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Moroccan
Escapade
Upscale - Private Tour - Arrive any day
A
Grand 14 days with extended stay at the seaside Essaouira
Experience
the romance of old Morocco everywhere on this 14-day tour, in ancient
kasbahs standing sentinel against invaders, along the winding lanes
of the medinas of Fez and Marrakech, the seaside town of Essaouira
, the Roman Ruins at Volubilis , Moulay Idris and in your very lodgings,
palaces and venerable homes that have been brought to life again as
Riads, combining the best of Arab hospitality with the appointments
of fine boutique hotels.
Compare with the 21
day edition , or
the 11 day version
Day 1 - Marrakech ( arrive any day - private touring)
You'll land at the airport of fabled Marrakech. Our local staff will
greet you and usher you directly to your accommodations at an upscale
Boutique Riad/Hotel , subject to availability at the time we receive
your booking), where a traditional welcoming mint tea and a fruit basket
await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation are foremost.
 Day
2 - Marrakech (BD)
This morning you'll take a private tour of Marrakech by horse-drawn
carriage. You'll see the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city,
and perhaps you'll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda
of Seville, in Spain. You'll continue to the Bahia palace, built in
the nineteenth century, with room after stately oriental room of intricate
plaster work and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens.
Finally, you'll see the Majorelle Botanical Gardens of Yves Saint Laurent,
planted with trees and flowers from all over the world. In the afternoon,
you'll discover the old city and always-lively Djemaa El Fna Square,
populated by water sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal
tamers, who carry on an endless flurry of activities straight out of
the middle ages. If you have a spare moment, the souks of Marrakech
will always keep you entertained. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 3- Marrakech (BD)
Morning
tour of the local souks and bazaars, a shopper's paradise. Return
to your hotel for the siesta .
Late afternoon,we'll escort you to the Palm grove on the outskirts of
Marrakech for a wonderful experience of camel riding at sunset. Before
we head for our gourmet Moroccan dinner with staff in traditional dress,
Gnaouas singers and dancers , their music reflect both Arabic and African
influence-, Arabo-Andalusian music well serenade us , the evening will
culminate with the traditional Belly dancer performance,gourmet Moroccan
food.
DAY4
- Trek in the High Atlas Friday
(BLD)
After
breakfast in you hotel, leave to Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech.
On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust
Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with it man made lake. It will take
you about an hour to reach Amizmiz , a typical Berber village , we tour
the Kasbah and the "Mellah" (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important
country market is held, where all the villagers from the area come for
their weekly shopping and gossiping. You can buy there interesting Regragra
potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home for a traditional
Berber breakfast then you will start your hiking first through Sidi
Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque
landscapes of the Atlas mountains , Berber villages with their houses
built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint
tea, you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be
transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon. Remainder of the
day at leisure enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel.
DAY
5 - OURIKA VALLEY, THE POTTERS VILLAGE OF TAFZA (BL)
This morning, we'll head 30 kilometers outside of Marrakech to the
lush valley of the Ourika River, which winds down from the peaks of the
High Atlas, through clusters of mud-walled houses. Our visit coincides
with one of the regular market days, and we'll walk among the stands of
butchers and vegetable-sellers, merchants of cereals and olive oil, itinerant
blacksmiths and sellers of patent medicines and herbal remedies. A barber
sets up shop with nothing more than a scissors, hand clipper, and stiff
wooden chair, an open-air eatery offers hot food freshly prepared on a
brazier. We'll continue to Tafza to see how vases and lamp bases are made
in home workshops, and to view quartz and amethyst and other minerals
of the region. We'll be received for tea in the customary local manner.
We'll meet up with local villagers at a well, help to draw water, and
join in preparing a Berber meal of soup, tanurt (bread), and tajine (meat
and vegetables cooked in a clay pot). Our hosts are modest local persons
who will appreciate offerings of useful small items, such as pencils or
notebooks, or even small treats, such as candy. We'll return to Marrakech
through the stunning scenery of the valley. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 6 - ESSAOUIRA (B)
Breakfast at the hotel . Drive to Essaouira, a a charming fishing
harbor. Renowned for generations for its production of "Murex", a small
shellfish used to make the purple dye for Roman togas.
