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Fes Festival Tour Itinerary
<>May 31, to June 14, 2011
<>
May 31: New York – Casablanca
Your
flight will depart John F.
Kennedy Airport in New York at 8:10pm,
and will
arrive at Casablanca’s Mohamed V Airport at 7:45 the next
morning. Dinner
and breakfast will be served during the flight.
June 1: Casablanca – Rabat
After your flight arrives, you will meet your host at the
airport and
travel
directly to Rabat, Morocco’s capital city. With a history that
spans both
centuries and dynasties, Rabat has accumulated a variety of
architectural
styles that represent its remarkable legacy. You will spend your
afternoon visiting some of Rabat’s many landmarks, including the Mellah
(Jewish
quarter), the Mohamed V mausoleum, the Oudaya Kasbah, and the Andalous
gardens,
followed by dinner at the Hotel Chellah.
June 2: Volubilis – Meknes
– Fez
Your day will be spent en route to Fez, with stops in Volubilis, the
Roman
capital of Northwestern Africa, and Meknes, where you will visit the
acclaimed
citadel of Moulay Idris. Hidden in the hinterland and surrounded
by
centuries-old olive groves that have supplied the country with oils
since Punic
times, Moulay Idris was founded in the 8th
century by Moulay
Idris
Al Akbar, the grandson of the Prophet Mohamed. It is the
cradle of
Sufism to Moroccan society and is considered the first Islamic city for
the
premier Arab dynasty, and has become the destination for those who
don’t have
the means to make the pilgrimage to Mekkah for the Hajj Duty. You
will
continue traveling through the region until you reach Fez, where you
will visit
the ramparts, the gates, and the Borjes (Moorish Forts).
Afterward, you
will end your day with dinner at your hotel.
June 3: Fez
You will begin your day with a colorful Mediterranean breakfast buffet,
followed by a guided historic tour of Fez, featuring the Mellah, the
King’s
palace, and a walking tour of the world’s largest and most authentic
Medina. A walled city with a maze of twisting alleys and blind
turns, the
Medina has mosques, shrines, fountains, workshops, and markets that go
far
beyond the scope of one’s imagination. After lunch in a typical
Moroccan
restaurant, you will spend the remainder of your afternoon exploring
and
shopping, followed by dinner at your hotel. In the evening, you
will
attend the Festival’s Grand
Opening.
June 4: Fez – Moulay Yacob
In the morning, there will be an optional trip to the hot springs of
Moulay
Yacob. Located in a small, charming Berber village at the
foothills of
the Rif Mountains, the springs are notorious for their healing
powers.
You will return to Fez for the afternoon concerts, followed by dinner
at your
hotel and the Festival’s evening events.
June 5: Fez – Sidi Ahmed
Al Barnoussi – Fez
Your morning will be spent on an excursion to the Rif Mountains, where
you will
visit the Sidi Ahmed al Barnoussi shrine and enjoy a picnic lunch over
the red
poppy fields with local scribes and a typical couscous meal. The
Jajouka
musicians and dancers will enchant you with haunting sounds of their
oboes and
drums – a ceremony that you will treasure for the rest of your
life.
After lunch, you will return to Fez for the afternoon Festival
activities,
dinner, and evening events.
June 6: Fez
You
will have the entire morning at your leisure, free to do whatever
you
please. In the afternoon, you will attend the afternoon concerts,
followed by dinner and the Festival’s evening events.
June
7: Fez –
Your morning will be spent at
your leisure, and after lunch, you will
journey
to go to the afternoon concert at Dar Batha.
The evening concerts will be at Bab Makina.
June 8: Fez
In
the early morning, you will enjoy a sunrise Sufi ceremony offered
over the
Merinides dynasty necropolis looking East for a dramatic sunrise over
the
sleeping giant of the 9th
century Medina. Return to
the Medina
for breakfast and relax. Amn excursion to Sidi Harazem thermal
springs is
offered in the afternoon. Evening festival concert will
June
9: Fez – Sefrou – B’Halil – Fez
Your
day will include an optional day trip to the ancient Jewish city
of
Sefrou. Predating Fez by a thousand years, Sefrou once played a
vital
role as the last stop for the sub-Saharan caravans transporting goods
to the
European markets. There, you will visit the shrine of Sidi Lahcen
Al
Yussi, a venerated Sufi master who was considered the guardian of
Sefrou.
