| Day | Date | Description | Accommodation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu, 9/13 | Leave Santa Fe and fly to Amsterdam. Delta Confirmation: GLBRFW
|
Overnight Flight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Fri, 9/14 | Exploring Amsterdam. | Amsterdam Amstel Amsterdam Res # 60047777  Intercontinental Amsterdam Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Sat, 9/15 | Exploring Amsterdam. | Amsterdam Amstel Amsterdam |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Sun, 9/16 | Exploring Amsterdam. | Amsterdam Amstel Amsterdam |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Tour 1 |
Mon, 9/17 | First night in Morocco after flying to Casablanca from Amsterdam. Iberia Air Confirmation: YC5YGW
|
Casablanca Le Doge Conf # MorT6f87j339MaLe  Hotel Le Doge Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 Tour 2 |
Tue, 9/18 |
PICK UP AT YOUR CASABLANCA HOTEL A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer between Casablanca and Fes. During the transfer, enjoy some brief touring stops including a visit to Meknes, the famed Ismailia capital known for its 40 km long walls and numerous gates. Next, visit Bab Mansour, the Royal stables, the amazing markets and also the popular Jewish quarter. Before arriving in Fes, explore the ruins of the ancient city of Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay Idriss. Upon arrival into Fes, a hotel drop-off is provided. |
Fes Riad Fes (Riad Fes website: Slow to load, but nice pictures) Conf # Mor2-289226  Riad Fes Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 Tour 3 |
Wed, 9/19 | A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day. Explore the cultural and spiritual center of Morocco during this full day tour of Fes. Also known as Fes el Bali, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century, and is home to the world’s oldest university. The city of Fes reached its true economic and cultural height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Merinids, when it replaced Marrakech as the capital of the kingdom. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fes has retained its status as the country’s Artisan centre. Artisan workshops in the medina are as active today as they were 100 years ago, and strongly contribute to the city’s industrial economy. Trades such as blacksmithing, leather working, ceramics, silk, tapestries, and sculpting are still practiced in these workshops today. The original ramparts still protect this ancient city and its estimated 9000 narrow passageways and bustling streets. |
Fes Riad Fes (Slow to load, but nice pictures) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 Tour 4 |
Thu, 9/20 | A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day. The Clock cafe cooking school is happy to provide genuine cooking experiences and intensify your sensory experience of Morocco! From recipe to souk, through preparation to plate, Clock school, located in the gastronomic capital of Fez, will chaperone you every step of the way. Learn traditional Moroccan cooking with the chef Souad, a member of the team who have helped make Café Clock into ‘probably the best café in Morocco. She has grown up with the secrets to traditional Moroccan cooking and is passionate about keeping them alive. What better insight into the people of the ancient Fez Medina than by fully immersing yourself in the huge diversity of flavours that keep them going? If cooking is an expression of a culture, then Fez and Clock Kitchen are shouting out loud!! Start the day at 10h00 am by choosing the menu. Then it’s off to the souk, dodging the donkeys, bargaining with vendors, where Souad will get you shopping for the freshest and best ingredients. Food sustains Fez and you can help sustain its economy as well. By learning how to shop locally you will help traditional vendors stay that way. By 3pm you will have practiced traditional techniques, understood the diversity of sumptuous flavours and be enjoying the 3-course feast that you have created. You will also have experienced the warm hospitality that’s at the real heart of Moroccan cuisine and is the essence of Café Clock’s Clock Kitchen.
Enjoy an afternoon’s guided tour of the labyrinthine souks of the city. Amongst the many shops and stalls are artisans’ workshops and studios where traditional skills, passed down by the Moorish émigrés from Andalucia, are still practised by master craftsmen. Trades such as metal and leather working, ceramics, silk, tapestry, and sculpting remain current. Highlights of the tour will be observing the vast tanneries from a family home for this unique view, and the spice souk, El Attarine, without doubt the most vibrant in Fes. The henna and wood working souks are located in the Nejjarine neighborhood and the scent of cedar wood is noticeable. The main plaza is planted with trees and provides a shaded haven from the warm sun. Various natural products derived from henna are sold here. Nejjarine is also where the fabric dyers are located; wool and cotton are treated and you can see the colours used floating along the streets after the rinsing. |
Fes Riad Fes (Slow to load, but nice pictures) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 Tour 5 |
Fri, 9/21 | Travel in a privately driven vehicle from Fes to Marrakech, making a lunch stop en-route. Explore the rugged terrain of the Middle Atlas Mountain range, boasting towering cliff faces, and incredible passes. Visit the Berber village of Immouzer de Kandar and the university town of Ifrane for a glimpse into rural living in Morocco. Explore the Kasbah of Ras El Ain and mingle amongst the merchants to find the perfect gift. The approximate travel time is 7 hours. | Fes Riad Fes (Slow to load, but nice pictures) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 Tour 6 |
