Morocco | Morocco - Fes to Marrakesh
Entering a desert encampment after sunset, you see only the glowing Berber tents carpeted with kilims. Cumin-scented stew simmers over a campfire. And away from the native singers and the circle of light, the sky is simply amazing. Not until a morning breeze stirs your tent's flap do you see in full light how stunning your desert setting is. Morocco is full of surprises and this is just one of the many we share with you. Colossal Saharan dunes. Cool cedar-forested mountains. Narrow gorges with ribbon-like oases in their depths. And the Kasbah? It's the word for fortress and a restored one from the Middle Ages is actually one of our hotels. The marvelous news is that, for all its surprises, Morocco also delivers everything you expect. We take in the vivid, noisy markets. And warm hospitality from a culture accustomed to the diversity of Berber, Arab, Jewish, African and Mediterranean influences. You may also be surprised to know that the climate is moderate; this is the coolest and most welcoming of the African nations.
| Duration: | 9 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW39 |
| Trip Style: | Deluxe - 5 star |
| Departure Dates: | 05 Nov 2011, 28 Dec 2011, 21 Jan 2012, 10 Mar 2012, 12 May 2012, 01 Sep 2012, 03 Nov 2012, 28 Dec 2012 |
| Price: | From $4,245 |
| Single Supplement: | $730 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
This tour offers a stimulating blend of easy walking and exposure to local culture and history. Expect an active but casually paced tempo that offers plenty of opportunity to absorb the environment, sightsee and relax. Over a third of guests travel on their own, so you'll fit right in.
In your small group (just 10 guests on average and no more than 18), there will typically be a mix of solo travellers, couples, and friends or family members travelling together. If you are like many people travelling solo and prefer a room to yourself, you'll find the single supplement is reasonable. Of course, at your request, we can invite another solo traveller on the tour to share the accommodation with you.
Trip Details
GROUP SIZE: 10 average (18 max.)
SEASONAL PRICE RANGE: $4,245 to $4,455
Single Supplement: $730
DAY 1 - FÈS
We meet at our enchanting hotel in Fès, just minutes from the center of the medina. From here, we depart for a visit to the ceramic district where artisans show us how they create fine tiles, mosaics and ceramics. We also visit a 16th century fortress featuring a number of pieces from the Stone Age, as well as a 19th century palace that is now an arts and crafts museum. Later today, relax by the pool, or walk through the seven acres of lovely private gardens at our luxurious hotel before gathering for a typical Moroccan dinner.
Overnight: Fès - Meals: D
DAY 2 - FÈS
We wake today in royal splendor - literally. Our hotel is a palace that was once the residence of the Grand Vizir of Jamai. If you can pull yourself away, join our guide for a memorable morning walk in the countryside surrounding Fès. We begin at a Berber village and first follow a forested footpath. We're likely to encounter locals carrying wood on their donkeys before our views expand to include apple orchards and olive groves. Along the way, we'll pass ochre-colored villages before we arrive late morning at the home of Berber friends who welcome us into their home for tea, fresh almonds and local pastries.
Midday, we lunch at a friend's farm before continuing back to Fès to enjoy its mystical splendor. We begin our afternoon with a guided exploration of the largest Medina-the old walled part of the city-in the western part of the Islamic world. A highlight of the tour is wandering through the labyrinthine streets and visiting the stalls and workshops that pop up around every corner. This part of town dates back to the 9th century, and we're able to watch craftsmen create their wares with techniques that haven't changed since then.
Tonight we dine at La Maison Bleue, one of the finest restaurants in Morocco, where the specialties are centuries-old recipes prepared nowhere else in the country. The elaborate building is a perfect example of Arabo-Andalusian architecture with intricate floral and geometric patterns carved on plaster and beautiful fountains laid with colorful mosaics.
Overnight: Fès - Meals: B, L, D
DAY 3 - MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS
We depart from the hotel to journey through the Middle Atlas Mountains. Today is one of two days that combines a fairly long drive with walks and visits. We're rewarded with some of the most spectacular scenery and views in Africa as we drive through cedar forests, high plateaus, and clay and cut stone villages. An hour outside of Fès, we take a walk of almost a couple of hours to view the cedar forests up close; Barbary apes and shepherds are our likely companions along the way. As we move into the High Atlas, the scenery shifts to tall peaks, deep gorges, and pre-Saharan hills and sand dunes scattered with medieval Kasbahs and clay villages.
In the afternoon, we'll drive across the canyons of the Ziz River between Midelt and Errachidia, which offers us an opportunity to enjoy the stunning variety of the Moroccan countryside. Our home for the night is a restored medieval Kasbah surrounded by an expansive date palm oasis. A high clay wall surrounds not only the hotel but also a lovely inner garden filled with henna, desert roses and pomegranates.
Overnight: Erfoud - Meals: B, L, D
DAY 4 - MERZOUGA
Nearby is the medieval city of Risani. Our explorations today begin with a morning walk through the 17th century walled city, pausing to talk with locals and meandering the various districts. A stop late morning takes us into the home of Blue Man family. After our visit, lunch precedes a one-hour drive by Land Rover to explore an unparalleled sight-the soaring red sand dunes of Merzouga, the highest in the world.
In time to see the sunset over the dramatic landscape, we climb aboard camels for a memorable ride to the dunes before continuing back to our own private Berber encampment. The Berbers are the indigenous people of Morocco who have inhabited North Africa from as early as 3000 B.C. We are staying in the home of the Blue Men, an ethnic group whose tribal territory stretches over a large part of the western edge of the Sahara.
