Colors of Morocco

On a captivating adventure through a land of centuries-old culture and customs, discover the “Land of Sunset” and “Gateway to Africa” – the country called Morocco.

Welcome to Morocco! Arrive in Casablanca, the economic hub of the country. With no scheduled sightseeing today, spend the day as you wish, exploring the city independently. Depending on your arrival flights, you may join your local Tour Manager on a vicinity walk around your hotel to get acquainted with the area and share a first toast to the tour.

Discover Casablanca’s many facets today. Begin at the Hassan II Mosque, Africa’s largest functioning mosque, and enjoy a privately led tour to learn about its history and significance. Admire the intricate ceramic tilework and hand-carved stone of this architectural masterpiece. Immerse yourself in local life at a lively market where fresh produce arrives daily from nearby farms and take the opportunity to interact with vendors. Enjoy free time to explore the Art Deco neighborhood, a reminder of Morocco’s French colonial past. Later, step inside Rick’s Café,* the legendary setting inspired by the film Casablanca, and join your fellow travelers for a memorable dinner.

Depart from Casablanca this morning for Fes. En route to Fes, stop in Rabat** to visit the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, an exemplar of modern Moroccan design. On a privately led tour, you’ll learn about the mausoleum’s history and admire its intricate ceramic tilework, hand-carved wood, marble, and bronze ornamentation that make it fit for a king. See the Kasbah des Oudaias with its whitewashed houses and winding lanes. Enjoy free time for lunch on your own, then continue to Fes, where you’ll spend the next 3 nights in a traditional riad.

Get ready to discover Fes, one of the holiest cities in the world. Learn about its history as a center of government, philosophy, medicine, and religion. Visit the Al-Qarawiyyin University (UNESCO), the oldest continuously operating university in the world, admiring its high arches and Andalusian influences. Take a deep breath before getting a closer look into an ancient tannery. Some Fes tanneries date back to the 11th century and continue to operate using traditional methods, offering a unique glimpse into the ancient craft of leather-making. On a walking tour of the 9th-century medina, explore the alleyways and stalls of this ancient market. Enjoy a free afternoon beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy your day at leisure in Fes. Explore the city further, strolling through marketplaces or maybe visiting a museum, like the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts, where you can admire displays of fine woodwork and artifacts inside a restored caravanserai. Perhaps you’ll join an optional tour to the archaeological site of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by lunch at a local winery that offers insight into Morocco’s wine-making traditions and the country’s cultural relationship with wine.

Cross some of Morocco’s most breathtaking desert landscapes on the way to the Sahara. En route, pause to bask in majestic views of the Middle Atlas Mountains. Arrive in Erfoud, called the “Door to the Desert,” where many famous movies were filmed, including The Prince of Persia and The Mummy.

Today, enjoy some free time in Erfoud, a fascinating oasis town known as the “Gateway to the Sahara.” You may want to relax at your hotel, explore Erfoud, or enjoy the hotel grounds. In the afternoon, make your way into the Sahara in a 4x4 for a 2-night stay under the stars in a luxury tented camp in the desert. On the way, stop at a fossil factory where you’ll discover Morocco’s fascinating paleontological heritage. This region is renowned for its rich deposits of ancient marine fossils, dating back hundreds of millions of years to when the Sahara was covered by ocean. Continue your journey into the desert for the real adventure: crossing the golden dunes to reach your camp.

Rise early to watch the sun illuminate the Sahara in stunning hues of orange, yellow, and red. This morning, you’ll have the opportunity to ride through the dunes on the back of a camel. Continue your day with a visit to a date farm to learn about the vital role oases play in local life. You’ll learn traditional field-irrigation methods passed down through generations and see how these ancestral techniques have sustained agriculture in arid regions for centuries. Then, visit the village of Khamlia to experience local village life. Meet with locals for an eye-opening and meaningful discussion before experiencing traditional sub-Saharan Gnawa music. Return to your camp as the sun sets over the desert. This evening, sit with your Tour Manager and learn more about the importance of Islam in Morocco through the centuries and its impact on modern day-to-day life in sub-Saharan Africa.

Return to the edge of the desert this morning and marvel as the sun illuminates the sweeping sands. Visit the fortified village of El Khorbat. Dating back to the 17th century, this village showcases Jewish and Muslim architecture and artifacts. Learn more about Berber culture while visiting the museum within the village. Enjoy a simple lunch at a local restaurant. This Impact Moment supports a business whose profits are used to conserve the cultural heritage and improve the living conditions of this small community. Later, arrive in Boumalne du Dades, where a golden sun lights up the gorge’s river valleys, palmeraies, and burnished mud-brick homes.

Follow the rugged “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs,” where turreted fortresses rise up like sandcastles along this ancient trading route. Arrive at the UNESCO site of the ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou and discover the earthen buildings, defensive walls, and corner towers that make the ksar a striking feat of Moroccan architecture. Before you reach the city of Marrakech, learn about a women-run tapestry cooperative and enjoy a homemade meal in their home, offering an authentic glimpse into local life and traditions. Continue along the Tizi n’Tichka Pass in the High Atlas Mountains, a scenic route through lush oasis valleys, imposing mountains, and Berber villages.

This morning, it’s your choice! Explore the Bahia Palace with its stunning architecture and gardens on a locally guided tour -OR- visit the Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum to discover the fusion of Arab, Amazigh, Mediterranean, and French influences in Moroccan cuisine, an ideal opportunity to shop and savor local fare at your own pace. Visit Jardin Majorelle, an iconic garden that beautifully showcases Morocco’s rich cultural heritage. In the afternoon, consider joining an optional bike tour through Marrakech and pedal along colorful streets and hidden alleys, passing historic landmarks, bustling souks, and lively squares.

Visit a women’s training center during today’s Impact Moment. With your visit, support a program that empowers women seeking social and financial stability through culinary training. Enjoy an interactive cooking class, gathering fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden and learning the secrets of making tagine, while also getting to know the stories of the chef trainees and the stigmas they face around women’s roles in society and the workplace. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers during a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Your tour comes to a close this morning.