Signature Tour of Morocco

Your luxury tour begins with your arrival into Marrakech Airport. You’ll be welcomed by your private driver for transfer to your hotel in the city, known for its colorful chaos, where you can leave your cares behind and go with the flow, exploring the labyrinth of twisting alleyways, with spice sellers, fortune tellers, snake charmers and monkey handlers. Your driver will provide you with an overview of what to expect before you check in. This evening you will visit one of Marrakech’s vibrant restaurants for dinner and a show including acrobats, musicians and a Berber parade.

Enjoy a full-day sightseeing tour that will take in the highlights of Marrakech, including magnificent Bahia Palace and the 12^th-century Koutoubia Mosque that stands out among the skyline with its soaring minaret. Stroll through Majorelle, a beautiful botanical garden and artist’s landscape garden, and explore the Dar Si Said Museum. An optional lunch follows in the medina before walking through the bustling souks. At dusk enjoy drinks and a sunset view from a café terrace above the square, with dinner at your hotel.

You’ll have the day to do as you wish, with options for day trips to coastal Essouira or the Atlas Mountains. If you’d like to see more of Marrakech, stick around and relax or take advantage of one of the many spas with hammams for a tranquil soak and perhaps some indulgent treatments. You might delve into the culture through its food with a food tour, take a vintage sidecar ride through the city’s enticing streets, or take an unforgettable hot air balloon ride over the High Atlas Mountains . Tonight, enjoy dinner at a typical Moroccan restaurant, or your hotel.

Say goodbye to Marrakech this morning with a scenic drive that brings spectacular views of the mountains and valleys on your way to Ait Benhaddou, a remarkable fortified kasbah that sits high atop a hill. The medieval city has been featured in famous films like “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Gladiator,” thanks to its unrivalled beauty. You’ll continue to Ouarzazate, another popular Hollywood filming site for everything from “Game of Thrones” to James Bond movies. Enjoy dinner here in your hotel this evening.

Venture into the desert, passing through palm groves and fields of roses before stopping at magnificent Todra Gorge, the Grand Canyon of Morocco with its towering limestone cliffs that changes colours with the position of the sun. Enjoy exploring before continuing to Merzouga. From here, depending on the season, you may be able to enjoy a swim before climbing atop a camel for a ride into the Sahara to marvel at a desert sunset. Tonight, camp among the dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Wake up to a stunning desert sunrise and enjoy breakfast before returning by camel to meet your driver who will bring you to medieval Fes. The long drive features many alluring sights, including cedar forests filled with Barbary monkeys as you make your way through the Atlas range. Get a glimpse of the nomadic Berbers as they travel through the mountains, and stop in Ifrane, with its Swiss alpine looks, just before reaching your hotel in Fes where you’ll enjoy dinner tonight.

After breakfast at your hotel in Fes, join your inspiring guide for a tour of the historic city, founded in the 9^th-century, home to the world’s oldest university. You will explore Fes’ three main areas:  Fes el Bali, the oldest area of the city,  filled with 9,000 streets and alleyways, surrounded by city walls, ‘New’ Fes is where you’ll find the Jewish quarter, and the city’s newest addition, Villa Nouvelle, founded under French rule, before heading back to your hotel for a relaxing afternoon.

You’ll get a full day to enjoy the country’s cultural capital at your leisure. For an authentic local experience, relax at one of the many hammams throughout the city. You might want to do some shopping at one of the oldest souks, like the Henna Souk which offers traditional cosmetics like henna and ceramics. Be sure to visit the Golden Gates at Royal Palace, one of the top spots in Fes for photos. This evening you will join a local family for dinner in the Medina, to learn about authentic recipes, ingredients, and gastronomy, which will provide you with a firsthand understanding of Moroccan culture, and hospitality.

Your enchanting adventure leaves Fes after breakfast, with a scenic drive toward the Rif mountains and the famous Blue City, Chefchaouen. Travel through Meknes, the fortified Ismailia capital with its 17^th-century heritage where you’ll enjoy lunch along the medina’s massive walls and visit the Moulay Ismail Shrine, a 18th-century mausoleum with Islamic architecture, intricate details & the tomb of a famous sultan. You’ll be delivered to your hotel in Chefchaouen, a blue dream with its vibrant blue architecture nestled in the hills.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then head out to explore Chefchaouen, one of the world’s most photogenic places, for a guided tour. Row after row of buildings at its center are covered in blue paint in shades that range from baby blue to aquamarine. The unusual colouring was introduced by Jewish refugees who arrived during the 15th century Spanish Inquisition. There are no cars along the narrow streets, where you can check out vendors selling their wares in the traditional, open-air markets.

After breakfast and checking out of your Chefchaouen hotel, travel to the capital city of Morocco, Rabat for a guided tour. Located on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg, you’ll see the 12^th-century Hassan Tower and visit a mausoleum, a masterpiece of modern Alaouite architecture, along with Roman ruins and the Kasbah des Oudaias which overlooks the sea. The last leg travels the highway to Casablanca where you’ll check into your hotel, enjoying dinner there this evening.

After 11 nights of exploring beautiful Morocco, your luxury tour has come to an end. After breakfast and checking out of your hotel, you’ll be met with private transfer for the drive to either Casablanca or the Marrakech airport to catch your flight home, or for further travels.