under the stars. Both nights we had our own private concert with talented musicians and dancers entertaining us with traditional Gnaouan music and delicious Moroccan cuisine.

It was interesting to study the information displayed on Paul’s GPS in the mountains, deserts, etc. In the photo you can see our Moroccan friend and Paul discussing the merits of such equipment. We read in one of the tour books that it is difficult for tourists to locate their reserved auberges (lodging accommodations) or tent sites and that they are encouraged to call ahead for the GPS coordinates in order to locate the correct place in the Sahara Desert.

Riding out into the golden dunes near Merzouga on camels to see the sunset was so much fun while watching four-wheel-drive vehicles zipping up and down the sand dunes (some in preparation for the Dakar Rally). All too soon it was time to start the travel back to Casablanca via Fez. On one of our stops we fed peanuts to the Barbary apes near Ifrane.

Staying in the Riad Dar Al Andalous was an experience of seeing more of the history and culture of Fez. Here we had one more example of the challenges of communication in a foreign country. Paul asked if he should pay for a Coca Cola and before he knew it he was being enthusiastically escorted into the kitchen to meet the ‘cook’ (Coke).

Living and visiting in an international setting is truly an exciting and stimulating experience.

A week after leaving Casablanca via train we arrived back in Casa with our very informative and helpful driver Hamid. Now, we have the memories and the pictures (and a few souvenirs) to enjoy of this adventure in another area of incredible Morocco.

Our time in Morocco is fast approaching an end with one last trip before returning home to Minnesota. At this point we are thinking of exploring more of Spain and the Moroccan coast of the Mediterranean.

M’a ssalama (goodbye – Arabic)
Paul and Dixie

Private Tour

Adventure in “Comfort” and enjoy a one night “Arabian Night” stay in the Sahara. We cover, as well, all the major sites & highlights of Morocco: Casablanca, Ouarzazate, Oases of Zagora & the Pearl of the South: Legendary Marrakech. All in 8 days. Tour starts weekly in Casablanca, on Sundays. When you have at least 4 guests in your party, you may choose any day to arrive on. You will have your own PRIVATE car/driver/guide.

Ride the camels, climb towering sand dunes for panoramic views and photos, and camp at verdant desert oases beneath a splendor of stars which only desert travelers ever see. You’ll also see fabled Casablanca, and Ouarzazate, the “Pearl of the Sahara.” Come away with us…to Enchanting Morocco and the Sahara! Compare with adding Midelt, Errachidia and Erfoud, Merzouga and Fes: 9-Day Imperial Sahara Tour.

We loved the little hotel nestled on the side of the mountain, you thought you were in Tuscany! We had a lovely candlelit dinner with the best ever guide Ahmed and the best ever driver Montcif. We could not believe this little treasure of a hotel was nestled into the tiny Berber village.

Kathy & John. Florida

DAY 1 – CASABLANCA – Daily Year Round – Choose Your Own Date. This is a private tour.
You arrive in the Kingdom of Morocco, landing at Casablanca. As soon as you complete customs and immigration formalities, our local representative will escort you to your hotel. A welcome mint tea & fruit basket awaits you at your hotel. Prefer to start in Marrakech? please click here.

DAY 2 – OUARZAZATE (BD)
Morning at leisure. Late afternoon tour to visit the majestic new Grand Mosque of King Hassan II, second only to the Great Mosque at Mecca in size. We continue on a panoramic tour of the city. We’ll enjoy dinner before we head for the airport and our flight to Ouarzazate. Upon arrival our staff will greet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel.

DAY 3- OUARZAZATE – ZAGORA (BLD)
Departure for Zagora following the Draa Wadi Valley where six palm forests form a long ribbon of greenery. Thanks to the proximity of the river, cereals, henna, vegetables, fruit and date palms are cultivated, either on the floor of the valley or on stepped terraces. On the road again, many Kasbahs and Ksour when crossing Berber Villages. Lunch is included enroute. Notice the ladies dressed in black and the happy and smiling children waving to you. Kasbah Dar Azawad 4 lanterns “Berbere Suite”. Dinner is, of course, included tonight.

Day 4- ZAGORA – Bedouin Tent – 1001 Arabian Nights (BLD)
A morning excursion to Tamegrout, to visit the old Library housing old 13th century manuscripts. Return to hotel for lunch before we start a comfortable camel ride to the Zagora palm grove. We head foe the Tinfu Dunes. Enjoy the charm of the Sahara as we enjoy our camp site & tented Bivouac. Tonight we enjoy our desert sunset and night sky, not to mention the cool, pure breezes that waft through our tents. DINNER INCLUDES MECHOUI (The famous Moroccan beef or lamb dish). Beef/lamb is first steamed then grilled, in open camp fire that we all gather around (if you are a vegetarian, we’ll be glad to accommodate your meals request with advance notice). M’hamid dunes: Blue Men deluxe camping

DAY 5 – MARRAKECH – Aït Ben Haddous Kasbah (BL)
For early risers you’ll be treated to the breath taking sunrise over the Golden Dunes of the Sahara. Drive back to Marrakech, but first we will head for Aït Ben Haddous Kasbah along the left bank of the Mellah (or “salty”) Wadi with the chance to see a wonderful “Ksar” – Huge fortified village wade of Adobe where families still live – which has served as the location shots in many adventure films, such as “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Romancing the Stone” with Michael Douglas. Lunch is included. After touring the Kasbah, we continue on to Marrakech. Remainder of the day at leisure.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions – just let us know your preferences.

DAY 6 – MARRAKECH (BLD)
Our morning will be devoted to the Historical part of the city: including the stately Koutoubia Minaret, the hidden tombs of the Saadian dynasty, the Menara pavilion and gardens, the ruins of sprawling Badi Palace, the Bahia Palace or Dar Si Said Museum according to the opening days, the Ben Yousef Medersa, and the Koubba (chapel) of el-Ba’adiyn. Lunch is included at the hotel to allow you to take a break, freshen up & get ready for the afternoon tour of Marrakech’s fabulous medieval souk (bazaar). Penetrating the labyrinthine souk, you’ll see some of the age-old guilds at work, including the dyers and tanners. Bring your camera–for famous Djemaa el-Fna square with its circus atmosphere of itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers, soothsayers, snake charmers, medicine men and public scribes. Dinner is served in a charming Moroccan Restaurant.

DAY 7 – MARRAKECH TO CASABLANCA (BL)
Today you board the Marrakech Express bound for Casablanca! Roll across the beautiful Moroccan countryside, admiring the towering Atlas Mountains in the distance, and the timeless scenes of North African village and town life right beside the rails. When you arrive in Casablanca, our staff will meet your train and escort you to your hotel. Once you’re settled in, take out your guidebook and explore Morocco’s commercial capital. Lunch at your hotel.

DAY 8 – Casablanca – Departure (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight homeward.

Rate for Deluxe Hotels in US dollar $
Triple occupancy	$ 3910.00
Double occupancy	$ 4040.00
Single occupancy	$ 5750.00
For Christmas & New Year’s weeks please add 10 % supplement to any of the above rates.

Hotels:
Casablanca:	Golden Tulip Farah Casablanca or similar (Modest 5- stars)
Ouarzazate:	Berbere palace (modest 5 -stars)
M’hamid:	kasbah Dar Azawad 4 lanterns “Berbere Suite”
M’hamid dunes:	Blue Men deluxe camping
Marrakech:	Sofitel Hotel with the High Atlas Mountain View, or a charming boutique riad / hotel. The Riads: Riad La Maison Arabe, the Jardin de La Medina, Riad Monceau or similar

Rate per person for First Class- 4 star hotels:
triple occupancy	$ 3200.00
double occupancy	$ 3350.00
single occupancy	$4590.00

Hotels:
Casablanca:	Val d’Anfa “seaside” or Kenzi Basma, or similar (4 -stars)
Ouarzazate:	Kenzi Belere or Riad Salam or Farah Janoub (4-stars)
M’hamid:	kasbah Dar Azawad 4 lanterns “Standard room”
M’hamid dunes:	Blue Men deluxe camping
Marrakech:	Riad Cherguor, Imperial Borj or similar (4 – stars)

Your tour includes:

• Hotel accommodation at a carefully selected hotel in the class of your choice (Deluxe, First Class, Tourist Class), including tax and service
• Meals as indicated: BLD: Breakfast (Buffet or continental), Lunch, Dinner.
• One-way first-class train transportation Marrakech-Casablanca. * Domestic airfare is included, within Morocco.
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all transportation be it by camels or Land Rovers, PRIVATE car, minibus, van for rest of itinerary.
• Consultation and referral services of our local Friends Abroad representative in each city on your tour

What’s not included:

• International airfare to or from Morocco.
• Tips.
• Trip Insurance

What a great last day. We went to cooking school and yes John did it too! We got there and they promptly handed us our shopping baskets and off to the local market where we bought all of the ingredients including a live chicken the our chef picked out and had de-feathered and made ready for cooking.

John learned to chop!! It was a great way to spend out last day, thank you Omar for the itinerary!

Hi Omar,

We are back home now, got in late Monday night. Again John and I want to thank you for all of the great service for our magical trip to Morocco. I never thought anything would be as good as the Turkey/Egypt trip but this one was. We have not seen very many of our friends and family yet, but starting this weekend we will be out and about and believe me your praises will be sung to the highest heavens! […]

Please let your representatives know how much we appreciated Ahmed and Moncif, they were just great and deserve all the praise in the world for being so adaptable with John and I. As you well know John takes 1,000’s of pictures (this trip over 3000) and that means stopping in the car or waiting while touring and both of the guys were just great about it. Also their smiles and heartfelt kindness was there every day! I know there were a lot of people in the background that also made this happen for us and our thanks to all of them as well.

John and I cannot wait to book the next trip with you!! I will get back to you when I get eveything posted so you can follow along.

Thanks again dear friend!
Kathy

For the one night in the Sahara here is a list of things we suggest that you bring:

• Thermal clothing, to use as sleeping wear, for tenting in the desert, where evenings and early morning can be quite chilly (particularly in October, April and May). Polar fleece jacket or woollen sweater for early morning and late evening. Windbreaker. Long-sleeved shirts to cover your arms and shoulders from the intense sun.
• Sturdy jogging or walking shoes, well broken in (NOT brand new); lighter tennis or regular shoes; sandals for wear in camp and in your tent
• Linen or straw sunhat, cap and/or head scarf
• Good sun block cream or lotion

Miscellaneous personal items:

• good sunglasses with UV protection, in a sturdy case
• spare pair of prescription glasses, if you wear glasses
• insect repellant

For the one night camp: SANITARY FACILITIES
To ensure your utmost comfort, showers /toilets are available

The Ultimate in Luxury when touring the Kingdom of Morocco
Perfect for your honeymoon or anniversary
A 14 Day Private Tour with a sea side Beach Resort Stay at El Jadida
A Foray into the Sahara and a Royal Tent
You Choose your own travel date.

