Women Discovery Tour of Morocco

Once you land at the Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, your guide will meet you at your arrival gate and take you on a panoramic city tour before checking into your hotel. The remainder of the morning will be spent relaxing and acclimating. You will then depart for Rabat, the capital of Morocco. This is a beautiful short drive of about 45 miles through lush farms and exotic plants.

As you arrive in Rabat, you'll be greeted by a city that beautifully blends spacious European elegance with a distinct Moroccan charm. The city, along with its twin, Sala Colonia, shares a river but is steeped in vastly different histories. Each civilization that has called these cities home has left a unique architectural legacy, from the Phoenician and Roman eras to the present day.

One of the highlights of your day in Rabat will be a tour of the Jewish quarter, the Mellah, which is steeped in history and culture. Your guide will lead you through the heart of the city, starting at Place Sidi Makhlouf, offering a unique perspective on the 12-century ramparts. You'll then walk up to Bab Chellah in the medina, cross Sidi Fateh St, and arrive at the traditional Souk Laghzel (Yarn market). Here, your guide will enlighten you about the significant role of this guild in Moroccan society.

Later, you will cross to the citadel of the Oudaya Kasbah, entering from its 12th-century main gate to explore an extraordinary Medieval Moorish marvel overlooking the delta of the Bourgreg River. You can visit the old-fashioned Moorish gardens, stop in a traditional coffee house for mint tea, and explore the Oudaya Museum of tribal arts and Crafts. A docent will introduce you to conventional Berber Textiles.

As your journey continues, you'll leave the Oudaya Kasbah and ascend the hill to visit the iconic Hassan Tower and Mohamed the V Mausoleum. These structures, with their authentic Moroccan architecture, stand as a testament to the country's rich history and cultural heritage. The tour culminates at the Royal Palace and the Necropolis of Chellah, offering a fascinating glimpse into Morocco's royal past. After this enriching day, you'll return to the hotel for a well-deserved dinner and rest.

Enjoy a well-garnished breakfast at your riad, meet your driver/guide to finish the historic tour of Rabat. Later, you will travel overland to Chefchaouen—one of the best White towns in the Mediterranean. A unique ambiance and select Moorish architecture are reserved for this Northern town. Enjoy an afternoon visiting the historic highlights of Chefchaouen. Retreat to your Riad for a beautiful dinner and accommodation. An orientation meeting with your guide will be held after dinner.

Today is the day of time travel! This journey will take you from imperial Rome to the ninth century A.D. Unlike the movies, this temporal voyage will take almost the entire day. (Of course, there will be stops along the way.)

The first stop will be the ancient Roman city of Volubilis. Volubilis was a critical city in the imperial Roman department of Mauritania (modern-day Morocco and Western Sahara) during the reign of Caracalla. Volubilis is impressively well preserved, and the genius of Roman urbanism is still intact. The two central integral streets in every Roman castrum, the Cardo and Decumanus, are prominent. The Cardo is the north-south boulevard, and the Decumanus is east-west. The intersection of the two is the heart of every Roman city. There, you will find the ruins of the ancient forum.

Jumping forward in time and just a few minutes away is the venerated citadel of Moulay Idris, founded in the 8th century by Moulay Idris Al Akbar, grandson of the Prophet Mohamed (s.a.w.s). This citadel is considered the cradle of Sufism in Moroccan society and the first Islamic capital for the premier Arab dynasty. The city was created primarily for the indigenous population that migrated with Moulay Idris from the Middle East.

You will drive around 15 miles to the next stop, the imperial city of Meknes. Meknes is a 17th-century city built by Moulay Ismail to rival Fez. It is also considered to be the Versailles of Morocco.

Finally, you have reached your destination, the ninth-century city of Fez. In the evening, you will taste the greatest of the Imperial Cities. You will visit the sights outside the ancient walled city, including the ramparts, the gates, and the Borjes (Moorish Forts). After this introductory aperitif to Fez, you will dine in your hotel and prepare for day three: Fez!

Undeniably fascinating, Fez stimulates the senses with its haunting yet beautiful sounds, visual splendor, and evocative smells. The most ancient of the imperial capitals and the complete medieval city of the Islamic world, Fez is reminiscent of a city suspended in time, unfazed by the constantly evolving world outside of its walls. Fez owes nothing to the Western world to save electricity.

Time spent in Fez will reveal much about the sophistication of the Moroccan artisan, providing an unparalleled learning experience to those who cross its path. Your morning will be spent visiting the Medina. Our specialized guide will take you on a historic discovery of Fez, starting at the King’s Palace and its Meshwar with ramparts and majestic gates.

Next, you will explore the Jewish quarter, the 15th-century citadel with all its Moorish maze architecture and medieval glory. Visits to Sephardic synagogues and mausoleums of holy Rabbis will be the highlights of this part of town.

