Day by Day Itinerary

April 4 DEPART
Saturday NEW YORK
Your exciting adventure begins today! Meet Lloyd and your fellow travel companions in New York’s JFK airport for our departure at 7:01 PM via Royal Air Maroc AT# 201. Enjoy excellent service on our flight bound for Casablanca. Meals served enroute.

April 5 CASABLANCA
Sunday MARRAKECH
After a short 6 1/2 flight we arrive this morning at 7:40 AM in Morocco, a fascinating blend of old and new, modern cities that exist seemingly in the midst of a medieval Sultan’s domain. Welcome to Morocco! Connect in Casablanca to 8:50 AM flight #401 to Marrakech, arriving at 9:30 AM. Our excellent guide, Driss Amrani, who has prepared special crafts visits through our stay, will greet us at the airport. Marrakech lies between the Atlas Mountains and the western desert of Morocco. For centuries, it has been an important caravan stop. The official date of the city’s founding is 1062. The city has a colorful history and its control has changed hands many times. In 1912, the French took control and introduced Marrakech to the 20th-century. The fine hotels, excellent cuisine and extensive wine lists reflect the French influence. A curious blend of refined modern French tastes and historical Arab traditions is both the charm and mystery of Marrakech. The Souks of Marrakech place one in a seemingly timeless environment where traders and craftsmen have been bartering wares for centuries. The remainder of the afternoon is free to recover from jet lag. (Meals Enroute-D)

***** HOTEL ES SAADI

April 6 MARRAKECH
Monday
Today, we’ll get well acquainted with Jemaa el Fna Square. The name means “assembly of the dead” but that description couldn’t be less appropriate. This is perhaps the liveliest place on earth. As the focal point of Marrakech, the enormous square is full of dancers, acrobats, snake charmers and sellers of all kinds. The color and charm of a nation, old and new, are on display here. The highlight for crafts enthusiasts will be visits to various workshops. We can visit a traditional weaving workshop. Here they are still using the traditional weaving process, using the horizontal loom that functions with pedals and shuttle. They produce silk/cotton fabrics for curtains, bedsheets, handbags, shawls, etc. We can also see handicrafts quarters such as the leather auction, tinsmiths and coppersmiths.

Marrakech is truly an oasis and appropriately a city of gardens. In the afternoon, for a change of pace, we’ll spend some time in the Menara Gardens south of the Medina. It includes several pools and groves of olive trees. Established in the 12th-century, the garden’s greenery adds a soothing splash of color to a city otherwise dominated by sun-drenched red-ochre buildings and walls. (B-D)

***** HOTEL ES SAADI

April 7 MARRAKECH
Tuesday
Today we will visit the Koutoubia Mosque, the most famous building in North Africa. It dominates the city. Its sheer beauty appeals to all, but its significance to many is religious. The towering minaret, which can be seen from all over the city, once housed a copy of the Koran, the sacred book of Islam. Later, crafts visits will include a specialty of the region, unique chairs made of woven straw. Tonight we’ll enjoy the Chez Ali Fantasia dinner show. Magical, magnificent, authentic – the entertainment offered at Chez Ali is all that. Over the years, it has achieved worldwide fame. There we will be, reclining luxuriously upon rich cushions beneath one of the alcaydal tents encircling the arena, dining off the specialties for which Moroccan cuisine is justly famed – harira, pastilla, taine, mechoui, couscous, pastries, mint tea – all prepared by genuine Marrakech master chefs. Throughout the sumptuous repast, traditional musical and acrobatic groups from every corner of Morocco vie with each other for the pleasure of entertaining you, astonishing you and holding you spellbound. When dinner is over the show really takes off in the arena – with dance, song, caravans, and the extraordinary skill of the Berber horsemen on their Arab thoroughbreds. (B-D)

***** HOTEL ES SAADI

April 8 MARRAKECH
Wednesday
Special features exclusive to our tour and interspersed throughout our time in Marrakech include a visit to a private museum, mint tea in a private house, and lecture by Professor Jebraili of Marrakech University. Visit Maison Tiskiouine, a private museum built around a traditional Moorish courtyard and in addition to the main rooms, we hope to see the Bert Flint private collection of rural arts and crafts. We hope Professor Bert Flint will be available to give a lecture on Berber arts and crafts. Time permitting, just outside Marrakech, we can see artisans carving sea sand stones to produce artifact objects, as well as stalls of artisans producing wicker and reed furniture.

