Morocco Odyssey

Upon arrival at Mohammed V International Airport, proceed through customs and immigrations. Once you exit through the arrivals area you will be met by Goway's local representative holding a signboard with your name on it and then transferred to your hotel.

This evening enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel.

Accommodation: New Hotel Piscine Wellness & Spa

Explore Morocco's largest metropolis and industrial hub this morning. Visit the old French quarter of Habous, see the beaches lapped by green-blue water, and an interior visit to Hassan II Mosque. The mosque is among the largest in the world with its minaret, the tallest religious structure in the world. It can house as many as 25,000 worshipers! Have lunch at a restaurant in Casablanca and then drive to Rabat.

In Rabat, have a brief tour visiting the capital’s most famous site, the 12th-century Hassan Tower. Alongside is the Mausoleum dedicated to Mohamed V, the grandfather of the current king. You’ll also visit the Kasbah of the Udayas, which was built on a cliff overlooking the city and Atlantic Ocean. Its gate is one of the most beautiful illustrations of Moorish architecture. Within its walls, you'll discover a wonderful Moroccan garden, with melodious fountains and sweet-smelling orange trees. After the tour, continue to your hotel, a traditional Moroccan Riad, a boutique property. Riad’s are located in the old cities of Morocco and are built with an indoor courtyard or garden, they were typically residential homes and palaces. We’ll have dinner at a local restaurant tonight. 

Accommodation: Riad Zyo

After breakfast, drive to the ancient Roman city of Volubilis to explore its stunning ruins, impressive stone arches and columns, some tumbled down and others still standing tall. Only about half of the 40 hectares of this UNESCO World Heritage site have been excavated. Here you will also see the decorative tile mosaics depicting mythological beings. So many of these tiles are still in place!

Then we drive to Meknes for lunch. Meknes is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the imperial cities of Morocco. Its impressive monuments recall the splendor of this fortified city, first built in the 17th century by the powerful sultan Moulay Ismail, to rival the court of his contemporary, the Sun King Louis XIV of France. You’ll get to see the monumental Bab Mansour gateway - considered one of the finest great gates of Morocco, the king's tomb that sits at the heart of what remains of the original imperial city, flanked by the almighty royal granary. Continue to your hotel in Fes for some time to refresh before dinner at a restaurant.

Accommodation: Barcelo Medina

Take a step back in time into the Middle Ages with a visit of one of the most imperial, timeless, and untouched cities in the world, the cultural heart of Morocco, Fes El Bali (Old Fes). Explore some of the 9,000 narrow lanes and alleys in the souks (open air markets) that make-up the labyrinth of the city's old quarter, originally founded in the 8th century. The Imperial capital was a renowned medieval learning center, and at its heart still remains the Karaouine, one of the oldest, still functioning universities in the world. Nearby is the Attarine Medersa (Koranic college), a jewel of Hispano-Moorish architecture, built in the 14th century. Then you’ll visit the Nejjarine Square, with its beautiful fountain, a mosaic of elaborate tilework. Stop at a restaurant for lunch.

After lunch we visit New Fes, built in the 13th century with its Royal Palace, mosques, madrasas (Koranic schools), souks and city walls. Most notably, the Jewish quarter provides an interesting insight into Jewish architecture. The wrought iron decorated windows and splendid carved wood balconies of the old mansions are particularly outstanding.

One of the most interesting sites in Fes is the leather souk with the oldest leather tannery in the world. The tannery dates back nine centuries. After the tannery visit, you will be introduced to the world of Moroccan pottery and ceramic with a local professional craftsman. For this pottery workshop, the teacher will show you the tools and supplies, and will give a short history on how this craft has been carried out in Fes. You’ll be divided in small groups depending on your knowledge level and experience. Raise your sleeves, put on an apron, and start your own project! 

Leaving Fes this morning, we drive through the Middle Atlas into the South with a break in the quiet French built alpine resort town of Ifrane. We continue our journey while we enjoy the views of verdant cedar forests, volcanic mountains, wind-swept plains, spectacular gorges, and stony desert. Continue to Midelt, which serves as the commercial center of a large agricultural hinterland. It is also one of Morocco's principal cities for the mining industry.

You will have lunch in Midelt before continuing your journey along the marvelous oasis of the Ziz Valley before arriving in Erfoud, port of entry to the Saharan dunes, located at the southern end of the Ziz Oasis. Known as the “the Gate of Sahara Desert”, Erfoud was built by the French around 1920 as an outpost and foreign legion stronghold. This frontier town on the Algerian border has a definite wild west feel to it (in this case, Wild South). Fossilized bathtubs and moist-sweet dates are its current claims to fame. Then travel overland to Merzouga, the heart of the desert, and surf the sandy sea on a powerful Land Rover.

Dinner and overnight at your Desert Camp nestled in the dunes. Enjoy stargazing and sitting by the campfire this evening. 

Accommodation: Madu Camp

Take an early morning sunrise camel ride along the golden sand dunes in Merzouga. Return to your camp for breakfast and then drive to Tinghir. Tinghir is a gorgeous 40 km oasis, which boasts one of the largest palm groves in the country. Enjoy walking at the famous Todra Gorge, a 300 m wall, carved deep into the High Atlas Mountains.

