Detailed Port Descriptions

Day 1 -               Casablanca

Upon arrival at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport you will be met by a Ya’lla Tours Morocco representative and set out for a city tour of Casablanca. Your tour includes the Place Mohammed V, a busy shopping street lined by residential blocks dating from the 1930s; the League of Arab States Park, which was built in 1925 and offers a large area of greenery with palm trees, arcades, pergolas and cafés with shady terraces. Drive through the Corniche, a beach front district offering an array of dining experiences as well as pools and beach access. On a hot day, the area brims with surfers, swimmers and sunbathers, offering a less traditional and a more holiday-escape side of Morocco. La Corniche offers the chance for a walk on the beach, or a dip in the sea. In the early afternoon, you will be transferred to your hotel for overnight. (D) Welcome Moroccan dinner is at a nearby restaurant.  

Day 2 -    Casablanca

Visit the impressive Hassan II Mosque. Completed in 1993 and located on a platform overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the iconic Hassan II Mosque is the second-largest mosque in the world, and one of few open to non-Muslims (through selected guided tour opportunities lasting around an hour each). The mosque, which can accommodate up to 25,000 worshipers, offers Muslims the chance to pray on a glass floor, giving the unique feeling of praying directly over the sea. Everyone is welcome to admire the beautiful piece of architecture at any time from the spacious courtyard, which alone can accommodate a further 80,000 people. Continue to Habous district with its Andalusian architecture. It has become a cultural and religious center for Casablanca, as it hosts important institutions belonging to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs as well as bookstores of important Moroccan and Arabic publishing houses. Then, visit the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) with its temples and synagogues such as Beth-El, Em Habanim and Neve Shalom.  Return to the hotel for the afternoon to participate in CME session 2:00-6:00pm. (B,D) Dinner tonight will be at the legendary Rick’s Café.  

Day 3 -     Tangier

After breakfast, depart Casablanca and drive 1½ hours to Rabat, capital city of Morocco. See the old medina; the picturesque Kasbah of the Oudayas and the Oudaya Gate, built during the Almohad dynasty. Also see the well-preserved Hassan Tower which was built by the Merinids in the 12^th and 13^th centuries. Walk into the Mohamed V Mausoleum, the burial place of the present King’s grandfather. Continue to the Mellah, with its narrow lanes and colorful courtyards, is now the home of a few Jewish families. Continue to the birthplace of Rabbi Hayyim Ben Moses Attar, the famous 18^th-century scholar and kabbalist known throughout the Jewish world for his Torah commentary, the Or Ha-Hayyim. Continue to Asilah, one of the most preserved cities in Morocco.  You will explore the beauty of the old Medina’s architecture, and the Portuguese ramparts built in the 15^th & 16^th Century.  This laidback artists’ town is dominated by pristine whitewashed houses and a lively cultural life.  The medina of Asilah has restored streets bordered by white houses with green and blue shutters, making it a visual delight.  The mixture of Roman, Spanish & Portuguese influence is evident everywhere in Asilah.  Bastions, towers and imposing ramparts offer the setting for delightful seaside walks and restaurants family for their seafood dishes. (B, L, D)  

Day 4 -    Tangier

After breakfast, you will meet your guide and driver and begin your tour of the old town.  You will visit the Kasbah (fortified area) and walk down the labyrinth streets of the medina through Petit Socco, the heart of the medina, which holds a good dose of history and legends on its back. For a long time, it was frequented by writers and artists in search of inspiration like Paul Bowels, William S. Borroughs and Allen Ginsberg. This corner is well known for its cafés terraces where the locals as well as the visitors can sit and enjoy the daily life of Tangier mixed with a nostalgic ambience over a cup of mint tea. The food markets are also worth visiting to see the variety of the local products with their multiple colors and mixed smells. Continue to the Grand Socco and St. Andrew's Church, quietly nestled off the busy market square, the Berber market and the Grand Mosque. This afternoon will be our second CME session 2:00-6:00pm. (B&D) Dinner tonight will be at Villa O Saveur.  