Tour the Imperial cities in as the grand Vizier would have! The grace and splendor of the Orient, traditional Arab hospitality, and the fine service and amenities of a boutique hotel all come together in the Moroccan Riad. This 11-day package affords a sampling of these unique accommodations, along with an array of unforgettable experiences. Plus the sea side stay at El Jadida. This is a private tour. Choose your own date. Tour starts daily, year round in Morocco. Compare with Essaouira Beach Resort Version.

From the mountains to Essaouira. We arrived late this afternoon in the old Portuguese fishing village after driving by remarkable mountain villages. The contrast is huge and we love both worlds. We will send more tomorrow on Essaouira. The ancient port and the surrounding area is like going back in time! Omar you have done the best in planning a diverse itinerary!!!!!

Kathy & John, Florida

DAY 1 – Tour starts Daily in CASABLANCA – Rabat. Year Round
You arrive in the Kingdom of Morocco landing in Casablanca. Your English speaking driver will be waiting for you, after you clear customs and passports formalities, with a sign in your name. For honeymooners and parties of 2 guests your transfers and tours will be based on a private Mercedes. On to Rabat and your ultra deluxe hotel Sofitel Jardin des Roses.

Dinner and overnight at your ultra deluxe hotel: The Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses hotel occupies a majestic position in the heart of the capital city Rabat, close to the Royal Palace and Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Completely renovated, its contemporary design blends with the best in Moroccan architecture. This 5-star luxury hotel is set amongst a 17-acre garden. A real palace with an international reputation, its history is closely tied to the great conferences and international events that have taken place within the kingdom.

Sofitel Jardin des Roses: Deluxe Room.
Web site: www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-6813-sofitel-rabat-jardin-des-roses

Day 2 – RABAT, MEKNES, VOLUBILIS, FES – MOROCCO (B,D)
After breakfast at your hotel, depart for a visit to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Walk into the Mohamed V Mausoleum, the burial place of the present Kings grandfather. Also see the well-preserved Hassan Tower and the Chellah, which were built by the Merinids in the 12th and 13th centuries. Then drive to Meknes (about 02 hours) and visit this former Imperial city of Morocco: the old ramparts; the Agdoul Basin, which was used to water the royal gardens and amuse the favorite concubines; the Moulay Ismail stables, granaries, and House of Water (Dar el Ma), which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to house, feed, and water the sultan’s 12,000 horses; Bab el Mansour, one of the most beautiful gates in Morocco; the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, one of the few holy sites in Morocco which may be visited by non-Muslims; and the intrigue of the Meknes landscape. After visiting Meknes, continue on to explore the ruins of Volubilis (approximately a 30-minute drive). Volubilis was the Roman capital of northwestern Africa and has impressive and well-preserved Roman ruins, including approximately 20 mosaic floors dating back to 25 BC. Built about 40 CE, probably on the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement from the 3rd century, Volubilis takes its name from ancient Latin for the oleander flower, which is common in the area. Volubilis was the administrative center of the province in Roman Africa called Mauretania Tingitana. The fertile lands of the province produced grain and olive oil, which were exported to Rome, contributing to the province’s wealth and prosperity. The Romans evacuated most of Morocco at the end of the 3rd century, but unlike some other Roman cities Volubilis was not abandoned. Volubilis survived until the 18th century when it was demolished, and part of the marble was taken for construction in nearby Meknes. In 1915, archeological excavations at Volubilis was begun by the French, and extensive remains have been uncovered.

Continue by road to Fes (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes) and check into the Riad Fès. Restored to its original glory, Riad Fès is located in the heart of the ancient city of Fez. It has succeeded in combining refinement with inspiration and invites you to relax and enjoy your stay in a serene atmosphere with decor reminiscent of Arabian Nights. Riad Fes provides guests with the opportunity to travel back in time and enjoy the splendour and authenticity of the lifestyle of Fassi nobility. The prestigious history and refined civilization of this Imperial city are reflected in the Spanish Moorish architecture and attention to detail seen in the decor. The Riad Fès is part of the luxury chain Relais & Chateaux.

With its spectacular views of the Medina and the Atlas Mountains, the Riad Fès is an ideal stopover that will offer you an unforgettable experience with a personalized welcome in keeping with Moroccan tradition.

Dinner and overnight at your deluxe hotel or riad such as: Riad Fès or similar.

Web site: www.riadfes.com/en/

Oh my gosh we just checked on to the Riad Fez, it is stunning and our suite looks like the bridal suite with fabulous lace curtIns and silk drapes. Pictures to follow. The planning of the itinerary has been perfect from the charm and sophistication of Riad Monceau to the natural elegance of Gazelle D’Or to the mountain beauty of the Cascade Hotel to the sounds of the waves crashing and the seagulls calling at the The Remparts to this exquisite hotel, Riad Fez. What a place to conclude our trip. Akmed our guide and Moncif the driver are both outstanding. Akmed is the most caring, attentive and well informed guide we have had and we thought the Turkey and Egypt guides were fantastic. Moncif our driver has been just as great in his role as Akmed.

Thanks so much. Kathy and John

Day 3 – FES – MOROCCO (B,D)
Your private guide and Mercedes van will meet you in the hotel reception for a full-day tour of Fes, the religious capital of Morocco. Your tour will include the old and new medinas, the 14th century Medersa Attarine (religious school), and the Arts Museum of Batha. This Hispano-Moorish palace dates from the end of the 19th century houses an admirable collection of traditional art from Fes: sculpted wood, wrought iron, sculpted plaster, and decorative materials that are works of art in their own right. Also embroidery, carpets, jewelry, and coins compete with one another for the visitor’s attention. In the afternoon, explore the impressive labyrinth of souks in Fes, declared by UNESCO to be one of the world’s cultural treasures. The afternoon will also include photo opportunities at the imposing gate of Bab Boujloud, the splendid fountain at Place Nejjarine, the ancient ramparts, and the beautiful facade of the Royal Palace. Evening, enjoy your Moroccan dinner at la Maison Blanche Restaurant.

Day 4 – FES, MIDELT, ERFOUD, MERZOUGA- CAMP IN A TRUE ROYAL STYLE – MOROCCO (B,L,D)
You will need to make an early start this morning for a full-day drive to southern Morocco. You will travel through cedar forests and picturesque scenery of the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud, stopping at Kasbah Asmaa in Midelt for a typical lunch en route. Erfoud, situated among the impressive sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, is one of the largest oases in Morocco. After you arrive and check-in the hotel, you will then travel from Erfoud for approximately 60 minutes by Jeep to the impressive Merzouga dunes.

Ancient stories tell that the biggest dunes of Morocco, Erg Chebbi, were created as a result of God’s punishment of local wealthy families that while having an enormous feast–eating couscous, meat, fruit and washing hands with milk–refused to help a poor woman and her children by letting them join the party. From that time on, continuous sand storms and extreme heat have brought the sand to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, with their highest point at 160 meters (480 feet). You are encouraged to have a one hour camel ride in the golden dunes to watch extraordinary and unique moments at sunset in the dunes.

Description for the private Royal Bedouin bivouac Tent experience
Exclusive mobile royal camping organization in the heart of the golden dunes of Merzouga.
The ground will be covered with runners then covered again with red Moroccan carpets.

Your Royal Camping will include:
A 30 square meter Royal Caidal sleeping tents (White canvas with black patterns) enclosing a private setting area. They are furnished with comfortable mattresses (king size with a possibility to have 2 twin beds), sheets, blankets, towels & chairs. A Moroccan wood chest, a table with a copper top, leather poufs, copper candlesticks, and mirror. Soft drinks are available: Mineral water, sodas and juices, 2 glasses, candles and matches.

Luxury Caidal tent as a dining area:
The ground will be covered with runners then covered again with nice Moroccan red carpets

Furniture: Nice table and comfortable seats. Table with tablecloth, nice plates, stemmed glasses, silver crockery. Silver set for the Tea Ceremony, Tass Widou for the traditional hand washing before dinner, candlesticks, incense burner, traditional rosewater sprinkler and leather poufs. Aside, one kitchen tent with all the equipment to prepare the dinner and breakfast.

Sanitary facilities:
Each tent has its own separate shower with warm water, WC and traditional wash basin.
There will be also a bonfire in between the tents; the whole bivouac area will be lit up with candle lanterns and oil lamps.

Staff:

• 1 tent master, 1 cook
• 2 waiters in traditional costumes
• 1 musician playing the luth/singer of Andalousian-Moorish music for romantic mood during dinner and live band of Gnawa as a welcoming entertainment and also during the cocktails.
• 1 night watchman

Gastronomic menu proposed: (cooking on traditional charcoal fire)

• Moroccan salads & briouates (sort of samosas with various fillings)
• Tagine of beef and dried fruits
• Royal Couscous with chicken and 7 vegetables
• Basket of Seasonal fruit
• Fine Moroccan pastries
• Fresh mint tea

Breakfast:

• Freshly squeezed orange juice.
• Moroccan soup & Dates
• Eggs, Tea, coffee, milk
• Various sorts of Moroccan pancakes, croissant, bread, cereals, butter, honey and jam.

Day 5- MERZOUGA DUNES, RISSANI, ERFOUD, TINGHIR, BOUMALNE, SKOURA, OUARZAZATE – MOROCCO (B,D)
After a Bedouin breakfast in the dunes, board the 4×4 and then drive to Rissani, the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty now reigning in Morocco, and visit from inside of the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif and go inside the Abou Aam Ksar fortified village. Then depart for Ouarzazate (a six-hour drive) through the beautiful 1,000 Kasbah Valley. Along the way, you will visit Tinghir, a former military outpost built on terraces above a magnificent palm grove and the route into the awesome Todra Gorge at the ends of the earth between 300 meter (900 feet) cliffs. Farther on there is a holy spring said to cure sterility in women. Time free for lunch in Todra Gorges Then on to Boumalne du Dades, a large town and local administrative center at the foot of the gorge of a dry riverbed followed by a series of Kasbahs (huge adobe fortified houses), to El Kelaa de Mgouna and Skoura. After Skoura, the palm trees are replaced by orchards and irrigated gardens. Roses for making perfume are the specialty of El Kelaa de Mgouna. Paris, the famous perfume by Yves Saint Laurent, is made from extract of these roses. Situated in a valley at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate is a former outpost of the Foreign Legion and has now become an important center for the film industry due to the quality of its light and unpolluted atmosphere. Dinner and overnight at your ultra deluxe hotel.

