Experience the Heart of Morocco
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Experience the heart of Morocco, Africa at Europe’s doorstep… ancient cities, medinas, kasbahs, and souks… windswept coastline and desert treasures… on a 10-day journey that includes premier hotel stays – four nights in the melting pot of Marrakech, three nights in spiritual Fes, and one night in both Imperial Rabat and fashionable Casablanca, where ghosts of Bogie and Bergman still linger. Magic of Morocco starts in Imperial Rabat with royal sightseeing at the palace and the mausoleum of Mohammed V. Continue to Fes, where you’ll take your choice of walking tours – a culinary tour for sampling traditional elements of Moroccan cuisine… a walk in the medina for an insider’s look at artisan wares from rugs to metalwork… or a stroll in the Jewish quarter. Visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis, and have lunch in a private home in Moulay Idriss with a professor who shares thoughts on the life of women in Morocco. Head for Meknes, renowned for olives, wine and mint tea, where you’ll visit a madrasa and Sultan Moulay Ismail’s stables that once housed 12,000 horses. En route to Casablanca, see the movie to get in the mood for what comes next! Visit Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque, the world’s third largest, and see the city’s famed watermen decked out in red, before lunch at Rick’s Café. In walled Marrakech, explore Jemaa el-Fna Square in Old Town, the Gardens Majorelle (once owned by Yves Saint-Laurent), the new Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, and the Saadian Tombs. Venture into the desert via 4×4 for camel riding, a tea ceremony, a taste of Berber culture, and traditional music and entertainment in a tent. On your last full day, take your choice: a cooking school experience… an excursion to the seaside town of Essaouira with a photographer as a guide… or pampering at a hammam.
Highlights
- Tour of Marrakech by horsedrawn carriage
- Lunch in a terraced home in Moulay Idriss near the ruins at Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Lunch at Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, modeled on the one in the film Casablanca
- Exclusive dinner in a beautiful riad in Fes – and a rooftop farewell reception (weather permitting) in Marrakech
- Choice of a Moroccan cooking class, a photography tour of coastal gem Essaouira, or a pampering hammam spa treatment
- A day of immersion in Berber culture and cuisine, including dining, music, and entertainment under a desert tent, and a camel ride
- Visit the stunning stables and granary for the 12,000 horses of Moulay Ismail in Meknes
- Guided visits to the Gardens Majorelle and Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech
- Lecture on contemporary Morocco from the woman’s perspective
- Visit to the colourful leather tanneries of Fes
- Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
- 23 meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners), gratuities to local guides, taxes, service charges, admission fees and porterage
Itinerary
Day One
Arrive Rabat
Tour begins: 6:30 PM, La Tour Hassan. A transfer is included from Rabat-Salé Airport or Mohammed V International Airport to La Tour Hassan in the heart of the city. Join Tauck this evening for a welcome reception and dinner with live music at the hotel.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: La Tour Hassan
Day Two
Rabat, Morocco’s capital & on to Fes
Morocco’s seaside capital city is an intriguing blend of medieval Arabic and modern European influences, wide palm-lined boulevards, enclaves of elegant French colonial architecture, and Moorish-style palaces, mosques, and ramparts that echo the city’s golden age as an Almohad stronghold. Sightseeing includes Dar-al-Makhzhen, the Royal Palace and residence of the king of Morocco, built in 1864, with its sumptuous Islamic ornament and exquisite formal gardens. Visit the Mauseoleum of Mohammed V, a masterpiece of Alouite-style architecture with stunning ornamental carvings and chandeliers, the final resting place of the king who fought for Morrocan independence in the mid-20th century. View the massive Hassan Tower, the city’s most imposing landmark; built in the 12th century and rising 140 feet high, the minaret is the centerpiece of a great mosque that was never finished, begun at the height of the Almohad Dynasty. Leave Rabat and head for Fes, stopping for lunch at a winery on the way. Arrive this afternoon and check into a lovely boutique hotel with views of the old town and the city skyline. Tonight you’ll dine at leisure at the hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Sahrai
Day Three
The souks & bazaars of Fes
The sprawling city of Fes is over 1,200 years old, and its well-preserved old town is a vast maze of winding streets and alleys, crowded aromatic bazaars, and eclectic architecture; no cars are allowed so transport here is in the ancient, traditional style, on foot. Choose the focus for your morning walking tour: you may choose a tour on which you’ll sample the local cuisine; get an insider’s look at the craftsmanship of the artisans who make intricate, handcrafted carvings, rugs, leatherwork, and metalwork; or explore the Jewish quarter and learn about its influence on local cuisine and culture. After lunch in the medina, get an eye-opening tour of the city’s famous leather tanneries, which are dominated by numerous, deep, multicolored pools of dye; here, preparing leather is done in the same way as in medieval times to supply the artisans of the souks and bazaars. Return to the hotel, then join us for dinner at a riad, an inn with a central garden or courtyard; the Palais Faraj is a mix of old and contemporary architecture set within the Fes Medina.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Sahrai
Day Four
Roman ruins at Volubilis
Visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis, in the rolling hills and fertile farmland between Fes and Meknes. Volubilis was a remote military outpost of the Roman Empire that fell to local tribes in 285 and was never retaken; it is one of the richest archaeological sites in North Africa, a well-preserved, example of a Roman colonial town which still retains its triumphal arch and remnants of its mansions, temples, forum, and glorious mosaics. Enjoy lunch in the town of Moulay Idriss at a private home known as the Scorpion House – including an exclusive lecture by a local scholar on life in Morocco from a woman’s perspective. Return to Fes for an afternoon and evening spent as you please.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Sahrai
Day Five
Walled Meknes to famed Casablanca
This morning, drive to Meknes. This walled city of lavish Spanish-Moorish architecture dates back to the 11th century but rose to glory in the 17th century under the rule of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who made it the capital of his burgeoning empire. Known as the Warrior King, Moulay Ismail was a powerful and ruthless leader who liberated Morocco from the Ottomans and Europeans. This morning’s walking tour of Meknes includes Moulay’s stables, large enough to house 12,000 horses and designed to water and feed them with an aqueduct and granary; the city’s medina; and a visit to a historic madrasa (or medersa), an Islamic learning center and Koranic school. After a hearty lunch and some free time in Meknes, head for Casablanca, viewing the classic Bogart-Bergman film of the same name on the way. Arrive at your seaside Four Seasons hotel, steeped in modern Moroccan elegance, in late afternoon; dine at the hotel this evening.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca
Day Six
Casablanca, Rick’s Cafe & Marrakech
In Casablanca, visit the majestic Hassan II Mosque, set on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic with a towering minaret, 689 feet high; completed in 1993, it is the largest mosque in the country, built to accommodate 25,000 worshippers inside and another 80,000 on the grounds. (Touring this site, women and men must dress appropriately.) Meet the elaborately red-costumed “watermen” who sell water on the streets of the city. Stop for a visit to the Musée Slaoui (Museum of the Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation), showcasing works by Jacques Majorelle and other artists who made Morocco their home, before lunch at Rick’s Cafe – a recreation of Humphrey Bogart’s fabled lair in the film Casablanca, complete with piano bar. Continue on to Marrakech and check into your Four Seasons hotel, where you’ll dine at your leisure this evening.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Marrakech
Day Seven
Discovering magical Marrakech
Marrakech is surrounded by imposing stone walls from its medieval days as the wealthy capital of an empire. Within those well-preserved fortifications are palaces of red-hued stone, gardens and palm groves, and a Medina of narrow streets and arches packed with fascinating souks and stalls, which have long held a mystical attraction for visitors. Begin today’s exploration of Marrakech at the magnificent Saadian Tombs, which date back to the 16th century; the burial site of 166 members of the Saadian Dynasty, the tombs were sealed up and forgotten for centuries, then discovered in 1917. From the Saadian Tombs, ride a horsedrawn carriage through the city to the Gardens Majorelle, the masterpiece and former home of French-born artist Jacques Majorelle, designed in the 1930s and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent; as you’ll see on your visit, there are 400 species of palm trees and 1800 varieties of cacti here. Just a short distance from the Gardens Majorelle is the stunning Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, whose collections preserve and interpret the life and work of designer Yves Saint Laurent, and which you’ll also visit today. After lunch at a local restaurant in Marrakech’s trendy Gueliz district, take a walk through the city’s main square and marketplace, Jemaa el-Fna, and spend time exploring on your own before returning to your hotel for an afternoon and evening spent as you wish in Marrakech.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Marrakech
Day Eight
An idyll in the desert
Explore Marrakech on your own this morning, then join us for a drive aboard 4×4 vehicles outside of the city to spend an afternoon and evening in the desert. Enjoy a tea ceremony with local residents and get acquainted with Berber history and culture. Dinner is served Berber-style under a tent at a desert camp with musical entertainment. During your desert experience, enjoy a camel ride and the exotic flavors of the hubbly-bubbly pipe before returning to your Marrakech hotel for the night.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Marrakech
Day Nine
Your choice, in & around Marrakech
You’ll have a choice of sightseeing activities in and around Marrakech this morning. You can attend a local cooking school to learn about Moroccan cuisine, its history and influences (and enjoy a lunch you help to prepare); take an excursion to the walled seaside town of Essaouira, an ancient port whose magical light and picturesque beauty has long attracted prominent artists and rock stars, accompanied by a local guide and a photographer who offers tips on getting that perfect shot; or enjoy a morning of pampering at your hotel’s hammam (steam bath), where you’ll learn the traditional Moroccan way of steaming and washing that leaves the skin smooth and rejuvenated. After some free time this afternoon, join us this evening at your Four Seasons resort for a farewell reception at the rooftop bar, followed by a farewell dinner at the hotel; both are private and exclusively for Tauck guests only.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Marrakech
Day Ten
Journey home
Tauck’s magical Morocco tour ends in Marrakech. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Four Seasons Marrakech to the Marrakech Menara Airport (about a half-hour drive) or Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (a drive of approximately 2.5 hours). Allow three hours for flight check-in.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Departures & Rates
Small Group Departures – Select small group departures averaging 24 Tauck guests, priced from AUD $9,240 per person double plus on-tour air; specific dates apply.