Day 5 -                        Tangier

Chefchaouen is situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The town was founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain. Chaouen (or Xaouen, from the Spanish), as it is often called by Moroccans, is a popular tourist destination given its proximity to Tangier and the Spanish border. Though there are few modern sights, there is a calm and relaxing atmosphere provided by this mountainous location. One distinction possessed by Chefchaouen is its blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition that comes from the town's former Jewish population.  This is a popular shopping destination, offering many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular with tourists. The tour of this blue and white medina includes the Place El Makhzen, the famous square Uta el Hamman and the Kasbah with its ethnographic museum and a small Andalusian Garden.  Lunch included in one of the city’s best restaurants. Return to Tangier for overnight. (B, L& D) Dinner tonight is at Nono Sea Taste Restaurant  

Day 6 -       Fes

Drive to Volubilis, this Roman city was a flourishing trade city in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries selling oil, corn, and wild animals. The Berbers who had been converted to Christianity occupied Volubilis until the 8^th century. The earthquake of 1755 destroyed the city, and it was found, and excavations started in 1887 and continue to this day.  A visit includes a tour of the ramparts 5 feet wide and 1.5 miles ling, which incorporate no fewer than forty bastions and eight 2^nd century gates. Then, continue south to Meknes, a former Imperial City of Morocco. You will see the old ramparts; the Agdoul Basin which was used to water the royal gardens and amuse the favourite concubines; the Moulay Ismail royal stables, granaries, and House of Water (Dar el Ma) which were built in the 17^th and 18^th centuries to house, feed and water the sultan’s twelve thousand horses; Bab el Mansour, one of the most beautiful gates in Morocco; and the intrigue of the Meknes landscape.  Continue to Fes for dinner and overnight. (B, L & D)  

Day 7 -      Fes

You will be met by your local guide at your hotel for your full day tour in Fes. We start our walking tour of the labyrinth of the medina of Fes (UNESCO World Heritage) with its colorful street of dyers, brass and brass workers at es-Seffarine. Walk through the winding streets of the Great Mosque el-Quarawiyyin and the University. Journey into the past to the magnificent Mosque and Souk el-Atterine, beautiful Medersa el-Atterine, the Kissaria Draz and tanneries on the bank of the Oued Fes. Continue to the Nejjarine Museum in a wonderfully restored funduq, an ancient inn used by travelling merchants who stored and sold their goods below and took lodgings on the floors above. Centered on a courtyard, the rooms are given over to displays of traditional craftsmen’s tools, chunky prayer beads and Berber locks, chests, and musical instruments. Everything is beautifully presented, although the stunning building gives the exhibits a run for their money. The rooftop cafe has great views over the medina. Photography is forbidden near the exhibits but is allowed in the courtyard and from the rooftop. In the afternoon, visit the famous pottery kilns and tour around the walls with numerous Babs. (B,L & D) Dinner tonight is at Maison Blanche  

Day 8 -      Fes

After breakfast, drive to Fes Jdid built by the Merinid dynasty during the 13th and 14th century. Here you can enjoy the beautiful artisans’ work on the Seven Gates of the Royal Palace, and a walk through the Mellah with its cemetery and synagogues. Then drive to see one of the most amazing handicrafts in Fes, the pottery. Fes pottery is often covered with a white glaze and decorated in a cobalt blue once the clay has been processed and dried in the sun, and this rich cobalt blue has become known as the Blue of Fes. Return to the hotel. Afternoon CME session, 2:00-6:00pm. (B & D)  

Day 9 -      Fes

At 8:00am, set out for Middle Atlas Mountains, through the village of Immouzzer du Kandar and the ski resort of Ifrane in the heart of a cedar forest. Continue with a full day drive across the cedar forests and picturesque scenery of the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud. Continue through the Ziz Gorge and Er Rachidia. Erfoud, situated amongst impressive Sahara dunes, is one of the largest oases in Morocco. From Erfoud, travel approximately 1 ½ hours to Merzouga and from Merzouga, a short drive will take you to your camp for dinner and overnight. (B, L & D) Lunch is at Taddart Restaurant    

