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2010 Moroccan Adventure
11 days from $ 2265* |
Jun 4, '10 - $2,444 |
Jul 16, '10 - $2,444 |
Sep 3, '10
- $2,265 |
Jun 25, '10 - $2,444 |
Aug 6, '10 -
$2,444 |
Sep 10, '10 - $2,265 |
Day 1 - Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2
Arrival in Casablanca, Morocco
- After you check into your hotel, there’s time to rest or start
exploring Morocco’s pulsating business capital. At 6 p.m. meet your
Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner. (D)
Day 3
Casablanca-Rabat-Meknes-Fez
- Follow the infamous Barbary Coast to the imperial city of Rabat,
once lair of the corsairs and now the country’s capital. Sightseeing
focuses on the Royal Palace and residence of King Hassan II,
MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM, Hassan Tower, and the fortified KASBAH OF
OUDAIAS. Today’s second imperial city is Meknes, with its monumental
gates and city walls, known as the unfinished dream of Sultan Moulay
Ismail. Visit the impressive OLD GRANARIES and STABLES, which housed
up to 12,000 horses, and stop at the Market Square to admire Bab el-Mansour,
the finest gateway in North Africa. Continue your journey to Fez. (BB,D)
Day 4
Fez
- Snap pictures of the magnificent entrance to the Royal Palace, drive
through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, and travel on to
beautifully ornate Bab Bou Jeloud, the traditional entrance to old
Fez. Today’s highlight is a visit to the labyrinthine FES-EL-BALI,
Morocco’s largest medina: follow your Local Guide to exquisite
MEDERSA BOU INANIA, admire Nejjarine Square and its fountain, the
Karaouiyne Mosque and University, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss.
Enjoy a ten-mile drive along the panoramic Route de Fez, stopping at
its best vantage point. Back to your hotel with time to relax by the
pool. Tonight your Tour Director may suggest an optional folklore
dinner at a typical Moroccan restaurant. (BB)
Day 5
Fez-Erfoud
- An unforgettable scenic journey through ever-changing landscapes on
your way to the mystical deep south. Morning break in the quiet
Swiss-style village of Ifrane. Verdant cedar forests give way to
volcanic mountains and wind-swept plains as you motor across the
Middle Atlas range to Midelt. Pass fortified mud-and-straw villages,
and spot young shepherds driving their flocks to scant pastures.
Descend into the spectacular Ziz Gorges, and arrive in Er-Rachidia,
an important crossroad once controlled by the French Foreign Legion.
Afterwards, the landscape becomes progressively more arid, and you
enter a stony desert. On your last stretch to Erfoud, an unexpected
and breathtaking surprise: the miraculous and peaceful oasis of Ziz
Valley, dotted with palm-fringed towns, fortified strongholds, and
scenes of timeless rural life. (BB,L,D)
Day 6
Erfoud
- A short drive takes you to holy Rissani, gateway to the Sahara
Desert, where a few bowing date palms recall what was once a
luxuriant oasis. For a thousand years this was the principal trading
post for caravans from the Niger River, where gold was exchanged for
salt and sugar. See the Grand Gateway of the town and the Mausoleum
of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first ruler of the Alawite dynasty. A
thrilling experience is the visit to the colorful SOUKS, the desert
tribes’ market, where Tuareg, Berber, and Blue People meet and
animatedly swap silver jewelry and rugs for vegetables, salt, and
other goods, by slapping one another’s hands. Weather permitting
your Tour Director will offer you an exciting optional excursion to
the 450 foot-high Erg Chebbi sand dunes for a close-up encounter
with the Sahara Desert. (BB,D)
Day 7
Erfoud-Ouarzazate
- Motor along the eastern slopes of the High Atlas mountains to the
enchanting oasis of Tinerhir. Follow its lush valley, where crops
grow in the shade of date palms, hemmed in by mud-brick villages and
barren mountains, to one of Morocco’s most impressive natural
sights: the Todra Gorge, or the “Grand Canyon of the Sahara.” After
lunch explore its narrowest point, just 33 feet wide, but some 950
feet high, with a crystal-clear river running through it. Drive
further west through the Dadès Valley, called “Valley of the
Thousand Kasbahs” for its superb and noble fortresses, and “Roses
Valley.” Arrive at the resort town of Ouarzazate, famous for its
film studios. Before heading to your hotel, time for a visit to the
carefully restored TAOURIRT KASBAH, where outstanding views of the
fortified town and valley can be seen from the terrace. (BB,L,D)
Day 8
Ouarzazate-Marrakesh
- Pass through picturesque villages surrounded by craggy mountains
while motoring towards the 7,414-foot-high Tizi-n-Tichka Pass in the
heart of the High Atlas mountains. Each new twist in the road leads
to a different, more dramatic landscape. Leaving the pass behind,
the landscape gradually changes to a green mantle. Lunchtime arrival
in the red-colored imperial city of Marrakesh, situated in an oasis
of more than half a million palm trees and surrounded by deep walls.
