Welcome to Morocco!

Upon your arrival at the airport, a representative will meet you, assist with your luggage and transfer you to your hotel in Rabat. Time permitting, you will cross the city of Casablanca to see the Hassan II mosque, one of the largest in the Islamic world. 

Visit the Mohamed V Mausoleum this morning, a magnificent work of Moroccan art and craftsmanship situated next to the historic Hassan Tower, constructed in the late 12th century. You enter Kasbah Oudaya and its 17th-century Andalusia-style gardens. Leave Rabat and head inland to Meknes for a comprehensive tour of the city’s highlights, such as the impressive granaries and stables, the monumental gates, and El Hedim Square. Spend the afternoon exploring Volubilis, the most significant Roman archaeological site in Morocco, before continuing on to Fez.

Fez will stimulate all your senses as you go on a guided tour inside the old town, across food and spice markets, handicraft quarters, auction squares, and colorful stores. Make stops to see medieval theological schools, shrines, and museums. Fes is a world of its own, where time stands still.

In the afternoon, you will move to a different part of the city to explore what used to be the largest Jewish quarter in Morocco, dating back to the time of the migration of the Jews from Spain in the late 15th century. Visit the 17th-century synagogues before going for panoramic views over this impressive city.

After an early breakfast at your hotel, leave Fez and head south, crossing the cultivated and fertile valley of Saiss up to Imouzzer de Kandar with its nearby gorgeous lake, ‘Dait Aoua, and on to Ifrane, a charming ski resort, and Azrou, a typical Berber town with its flat-roofed earthen houses.

The road goes through magnificent cedar, pine, and oak forests. This particularly varied itinerary from north to south offers a diversity of impressions through the Middle Atlas Mountains, where nomad shepherds live in black tents and move with their herds of goats and sheep across these mountains in the hot season and down to the desert land areas in the winter.

Many stops will be made this day for pictures, breaks, or lunch. As soon as you start seeing the first palm trees of the oasis on the outskirts of Marrakech, you will know that you are not far from the red city of Morocco.

Today, start your journey by standing by the city’s landmark, the Koutoubia Mosque and minaret of the late 12th century. You will then enter the Kasbah from Bab Agnaou gate to visit the Saadian Necropolis of the 16th century and walk through the 12th-century Kasbah and its food market, bakeries, and narrow alleyways to the Badii palace built in the 16th century. Admire the marvelous pulpit of the Koutoubia mosque, made in 1137. Continue to visit the Bahia palace and discover this splendid home built by a powerful Vizir for his Harem. Your tour will come to an end with a stroll through the Jewish neighborhood, where you can see the historic synagogue that Sephardic Jews constructed in 1492.

After a break for lunch, you will be guided through artisan quarters and the colorful Souks to interact with the real life of Marrakech's people. Before sunset, stroll in the square for which the city is so famed, Jemaa El Fna, where hundreds of locals and tourists come to spend the end of the day watching jugglers, dancers, fortune tellers, storytellers, and traditional musicians.

You may wish to stay here for dinner on the square, where you can sample street foods from simple kebabs to the most bizarre recipes, or sit comfortably in one of the good restaurants around for a nice dinner before you return to your hotel.

After breakfast, visit the famous Majorelle Gardens, created by the orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s. The Majorelle Garden is home to a wide variety of plants from all over the world that thrive amidst opulent ornamental ponds and an Art Deco villa, which bears the artist Majorelle Blue's name in honor of its distinctive shade of vivid cobalt blue. The Garden also has an amazing collection of cacti and more than 15 bird species native to North Africa. The French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent once owned the Garden. Visit the beautifully designed Berber museum displaying Yves Saint Laurent’s collection of Berber antiques to learn some fascinating facts about the Berbers of Morocco and admire these marvelous treasures of local antiquities. 

From here, walk to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, dedicated to his career’s artistic design and creation. The designer's impressive art and design collection is featured in this new museum, which opened concurrently with Yves Saint Laurent in Paris. A collection of 5,000 pieces of clothing and 15,000 haute couture accessories will be on display at the two museums.

After breakfast, drive to the charming seaside historical city of Essaouira. Stop en route to see the women's cooperative that makes the original Moroccan Argan. Once in Essaouira, you will go for a guided stroll in the colorful spice markets, the old Portuguese fort, and the fishing port. Admire the skills of cabinet-making artisans in their workshops. Essaouira is a great place to enjoy a seafood lunch at one of the stalls in the port. Tonight, you will enjoy a farewell dinner at one of the best restaurants in town.

After breakfast, transfer to Marrakech Airport for your return flight.

Goodbye, Morocco!