The Berbere Palace: Deluxe room.
Web site: www.hotel-berberepalace.com

The Berber Palace Hotel is built in the Kasbah style, with a mix of Berber and traditional crafts, and an ambience of space and charm has been created. Centrally located on a high point, the hotel has 240 air-conditioned rooms each with private terrace/patio, satellite TV, phone, mini-bar, bath, and shower. Facilities include a large pool, dining room serving Moroccan and international cuisine, grill, and piano bar. All tours are flexible and at your discretion as this is a private tour.

Day 6 – OUARZAZATE, AIT BEN HADDOU, TIZI N ‘ TICHKA, AIT OURIR, OURIKA, TAHANAOUT, IMLIL – MOROCCO (B,D)
After breakfast, will depart for Imlil, first visit to the ancient Kasbah complex of Ait Ben Haddou, an impressive 11th century structure, declared by UNESCO to be an historical treasure. A photographer’s wonderland, Ait Ben Haddou is still home to five families. Recent movies made at Ait Ben Haddou include “Gladiator” (2000), directed by Ridley Scott, and “Alexander” (2004), Oliver Stone. Then through the High Atlas Mountains at Tizi N’Tichka Pass (6,600 feet). Arrive at Ait Ourir village at the foot of the high Atlas mountains then cross the fertile countryside of the Haouz Plain to Ourika valley. (Total driving time is approximately 4h30 hours.) Just 5 miles from Ait Ourir starts the green valley of the Ourika River. From its small beginnings in the Berber country, it streams down the slopes of Atlas mountains, between the Tlemcen peak and the Timeskar plateau. The green landscapes of this valley, the lazy meandering torrent of the river combined with the small red adobe Berber villages hanging on the slopes will enchant you. Then, as you round the bend in the road, appears the potters village where you can be tempted by colourful plates, salad-bowls, flower vases or lamps in either traditional or modern style; also for sale are collections of precious minerals: quartz, amethyst, and many other rocks that are found in this area. Afterwards continue driving to Tahanaout then to Asni for about 30 mn to reach the impressive luxury Tamadot Kasbah.

Kasbah Tamadot is the newest addition to the Virgin Limited portfolio, emerging as a divine hideaway where the spirit and charm of traditional Moroccan design is beautifully infused with contemporary elements, creating an ambiance of luxurious serenity with a hint of exotic adventure. Bought by Richard Branson in 1998, during one of his famous ballooning expeditions, Kasbah Tamadot is a magical walled building located near the village of Asni in Morocco’s high Atlas region. Dinner and overnight at the Kasbah Tamadot.

Kasbah Tamadot: Superior Suite
All tours are flexible and at your discretion as this is a private tour.
Website: www.virginlimitededition.com

Kasbah Tamadot is set at the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains and is just 1 hour from Marrakech city centre. This magical hotel boasts 24 stunning bedrooms and suites. Ninety percent of the staff are from the local Berber villages and add to the feeling of staying in a private home.

Day 7- ASNI, IMLIL, ASNI – MOROCCO (B,L,D)
After breakfast at the Kasbah Tamadot, at 09.30 meet with your guide and your car then drive for a half an hour to reach Imlil village. The High Atlas, the greatest mountain range of North Africa, is perhaps the most beautiful and intriguing part of Morocco. It has retained a remoteness which until recent decades was virtually complete, and contains villages where the way of life has changed little for centuries. Outsiders to the mountains are constantly surprised when they encounter the friendliness and openness of the villagers, as they go about their everyday tasks. Hiking in the High Atlas is one of the best possible experiences in Morocco with feasible exploration of stunning natural beauty, and of a rigidly individual world. 10.00 Arrival in Imlil, meet and greet by local mountain guide and mules then depart for two hours and half soft trekking around the Kasbah. Walk through the village of Mzig, hidden away around to the West. The views of Imlil and the terraces are beautiful from here. Enjoy a Berber Tea ceremony with a berber local family. 13.00 Drive back to Kasbah, time free to relax by the pool. Lunch & dinner at Kasbah Tamadot.

Kasbah Tamadot
Note: All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: www.virginlimitededition.com

Day 8 – Kasbah Tamadot, Marrakech, Morocco (B,D)
After breakfast leave for a full-day guided tour to Marrakech. Marrakech dates back as far as the year 1070, and several monuments stand out as landmarks in the course of its history. First of all, you will visit the Koutoubia Mosque, sister tower to Seville’s Giralda, the minaret of which has become the symbol of the city. Then visit the more recently built Bahia Palace (19th century), which is often inhabited by His Majesty’s guests, and its succession of rooms finely decorated in Arabic style, and gardens and “Riad” planted with orange and jasmine trees.
Your tour will continue to the Museum of Dar Si Said with the best display of Berber arts and crafts from all over the country, and the remains of the Badii Palace, an historical monument chosen to host the annual National Festival of Popular Art, beginning the second Friday in June.

Transfer then check into La Mamounia Palace. The legendary Moroccan Palace, La Mamounia is sheltered within the walls of the old city. It is a haven for relaxation under the sun of Marrakech. This palace is the quintessence of the Moroccan Art de Vivre. For 80 years, La Mamounia has emphasized the great traditions of Moroccan hospitality. The hotel which is nestled in a seventeen-acre park just a 5 minute walk from the Jemaa El Fna square has been redesigned by acclaimed designer Jacques Garcia to combine true Moroccan style and ambience with the latest technology.

Among the many celebrities who stayed at the hotel is Sir Winston Churchill, who set up his winter quarters there (apparently he used to go from balcony to balcony to capture the sun’s color in his paintings). An anecdote recounts that Winston Churchill said to Franklin Roosevelt about Marrakech in 1943 that it was “one of the most beautiful places in the world”, and invited him to discover his favourite discovery. He made this remark as he was admiring the magnificent sunset, so particular to Marrakech.

Lying within a seven acre park inside the walls of the old city of Marrakech, the hotel offers 136 guest rooms, 71 suites including 7 signature suites and 3 Riads each with 3 bedrooms, Moroccan salons and private swimming pool and terrace. Dinner and overnight at your Ultra Deluxe Hotel La Mamounia.

Hotel La Mamounia: Aguedal Deluxe Room
Website: www.mamounia.com
More choices in Marrakech: Amanjena or Sultana Marrakech.

Day 9 – MARRAKECH- MOROCCO (B,D)
After a breakfast at your riad, take a morning tour along the old city ramparts and through the lush botanical Majorelle Gardens, privately owned by Yves St. Laurent. Enjoy some time in the gardens. Then to the Souks of Marrakech! Certainly these are the most colourful and the liveliest in Africa. The different trades are grouped by services they offer: the dyers, the blacksmiths, the babouche and shoemakers, spices, and fabric sellers.

This afternoon ends at the renowned Djemaa El Fna Square, a popular entertainment area where each afternoon storytellers, snake charmers, tooth-drawers, and dancers appear to entertain the crowd in a scene that is pure street theater. It is a shopper’s paradise and a discovery for all five senses. Anything can be found here, from a blue silk thread to a wrought iron table, from a jar of pickled olives to a full bucket of Khlih, the local homemade beef preserve! In the evening, enjoy your dinner at Dar Moha Moroccan inventive cuisine restaurant. All tours are flexible and at your discretion as this is a private tour.

Day 10 – MARRAKECH, ESSAOUIRA, MARRAKECH – MOROCCO (B,L,D)
After breakfast, depart for a full day excursion to Essaouira, about 02.30 hours drive. Charming fishing harbour at 170kms from Marrakech, renowned for generations for its production of “Murex” a small shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas, Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbour still showing traces of having been occupied by the Portuguese in the XVIth century. Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah used it as a base for its corsairs! Today, protected from the sea and the wind behind its commanding fortified walls, Essaouira shelters a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working citron-and-lime wood with ebony, mother of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chess-boards, caskets and bracelets. Enjoy your seafood lunch at the Taros restaurant with a nice view overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Drive back to Marrakech.

In the evening, enjoy a panoramic tour by a traditional horse carriage followed by a transfer to Dar Yacout the best gourmet Moroccan restaurant in Marrakech for your dinner. All tours are flexible and at your discretion as this is a private tour.

Day 11 – MARRAKECH, EL JADIDA, MOROCCO (B,D)
After breakfast, leave to El Jadida, about 03.00 hours drive, then transfer to your luxurious Mazagan Beach resort: Deluxe sea view room.

A TRULY UNIQUE RESORT that offers you the beauty of the ocean on the Moroccan -African side of the Atlantic, endless beaches, sweet-scented gardens. Set in 250 hectares of undeveloped land, next to a 7 km long beach, a sumptuous property inspired by the Morocco with its green-tiled roofs, melts into luxurious vegetation. Nestled at the heart of the oasis, a 5 star hotel with 500 rooms and suite. Overlooking the lagoon, the golf course, the swimming pool and the patio, plunging down to the sea from the terraces, offering a 180° view over the Atlantic Ocean; the view will take your breath away.

The colours of Moroccan gastronomy blend in with the ‘cuisines from sunny climes’ in the eleven restaurants and bars which make up the resort. Mazagan Beach Resort also offers a large selection of leisure activities.

Dinner and overnight at your Ultra Deluxe Hotel.
Website: www.mazaganbeachresort.com
If you prefer a boutique style hotel then we move to Sultana Oulidia

Day 12 – EL JADIDA, MOROCCO (B,D)
After breakfast at hotel, time free to relax by the pool and explore the hotel’s amenities on your own. Dinner and overnight at your luxury hotel. All tours are flexible and at your discretion as this is a private tour.

Day 13– EL JADIDA, MOROCCO (B,D)
Breakfast is always included daily at hotel, another day on your own in this 1001 Arabian Nights paradise. Dinner and overnight at your luxury hotel. All tours are flexible and at your discretion as this is a private tour.

Day 14– EL JADIDA, CASABLANCA, Departure (B)
After breakfast at hotel, transfer in time to Mohamed V airport for your international flight back home. All transfers and tours are on a private basis.

Rates are per person in US $:
	Ultra Deluxe Riad’s/Hotels	Standard Deluxe Riad/Hotels
In Triple Occupancy	US$ 8,360.	US$ 7,846.
In Double Occupancy	US$ 8,180.	US$ 7,755.
In Single Occupancy	US$ 10,280.	US$ 9,190.