In addition, you will visit the mausoleums of other Rabbis, as well as
the
city’s synagogues. On your return trip to Fez, you will visit the
ancient
Christian village of B’Halil, which is known for its distinctive
troglodyte
dwellings. Upon your arrival at Fez, you will attend the
Festival’s
evening events.
June 10: Fez
In
the morning, you will attend a lecture, followed by the Festival’s
afternoon
events at the Dar Batha museum, dinner, and the evening Festival events
at Bab
Makina, the court of the King’s palace.
June 11: Fez
You
will spend your morning visiting the Andalucian part of the Medina,
where
you will learn the history of the settler Moors, who arrived from Spain
during
the 13th
century. The Festival’s afternoon concerts
with take
place at Dar Batha, followed by dinner and the Festival’s
closing
ceremony.
June 12: Fez – Khenifra –
Marrakech
In the morning, you will depart
for Marrakech via Azrou and
Khenifra. As
you travel across the Middle Atlas Mountains, you will visit Berber
villages
and wards, experience many scenic views, and explore some traditional
markets. You will have lunch in Khenifra, and will find dinner
and
accommodations available at your hotel in Marrakech.
June 13: Marrakech
Your
guide and driver will assist you in your exploration of the
marvelous city
of Marrakech. You will visit the historic Menara, a magnificent
pool
surrounded by flower beds, which reflects the image of a beautiful
Moorish
edifice. The construction was built in 1866 so that the
dignitaries might
enjoy the country’s glorious sunsets, the snow-capped Atlas Mountains
providing
an ethereal backdrop. The pool itself is an innovative,
functional
irrigation system, built in an architectural style adapted to desert
life. Your tour will also include visits to several notorious
monuments,
including the Koutoubia Minaret (identical to the la Giralda tower in
Sevilla,
Spain), and the Saadian tombs, which represent Moorish architecture at
its
finest. The tombs, which include several sixteenth century
mausoleums,
lay undiscovered behind walls until 1917. You will conclude your
day with
a drink at sunset, overlooking the bustling Jamaa El Fna square.
June 14: Marrakech –
Casablanca – New York
You will catch a 6:45am flight
transferring you from Marrakech to
Casablanca
Airport, where you will board your plane to New York at 11:20am,
accompanied by
memories that will last you a lifetime.
17th
Annual World Sacred Music Festival & Tour
What
is included:
Accommodations
in your hotel, including half board (breakfast, dinner)
Land
transportation to specified events in a deluxe motor coach
Assistance
from Sarah Tours guides and tour leaders
Fees
for monuments, museums, and Festival activities
Couscous lunch in the shrine of Sidi Ahmed Bernoussi
All Excursions to notable places
Bottled water in the bus, Teas and cookies in sufi gathreings
Sufi
music gatherings in Moroccan homes in the Medina of Fez
Baggage
handling, hotels and restaurant taxes
Not
Included:
Air Ticket (please ask for our discounted rates from NY)
Lunches, Laundry, phone calls and drinks
Colloquium attendence fee
Personal needs
Offerings for prayers in Sufi gatherings
Cost
per person based on double occupancy Land Services only:
Accommodations
in
3 star
hotels:
$ 1,985.00
Single
Supplement:
$ 485.00
Fez:
Hotel Tghat or Riad Dar Masmoudi
Accommodations in
4 star
hotels:
$
2,485.00
Single
Supplement:
$ 565.00
Fez:
Hotel Royal Mirage or Riad Dar Bensouda
Accommodations in
5 star deluxe
hotels:
$
3,535.00
Single
Supplement:
$ 680.00
Fez:
Palais Jamaï, or Riad Fez
Available
extensions:
Retreats
& Expeditions in the Sahara
Man
& Traditions (5
days):
$ 875.00
Great
South & Kasbahs (6
days)
$ 975.00
Spain, Legendary Andalucia (8
days):
$ 950.00
Our expeditions
and retreats are a
marvelous way to discover the beauty and mystic qualities of the Sahara
desert’s oases and Kasbahs, as well as the plateaus of the Atlas Mountains. Traveling
at a
slow pace, in time with the rhythm of nature, you can take the time to
drink in
and appreciate your surroundings. Traveling
with a camel caravan, you can walk, leading your
camel by its
harness, or ride high on its back. The
caravan, conducted by a professional chief and his assistants, who will
transport your tents and all other necessities for your journey, will
progress
four to five hours per day.
Contact Us
About
this Journey Return
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