Day 1. May 08, 2021: Saturday - Toronto - Montreal- Casablanca - Meet & greet by your Tour - Escort at Toronto Pearson Airport. Assistance with check-in. Fly aboard Air Canada service (via Montreal) to Casablanca. (Flight cost not included, shown separately) In-flight meals.

 

Day 2. May 09, 2021: Sunday - Arrive in Casablanca - Early morning arrival at Casablanca Mohamed V airport. After clearing immigration & customs and collecting our bags, we will be met and transferred with private motor-coach to the corniche of Casablanca. First, we enjoy a sumptuous Moroccan breakfast in a café overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and after breakfast we will visit Hassan II Mosque, an architectural masterpiece and the largest mosque on the African continent. Later we proceed to our hotel for check-in and time at leisure to rest. Tonight, we’ll have a memorable welcome dinner at Rick’s Café. Overnight stay at Palace d’Anfa, Superior Rooms (B,D)

 

Day 3. May 10, 2021: Monday Casablanca - Rabat - Tetouan - Chaouen (400km) - This morning, we take a panoramic tour of Casablanca visiting Mahakma, the Habous Quarter and the United Nations square. Then, we continue to Rabat, the first of the five Imperial Cities. Rabat’s history goes back to the 12th century when it was chosen to be the capital the Almohad Empire. Present-day Rabat is the seat of the government and a perfect setting for the Royal Palace of His Majesty King Mohamed VI. We make a brief stop at the impressive mausoleum of King Mohamed V, and also visit the Hassan tower.

 

Lunch will be on your own , either in Rabat or en-route as our drive continues north to Tetouan along the Atlantic Coast. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, and once a Spanish capital, Tetouan today is a lively Berber town. Here we’ll visit the Kasbah and Medina before continuing through the beautiful Rif Mountains to the village of Chefchaouen for check-in and dinner. Overnight stay at Hotel Parador, Standard Rooms (B,D)

 

Day 4. May 11, 2021: Tuesday - Chefchaouen - Fes (200km) - Having enjoyed breakfast, we tour this beautiful blue and white painted village of Chefchaouen, including the Place El Makhzen as well as the Medina. The village, simply referred to as Chaouen, surrounded by the Jebala Mountains, is one of the prettiest villages in Morocco. Lunch will be on our own at a select restaurant and later we continue our drive through the scenic mountain pass to Fes for check-in and dinner at our hotel. Overnight in Fes at Riad La Maison Bleue, Superior Rooms (B,D)

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Day 5. May 12, 2021: Wednesday - Fes - Let’s enjoy a full-day exploring Fes and her monuments and souks. The city is divided into three parts separated by the Oued Sebou River. We visit the remarkably decorated Attarine Medersa, an ancient institution of learning dating from 1323. Then, we explore the 18th century tiled Nejjarin Fountains that are believed to have cured physical ailments. We’ll also visit the Foundouk Des Tisserants and La Oaraouiyne. Our lunch today will be in the Medina and the afternoon is spent exploring the tanners and souks of Fes. Dinner and overnight at Riad La Maison Bleue, Superior Rooms (B,L,D)

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Day 6. May 13, 2021: Thursday - Fes - Today is set aside for independent activities. Fes, also an Imperial City, is one of Morocco's main centers of trade, craftsmanship and commerce. Perhaps take a walk in the UNESCO-listed historic medina or explore religious sites of the old city with many major zawiyas (Islamic shrines), which attract both Moroccan and international (especially West African) pilgrims. Lunch is on own account. Dinner and overnight at Riad La Maison Bleue, Superior Rooms (B,D)

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Day 7. May 14, 2021: Friday - Excursion to Meknes Volubilis & Moulay Idriss (120km) - A full day excursion to Meknes, the third of the Imperial Cities. First to Bab El Mansour, considered to be one of the finest gateways in all Africa marking our entrance to the Imperial City. We’ll visit the Moulay Ismail stables and the Dar El Beida, the white palace of 1790's and now a military academy. We will continue our drive north to Moulay Idriss, the most important pilgrimage place in Morocco. Here we explore the importance of this site, then visit Volubilis to find the Roman heritage among its well preserved ruins. Dinner and overnight at Riad La Maison Bleue, Superior Rooms (B,D)

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Day 8. May 15, 2021: Saturday Fes - Ifrane - Midelt - Er Rachidia - Erfoud - Bivouac Site (465km) - A considerable amount of travelling on this day! Leaving Fes, we drive southeast through smaller towns and villages, with stops along the way, on our way to Erfoud. Midway, we’ll stop for lunch in the town of Midelt. We’ll stop in Er Rachidia to enjoy the town’s culture and pleasant atmosphere. It is not unusual to see streets fill up each evening as almost everyone seems to come out and socialize. Our final stretch would be a short drive to Erfoud, the gateway to the Sahara. In Erfoud, we board our 4X4 Land Rovers to reach our campsite at Merzouga. Taking a page out of Arabian Nights, we spend the night in a deluxe tent in the Sahara! Dinner and overnight under tent in Merzouga Bivouac Camp, Deluxe Tents (B,L,D)