Tonight we travel in style by horse drawn carriage for a Farewell Dinner at El Baraka. (B-D)

***** HOTEL ES SAADI

April 9 OUARZAZATE
Thursday
Morocco is a land of contrasts. Begin a spectacular drive towards the snow-covered region crisscrossed with fields, grasslands, fragrant cedar woods and steep slopes. As we venture into the highlands, you’ll be reminded of the legends of the High Atlas Mountains. Drive up the Tichka pass (6800 ft), on the main road to Ouarzazate, which lies among the shadows of fig and pomegranate trees. The desert city is famed for its Berber-styled castles and geometric carpets. Dinner and overnight at the Berbere Palace Hotel, a 5-star hotel located on 27 acres in the center of the town. It has 220 rooms decorated in a Berber style, three restaurants with Moroccan and International cuisine, piano-bar, night club, shops, swimming-pool, three tennis courts, Ping-Pong, volleyball and fitness club. (B-D)

*****BERBERE PALACE

April 10 ZAGORA
Friday
Depart by main road of the Drâa Valley, crossing the Atlas through Agdz and Tansikht villages. Pass through picturesque Berber villages and spectacular views until we reach Zagora, perched on a rocky peak. Beyond, there is only rocky expanse, swept by the great winds of the Sahara. Visit the famous Koranic library of Tamegroute. Optional lunch enroute. We will search out a pottery factory that enjoys a unique style. Then we’ll drive down into the Sahara (the word Sahara means desert) for a possible camel ride. Return to Zagora for dinner and overnight. (B-D)

****ASMAA PALACE ZAGORA

April 11 ZAGORA - ERFOUD
Saturday MERZOUGA
Our expedition today takes us via the new road through Tansikht and Nkob, where splendid pre-Saharan scenarios are dotted with Berber villages. Look for fossilized shells. The massive Sargho Mount follows, and then arrive at small villages of Alnif for a stop. Optional lunch enroute. Continue to the Royal City of Erfoud via the villages of Mecissi and Rissani.
From Erfoud get on our 4 X 4 vehicles and drive approximately 40 miles to Merzouga through the impressive Saharan Erg Chehbi dunes. Merzouga is one of the largest oases in Morocco. After sunset, settle in for a sumptuous night under the dazzling Saharan canopy. Each traditional Bedouin tent will be furnished with Moroccan carpets, thick foam mattress with nice sheets, wooden table and chest to comfortably accommodate two guests. Sanitary facilities consist of a separate tent enclosing toilets and hot water showers. Towels will be provided. Carpeted pathways illuminated by oil lamps will connect tents and washrooms. The common area of the little tent village will be well lit with a bonfire and all paths will be lit with candles and oil lamps. A staff of tent masters, cooks, waiters and musicians will see to every need. A traditional dinner and breakfast will be served in a separate dining tent specially furnished with Moroccan decor. (B-D)

BIVOUAC

April 12 ERFOUD
Sunday TODGHA GORGE
OASIS EL KELÂA
Watch the sunrise over the sand dunes. Depart for a visit of the stunning steep and narrow Todgha Gorge. Red rock walls plunge over 1000 ft to the river below. Continue along the M’Gouna Valley, which is dominated by huge fields of roses fanning away into the distance. Optional lunch enroute. Continue along the ROAD OF 1000 KASBAHS to El Kelâa, the City of Roses. This wonderful small town is made famous by its folkloric troupe and the annual Rose Festival, which takes place in May each year. Return to Ouarzazate for dinner and overnight at the Berbere Palace. (B-D)

