May 16 – 27, 2024 with Mouna
Imagine colorful souks, scented with spices, of rolling sand dunes with dusty camel trains gently plodding to a desert camp. When you think of Morocco, you probably think about Aladdin and flying carpets, and you’d almost be right, minus the flying carpet. Morocco is a feast for the senses, with colorful cities, sprawling markets, and exotic cuisine.
In our Morocco tour, we take our time in Sarah’s favorite cities, with a staycation pace in the deeply authentic city of Fez, and the famous market city of Marrakech. You’ll enjoy a desert camp experience, and finish off with a chance to catch a wave in the charming beach town of Essaouira. All of these great places are tied together with the common thread of great food, and –you might not believe this– good wine.
We invite you on a tour that doesn’t have any major museum or particular sight, but instead a tour that will delight you with visual splendor, exotic scents, and the feeling that you’ve fallen into a magical storybook.
Day One
Overnight: Rabat
Salaam Alykum! Meet up with your group this afternoon for a welcome meeting. Then enjoy dinner together in a local restaurant for a Moroccan home cooked meal.
Next Day
Day Two
Overnight: Fez
This morning, take a walking tour of Rabat before transferring to Fez. Check in to your hotel and relax a little before dinner together. You will be welcomed to the home of a local family to enjoy pastilla, the specialty of Fez.
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Day Three
Overnight: Fez
You will spend the day touring the ancient, walled medina of Fez. Explore the twisting alleyways and get a sense of the lives of modern Moroccans, through their markets and shops. Scope out a place to enjoy dinner on your own this evening!
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Day Four
Overnight: Fez
Today the group takes a day trip to Meknes. Enjoy a wine tasting and tour of this former imperial city with a local guide. This evening, we will head back to our hotel for some down time.
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Day Five
Overnight: Marrakech
After breakfast, experience a train ride from Fez to Marrakech. Check in to the hotel and have some free time. In the evening, the group will have dinner with tangia, a traditional Marrakech specialty, in a local restaurant.
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Day Six
Overnight: Marrakech
Today take a cooking class to learn some traditional Moroccan dishes, then enjoy the fruits of your labor for lunch. This afternoon will be a guided tour of the incredible sites offered by Marrakech: the local market, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tomb, Koutoubia Mosque, and Jemaa el-Fnaa Square. After this walking tour, it will be time for a drink in one of the panoramic view cafés for sunset.
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Day Seven
Overnight: Marrakech
This morning the group takes a day trip to Ouirgane, a small village in the High Atlas mountains. Visit to Amazigh, a Berber village, where we will discover the life of Berbers, the pre-arab inhabitants of North Africa. Learn how they make the village Berber bread specialty. Lunch will be with a local family and is followed by a tea demonstration.
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Day Eight
Overnight: Agafay
This morning, enjoy some free time in Marrakech with optional activities such as hammam or a hot air balloon ride. After a BBQ lunch, take ride in 4×4 vehicles to get to the desert camp Agafay (a part of the Sahara desert closest to Marrakech). This evening you will enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of riding camels at sunset and spending the night in a desert camp under the stars.
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Day Nine
Overnight: Essaouira
Today we head to the Atlantic coast. The group will make stops for lunch and wine tasting along the way. In the afternoon will be arrival into the beautiful and charming town of Essaouira on the coast. After hotel check in, take a visit to a factory for Argan oil, one of the specialties of Essaouira, in order to sample it and learn about the steps of production. Tonight is dinner in a local restaurant with Gnawa music; experience the local folklore of Essaouira.
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Day Ten
Overnight: Essaouira
Today is a guided walking tour of the coastal Essaouira, on the Atlantic ocean. Then experience a special local experience as a group: we will buy fish from the fish market and then go to a restaurant where they prepare it for us for lunch. This afternoon you are on your own to relax and explore the seaside town.
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Day Eleven
Overnight: Casablanca
Today travel north to your final destination of Casablanca. On the way, stop at El Jadida, a city that was built by the Portuguese, for a short visit and lunch in a local restaurant. Tonight we will bid our goodbyes over a farewell dinner in Casablanca.
Day Twelve
Your tour experience is complete after breakfast. Your guide will be available to assist with departures.
Price: $4450 (Air not included) per person for a double occupancy room. Single Supplement is $900. We welcome singles and if you do not have a travel partner, please sign up for a single spot. In the event that a roommate is found, your booking can be changed to a double before final payment is due.
What’s included: 11 breakfasts, about half the lunches and dinners, and 11 nights lodging in a clean, comfortable, and centrally located hotel. All admissions and fees for group activities. Transport within the tour and private guides, tips included.
Deposit Policy: A non-refundable deposit of $600 per person is due upon booking.
Tour begins in Rabat (RBA) and ends in Casablanca (CMN).
If you have additional questions please email us at: info@adventureswithsarah.net