Your tour includes:

• Accommodation as described, with all taxes and service charges
• Meals as listed: Pre-set menu: (B) = breakfast / (L) = pre-set menu lunch, dinner (D) as shown in the itinerary.
• Escorted guided sightseeing tours by air conditioned private Mercedes sedan or larger size vehicle based on the number of guests in your party, including all entry fees.
• All transfers within Morocco, always on a private basis with private chauffeur.

Not included:

• International airfares.
• Drinks at meals
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for local personnel
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

Sample Hotels / Riads or similar
	Ultra Deluxe Riad’s/Hotels	Standard Deluxe Riad/Hotels
Rabat	Sofitel Jardin des Roses	Sofitel Jardin des Roses
Fes	Riad Fes	Riad Fes
Merzouga	Kasbah Asmaa	Kasbah Asmaa
Ourzazazte	Berbere Palace	Berbere Palace
Imlil	Kasbah Tamadot	Kasbah Tamadot
Marrakech	La Mamounia	Villa des Orangers La Maison Arabe or La Saultana
El Jadida or Ouilidia	El Jadida -Mazagan Beach resort or Ouilidai: La Sultana	El Jadida -Mazagan Beach resort or Ouilidai: La Sultana

Hi Omar,

I just wanted to write you and let you know that Vishal and I absolutely LOVED our honeymoon trip. It was AMAZING and we couldn’t have been happier! Everything was planned so nicely, that we never had any problems and all the people who guided us or drove us were just so nice and professional. We especially appreciated that we didn’t have to worry about rides or meeting up with our guides, they were always there on time and ready to go!

Morocco was just a beautiful place (although when we first got dropped off we were really surprised with the narrow streets in the Medina). We got to the Riad and it was just the cutest place ever! I LOVED it. Emanulle was so helpful and we even made some friends from Australia while we were staying there! I would recommend Riad Chergui to everyone! Also, the selection of restaurants we went to were just amazing….good food and the atmosphere and decorations made us fall in love with Marrakesh.

When we went on the Clip Clop tour of the city, our guide was knowledgeable and also very personable – we really liked him (it was Mulae – not sure if that is spelled right!). He helped us bargain at the souks so we didn’t get taken advantage of, which was really helpful! Also Abdul our driver, was really great the whole time we were there. Thee camel ride was so much fun and we actually were surprised on how much we enjoyed our cooking class while we were there (I think Vishal was better than me though:)

Casablanca actually wasn’t our favorite because we just didn’t feel we had enough time to enjoy the beaches there after our tour and the Mosque was closed to us since it was a Friday and during Ramadan (although we did get some great pics outside). I probably wouldn’t recommend a stop there unless the objective is to hang out at the beach.

Egypt was just absolutely amazing – it was a dream come true for me since I have wanted to see the Pyramids since I was little. We loved our guides in both Cairo and Luxor (Ahmed and Walheed), both were really knowledgeable which made it even more interesting when looking at the old tombs and in the museums. It was really awesome! Also, I just wanted to let you know the representatives that met up with us throughout the trip in Egypt (through the agency there) were very nice and made sure everything was perfect. We especially liked Hassan in Cairo. He was always on time and very professional and helped us with anything we needed (including helping with our bags!). Our driver Sale was great! – he was on time and always very friendly with us – it felt like we had known him and Hassan for years!

Anyway, I just wanted to give you some feedback on our trip and let you know how much fun we had! We will send some pictures your way once we upload them so you can see us in action (and use on your website if you wanted!). Also, we have told our friends that we would absolutely use your services again and we will make sure to pass your information along to them.

Thanks for making our honeymoon so special and we will remember this trip forever!

Thanks and take care!
Tina and Vishal

The Ultimate in Touring Morocco in Comfort
A Grand 12 Day Private Tour of Morocco
Including Rabat, Meknes, Volubilis, Fes, Merzouga Dunes,
Ouarzazate, Asni/Imlil, Marrakech and Essaouira

Tour the Imperial cities in as the grand Vizier would have! The grace and splendor of the Orient, traditional Arab hospitality, and the fine service and amenities of a boutique hotel all come together in the Moroccan Riad. This tour affords a sampling of these unique accommodations, along with an array of unforgettable experiences. Tour starts daily. This is a private tour. Choose your own arrival date – year round. Add a beach resort stay at El Jadida in a 14-day version. Click for the 11 day edition with a sea side extension to Essaouira, or the 7 days version.

Day 1 – CASABLANCA, RABAT MOROCCO (D)
Arrive from your international flight. After clearing customs and immigration, your English speaking driver will meet and transfer you via Mercedes car to your boutique hotel, the Villa Mandarine, about 01h15 drive from the airport.

Villa Mandarine, once a private family’s holiday mansion, has been transformed into a warm and inviting luxury hotel with 31 rooms and 5 suites. The rooms and common areas are appointed with Berber rugs, art, and beautiful architecture everywhere you look. The magnificent gardens are full of a variety of citrus trees and are a great place to sit and relax.
Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion
Website: www.villamandarine.com
VILLA MANDARINE, DELUXE ROOM

Day 2 – RABAT, MEKNES, VOLUBILIS, FES – MOROCCO (B,D)
After breakfast at your hotel, depart for a visit to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Walk into the Mohamed V Mausoleum, the burial place of the present King’s grandfather. Also see the well-preserved Hassan Tower and the Chellah, which were built by the Merinids in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Then drive to Meknes (about 02 hours) and visit to this former Imperial city of Morocco: the old ramparts; the Agdoul Basin, which was used to water the royal gardens and amuse the favorite concubines; the Moulay Ismail stables, granaries, and House of Water (Dar el Ma), which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to house, feed, and water the sultan’s 12,000 horses; Bab el Mansour, one of the most beautiful gates in Morocco; the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, one of the few holy sites in Morocco which may be visited by non-Muslims; and the intrigue of the Meknes landscape.

After visiting Meknes, continue on to explore the ruins of Volubilis (approximately a 30-minute drive). Volubilis was the Roman capital of northwestern Africa and has impressive and well-preserved Roman ruins, including approximately 20 mosaic floors dating back to 25 BC. Built about 40 CE, probably on the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement from the 3rd century, Volubilis takes its name from ancient Latin for the oleander flower, which is common in the area. Volubilis was the administrative center of the province in Roman Africa called Mauretania Tingitana. The fertile lands of the province produced grain and olive oil, which were exported to Rome, contributing to the province’s wealth and prosperity.

The Romans evacuated most of Morocco at the end of the 3rd century, but unlike some other Roman cities Volubilis was not abandoned. Volubilis survived until the 18th century when it was demolished, and part of the marble was taken for construction in nearby Meknes. In 1915, archeological excavations at Volubilis was begun by the French, and extensive remains have been uncovered.

Continue by road to Fes (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes) and check into the RIAD FES. Riad Fes is renowned for its luxury, impeccable service and fine restaurant. Its new Andalous pavilion and lounge have brought an even more vibrant edge to Fez’s most stylish Riad. With spectacular views of the Medina and the Atlas Mountains, Riad Fez is ideal for those travelling for business or pleasure. Enjoy Moroccan specialties and French cuisine as well as the swimming pool, and nearby golf course. Dinner and overnight at your riad.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: http://www.riadfes.com
Riad Fes – Deluxe room.

Day 3 – FES – MOROCCO (B,D)
Your private guide and Mercedes van will meet you in the hotel reception for a full-day tour of Fes, the religious capital of Morocco. Your tour will include the old and new medinas, the 14th century Medersa Attarine (religious school), and the Arts Museum of Batha. This Hispano-Moorish palace dates from the end of the 19th century houses an admirable collection of traditional art from Fes: sculpted wood, wrought iron, sculpted plaster, and decorative materials that are works of art in their own right. Also embroidery, carpets, jewellery, and coins compete with one another for the visitor’s attention.

In the afternoon, explore the impressive labyrinth of souks in Fes, declared by UNESCO to be one of the world’s cultural treasures. The afternoon will also include photo opportunities at the imposing gate of Bab Boujloud, the splendid fountain at Place Nejjarine, the ancient ramparts, and the beautiful façade of the Royal Palace. In the evening, enjoy your Moroccan dinner at la Maison Bleue Restaurant.

Overnight at your Riad
All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: http://www.riadfes.com

Oh my gosh we just checked on to the Riad Fez, it is stunning and our suite looks like the bridal suite with fabulous lace curtains and silk drapes. Pictures to follow. The planning of the itinerary has been perfect from the charm and sophistication of Riad Monceau to the natural elegance of Gazelle D’Or to the mountain beauty of the Cascade Hotel to the sounds of the waves crashing and the seagulls calling at the The Ramparts to this exquisite hotel, Riad Fez. What a place to conclude our trip.

Akmed our guide and Moncif the driver are both outstanding. Akmed is the most caring, attentive and well informed guide we have had and we thought the Turkey and Egypt guides were fantastic. Moncif our driver has been just as great in his role as Akmed.

Thanks so much. Kathy and John

Day 4 – FES, MIDELT, ERFOUD, MERZOUGA (B,L,D)
You will need to make an early start this morning for a full-day drive to southern Morocco. You will travel through cedar forests and picturesque scenery of the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud, stopping at Kasbah Asmaa in Midelt for a typical lunch en route. Erfoud, situated among the impressive sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, is one of the largest oases in Morocco.
After you arrive and check-in the hotel, then from Erfoud you will travel approximately 60 minutes by Jeep to the impressive Merzouga dunes.

Ancient stories tell that the biggest dunes of Morocco, Erg Chebbi, were created as a result of God’s punishment of local wealthy families that while having an enormous feast–eating couscous, meat, fruit and washing hands with milk–refused to help a poor woman and her children by letting them join the party. From that time on, continuous sand storms and extreme heat have brought the sand to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, with their highest point at 160 meters (480 feet).

You are encouraged to go on a one hour camel ride in the golden dunes to watch extraordinary and unique moments at sunset in the dunes.

Accommodation: 04 sleeping tents surrounded by the dunes, comfortable mattresses double or twin, sheets, berber blankets, a small low table, 2 chairs & mineral water on arrival 2 glasses, candles and matches.

Sanitary: in each sleeping tent the shower & toilet are separated from the sleeping area by a thick curtain (actually it’s a berber carpet used as a curtain), the distance between this curtain and the toilet / shower is 2 meters. The sanitary in each tent is composed of a toilet separated by a plastic wall from the shower, the washbasin is located in a corridor of about 3 meters long facing the sleeping area and all is inside the tent that is 8 meters long and 4 meters wide.