Sat, 9/22 | A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day. After breakfast you will be met at your hotel and taken on a full day guided tour of Marrakech. Your tour usually starts at the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque but you can discuss all of the options with your guide. The mosques beautiful minaret dominates the skyline of Marrakech and can be seen from almost every approach to the city thanks to a long-standing planning ordinance that forbids any other building in the old city to rise above the height of a palm tree. You will also visit the El-Bahia Palace, this 19th century palace is elaborate in its decoration and was built over a period seven years for Ba Ahmed, the son of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa, there are row after row of apartments—that once housed Ahmed’s harem—a trapezoidal garden, a huge tiled courtyard, and many hidden treasures, both in the form of antique objects d’art and the palace’s convergence of Andalusian and Moorish architecture. One of most visited sites in Morocco is the Saadian Tombs which were only accessible via the mosque next door. However, in 1917 they were opened to the public and can now be accessed via a narrow passage that leads to an enclosed garden watched over by two mausoleums that include more than one hundred mosaic decorated tombs. The Koranic School Medersa Ben Youssef which is a Theological college founded by the Merenid Sultan Abu Hassan in the 14th century, and restored in 1564 by the Saadians who made it the largest theological college in the Maghreb and a rival to the important Medersa Bou Inania in Fés. |
Marrakech Conf # Mor2-289226  Riad Kniza Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 Tour 7 |
Sun, 9/23 | A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day. Today you’ll spend your time exploring the Mellah: A Jewish district and visit the Synagogues and cemetery. Marrakech had a strong Jewish community specialised in commerce and handicrafts. You’ll have a private guide and driver for the day so they will be able to take you to the various synagogues in the Mellah. In the afternoon, enjoy some time on your own to relax. |
Marrakech Riad Kniza |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 Tour 8 |
Mon, 9/24 |
A private vehicle with English speaking driver will be at your disposal for the day. After breakfast you will transfer from Marrakech to the High Atlas Mountains. The walking in this region is fantastic and here we have listed some of the most scenic and spectacular. There are some fabulous walks from the Kasbah which can be tailor-made to suit your interests and fitness level (from 45 min walks to 7hour treks with a private mountain guide. You can also choose to do 4X4 excursions, Horse or Mule Treks, Mountain Biking or choose to just relax at this fantastic property. All activities can be booked direct at the hotel or if you would prefer us to book them prior to arrival we would be happy to make the arrangements. (activities not included in the tour price) The High Atlas Mountain region boasts a wide variety of trekking possibilities, and is suitable for visitors of all ages. For those unable to meet the physical demands of trekking with equipment, mule support for transporting bags or travellers can be provided. An experienced guide will accompany each trek, and will provide historical information about the area`s visited. During the trek, a picnic lunch is provided. Tonight you will have dinner at the Kasbah Toubkal. |
High Atlas Mountains Kasbah du Toubkal  Kasbah du Toubkal |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 Tour 9 |
Tue, 9/25 |
The High Atlas Mountain region boasts a wide variety of trekking possibilities, and is suitable for visitors of all ages. For those unable to meet the physical demands of trekking with equipment, mule support for transporting bags or travellers can be provided. An experienced guide will accompany each trek, and will provide historical information about the area`s visited. During the trek, a picnic lunch is provided. Tonight you will have dinner at the Kasbah Toubkal. |
High Atlas Mountains Kasbah du Toubkal |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 Tour 10 |
Wed, 9/26 | A private vehicle with an English speaking driver will provide a transfer from the High Atlas Mountain region to Essaouira. The approximate travel time is 3 hours.
After breakfast, set out accompanied by an experienced guide for a tour of Essaouira, a charming, whitewashed town and former Portuguese colony. Explore the lively port area, the colourful souk and market places, and the lovely street of thuya craftsmen. |
Essaouira Villa Maroc  Villa Maroc Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 Tour 11 |
Thu, 9/27 | Essaouira offers a great variety of optional activities. Choose between mountain biking, hiking, horseback, fishing, sailing, surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing, camel rides, visits to vineyards, trekking, visits to Argan oil production, rural tourism. | Essaouira Villa Maroc |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 Tour 12 |
Fri, 9/28 | Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel. | Essaouira Villa Maroc |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 Tour 13 |
Sat, 9/29 | A private vehicle with English speaking driver will provide a transfer between Essaouira and Casablanca. The approximate travel time is 5 hours. | Casablanca Le Doge Conf # MorT6f87vx35MaLe Hotel Le Doge Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Sun, 9/30 | Fly to Lisbon. Royal Air Maroc Confirmation: 4ZH4L5
|
Lisbon Hotel Britania Conf # 56171SY000180  Hotel Britania Pictures |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Mon, 10/01 | Explore Lisbon. | LisbonHotel Britania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Tue, 10/02 | Return Home. Delta Confirmation: GLBRFW
|
Santa Fe |
This Post Has One Comment
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Kate Jacobs
21 Jun 2012This is SO exciting, Dad! You’ve put together a great itinerary!