In the late afternoon enjoy a leisurely carriage ride and a stroll
through the exquisite YVES SAINT LAURENT GARDENS. (BB,D)
Day 9
Marrakesh
- Guided half-day sightseeing includes MENARA PARK with its man-made
lake and quaint pavilion, BAHIA PALACE, the elaborately decorated
16th-century SAADIAN TOMBS, and Djemaa El-Fna, the palpitating town
center dominated by the 222-foot-high Koutoubia Minaret. Afternoon
at leisure to catch up on your postcards or bargain hunt in the
souks. Tonight an optional excursion not to be missed: the 30-horse
fantasia and Moroccan feast “Chez Ali.” (BB)
Day 10
Marrakesh-Casablanca
- Head across farming country towards Casablanca, Morocco’s modern
seaport with a strong French accent, recalling scenes from the film
starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Sightseeing focuses on
the magnificent United Nations Square, the Arab League Park, Anfa’s
residential quarters, the SYNAGOGUE, the church of OUR LADIES OF
LOURDES, and to top it off, the imposing HASSAN II MOSQUE, built in
a breathtaking setting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Tonight
enjoy a farewell dinner celebrating the success of your fascinating
Moroccan adventure. (BB,D)
Day 11
- Your homebound flight arrives today. (BB)
If you crave adventure,
this 11-day journey is for you. It begins and ends in Humphrey
Bogart’s Casablanca and travels via the Barbary Coast to Rabat,
where a visit to the fortified Kasbah of Oudaias is included.
Continue to the second imperial city of Meknes, and then to Fez to
visit Morocco’s largest medina. Wind through the Middle Atlas range
and spectacular Ziz Gorges to Er-Rachidia of French Foreign Legion
fame. Then through stony deserts to Erfoud and holy Rissani, gateway
to the Sahara Desert, followed by a thrilling experience: a visit to
the colorful Souks, the desert tribe’s market, where Tuareg, Berber,
and Blue People meet. Next is Ouarzazate, known for its film
studios, where you will visit the Taourirt Kasbah. In Marrakesh
enjoy a carriage ride, stroll through the exquisite Yves Saint
Laurent Gardens, and visit Menara Park, Bahia Palace and the
elaborately decorated 16th-century Saadian Tombs. The perfect
Moroccan vacation.
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Scheduled
transatlantic flights and airport transfers in Casablanca
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Services of a professional tour
director
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Twin-bedded rooms with private
bath or shower, hotel taxes, service charges, and tips for baggage
handling
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9 buffet breakfasts (BB); 2
lunches (L); 7 three-course dinners (D) including welcome and
farewell dinners in Casablanca
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Private deluxe motorcoach
featuring full air-conditioning and extra leg room
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travel bag and travel documents
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CASABLANCA
Welcome dinner; Guided sightseeing; visit the Synagogue, Church of
Our Ladies of Lourdes and the Hassan II Mosque; farewell dinner
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RABAT Guided
sightseeing, visit the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Kasbah of
Oudaias
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MEKNES Guided
sightseeing and visit the Old Granaries and Stables
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FEZ Guided
sightseeing including Bab Bou Jeloud, visit the Fes-el-Bali Medina
& Medersa Bou Inania
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ERFOUD Visit
the souks
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OUARZAZATE
Visit the Taourirt Kasbah
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MARRAKESH
Guided sightseeing; carriage ride; visit Yves St. Laurent Gardens,
Menara Park, Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs
Call or
e-mail us for more
information, or to speak to a guide about this trip.
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