Food facilities: 1 tent for the kitchen, 1 tent for the restaurant, and a small area for the bar. 2 menus are suggested and guest can choose on spot.

Restaurant: Table with tablecloth (high like in restaurants), traditional plates. Silver set for the Tea Ceremony, Tas Ouidou for the traditional hand washing before dinner, mejmar (kettle on high stand), incense burner, mrach traditional rosewater sprinkler, poufs. Aside, one kitchen tent with all the equipment to prepare the dinner and breakfast.

Breakfast menu: Freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, tea, eggs, cereals, cheese, yogurt, honey, 2 different kinds of jam, fruits, croissant, Moroccan bread & pancake.

Complete privacy is guaranteed, torches surround the whole camping area. Staff: 01 waiters, 1 cook and his assistant & 1 night watchman. Entertainment: A party of 03 local singers to entertain during the dinner. Dinner and overnight under the stars in Deluxe private Bedouin camping in the heart of the desert.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion
Website: http://www.xaluca.com

Day 5- MERZOUGA DUNES, RISSANI, ERFOUD, TINGHIR, BOUMALNE, SKOURA, OUARZAZATE – MOROCCO (B,D)
After a Bedouin breakfast in the dunes, board the 4×4 then drive to Rissani the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty now reigning in Morocco and visit from inside of the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif and go inside the Abou Aam Ksar fortified village. Then depart for Ouarzazate (a six-hour drive) through the beautiful 1,000 Kasbah Valley. Along the way, you will visit Tinghir, a former military outpost built on terraces above a magnificent palm grove and the route into the awesome Todra Gorge “at the ends of the earth” between 300 meter (900 feet) cliffs. Farther on there is a holy spring said to cure sterility in women. Time free for lunch in Todra Gorges.

Then on to Boumalne du Dades, a large town and local administrative center at the foot of the gorge of a dry riverbed followed by a series of Kasbahs (huge adobe fortified houses), to El Kelaa de Mgouna and Skoura. After Skoura, the palm trees are replaced by orchards and irrigated gardens. Roses for making perfume are the specialty of El Kelaa de Mgouna. Paris, the famous perfume by Yves Saint Laurent, is made from extract of these roses.

Situated in a valley at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate is a former outpost of the Foreign Legion and has now become an important center for the film industry due to the quality of its light and unpolluted atmosphere.

Dinner and overnight at The Berber Palace Hotel. The Berber Palace Hotel is built in the Kasbah style, with a mix of Berber and traditional crafts, and an ambience of space and charm has been created. Centrally located on a high point, the hotel has 240 air-conditioned rooms each with private terrace/patio, satellite TV, phone, mini-bar, bath, and shower. Facilities include a large pool, dining room serving Moroccan and international cuisine, grill, and piano bar.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: hotel-berberepalace.com
Berbere Palace hotel – deluxe room.

Day 6 – OUARZAZATE, AIT BEN HADDOU, TIZI N’TICHKA, AIT OURIR, OURIKA, TAHANAOUT, IMLIL – MOROCCO (B,D)
After breakfast, will depart for Imlil, first visit to the ancient Kasbah complex of Ait Ben Haddou, an impressive 11th century structure, declared by UNESCO to be an historical treasure. A photographer’s wonderland, Ait Ben Haddou is still home to five families. Recent movies made at Ait Ben Haddou include “Gladiator” (2000), directed by Ridley Scott, and “Alexander” (2004), Oliver Stone.

Then through the High Atlas Mountains at Tizi N’Tichka Pass (6,600 feet). Arrive at Ait Ourir village at the foot of the high Atlas mountains then cross the fertile countryside of the Haouz Plain to Ourika valley. (Total driving time is approximately 4h30 hours.)

Just 5 miles from Ait Ourir starts the green valley of the Ourika River. From its small beginnings in the Berber country, it streams down the slopes of Atlas mountains, between the Tlemcen peak and the Timeskar plateau. The green landscapes of this valley, the lazy meandering torrent of the river combined with the small red adobe Berber villages hanging on the slopes will enchant you. Then, as you round the bend in the road, appears the potters village where you can be tempted by colourful plates, salad-bowls, flower vases or lamps in either traditional or modern style; also for sale are collections of precious minerals: quartz, amethyst, and many other rocks that are found in this area.

Afterwards continue driving to Tahanaout then to Asni for about 30 mn to reach the impressive luxury Tamadot Kasbah. Kasbah Tamadot is the newest addition to the Virgin Limited portfolio, emerging as a divine hideaway where the spirit and charm of traditional Moroccan design is beautifully infused with contemporary elements, creating an ambiance of luxurious serenity with a hint of exotic adventure. Bought by Richard Branson in 1998, during one of his famous ballooning expeditions, Kasbah Tamadot is a magical walled building located near the village of Asni in Morocco’s high Atlas region. Dinner and overnight at the Kasbah.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: www.virginlimitededition.com
Kasbah Tamadot – Deluxe room.

Day 7- ASNI, IMLIL, ASNI – MOROCCO (B,L,D)
After breakfast at the Kasbah Tamadot, at 09.30 meet with your guide and your car then drive for a half an hour to reach Imlil village.

The High Atlas, the greatest mountain range of North Africa, is perhaps the most beautiful and intriguing part of Morocco. It has retained a remoteness which until recent decades was virtually complete, and contains villages where the way of life has changed little for centuries. Outsiders to the mountains are constantly surprised when they encounter the friendliness and openness of the villagers, as they go about their everyday tasks. Hiking in the High Atlas is one of the best possible experiences in Morocco – feasible exploration of stunning natural beauty, and of a rigidly individual world.

10.00 Arrival in Imlil, meet and greet by local mountain guide and mules then depart for two hours and half soft trekking around the Kasbah. Walk through the village of Mzig, hidden away around to the West. The views of Imlil and the terraces are beautiful from here. Enjoy a Berber Tea ceremony with a berber local family.

13.00 Drive back to Kasbah, time free to relax by the pool. Lunch & dinner at Kasbah Tamadot.

Note: All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: www.virginlimitededition.com
Kasbah Tamadot – Deluxe room.

Day 8 – Kasbah Tamadot – MARRAKECH, Morocco (B,D)
After breakfast leave for a full-day guided tour to Marrakech. Marrakech dates back as far as the year 1070, and several monuments stand out as landmarks in the course of its history. First of all, you will visit the Koutoubia Mosque, sister tower to Seville’s Giralda, the minaret of which has become the symbol of the city. Then visit the more recently built Bahia Palace (19th century), which is often inhabited by His Majesty’s guests, and its succession of rooms finely decorated in Arabic style, and gardens and “Riad” planted with orange and jasmine trees.

You tour will continue to the Museum of Dar Si Said with the best display of Berber arts and crafts from all over the country, and the remains of the Badii Palace, an historical monument chosen to host the annual National Festival of Popular Art, beginning the second Friday in June.

Check into Riad Farnatchi. Riad Farnatchi has been created out of five small Riads in the heart of the oldest part of Marrakech. Houses have stood on the site for many centuries and some of our walls go back over 400 years.

The current owner, a retired award winning British hotelier, spent two years converting the first three riads into a holiday home for his friends and family. He only decided to change it to it’s current use when approached by the ex manager of one of Marrakech’ most respected hotels. Lynn suggested that it would fill a gap at the very top of the Riad market in the Medina of Marrakech, by combining the wonderful interiors with her outstanding experience of hotel keeping in Marrakech. Riad Farnatchi now has the feel of a beautiful, highly individual, private house, but the facilities of a world class 5 star “boutique” hotel.

Riad Farnatchi has been totally rebuilt incorporating modern wiring, smoke detectors and heavy quality room doors. The furniture, whilst fabulously designed, is also comfortable – possibly a ‘first’ amongst Riads in the Medina! The bedrooms have adjustable lighting that can be both romantic and practical, rather than one or the other.

The public areas on the Ground Floor are a collection of traditionally proportioned rooms and B’hous (covered sitting areas with one side open to an internal courtyard) that allow guests to either meet together in groups or to find their own private corner. In addition, every room has at least one private sitting area. Quite uniquely, almost every piece of furniture has been specially designed and made for Riad Farnatchi in Marrakech. The style reflects a fascinating fusion of traditional Moroccan and modern European design. It is unmistakably Moroccan and exotic whilst being supremely comfortable and practical. Dinner and overnight at your riad.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: www.riadfarnatchi.com
Riad Farnatchi – Junior suite.

Day 9 – MARRAKECH- MOROCCO (B,D)
After a breakfast at your riad, take a morning tour along the old city ramparts and through the lush botanical Majorelle Gardens, privately owned by Yves St. Laurent. Enjoy some time in the gardens.

Then to the Souks of Marrakech! Certainly these are the most colourful and the liveliest in Africa. The different trades are grouped by services they offer: the dyers, the blacksmiths, the babouche and shoemakers, spices, and fabric sellers.

This afternoon ends at the renowned Djemaa El Fna Square, a popular entertainment area where each afternoon storytellers, snake charmers, tooth-drawers, and dancers appear to entertain the crowd in a scene that is pure street theater. It’s a shopper’s paradise and a discovery for all five senses. Anything can be found here, from a blue silk thread to a wrought iron table, from a jar of pickled olives to a full bucket of “Khlih,” the local homemade beef preserve!

In the evening, enjoy your dinner at Dar Moha Moroccan inventive cuisine restaurant.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: www.riadfarnatchi.com
Riad Farnatchi – Junior suite.

Day 10 – MARRAKECH, ESSAOUIRA, MARRAKECH – MOROCCO (B,L,D)
After breakfast, depart for a full day excursion to Essaouira, about 02.30 hours drive. Charming fishing harbour at 170kms from Marrakech, renowned for generations for its production of “Murex” a small shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas, Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbour still showing traces of having been occupied by the Portuguese in the XVI th century.

Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah used it as a base for its corsairs! Today, protected from the sea and the wind behind its commanding fortified walls, Essaouira shelters a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working citron-and-lime wood with ebony, mother of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chess-boards, caskets and bracelets. Enjoy your seafood lunch at the Taros restaurant with a nice view overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Drive back to Marrakech.

In the evening, enjoy a panoramic tour by a traditional horse carriage followed by a transfer to Yacout the best gourmet Moroccan restaurant in Marrakech (drinks are included) for your fare-well dinner.

