THE IMPERIAL CITIES & THE SOUTH

Depart to Fes, this road  takes you along a beautiful stretch of farmlands where olives, grain, vegetables and grapes are grown. Arriving to Meknes where you will visit the most decorated gate of the kingdom, Bab Mansour, the old town of Lahdim and the Royal palace surrounding areas.  After that you will drive through the stately groves of olive oil trees to the most sacred town of the country of Morocco, where the first man who brought Islam to the country is buried. You will explore the Roman ruins of Volubilis, and enjoy some time in this interesting example of the Roman occupation in Morocco.  Arrival into Fes.  Check into the Hotel.

A full day to explore  “The oldest living medina in the world” with an official tour guide. You will tour the medina with its “souks” (markets) stopping at  the gateway of the Royal Palace, the 9th-century Karouine Mosque and University.  You will visit the tomb of the city founder, Moulay Idris II.  Lunch will be at one of the traditional restaurants in the old medina.  After lunch you will continue to explore the Najarine Fountain, the gateway of the Bab Boujloud, the old harem gardens and the Batha Museum.  On the way back to the hotel, you will stop to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

Depart to Erfoud across the cedar forest in the Atlas Mountains, stopping at the mountains villages of Ifrane and Azrou to see this beautiful area that the French once built their vacation homes in.  Along the way we will see the Berber monkeys who live and frolic in this area. Before descending to the Ziz valley, we will stop for lunch in Midelt. You will arrive in Erfoud by the sunset and check into the hotel Kasbah Asma, which is situated in the middle of the Tafilalet valley.

This morning you will visit the holy city of Rissani, the Mausoleum Of Moulay Ali Sherife and the Souk. After lunch you will visit the little town of Erfoud , as well as the fossil factories which produce many beautiful and unusual handcrafted items.  You will continue through the “hammada” to get to the highest dunes of Merzouga, where you will meet our Bedouin nomad camel team members and exchange your Landrover for Camels.  After 2-1/2 hours riding, you will arrive at our camp in an oasis. Enjoy a  Saharian dinner around the campfire and the Sahara drumming with the Bedouins.  You will be mesmerized by the desert night sky with its unclouded view of the stellar constellations.

After breakfast, you will drive across the desert landscape and see many fortified villages in the magnificent palm gardens of the Ziz Valley. Arrive in to Tinghir, you will stop for lunch in the heart of the spectacular Todra Gorge, with its huge, breathtaking red cliffs.  It is a paradise for mountain climbing.  After lunch, take a small hike through the canyons and explore the area. In the afternoon, you will continue to Ouarzazate via the “Road of One Thousand Kasbahs” which crosses the Roses and Dades Valley’s. Arriving to Ouarzazate and check into the hotel.

After breakfast you will visit the old part of the town, where you will see  the beautiful Kasbah of Taourirte and have lunch at the Kasbah Restaurant. In the afternoon you will drive to the oasis of Fint where you will meet with village chief.  He will bring you to his home to drink Moroccan tea.  Within this oasis there are  50 families that still live there. They were originally coming with their caravans of camels from Mali across the Sahara desert and decided to stay in this “small paradise on earth” as they call it.  You will be surprised by the way they live and you will learn about the first people who arrived in North Africa.

Depart for Marrakech,  you will drive through one of the highest passes in the country, the Tizi-n-Tishka, which is 2260 meters at the top. On the way, you will see the traditional Berber farmers using the terraced style of planting on the mountain sides.  You will visit the famous Ksar of Ait ben Hadou, which has been declared the site of a UNESCO project for restoration of its ancient architecture. It also serves as the setting for many movies such as “Lawrence of Arabia” and “the Jewell of the Nile”. Arriving to Marrakech you will check into the Hotel .

There is much to see in this great city which Winston Churchill called “the most beautiful place in the world at sunset”. You will visit the Koutoubia Mosque and its Minaret, the hidden tombs of the Saadian dynasty, the Menara Gardens and Pavilion, the Bahia Palace, the ben Youssef Medrassa and chapel of el-Baaiyn.  Entering into the souk you will see some of the age old art guilds at work.  Finally, you end up in the famous place “Djemaa-el-Fna” with its circus atmosphere of itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers, soothsayers, snake charmers, medicine men and public scribes.