Women-Only: Majestic Morocco

Apologies to Bogie, but here begins a beautiful friendship with Casablanca and this amazing country. After a morning arrival in Morocco’s economic and cultural center, you’ll be greeted at the airport by your Tour Director. Casablanca’s history—well, it’s complicated. Influences range from French to Spanish to Portuguese to Arab to British. You’ll catch a few of these influences on a guided tour, starting with a visit to the ornate Hassan II Mosque, which has the tallest minaret in the world. You’ll see some of Casablanca’s neighborhoods along the way to the city center. Sights include Mohamed V Square, the French-inspired Habous Quarter (also known as the New Medina) and the Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral. Your day concludes with an orientation meeting and a welcome dinner.

Hotel Odyssee Center or similar | Dinner

Today we’ll experience another medina, which is a historic part of a city, typically walled and with labyrinthine streets. After a sumptuous breakfast, we’ll travel to Marrakesh, home of a UNESCO World Heritage medina. Our afternoon tour starts at the 16th-century Saadian Tombs and continues to the Koutoubia Mosque and a masterpiece of Moroccan architecture, Bahia Palace. The highlight will be wandering past palm readers, snake charmers, acrobats and musicians to the medina’s main square, the famous Jemaa el-Fna. Evening is at leisure.

Le Meridien N’Fis Hotel or similar | Breakfast

Our destination for a full-day excursion is Essaouira, a town on the Atlantic coast with beautifully preserved Moroccan charm. Along the way, we’ll stop at the Marjana Cooperative to see how argan oil, highly in demand for cosmetics and cooking, is extracted. In Essaouira, we’ll walk along a beautiful fortified wall north of Moulay Hassan Square and on to Skala de la Ville for gorgeous views of bright blue fishing boats in the harbor. We’ll have time to explore yet another medina, where artists hone centuries-old crafts and merchants in the many souks (markets) sell spices and jewelry, before returning to Marrakesh for a free evening.

| Breakfast

After breakfast this morning, attend a Kaftan workshop! We’ll meet a Moroccan designer at her boutique and then continue to her workshop where we’ll draw from her extensive knowledge and experience in fabrics and the other materials used to make the garment. Learn more about her process from the design ideas and first sketches to assembly and finishes with each step executed with the greatest care and mastery. During the demonstration, we’ll enjoy a tea session with craftswomen and we’ll later have time to shop in the atelier.

Afterward, we’ll discover the gorgeous Atlas Mountains, North Africa’s greatest mountain range. Een route, admire majestic views of snowcapped mountains and spy the tiny Berber villages nestled in the hills. First, we’ll stop in Asni, a small town on the way to Toubkal Mountains and then Imlil, a favorite hitching post for mountain trekkers. Our mode of transportation shifts from car to mule as we ride to the hilltop Imlil where we’ll be greeted by a local family and invited into their home for traditional Berber bread and mint tea. With the help of our guide, you’ll have the opportunity to talk with the family and immerse ourselves in their way of life. Join them for a cooking class and unlock the secrets of the recipes they’ve mastered over the years. You’ll end the evening with an inside perspective on one of the world’s most highly cherished cuisines and with an early dinner with the family.

| Breakfast, Dinner

Our journey through majestic Morocco continues across the High Atlas Mountains and the spectacular Tichka Pass to Boumalne Dades. We’ll stop for a brief tour of Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This giant fortification, which showcases a unique example of pise clay architecture, has been a filming location for Gladiator and Game of Thrones. You’ll have time for lunch on your own before we continue to our final destination today: Boumalne Dades. Prepare to be wowed by this town set on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Tonight, savor an included dinner at your hotel.

2021 Departures: Xaluca Hotel or similar
2022 Departures: Hotel Riad Bahammou or similar
| Breakfast, Dinner

The only word for today’s full-day excursion is unforgettable! We’ll start in Rissani, a caravan center with a large vibrant souk at its heart, where we’ll hop into a 4×4 caravan to venture into the desert, winding through small villages before stopping in serene Tissardmine for a picnic lunch. As we ascend the peak of Erg Chebbi, prepare to be blown away by the desert vastness. We’ll “trade up” to camels for the real deal: a ride through the Merzouga dunes on camelback! Loaded with memories (and photos) you can’t wait to share, we’ll return to the hotel after sunset for dinner together.

| Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Fez is home to the oldest university in the world, and today we’ll join a local expert to learn more about this 1,200-year-old city, which was Morocco’s capital for 400 years and stands as one of the world’s largest, best-preserved medieval fortified cities. Our full-day exploration includes the Fez el Bali Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where life unfolds as it did centuries ago. We’ll wander the famous souks known for authentic Moroccan carpets and ceramics. After the high energy of the souks, a quiet lunch in a riad (a traditional Moroccan house with an interior courtyard) will be most welcome. We will also see the Nejjarine Fountains and Museum and the 14th-century Attarine Medersas (a place of education) before visiting Fes Jdid, the modern district of the city, in the afternoon. Here, we’ll explore the Jewish Quarter and the Royal Palace. This evening we’ll head to a traditional riad to enjoy a discussion of Moroccan history and culture over dinner with a prominent Moroccan academic. Our host this evening is a University Professor carrying out multidisciplinary work focused on the reigns of female sovereigns in the kingdom of Morocco from the medieval period through the early modern era.

| Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll tour Rabat’s fascinating historic sites, including the 19th-century Royal Palace, the “Gate of the Winds” (also known as Bab Rouah), and Hassan Tower, the minaret of an incomplete mosque that was originally intended to be the world’s largest. Our tour continues to the picturesque Kasbah of the Udayas, built in the mid 12th century, where you’ll walk through the French-colonial gardens and explore the fortress built to shield royalty from attacks. We’ll end at Chellah, a necropolis and the site of the ruins of the Roman town, Sala Colonia. After some free time in the afternoon, we’ll gather together for a farewell dinner.

The View Hotel or similar | Breakfast, Dinner