Special Solo Traveller Savings – save AUD $440 on the single room price of select departure dates; specific dates apply.
Ask one of our Travel Specialists about Packaging Flights with your Tour and Save
Additional dates and rates may be available, please speak to one of our Travel Specialists for more information.
*Rates are subject to availability and changes without notice. Rate are based on the lowest available and may differ at time of booking. Other travel dates may be available at an additional cost.
For more information and other conditions please confirm with our Travel Specialists at time of booking.
*Rates are subject to availability and seasonality and may change without notice. Rates are based on two adults sharing. For solo travellers or single person occupancy rates or further information on terms and conditions, please contact our Travel Specialists at time of booking.
Accommodation
La Tour Hassan
Rabat, Morocco
A former palace built in 1914 and located in the heart of Rabat, the lovely La Tour Hassan creates a real “sense of place” with its intriguing Moorish-Andalucían style and décor. Comfortable guest rooms feature air conditioning, TV with cable and satellite channels, Internet access, mini-bar and in-room safe. During leisure time, guests are invited to take advantage of the fitness facility and the outdoor swimming pool. La Maison Arabe specializes in Moroccan and Eastern cuisine while the Brasserie offers a French and International menu.
Hotel Sahrai
Fes, Morocco
Hotel Sahrai offers stylish accommodations overlooking Fes. Awash in natural light, guest rooms at Hotel Sahrai imaginatively blur the line between traditional and modern, structure and space, extravagance and simplicity. Designed with glass-walled bathrooms, layers of sheer curtains allow you to conceal or reveal the different spaces as you desire. Fabrics and paint harmonized in warm grey tones, a headboard in orange ochre leather, stone cladding and sculpted plaster add a touch of softness to a welcoming atmosphere. Each room is equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, air conditioning, work space, laptop safe, minibar, Nespresso coffee machine, mineral water, phone, flat-panel satellite TV, welcome homemade Moroccan pastries, and a marble bathroom with separate toilet, Acqua di Parma toiletries, hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers. Dining options at the hotel include Relais de Paris, offering an inspired menu of French brasserie favorites, made of the finest local and seasonal produce, to enjoy indoors or on the terrace overlooking the city; the Rooftop, a stylish urban bar boasting some of the finest views of Fes, the perfect perch from which to enjoy the sunsets and the impeccably fresh cocktails; and Amaraz, serving traditional Moroccan cuisine that invites you to savor our grandmothers’ recipes in a simple yet sophisticating setting.
Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca
Casablanca, Morocco
A breath of fresh air on the oceanfront of Morocco’s largest city, Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca is a sleek resort-inspired escape just 10 minutes from the city center and business district. With modern Moroccan elegance, the hotel offers the city’s largest luxury hotel accommodations; the look is fresh and contemporary, layered with traditional Moroccan details and splashed with locally inspired colours. Guest rooms feature a customizable Four Seasons bed – with your choice of mattress topper; floor-to-ceiling windows; 42-inch flat-screen HD TV; Bluetooth connectivity; and refrigerated personal bar. Marble bathrooms include a deep-soak tub, a separate glass-walled shower and a private toilet; luxurious toiletries are Vrai by Fragonard. Most guest rooms open to a spacious private balcony with outdoor lounge furniture, offering garden views or overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Casablanca coastline, including the hundred-year-old El Hank lighthouse. Ocean-view entertaining is the specialty of Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca. For dining and drinks, discover the hotel’s three indoor-outdoor Casablanca restaurants and lounges, specializing in Mediterranean, Provençal and Moroccan cuisine. From the Bleu restaurant to the Mint lounge, Four Seasons offers tempting choices for international guests and Casablanca’s elite.
Four Seasons Resort Marrakech
Marrakech, Morocco
The heart of the Red City opens up to reveal a luxurious resort-like oasis that brings together the best of Moroccan architecture, entertainment and style – Four Seasons Resort Marrakech. Take a deep breath and get ready to embrace all that Marrakech has to offer from this luxury resort – lofty views of the Atlas Mountains and sun-filled Marrakech; luxury guest rooms as calming and secluded as they are inspiring and open; and five outstanding resort restaurants, bars and trendy lounges. All from the luxurious comfort at five-star Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, where classic Four Seasons service brings you the best of old and new. Every guest room has a private balcony with contemplative views of the grounds, the historic Menara Gardens next door or the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Each is equipped with down pillows, CD player, iPod docking station, complimentary newspaper with breakfast, TV/DVD player, media hub with connectors or cables for iPods/iPads, USB and HDMI, hairdryer, in-room safe, makeup mirror, multi-line telephone with voicemail, minibar, and thick terry bathrobes. In a city known for culinary richness, Four Seasons Resort Marrakech puts stylish fine dining restaurant choices at your door. Enjoy the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine at Azzera; savor Italian gourmet dishes at Solano, or share cocktails and Middle Eastern mezze in the comfort of the Inara Lounge, the heart of the resort.