Leave Tinghir heading to Dades and its charming valley. Stop there to take pictures then continue along to El Kelaâ M’Gouna, a large village famous for cultivating roses. Expect to find many fine, rose-infused products there. Continue to Ouarzazate, also known as the “Hollywood” of Morocco for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Oscar Hotel

This morning we’ll visit the city of Ouarzazate, beginning with the Taourirt Kasbah that is considered one of the most beautiful Kasbahs in the country, and the Film Studios (this visit is optional) where some of the most famous desert landscapes are being shot.

Continue to the spectacular fortress of Aït Ben Haddou, the iconic landscape immortalized in films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Game of Thrones and others. Leave Aït Ben Haddou crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the magnificent TizIn Tichka Pass (2,262m) to Marrakech, another incredibly scenic drive.

Accommodation: Longue Vie Hotel

After breakfast, the “Red City '' welcomes you with its majesty filled with palaces, gardens, markets, and mosques! We first see the Koutoubia Mosque with its 282ft minaret, an architectural landmark dating back to the late 12th century. Continue to the 19th century stunning Bahia Palace and discover the intricate work done by the local artisans to decorate this splendid home. The building includes one hundred and fifty rooms, countless courtyards and interior gardens, labyrinthic corridors, a Koranic school, hammams, a harem, and stables. From there we will start exploring artisan quarters and the colorful Souks to intermingle with the real life of Marrakech people.

Stop for lunch at a restaurant in the medina. After lunch, continue to Dar El Bacha Museum of Confluences. Built in 1910, it was the residence of Thami El Glaoui, named Pasha of Marrakech by Sultan Moulay Youssef in 1912. It is one of the medina's finest examples of Riad architecture, dripping with Moroccan Zellige (colorful geometric tilework), intricate white plasterwork, and heavy carved cedar-wood lintels. Then we visit Jemaa El F’na, an openair square surrounded by restaurants, stands and public buildings. It provides various forms of entertainment with fortune tellers, henna artists, fire eaters, story tellers, musicians and acrobats.

The tour will end in the early evening and then we’ll go for a traditional hammam. A hammam is a traditional Moroccan Spa, a place where space and time speak an ancient language. You will be immersed in total relaxation listening to your own body in reconciliation with yourself in an atmosphere filled with water, oils, essences, and perfumes. Enjoy a 30-min. scrub done by expert hands with black soap or soothing spices eliminating toxins from your body. After the Hammam, sway to the massage room where you will experience a 30-min. traditional Moroccan massage to eliminate tensions and gain energy and vitality. Tea is served in a relaxing room before you leave. Back to your hotel to get ready for our group dinner.

Get ready for a trek and a rich program in Amazigh (Berber) landscapes. You’ll drive to the valley of Imlil, a region famous for its fruit trees (apples, walnuts, almonds, peaches, etc.) and a favorite hitching post for mountain trekkers. Start your walk from the village, then switch to a mule (optional) pulled by its owner to ride to the hilltop where you’ll be greeted by a local family and invited into their home to share a traditional lunch served with bread and mint tea. Enjoy the opportunity to talk with the family, immersing yourselves in their fascinating way of life.

After lunch, transfer to the Ourika Valley where a gastronomic cooking experience awaits. The cooking class takes place on the terrasse of a modern Berber-style villa, in a spectacular setting with the Atlas Mountains in the background. A 3-stars New York Times Chef will greet you on their property where you will discover the secrets of Moroccan cuisine. The food you prepared will be served for dinner with a glass of wine. This activity includes a tour of the property, picking of fresh produce from the garden if the season permits, a traditional welcome tea session, a bread making demonstration done by a native Berber woman, and the preparation of a Moroccan dish. While the food is cooking, you are welcome to jump in the pool -if season permits! Return to your hotel in the evening. 

Take a full day excursion to Essaouira, a charming and exotic seaside town on the Atlantic coast. En route to Essaouira, explore the world of Moroccan wine with a visit of the winery Val d'Argan. You'll find the French winemaker Charles Melia and his beautiful vineyard, an ideal lunch spot. Upon arrival, you'll enjoy a tour of the vineyard and impressive facilities where Charles and his crew produce five ranges of wine: red, white, rosé, gris, and the most recent orange. Learn about the different kinds of grapes, what it's like to grow vines in Morocco, and how the production process works. Then, use your newfound knowledge to pair wines with delicious local food served on the patio.

After lunch and a short drive, visit an argan oil cooperative where you’ll observe how it is made. The demand for this product has increased significantly due to its use in both cosmetics and western cuisine. Then continue to Essaouira, with its beautiful, fortified walls and busy fishing harbor, it is known as the “Windy City of Africa” and has preserved a truly Moroccan charm. You’ll walk along the city walls north of Moulay Hassan Square and Skala de la Ville where you will enjoy an unmatched view of the city’s port and its beautiful collection of bright blue fishing boats. Explore the Medina where artists continue to display their crafts just as they have done for centuries, and where merchants in the many souks have plenty to offer, including spices, fine woodcrafts, and jewelry. Return to Marrakech. 

Enjoy a day at leisure in Marrakech to lounge by the pool or go shopping in the souks. We suggest a visit to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.

Tonight we have our group farewell dinner.

Today is at leisure until your transfer to the international airport in Marrakech for your departure flight.