Day 10 -             Ouarzazate

End your desert adventure with a camel trek to watch a fantastic sunrise over the dunes. Return to the camp for a Champagne breakfast. After breakfast at the camp, board your 4x4 to drive back to Erfoud. Board your touring bus and drive through Tinejdad, Tineghir and the Todra Pass in the beautiful 1,000 Kasbah Valley to El Kelaa des Mgouna and Skoura. After Skoura, palm trees are replaced by orchards and irrigated gardens. Roses for making perfume are the specialty of El Kelaa des Mgouna. Paris, the famous perfume by Yves Saint Laurent is made from the extract of these roses. You will find some nice shopping here for rose products such as rose water, body milk, dried petals etc. (B, L & D)    

Day 11 -    Marrakech

After an early breakfast depart by 7:30am for a visit of the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, an impressive 11^th century structure which has been declared an historical treasure by UNESCO.  Drive through mountainous and semi-desert landscape, over the High Atlas Mountains at Tizi N’Tichka Pass (7,400 feet) and across the fertile countryside of the Haouz Plain to the pink city of Marrakech.  (B & L)    

Day 12 -    Marrakech

Our city-tour of Marrakech begins at the Menara Gardens, with its Saadian Pavilion and olive groves. Continue to the Old Medina for a walking tour through the fascinating labyrinth, with a stop at the foot of the famous Koutoubia Minaret.  Continue to the Bahia Palace, with its lush Moorish style garden. Visit the Mellah which became home of a thriving community of native and Spanish Jews, famed for their rabbinical schools and scholars. Visit the Rabbi Hanania Hacohen cemetery, the burial place of Rabbi Mordekhai Ben Attar and Rabbi Pinhas Hacohen Azough known as the Patron of Marrakech. Stroll through the colorful souks of the medina and then experience the famous Jemaa El Fna Square, an ancient meeting place of North African tradesmen, entertainers, musicians, snake charmers and storytellers. This afternoon we will have our fourth CME Session, 2:00-6:00pm. (B)  

Day 13-    Marrakech

After breakfast, drive about 40 minutes to explore Anima Garden, a universal artist André Heller's opulent 3-hectare botanical garden. It is a magical place of wonder, contemplation, joy, and inspiration. You can stroll along its shady paths, between precious trees and shrubs, miracles of flowers and fragrances, pavilions, and sculptures. Unforgettable moments in the glory of African nature with an intoxicating view of the often-snow-capped Atlas Mountains with the 4,167-meter high Jbel Toubkal. Continue for another 20 minutes’ drive to visit the organic and aromatic gardens, Nectarome, nestled in the lush green valley of Ourika at an altitude of 840 meters.  On arrival you will have a guided tour of the property to discover the secrets and benefits of local plants as well as the Moroccan natural cosmetic products optimized by modern science, you then enjoy a succulent lunch, carefully prepared with organic vegetables and aromatic plants from the garden and served in its beautiful Pergola. Drive back to Marrakech for remainder of the day at leisure.  (B, L & D) Gala dinner at BoZin, with entertainment  

Day 14 -    Casablanca

Enjoy a relaxing morning. Mid-morning, you will be picked up from your hotel lobby, and before you leave Marrakesh, enjoy the last visit of the Majorelle Garden with a large variety of trees, plants and flowers from around the world. Then visit the brand new Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech. Then visit the new museum dedicated to the life and work of French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent has opened in Marrakech. Designed by Studio KO, the building sits a short distance away from Jardin Majorelle – the home acquired by Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. With a large permanent exhibition space designed by scenographist Christophe Martin, showcasing the collections of it's namesake, the museum also features temporary exhibition spaces, a research library and archives, an auditorium, bookstore, and a terrace café. Lunch en route. Then, drive to Casablanca for overnight. (B & L)  

Day 15 -    Casablanca

After an early breakfast you will be transferred to Casablanca Mohammed V Airport to return home with wonderful memories of marvelous Morocco. (B)