All tours are flexible and at your discretion.
Website: www.riadfarnatchi.com
Riad Farnatchi – Junior suite.

DAY 11 – MARRAKECH- Hot Air Balloon in Marrakech (BL)
Breakfast is included after the flight (some guests may not feel comfortable flying with a full stomach).

Hot Air Balloon Flight:Transfers from/to your hotel are always included. Balloon flight is probably an experience of a lifetime and flying over the Atlas Mountains is simply unforgettable.

At six in the morning, our local rep. will call on you. Marrakech’s unique landscape and palm groves, to which you have partially become accustomed from the ground level, becomes even more unearthly when viewed from several hundred feet above. A 60-minute hot air balloon flight by breakfast on landing. In two words? Breathtaking and Unforgettable! Every flight is a fantastic adventure as you float intimately amongst the palm tree groves, the dunes, the sahara and soar over the magnificent Atlas Mountains. Join us for the best ballooning adventures on earth!

After we land, you breakfast box will be waiting for you, then we will enjoy tea and snacks with a local berber family, followed by a private tour of the nearby village. Finally we head for Marrakech where we board horse drawn carriages for a clip clop tour of the botanical gardens, including The Majorelle’s Gardens owned by Yves St. Laurent. Continuing our tour we will go to the famous Djemaa el Fna, the square in the old part of Marrakesh. Other than the souks, this is where everything happens in Marrakesh. See snake charmers, acrobats, jugglers, storytellers, Fortunetellers, and a variety of many local characters. Lunch is included at the Al Fassia Restaurant that is solely run by the women of Marrakesh. The food is beyond description.

Day 12- MARRAKECH – MOROCCO (B)
Breakfast at your riad, then transfer to Marrakech airport for your flight back home departure. Bon Voyage. Add a foray into the luxury resort at el Jadida.

Rate per person
Double	$ 6200. USD
Upgrade to a Superior room at La Mamounia	$ 6850. USD
Upgrade to the private Royal Camping at Merzouga; Please add $ 650 USD per person to any of the listed rates.

Your tour includes:

• Accommodation as described, always with breakfast included and all taxes / service charges.
  • Rabat: Villa mandarine the best in Rabat.
  • Fes:Riad Fes/Relais & Chateaux, the best in Fes.
  • Erfoud/ Merzouga: Private Deluxe camping in Merzouga dunes.
  • Ouarzazate: Berbere Palace the only deluxe venue in this area.
  • Asni/Imlil: Kasbah Tamadot – Luxury Richard Bronson’s retreat.
  • Marrakech: Riad Farnatchi, or Riad Villa Des Orangers, however La Mamounia is the best in case you prefer an “Old World Charm Grand venue” supplement applies with rate posted above.
• Meals as listed: Continental (B) or full breakfast (B) daily; set-menu lunch / dinner (LD) as shown in the itinerary.
• Private chauffeur (English speaking) escorting you at all times, and private local guided sightseeing tours by air conditioned private Mercedes- Benz vehicle for the itinerary, including all entry fees.
• All transfers on a private basis within Morocco.

Not included:

• International airfares or domestic airfares in Morocco
• Drinks at meals
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for local personnel
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

 

An 11 Day Private Tour of Morocco
with a sea side extension to Essaouira
Your Tour of Morocco Includes:
Casablanca, Essaouira, Marrakech, Rabat, Meknes, Fes
And a home hosted dinner. Choose your own travel date

Tour the Imperial cities as the grand Vizier would have! The grace and splendor of the Orient, traditional Arab hospitality, and the fine service and amenities of a boutique hotel all come together in the Moroccan Riad.

This 11-day package affords a sampling of these unique accommodations, along with an array of unforgettable experiences, ranging from train and camel rides to dinner in the home of a local family. Plus the sea side stay at Essaouira. Tour starts daily, year round in Morocco.

Subject to availability, your Riad / Hotel may have a Hamam
The Hammam for the Moroccans is a traditional relaxing and restorative steam bath. Compare with the 14-day El Jadida Beach Resort Version, the 11-day Ultra Deluxe edition with luxury camping in the Sahara, or the 7 days version.

DAY 1 – Tour starts Daily in CASABLANCA. Year Round
You arrive in the Kingdom of Morocco, landing at Casablanca, our staff greets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel. Sample for deluxe hotels: Royal Anfa hotel or similar 5 stars.

DAY 2 – The Moroccan Atlantic Coast to EASSAOUIRA (BLD)
Morning tour of the Grand Mosque of Hassan II, before we drive along the Atlantic coast heading south for Essaouira. Lunch is included enroute. Late afternoon arrival. With the remainder at leisure to enjoy exploring with guide at hand, this sleepy seaside town: the hotel, Sofitel Mogador or similar. Dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 3 – ESSAOUIRA (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel daily.Today we enjoy a tour of Essaouira, a charming fishing harbor. Renowned for generations for its production of “Murex”, a small shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas, Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbor, with some Portuguese character who settled here in the 16th century. Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah used it as a base for his corsairs. Today, protected from the sea and the wind behind its commanding fortified medieval walls, Essaouira shelters a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working wood with ebony, mother of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chessboards, caskets and bracelets. We have included a seafood lunch, before heading back to the hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

We were out at the port before 8 AM to see all of the activity. We have been there 3 times today, the boats and the fishermen are fantastic. The fishing boats range from small individual boats to large ones but none of these are huge commercial boats. For every one fisherman 5 more jobs are created. In Morocco…… Everyday we see “the next great thing”!
Kathy & John – Florida

DAY 4 – ESSAOUIRA (BLD)
Enjoying the spa and your hotel or venture out to explore the souks the decision is all yours.
Around noon, our local rep. will call on you and head out for lunch at a charming local restaurant, followed by a horse drawn carriage ride throughout Essaouira, with a stop at a local cafe for tea and local pastries. Dinner is included at a charming local restaurant.

DAY 5 – Marrakech (BLD)
Our local rep. will drive you back to Marrakech, lunch is included enroute or at the Riad / hotel in Marrakech and your accommodations at a Riad (sample for deluxe hotel / riad category: Riad Monceau, Riad Slitine or similar) or a hotel (based on your choices), where a traditional welcoming mint tea and a fruit basket await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation are foremost. This luxurious yet delightful Riads are usually a former palace, mansion, or large residential house restored to 1930s, 1940s grandeur. Dinner is included at a local Moroccan restaurant with Andalusian Moroccan music.

The Riad classical plan are substantial walls and orientation to a central patio with venerable trees providing a haven of peace in the midst of bustling Marrakech. Guests are accommodated in usually only five to ten guest suites, each with sitting area and the finest oriental appointments, fireplace (subject to the category you choose), air conditioning, and European-style dining room (subject to the category you choose). Some are with private terraces that provides a secluded window on the active life of romantic and mysterious Marrakech.

DAY 6 – Marrakech (BLD)
Full day today seeing Marrakech, including the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city. Perhaps you’ll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda of Seville, in Spain. You’ll continue to the Saadian Tombs, and the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth century, with room after stately oriental room with intricate plaster work and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens. In the afternoon, you’ll discover the old city and always-lively Djemaa El Fna Square, populated by water sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal tamers, who carry on an endless flurry of activities straight out of the middle ages. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner with folk dance at a local restaurant.

DAY 7 – Marrakech – Culinary Experience and a home hosted dinner (BLD)
This morning you’ll ride through Marrakech in a horse-drawn carriage. One of the special ways of understanding a culture is through its cuisines — not only sampling exotic tastes, but experiencing the preparation of dishes, how they figure in ritual and ceremony, and how they have grown out of the earth and traditions, we’ll proceed to the Ecole Hotelière, Marrakech’s own hospitality & Culinary Academy and training school, for a demonstration of the preparation of pastry-style doughs. We’ll stay for a lunch of salads, tagine of Maghdour kebab, and refreshing fruits.

Later, we’ll call on you to take you for your sunset camel ride, in the 13,000 acres of palm groves around Marrakech. You’ll finish the day with a memorable experience of Moroccan hospitality, dinner in the home of a Marrakech family in the old Medina.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 8 – MARRAKECH, CASABLANCA, RABAT, MEKNES, FEZ (BLD)
We’ll pick you up in the morning and take you to the Marrakech railroad station. Tickets in a first-class compartment and lunch are provided. You’ll roll in comfort through stunning mountain scenery to Casablanca. Once you detrain, we’ll escort you to visit the Hassan II Great Mosque, a monument to Moroccan artisanry and architecture. Then we’ll continue to Rabat, the capital of the kingdom, where we’ll stop at the mausoleum of Mohamed V, built in the Spanish-Moorish style, and at the nearby Hassan Tower. We’ll continue by way of Meknes to arrive in the evening to Fez, and your accommodations at the Dar Ghalia Riad. A welcome mint tea and a fruit basket await you. In the heart of the Medina, the old city of Fez, Dar Ghalia is a palace that dates back to the seventeenth century, restored and selectively modernized to provide both traditional surroundings and modern comforts. The architecture of Dar Ghalia has been respected, resulting in a range of accommodations, from double rooms to apartments to suites to a Douiria, or separate guesthouse, with its Hammam, a traditional steam bath. A Moroccan-style breakfast is included, and other meals may be taken in the dining room, or on the terrace, with its superb panorama of the Medina. Dinner is included at the hotel. Sample deluxe hotels/riads: Riad Fes/Relais & Chateaux, Dar Ghalia Riad or similar hotel / riad.

Oh my gosh we just checked on to the Riad Fez, it is stunning and our suite looks like the bridal suite with fabulous lace curtIns and silk drapes. Pictures to follow. The planning of the itinerary has been perfect from the charm and sophistication of Riad Monceau to the natural elegance of Gazelle D’Or to the mountain beauty of the Cascade Hotel to the sounds of the waves crashing and the seagulls calling at the The Remparts to this exquisite hotel, Riad Fez. What a place to conclude our trip.

Akmed our guide and Moncif the driver are both outstanding. Akmed is the most caring, attentive and well informed guide we have had and we thought the Turkey and Egypt guides were fantastic. Moncif our driver has been just as great in his role as Akmed.

Thanks so much. Kathy and John

DAY 9 – FEZ- Volubilis (BLD)
Full day tour of Volubilis, once the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitania. Volubilis used to be one of the Roman Empire’s most remote outposts whose well-preserved and partially restored ruins date largely from 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, although the site was originally settled by Carthaginian traders in the 3rd century BC. Brief stop at the Moulay Idriss picturesque village before we head back for Fez. In the evening, you’ll enjoy dinner at a Moroccan restaurant in the old medina.