*****BERBERE PALACE

April 13 OUARZAZATE
Monday CASABLANCA
RABAT-FEZ
Depart at 6:40 AM by AT# 460 to Casablanca arriving at 7:10 AM. Casablanca rose to prominence under French rule in the early 20th-century. It was made famous to Americans by the Humphrey Bogart film. Casablanca retains a special charm despite its modern-day role as the commercial and industrial center of Morocco. Our time in Casablanca will include an INSIDE exploration of the exquisite new King Hassan II Mosque. Normally visitors are only allowed to peek through the gates! We’ll make a panoramic tour before driving north (one hour) to Rabat, the capital of Morocco to visit the Belghazi Museum, a small private ethnographic museum located just outside Rabat. They have nice collections of costumes, embroideries, carpets, jewelry and musical instruments. We have invited Mr. Belghazi, the founder and curator, to give a lecture on traditional Moroccan arts & crafts. Continue to Fez in the evening. (2 hours). (B-L)

*****LES MÉRINIDES HOTEL

April 14 FEZ
Tuesday
The Imperial City of Fez is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in North Africa. The gentle hills that surround Fez are complemented by a classic Moorish skyline of green tile roofs and minarets. After breakfast, we’ll explore Fez, the religious capital of Morocco. Moulay Idriss I founded Fez in the 8th-century and the city went on to be the capital of many succeeding dynasties. Fez is full of remarkable buildings that attest to the imaginative artistry of their Arab-Berber designers and builders. The Souk in Fez is one of the world’s largest and is the most intriguing in Morocco. In Fez crafts visits include seeing cloth for jellabas being handmade and textile weaving on looms. Visit the artisans’ quarters around the medina where you will find embroiderers, as well as braid and tassel makers. You’ll also see the fascinating section of dyers, tanners and weavers and witness the production process. Visit the historic Foundouk Nejjarine (caravanserai) that has been converted into a museum showcasing Moroccan timber and wooden artifacts. Our beautiful 5-star hotel overlooks the old Medina of Fez, a fabulous view as the sun sets! (B-D)

*****LES MÉRINIDES HOTEL

April 15 FEZ
Wednesday
We’ll view the Dye Market from the terrace and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Explore the impressive labyrinth of Souks in Fez, declared by UNESCO to be one of the world’s cultural treasures. The quaintness that characterizes Fez continues through the narrow streets of the Medina, many only four feet wide. Shops, bazaars and carpet stalls seemingly belong to another time. The smell of freshly roasted spices, the clanging of brass bells and the ever-present invitations to join shopkeepers for tea all create a colorful picture. Add to this intriguing motif the merchants, veiled women, and craftsmen plying their ancient trades, and you’ve got a perfect picture of Morocco – one to last a lifetime. You’ll visit the pottery workshops to see the local cobalt blue and polychrome pottery. We will arrange for the headmaster to give a lecture in the traditional production process. Also see copper and brass craftsmen and carpet-making in the home. (B-L)

*****LES MÉRINIDES HOTEL

April 16 FEZ
Thursday
See slippers (baboushe) made by hand, and fandooks, where animal skin is transformed to leather, to musical instruments including darbookas. Later, visit the tombs of the Mérinides Princes and the Karaouine Mosque, the largest in North Africa.

Special features exclusive to our tour include a visit to Dar Hadara, a restored 17th century mansion housing artisan workshops. We expect the owner, Mr. Seffar to give a lecture on Andausian architecture and ornament. We also hope to have a private visit to the Mokri Palace, and perhaps a visit with a woman’s association in Fez who produce embroidery work, schedule permitting. (B-D)

*****LES MÉRINIDES HOTEL

April 17 FEZ - CASABLANCA
Friday NEW YORK
Transfer to airport for Royal Air Maroc AT #441 flight to Casablanca, departing at 6:00 AM. Continue to New York nonstop arriving at 3:45 PM via AT#200. Welcome home! (B)

Note: Flight schedules always subject to change.