The camp consists of large nomadic tents made of hand-woven camel and goat hair, which make the tents cool and waterproof. Each tent is decorated with mattresses and colorful fabrics and carpets from different tribal origins. The area between the tents is covered with Berber kilims and decorated with lanterns-creating the feeling that we have entered a magical world from another time. Our dinner is a feast of couscous, lamb, vegetables, and a variety of Berber specialties.
Overnight: Merzouga - Meals: B, L, D
DAY 5 - TINEGHIR / TODRA GORGE
It's not until we awake in the morning that we see in full light how stunning our desert setting truly is. Sleep in if you'd like, or join our guide for a second camel ride, this time to see the sunrise over the dunes. After an open-air breakfast, we return to paved roads for an hour-long scenic drive along the mountainous edge of the desert to Tineghir where our morning walk leads us past fields of alfalfa, henna, barley and mint in the shade of palm and almond trees.
This afternoon, we continue on our way to Ouarzazate, stopping for a scenic walk through one of Morocco's most magnificent natural sights, the 900-foot deep Todra Gorge. On a walk of a couple of hours we follow along the crystal-clear river, enjoying the lush greenery-including oleander, laurel, and fig trees-that flourish in this lovely oasis. We finish the afternoon with a drive to Ouarzazate, where our hotel is designed as a ksar, a typical walled Moroccan village. The rooms are scattered throughout the beautifully manicured gardens, while the main building houses props from the many movies filmed in and around Ouarzazate.
Overnight: Ouarzazate - Meals: B, L, D
DAY 6 - OUARZAZATE / AIT BEN HADDOU
A morning walk today leads through a nearby oasis, full of palm and almond trees. Along the way, our guide shares with us stories and anecdotes of the people and cultures that have lived in the area. Late morning, we make a short transfer to Ait Ben Haddou, one of the most exotic and best-preserved Kasbahs in the Atlas region. This Kasbah may seem vaguely familiar to you. It has been used for scenes in almost 20 films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and Romancing the Stone. The fortress has also played an important part in Moroccan history; it served as a rest area during medieval times for the caravans that traveled from Marrakesh to Timbuktu.
After lunch in the Kasbah, we return to our hotel in the mid-afternoon, where we have some time at leisure to explore the ancient city, visit the Turkish baths or arrange a massage.
Overnight: Ouarzazate - Meals: B, L, D
DAY 7 - OURIKA VALLEY / MARRAKESH
The drive to Marrakesh is four hours; we've broken it with a memorable walk that lasts two to three hours. On the way to our walk, our drive takes us through Tizi n' Tichka, the highest mountain pass in Morocco. Driving into the Ourika Valley, we're surrounded by the High Atlas Mountains. The scenery is stunning, and the waterflow from the mountains makes the valley lush and fertile, with a number of rivers and waterfalls.
We reach the Berber hamlet of Tamzenddirt where we begin our walk, first following the river and then up along a winding hillside path surrounded by fields of corn toward the village of Anins. Throughout the walk, we enjoy scenic views that include meadows with poplars and weeping willows, and perched villages constructed from the local clay. As we complete our final countryside walk of the week, we cross back over the Ourika River to the village of Aghbalou, where our vehicle meets us.
Our home for the next two nights is a beautiful hotel nestled on more than 10 acres of lush parkland in the Menara district. As the sky darkens, the tinkling fountains and coconut trees of the Andalusian gardens are illuminated against the night sky. Tonight you can dine on your own at one of several excellent restaurants in Marrakesh, and then retire to our hotel.
Overnight: Marrakesh - Meals: B, L
DAY 8 - MARRAKESH
Marrakesh, the fourth of Morocco's imperial cities, has long been a center of African Islamic civilization. The most famous scholars and philosophers in the world converged in Marrakesh in the Middle Ages, and the wealth that flowed into the city helped create outstanding architecture and public gardens. After breakfast, our visits include a stroll along the Djemaa el-Fna square. This is the heart of Marrakesh-an exhilarating mix of snake charmers, monkey tamers, storytellers, magicians, acrobats and other performers.
We've saved the remainder of the last day for a guided tour of the Souks, which is where you'll be able to shop for Berber carpets, tribal jewelry, or other Moroccan crafts. Tonight we have farewell cocktails and dinner in a private home featured in Moroccan Interiors, a book published in 1997 that profiles the best interior design in Morocco.
Overnight: Marrakesh - Meals: B, L, D
DAY 9 - MARRAKESH / DEPARTURE
We end our journey through Morocco after an early breakfast as we provide transportation to the airport and assist you with check-in.
Meals: B
TRIP GRADING: Easy to moderate
SOME OF THIS TOUR'S FINE HOTELS
Palais Jamai
Our goal is always to find the most interesting and memorable lodging a region offers. One of our favorites from this itinerary is Palais Jamai. Considered one of the best hotels in Morocco, Palais Jamai is located in the heart of Fes' medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The palace, which was once the residence of the Grand Vizir of Jamai, was built in the Moorish style and is surrounded by lush gardens. Facilities include a lovely swimming pool, tennis courts and a fitness centre.
Le Meridien N'Fis
Marrakesh is a city with a rich cultural heritage and exotic flair, set against the backdrop of the majestic Atlas Mountains. Nestled on more than 10 acres of lush parkland in the Menara district of the city, the hotel is the perfect setting to experience Marrakesh. As the sky darkens, the illuminated Andalusian gardens, with their tinkling fountains and coconut trees, provide an enchanting atmosphere to enjoy a cocktail and reflect on our travels.
Inclusions
- First class accommodation
- All breakfasts and lunches, and 7 dinners
- Full-time experienced guide(s) who are with you throughout the trip
- Support vehicle(s)
- Admissions to historic sites and other scheduled events in the itinerary
- Gratuities for hotels, meals and baggage
- Trip literature
- All land transportation during the trip
Terms & Conditions
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For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