DAY 10 – FEZ- Walking Tour (BLD)
Put on your walking shoes this morning for a trip in time back to the ninth century, as we explore the old city of Fez. Its Medina and its labyrinth of souks have been declared a world cultural treasure. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant.

Your afternoon is free for relaxation or shopping or further exploration as you wish. Later, you will savor the benefits of the Hammam (included), the traditional relaxing and restorative steam bath at Dar Ghalia or similar. Dinner is included at your hotel.

DAY 11- Departure Fez – Casablanca Airport – (B)
We’ll call on you early in the day and escort you to Casablanca Airport. Bon Voyage.

Rates are per person in US $
	Deluxe Riad’s/Hotels	First Class Riad/Hotels	Tourist Class Riad/Hotels
In Triple Occupancy	US$ 4350	US$ 4040.	US$ 3690.
In Double Occupancy	US$ 4480.	US$ 4165.	US$ 3790.
In Single Occupancy	US$ 5720.	US$ 5188.	US$ 4860.

Your tour includes:

• Accommodation as described, three nights in suite at Riad Malika in Marrakech, and three nights in traditional room at Dar Ghalia in Fez, and the new Sofitel Mogador in Essaouira breakfast included. Dinner hosted in a local home in Marrakech
• Continental (B) or full breakfast (B) daily; set-menu dinner (D) as shown in the itinerary.
• Escorted guided sightseeing tours by air conditioned private motor coach as indicated in the itinerary, including all entry fees. Half-day horse-drawn carriage tour in Marrakech.Camel ride in Marrakech palm grove.
• All transfers within Morocco.
• First-class train ticket from Marrakech to Casablanca.
• Tea, mint tea or coffee upon arrival at your hotel in Casablanca on Day 1.

Not included:

• International airfares.
• Domestic airfares in Morocco.
• Drinks at meals
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for local personnel
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

What a great last day. We went to cooking school and yes John did it too! We got there and they promptly handed us our shopping baskets and off to the local market where we bought all of the ingredients including a live chicken the our chef picked out and had de-feathered and made ready for cooking.

John learned to chop!! It was a great way to spend out last day, thank you Omar for the itinerary!

Private Imperial Cities of Morocco Tour
A 9 Day North African Vacation and Tour of Morocco

The Sahara Edition
Private touring: start any day, year round. Choose your own date

While others may offer 2-3 languages on board their tour coaches, we provide PRIVATE touring for families, couples, and individual tours with the language of your choice be it English, Spanish etc. Tour includes: Marrakech, Casablanca, Fez (Fes), Meknes, Rabat, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Erfoud, Midlet, Irfane and Merzouga.

This adventure to Ouarzazate Casablanca, Fez, the Sahara, and Marrakech allows you to go at your own pace, establishing your own itinerary in the major cities, yet join our pre-arranged camp in the Sahara. For guests who prefer to spend the night in a hotel rather than camping, please let us know in advance to accommodate your request.

DAY 1 – Marrakech
Arrive in the Kingdom of Morocco, you’ll land at the airport of fabled Marrakech. Our local representative will be awaiting with a sign and escort you to your hotel/ riad, where a welcome mint tea and fruit basket await you.

DAY 2 – MARRAKECH (BLD)
Today’s morning tour of this great city which Winston Churchill called “the most beautiful place in the world at sunset.” includes: The stately Koutoubia Minaret, the Menara pavilion and gardens, the ruins of sprawling Bahia Palace and it’s Museum. You’ll also see the Majorelle Botanical Gardens of Yves Saint Laurent, planted with trees and flowers from all over the world. Lunch is included at a local charming restaurant. Afternoon drive to the Palm grove on the outskirts of the city where we enjoy a sunset camel caravan, then return to the hotel and get ready for dinner and Moroccan music at a charming local restaurant.

DAY 3 – MARRAKECH (B)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Today we call on you to tour Marrakech’s fabulous medieval souk (bazaar). Penetrating the labyrinthine souk, you’ll see some of the age-old guilds at work, including the dyers and tanners — and bring your camera — for famous Djemaa el-Fna square with its circus atmosphere of itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers, soothsayers, snake charmers, medicine men and public scribes. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, before we head back to the hotel, remainder of the day at leisure.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions – just let us know your preferences.

DAY 4 – Marrakech – Ouarzazate – (about 2 hours drive) (BLD)
Breakfast is always included at the hotel. Lunch is included today enroute. Morning departure to Ouarzazate crossing the Atlas Mountains and its striking scenery through the Tizi N’Tichka Pass at an altitude of more than 2000 meters before reaching Ouarzazate, visit of the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a wonderful site now protected by UNESCO, having served as natural decor to numerous films shooting. It is an area of crumbling Kasbahs grouped among patches of wheat fields, terraced orchards, olives and date palms. It ascends a small mountain and is surmounted by an “Agadir” (grain storage tower) giving it an epic scale. Dinner is included at hotel.

DAY 5 – OUARZAZATE – TODRA GORGE – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA (BLD)
Today we explore the wonderful Road of 1000 Kasbahs in the direction of Boumalne du Dades through Skoura and El Kelaa Des Mgouna. Upon arrival in Boumalne we’ll drive by impressive Ksours (fortified villages) and fabulous rock formations and fantastic geological landscape. Continue on the Road of 1000 Kasbahs towards Tinerghir, a former military outpost built on terraces above a magnificent palm grove and the way into the awesome Todra Gorge.

The Todra Gorge is a massive fault in the plateau dividing the High Atlas from the Jebel Sarho with a crystal-clear river running through it. Lunch is included at the “End of the Earth,” in the awesome gorge, between 300 meter cliffs.

We press on to Erfoud crossing impressive palm groves and oases. On arrival in Erfoud you will then take chauffeured four-wheel-drive vehicle (Turbo Land Rover) to continue on to Merzouga, on the edge of the Sahara. There will be a bonfire and an entertainment by the locals during the evening.

Dinner and overnight in a Bedouin tent in the Sahara, offering a magical sight of the sunset over the majestic dunes.

Accommodation: Bedouin Tent. Foam Mattress / Billow. Sheets. Blankets. Toilet tents are available for your convenience. Your stay includes a sunset or a sunrise camel ride.

Set camp in the shadow of the Erg Chebbi dunes south of Tafilalet Valley. The sand mountains of the Erg hide scattered oases marked by groves of date palms and greenery.

DAY 6 – MERZOUGA – ERFOUD / MIDELT – FEZ (BLD)
After breakfast we drive back (private 4 X 4 Turbo Land Rover) to Erfoud, where we pick up a private Mercedes sedan or air-conditioned motor coach (depending on the number of guests). We drive through Tafilalet region and the Errachidia and the famous “Legionnaires Pass” (“Talghimat Pass”). Lunch is included at the foot of Djebel Ayachi in Midelt at Kasbah Asmaa. Continue through the Middle Atlas Mountains in the direction of Fez. Late afternoon arrival in Fez for dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel. The city is yours to explore, guidebook in hand. The Lonely Planet guide includes all the important things to see, and recommendations for restaurants in all price ranges, so you’ll never be at a loss for advice.

DAY 7 – FEZ (BLD)
Oldest of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities, Fez is endlessly fascinating, and today we spend an extensive full day of touring. Top sights today include: the medina (old city), the 15-century Borj Nord Arms Museum, the gateway of the royal palace, the fortifications of the Kasbah, the 9th-century Karaouine Mosque and University, the medersas (theological seminaries) of Bou Inania and Attarine, the shrine of the city’s founder Moulay Idris II, the Nejjarine Fountain, the monumental gateway of Bab Boujelloud, the old harem gardens, Dar Batha Museum, and the artisans’ guilds in the souks. (lunch is included at a local restaurant. Dinner is included at the hotel).

DAY 8 – Fez – Volubilis- Casablanca (BLD)
Very full day, suggest an early start. Breakfast is included at the hotel, lunch is included enroute. Dinner is included at the hotel.

In the morning departure for Meknes, former Imperial City built at the end of the 17th century by King Moulay Ismail. Arrival in time for city sightseeing, including the old ramparts, the Moulay Ismail stables, granaries and House of Water, Bab Mansour, one of the most beautiful gate in Morocco and the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum. In the afternoon visit of Volubilis the forward Roman old settlement that became once the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitania. Volubilis used to be one of the Roman Empire’s most remote outposts, whose well-preserved and partially restored ruins date largely from 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, although the site was originally settled by Carthaginian traders in the 3rd century BC. Brief stop at the Moulay Idriss picturesque village. After we enjoy a local lunch, we head to Casablanca and your hotel, where dinner awaits you.

DAY 9 – Departure-Casablanca (B)
Our local representative escorts you to the airport. Bon Voyage.

Rates per person in USD $
	Deluxe Superior	Deluxe Standard	First Class
Triple	US$ 4210	US$ 3440	US$ 2940
Double	US$ 4360	US$ 3558	US$ 3010
Single	US$ 5970	US$ 4950	US$ 4420

DEPARTURE DATES
You may begin your tour in Marrakech on any day of the week.
For Dec 10 – Jan 3, arrivals: please add a 10 % supplement to any of the rates

Your tour includes:

• Hotel accommodations, including all taxes and service charges, as indicated or similar.
• Continental (B) breakfast daily; set-menu Lunch (L) or /and dinner (D) as shown in the itinerary.
• Private air-conditioned vehicle for all your transportation throughout Morocco as per itinerary with a private English speaking chauffeur.
• Local private guide in major cities and private guided sightseeing tours as indicated in the itinerary, including all entry fees.
• All airport transfers, always on a private basis.
• Camping in the Sahara as indicated, overnight in a tent.
• Tea, mint tea or coffee upon arrival at your hotel in each city.

What’s not included:

• International airfare to or from your home country
• Tips
• Travel Insurance

“What a great last day. We went to cooking school and yes John did it too! We got there and they promptly handed us our shopping baskets and off to the local market where we bought all of the ingredients including a live chicken the our chef picked out and had de-feathered and made ready for cooking.

John learned to chop!! It was a great way to spend out last day, thank you Omar for the itinerary!”