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Day 9. May 16, 2021: Sunday - Sunrise in the Sahara + Excursion to Rissani & Sijilmassa (70km) - Fantasies about the Sahara, its timeless waves of sand, and its turbaned swashbucklers of the camel caravans are part of a mystical world of beauty and of solitude. We’ll ride on camels into the Sahara to witness the sun rise over the mighty sand dunes. There could be no better way to begin your day than to sip mint tea and watch the pink disc of the sun appear over these gigantic sand dunes. Following breakfast at our camp, we check-out and take an excursion to Sijilmassa and Rissani to learn of the history of the early settlers and their struggles. Later we drive back to Erfoud to spend a relaxing night. Dinner and overnight at Chergui Hotel, Standard Rooms (B,D)

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Day 10. May 17, 2021: Monday - Erfoud - Skoura/Ouarzazate (315km): Our travel today is to Skoura and en-route we pass through the magnificent Todrah Gorges in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The Gorges, a series of deep-sided canyons, offer incredible desert scenery and dramatic terrain along which are strung traditional Berber villages and palm groves.

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Following lunch (own account) we continue to Skoura, an oasis located on the southern side of the High Atlas Mountains and an excellent base from which to explore Ouarzazate and the World Heritage Site at Ait Benhaddou. Dinner and overnight stay at Ksar Kabbaba, Standard Rooms (B,D)

 

Day 11. May 18, 2021: Tuesday - Skoura - Ouarzazate - Marrakech (220km) - A 45 minute drive brings us to “a noiseless place”! This is the literal English translation of the Berber word Ouarzazate. The city, originally a military garrison, is nestled in a barren rocky plateau, some 1160 meters in altitude, south of the High Atlas Mountains. The backdrop of the desert city of Ouarzazate and the ancient Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou has been a favourite setting for several movies. Famous directors Ridley Scott, David Lean, Orson Wells have made epic films such as Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky, and even television series Game of Thrones. This is our opportunity to explore Kasbah Glaoui and the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. Lunch will be in Ourzazate (own account), before departure for Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at Radisson Blu Marrakech, Superior Rooms (B,D)

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Day 12. May 19, 2021: Wednesday - Marrakech - We begin our morning activity with a visit to the Koutoubia Minaret which dominates the entire skyline of Marrakech. Then on to see the Saadien tombs (the mausoleums for the sultans) discovered in 1917. We’ll also explore the Bahia Palace and the Dar Si Said Museum Palace for their renowned attractions. Having worked up an appetite, we’ll enjoy a typical Moroccan lunch in the Medina.

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Prepare for all of your senses to be overwhelmed at once as we enter the souks of Marrakech. The souks are the heart of the Marrakech medina and have been the centre for trade in the city for a thousand years. A maze of alleyways jammed with curios, artifacts, leather goods, carpets, silverware, jewellery and anything else that you’d ever require; truly a treasure hunt! Navigating the labyrinth of narrow alleyways that twist and turn is a navigational challenge we will leave in the capable skills of our local expert. Exiting the Souk we arrive in the main square, the Djemma el-Fna, the foremost social gathering area for locals of Marrakech. Whether trading goods or walking and talking, it draws everyone from surrounding areas like a magnetic field.

 

Everyone returns time and time again to Djemaa El Fna. Dinner and overnight at Radisson Blu Marrakech, Superior Rooms (B,L,D)

 

Day 13. May 20, 2021: Thursday - Excursion to Atlas Mountain (150km) - We have devoted this day to discover the heart of the Berber land across the majestic Atlas Mountains. Travelling in luxury four-wheel drive vehicles, we’ll cross the fertile Haouz Plain, stopping outside Tahanaout to admire typical village adobes. We continue our drive through the scenic pass of Moulay Brahim and the shrine of one of the most venerated saints in Morocco. Reaching the small town of Asni, we take to a short dirt track enjoying magnificent sites to get to the Kik plateau where we’ll be invited to a Berber family home for the famous tea ceremony and to lunch thereafter.

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After lunch, we head back to Marrakech via the Takerkoust Valley with a stop at the scenic lake. Dinner and overnight at Radisson Blu Marrakech, Superior Rooms (B,L,D)

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Day 14. May 21, 2021: Friday - Marrakech - A different kind of experience awaits, as we participate in Moroccan cookery. Having tasted all the good food during the past two weeks, it would be an added bonus to take a lesson. Following a basic introduction and learning about the different spices used in Moroccan cooking, we’ll decide on a menu and the ingredients required.
 

Then off to the market next door for the items. A lady chef will provide demonstration and feel free to practice along with her. How gratifying it would be to have your own cooked Moroccan lunch in Marrakech!

 

To mark our farewell to this memorable tour, we have reserved a special farewell dinner in a restaurant including entertainment. Overnight at overnight at Radisson Blu Marrakech, Superior Rooms (B,L,D)

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Day 15. May 22, 2021: Friday - Marrakech - Casablanca - Toronto - Early this morning a private motor-coach transfer to Marrakech Menara airport in time to board your short flight to Casablanca to connect with our international homebound flight. Arrive in Montreal mid-day. In transit to connect with our flight to Toronto. (Flight cost not included, shown separately) B, Inflight Meals 

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