Check-in at your hotel Ville de France or Riad Al Madina or similar.
Day 7 - ESSAOUIRA (B)
Breakfast is included always at the hotel. Day at leisure.
Essaouira is now a very active fishing harbor , with some Portuguese character
who settled here in the 16th century. Later on Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdellah
used it as a base for his corsairs. Today, protected from the sea and
the wind behind its commanding fortified medieval walls, Essaouira shelters
a flourishing craftsmanship in marquetry, working wood with ebony, mother
of pearl and silver thread to make tables, chessboards, caskets and bracelets.
Day
8 - Essaouira (B)
Half
day walking tour of the old souks and town. Remainder of the day at
leisure.
Day 9 - Casablanca (B)
Breakfast at the hotel, We'll escort you by private air conditioned
car/van heading for Casablanca,
Remainder of the day at leisure.
Day
10 - Casablanca / Fez (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. Tour the
old souks & local vegetable markets in the old Medina with the Witches
Market , where herbs and spices used in traditional cures, magic
spells, talisman and potions are sold, Olives souks and the market of
Bab Marrakech. Lunch included at a local restaurant. Tour the Grand
Mosque of Hassan II the largest in the world after that of Mecca , then
on to Fez by car , and your hotel.
where
you'll be met and ushered to your high end boutique Riad / Hotel - subject
to availability at the time we receive your booking) . You'll be welcomed
with a traditional mint tea,and a fruit basket.
Day 11 -Fez (BD)
Put on your walking shoes this morning for a trip in time back to the
ninth century, as you explore the old city of Fez. Its Medina and its
labyrinth of souks have been declared a world cultural treasure. Your
afternoon is free for relaxation or shopping or further exploration
as you wish. In the evening it's dinner and a show, with a difference.
The food is Moroccan-style, of course; and the show is a fascinating
view into Moroccan life, including a traditional wedding ceremony, Arabo-Andaluisan
music, and an enticing performance by a belly dancer.
DAY
12 - FEZ, VOLUBILIS, MOULAY IDRISS (BL)
We'll set out in the morning for the site of Volubilis, once the capital
of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitania. We'll have lunch en
route, and continue to Moulay Idriss, the picturesque shrine village
named for the founder of the kingdom, who is interred here. In the evening,
you'll attend a Sound and Light show in the Medina of Fez, in which
illumination and jets of water along with words help portray the history
of the city.
Day 13 - Fez - Cooking Classes (BD)
Spend a day in appreciation of Moroccan pleasures. In the morning, you'll
join a demonstration of Moroccan cuisine, known around the world. You
will have tasted Tajine, harissa, couscous, and much more. Now you'll
learn more about how these plates and sauces are prepared, and of the
many influences that have created the national cuisine. In the afternoon,
you will savor the benefits of the, the Hammam traditional relaxing
and restorative steam bath. Your farewell dinner will be at your hotel
Day 14 -Departure from Fez (B)
You'll be escorted to Fez Saiss airport, and onward travel to home.
Bon Voyage.
Rate per person in double in US$ 5215.00
Rate per person in single in US$ 6100 .00
Your tour includes:
- All transportation in morocco , private air conditioned sedan ,
mini van depending on the number in your party.
- All airport transfers in Morocco as described in the tour itinerary
- Accommodation as described, ( always subject to availability, we
keep the right to use alternative hotels within same category). Welcome
mint tea, roses, and fruit basket upon arrival at your deluxe Riads
/ Hotels
- Meals as indicated: cB = Continental breakfast;
L = set-menu lunch; D
= set-menu dinner
- Ground transportation in chauffeured, air-conditioned Mercedes
Benz automobile or where applicable chauffeured four wheel drive Turbo
Land Rover. Half-day horse-drawn carriage tour in Marrakech. Services
of licensed English-speaking guide and entrance fees to sites visited.
Camel ride in Marrakech palm grove. Sound and Light show in Fez.
- Hammam session (where available)
Not included:
-
Personal expenses
- Gratuities
for local personnel
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance
- International
air fare from/to home country.
The
grace and splendor of the Orient, traditional Arab hospitality, and
the fine service and amenities of a boutique hotel all come together
in the Moroccan Riad
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