Some of the Hotels and Riads we work with:
	Deluxe – Superior	Deluxe – Standard	First Class
Marrakech	Meridien N’FIS Hotel Jardine de La Koutobia	Atlas Medina Riad Dar Vedra or similar	Atlas Asni Hotel For Riads (Boutique hotels): Riad Atta or Riad Hamonie Riad Princesse du Désert or similar
Fez	Riad Fes/Relais & Chateaux – Junior Suite or similar	Jnane Palace, Merinides Hotel. Ramada Hotel, Riad Fes, standard room or similar.	Royal Mirage, Riad Luna, Riad Perle de La Medina
Casablanca	Royal Mansour	Royal D’Anfa	Idou Anfa. Imperial Casablanca Hotel, or similar.
Merzouga	Deluxe Camp Kasbah Asmaa Deluxe Berber Tent	Upgraded Berber Tent	Standard Berber Tent Auberge Derkaoua or similar
Ouarzazate	Berber Palace Hotel Ouarzazate	Riad Salam. Berber Palace Hotel or similar	Belere, Rose Noire Riad or similar

Private 8-day Tour of Morocco

This is Private touring: start any day, year round, choose your own date. While others may offer 2-3 languages on board their coaches and tours, we provide PRIVATE group or individual tours, with the language of your choice. This adventure to Ouarzazate, Casablanca, Fez, the Sahara, and Marrakech allows you to go at your own pace, establishing your own itinerary in the major cities, yet join our pre-arranged camp in the Sahara. Compare with the 9-day version.

For guests who prefer to spend the night in a hotel rather than camping, please let us know in advance to accommodate your request. Check out the 9-Day Version including a home hosted family dinner.

DAY 1- CASABLANCA – Daily – Choose your own dates – Year Round
Arrive at Casablanca. Our staff greets you at Casablanca’s Mohamed V Airport and escorts you to your hotel. We’ll drop our luggage, have a refreshing cup of tea or coffee, then head out for a panoramic tour of the city including the exteriors of Casablanca’s majestic new Grand Mosque of King Hassan II, second only to the Great Mosque at Mecca in size, lunch is included at a local restaurant, a short walking tour of the local souk before returning to your hotel where dinner awaits you.

DAY 2- Casablanca – RABAT – Meknes – Volubilis- Fez – Very Full Day (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Lunch is included enroute.

We’ll drive on across the lush countryside to Rabat, Morocco’s capital and our first Imperial City, to visit the magnificent Mausoleum of King Mohammed V, and the historic Hassan Tower minaret. In the afternoon we will drive through forests of cork oak trees and then continue on our way to Meknès, the “youngest” of Morocco’s four great imperial cities surrounded by towering medieval walls. We will visit the monumental gateway of Bab el-Mansour in the city walls and the palace tombs of Moulay Ismail before heading to Volubilis the forward Roman old settlement that once was the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitania. Continuing on to Fez arriving in the early evening, where we will settle in for the night.

DAY 3- Fez – (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Fez, the oldest of the four Imperial Cities, is endlessly fascinating. We tour its medina (Old City) and souk (bazaar), stopping at the gateway of the royal palace, the fortifications of the Kasbah, the 9th-century Karaouine Mosque and University, the medersa (theological college) of Bou Inania, the shrine of the city’s founder Moulay Idris II, and the Nejjarine Fountain. On the way to our hotel we enjoy panoramic city views from the heights overlooking this fabled city. Dinner at a Moroccan restaurant.

DAY 4 – Midelt, Errachidia and Erfoud, The Sand Dunes of Merzouga. (Very Full Day: 421km, 8 hrs) (BLD)
Breakfast is always included at your hotel. An early morning start through Midelt with its dramatic views of the peaks of the High Atlas, continuing on through the town of Errachidia to Erfoud. A night Bedouin style at the Sand Dunes of Merzouga. You are met in Erfoud by your 4×4 and continue 1 hour to the desert. You have your own private bivouac site and staff. Here you have a short camel trek around the dunes to experience the desert sunset. Your tent is equipped with mattress, blankets and carpets. A restaurant tent is decorated entirely in desert camp style where your cooks prepare your meals and local musicians will delight you as you sit on cushions and dine Bedouin style. Your campsite has complete personal facilities. Tonight you have a specially prepared Berber dinner and overnight under a tent in the desert.
(B, L, Special Dinner).

For guests who prefer to spend the night in a hotel rather than camping, please let us know in advance to accommodate your request.

If you have couple more days then we will be able to break up the drive in Erfoud and will have shorter touring days. This program is for guests who do not have time and wish to cover as much as possible within this program.

DAY 5: Dades Valley, Todra Gorges, Skoura Kasbah and Ouarzazate (Very Full Day: 310 km, 6 hrs.) (BLD)
Start your day with a picturesque drive along the Route of 1000 Kasbahs. Pass by palm grove oases and Kasbah dwellings; through Dades Valley; along the Gorges of Todra – this is a massive fault in the plateau dividing the High Atlas from the Jebel Sarho with a crystal-clear river running through it. Lunch is included at the “End of the Earth,” in the awesome gorge, between 300 meter cliffs, on through the Skoura Kasbah area. You continue on to Ouarzazate, a film industry center where many American and European films have been made. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Ouarzazate.

DAY 5: Ait Ben Haddou and Marrakech (235 km, 4 ½ hrs) (BLD)
Mornings visit to the impressive Ait Ben Haddou, an 11th century structure declared by UNESCO as an historical treasure, a photographer’s wonderland. We continue up the High Atlas Mountains at Tiz N’Tichka Pass, then through the fertile Haouz Plain to the “pink city” of Marrakech. You check into your hotel for 03 nights in this fascinating and intriguing Moroccan city. This is one of Morocco’s Imperial Cities that will leave you with the fondest memories imaginable. Breakfast and dinner in your hotel. The next 2 nights in Marrakech. All meals are included today.

DAY 6 – MARRAKECH (BLD)
A full day tour of this great city which Winston Churchill called “the most beautiful place in the world at sunset.” Grab your guidebook and explore! The top sights include the stately Koutoubia Minaret, the Menara pavilion and gardens, the ruins of sprawling Bahia Palace and it’s Museum. You will also see the Majorelle Botanical Gardens of Yves Saint Laurent, planted with trees and flowers from all over the world.

Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech. Video by Daniel Baylis.

After lunch at a charming local restaurant we continue on to Marrakech’s fabulous medieval souk (bazaar). Penetrating the labyrinthine souk, you’ll see some of the age-old guilds at work, including the dyers and tanners — and bring your camera — for famous Djemaa el-Fna square with its circus atmosphere of itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers, soothsayers, snake charmers, medicine men and public scribes.

Evening folk show dinner at Borj Bladi or Chez Ali “Méchoui Roasted lamb cooked in Terracota oven” including return transfers (always on a private basis). If you are vegetarian, please alert us in advance. This show may be somewhat touristy, but we feel strongly that it is part of the Moroccan experience and being in Marrakech.

DAY 7- Berber Village- Marrakech (BLD)
After breakfast in you hotel, leave for Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech. On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with its man-made lake. It will take about an hour to reach Amizmiz, a typical Berber village, where we will tour the Kasbah and the “Mellah” (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important country market is held where all the villagers from the area come for their weekly shopping and gossiping… There you can buy interesting Regragra potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home for a traditional Berber breakfast then you will start your hiking first through Sidi Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque landscapes of the Atlas mountains and the Berber villages with their houses built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint tea, you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon.

Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions – just let us know your preferences.

DAY 8 – Departure – Marrakech (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport. Bon Voyage. Compare with the 9-day version

The medinas of Fez. The nougat candy in various pastel colors is to die for and the shopkeeper is 2nd generation candy maker. John and I in front of one of the doors to the Fez palace of the king. Had a great day and tomorrow after cooking class we are back to the artisan area of the medina and the tanneries where they treat and dye the leather like they have 100’s of years, we can’t wait! –Kathy and John

Rates per person in USD $
	Deluxe Superior	Deluxe Standard	First Class
Triple	US$ 4150.	US$ 3330.	US$ 2990.
Double	US$ 4260.	US$ 3458.	US$ 2950.
Single	US$ 5870.	US$ 4870.	US$ 4350.

DEPARTURE DATES
You may begin your tour in Marrakech on any day of the week, choose your own date.
For Dec 10 – Jan 3, arrivals: please add a 10 % supplement to any of the rates

Your tour includes:

• Hotel accommodations, including all taxes and service charges, as indicated or similar.
• Continental (B) breakfast daily; set-menu Lunch (L) or /and dinner (D) as shown in the itinerary.
• Private air-conditioned vehicle for all your transportation throughout Morocco as per itinerary with a private English speaking chauffeur.
• Local private guide in major cities and private guided sightseeing tours as indicated in the itinerary, including all entry fees.
• All transfers within Morocco, always on a private basis.
• Camping in the Sahara as indicated, overnight in a tent (guests must show proof of insurance when taking any tour that includes the Sahara Camping).
• Tea, mint tea or coffee upon arrival at your hotel in Casablanca on Day 1.

What’s not included:

• International airfare to or from your home country
• Tips
• Travel Insurance

Some of the Hotels and Riads we work with
	Deluxe Superior	Deluxe – Standard	First Class
Marrakech	Meridien N’FIS Jardine de La Koutobia	Atlas Medina Riad Dar Vedra or similar	Atlas Asni Hotel For Riads (Boutique hotels): Riad Atta or Riad Hamonie Riad Princesse du Désert or similar
Fez	Riad Fes – Junior Suite	Jnane Palace, Merinides Hotel. Ramada Hotel, Riad Fes, standard room or similar.	Royal Mirage, Riad Luna Riad Perle de La Medina
Casablanca	Royal Mansour	Farah Golden Tulip	Idou Anfa Idou Anfa. Imperial Casablanca Hotel, or similar.
Erfoud	Deluxe Berber Tent Deluxe Camp Kasbah Asmaa	Upgraded Berber Tent	Standard Berber Tent
Merzouga	Upgraded Berber Tent Deluxe Camping	Upgraded Berber Tent Deluxe Camping	Standard Berber Tent Auberge Derkaoua or similar
Ouarzazate	Berber Palace	Riad Salam. Berber Palace Hotel or similar	Belere, Rose Noire Riad or similar

This is where a traditional welcoming mint tea and a fruit basket await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation are foremost. These luxurious yet delightful Riads are usually a former palace, mansion, or large residential house restored to 1930s, 1940s grandeur.

The Riad classical plan is: substantial walls and orientation to a central patio with venerable trees provide a haven of peace in the midst of bustling Marrakech. Guests are accommodated in usually only five – ten guest suites, each with sitting area and the finest oriental appointments, fireplace (subject to the category you choose),air conditioning, and European-style dining room (subject to the category you choose). Some are with private terraces that provides a secluded window on the active life of romantic and mysterious Marrakech.