Then, we will drive to the Merinides hill to visit their necropolis. Here, you will enjoy the best panoramic view of the old walled Medina, brimful with countless minarets to call for prayers in a city that has responded to these calls for 12 centuries. Drive down the hills to the gate of Bab Guissa to leave your vehicle and enter an ancient world. Fez has preserved its Medina as it was centuries ago. Not even a bicycle can be used as a tool for transportation. Only donkeys, mules, and horses can help move all the city produces and needs as supplies.

The first guilds you will immediately encounter are the cobblers, the saddlers, and blacksmiths, interlaced by some caravansaries for tribespeople who come from the surrounding areas to trade and supply their needs. Down the hill to Juteya, you will encounter all sorts of crafts, but noticeably carpenters and leather workers as one of the traditional tanneries is pretty close. This walk will lead you to El Ashabine Square, which has a variety of activities. From there, you will find your way to the Sagha square, leading you to Attarine, Souk el Henna, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idris, the founder of Fez. Next to it, you will visit Nejjarine Square, which has a famous fountain, a carpentry guild, and a folk art museum at the Fondouk.

You will walk to the tannery and visit the Great Mosque University of Al Quarrawiyyine, passing by Shemma’ine, the dried fruit market. After that, you will see the Medersa Attarine and walk to Sbetryyine, a guild of bookbinders, which will lead you to the Seffarine Square, where the tapping of metalworkers is still deafening passersby as it was the case for centuries. You will break for lunch then continue exploring the marvels of Fez Medina. These will highlight the Dyers souk, Foundouk Tetouan, and the shrine of Sidi Ahmed Tijani.

You will end your walk at the home of a local Fez family, and ladies will host you for traditional mint tea in their home. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner and other accommodation.

You will spend your day discovering the rural environs of the Atlas Mountains’ Berbers. Covered with evergreen pines, tall cedar trees, and poplars and laced with flowing streams, your first view of the Middle Atlas will appear oddly un-Moroccan. Passing by Imouzzer, with a quick stop at the Swiss-like town of Ifrane, you will soon come across the first real town of the Middle Atlas, Azrou.

Azrou is an important market center for the region’s Berber tribes, located at a major junction of mountain routes. Your driver will take a little detour in a cedar forest to introduce you to one of the oldest inhabitants of this region, the Berber apes. This may also coincide with the encounter of a nomadic family in its temporary encampment. As nomads are hospitable people, we are invited at least for a mint tea under their tents whenever we encounter them.

Midelt's Middle Atlases give way to the High Atlas Mountains, whose peaks are visible through the haze, soaring to over 12,000 feet. You will stop in Midelt for lunch, enjoying the dramatic sight before you. You will then continue to Erfoud, one of the most delightful southern regions consisting of a dry, red belt of the desert with a sudden drop into the lush valley of Ziz, with copious date palm groves and flowing streams. Visit the gorges of Ziz and some oases and natural sites before you reach the magnificent oasis of Erfoud.

After you arrive in Erfoud, you will leave your vehicle and hop into the 4-wheel Drive cruiser, which takes you on a desert ride to camp. You will conclude your day in your camp over the dunes of Merzouga, where tents are pitched to allow you to enjoy a night under the African Skies. A sunset camel ride over the dunes is available for those who wish to ride, but others can walk around to explore the dunes. After dinner, the Rokba drummers will illuminate your night with their lively dances and moving chants. Enjoy this encounter of pure nature at its best.

You will wake up early to reach the highest peak of the dunes and watch the sunrise over the spectacular Merzouga dunes. This is an experience that should be noticed.

Afterward, you will eat breakfast with the Tuaregs and continue onward. You will leave Erfoud traveling west toward the Valley of Todra, between the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. You will reach Tinghir, the town where we will spend the night. Only 15 kilometers from Tinghir inside the Valley of Todra, you will find the Todra's highest and narrowest gorges in the region.

Next, you will travel through the Dadès valley, wherein, in the spring, thousands of Persian roses bloom in hedgerows, filling the air with their heavenly perfume. You will also see the thousands of Kasbahs scattered along the Dadès River and majestic sandcastles with a visually appealing, timeless beauty.

You will continue to explore the Dadès Valley, traveling through El Kelaâ De Mgouna and Boumalne to view the inimitable natural vistas and unusual rock formations. You will then continue to Ouarzazate, one large oasis that intercepts the water flow between the Dadès, the Drâa valleys, and the majestic High Atlas Mountains. This is an ideal place to stop for the night. You will conclude your day with dinner and other accommodation in your hotel.

You will spend most of your day en route to Marrakesh, exploring the legendary Kasbah of Aït-Benhaddou, a renowned architectural marvel classified as UNESCO World Heritage.

Your journey will lead you to the highest pass in Morocco, the Taddart and Tizi-n-Tishka pass, at 11,000 feet. This pass divides the mountains into two distinct facets: the harsh, stark side, which acts as a shield that protects the hinterland from the harsh, dry expansion of the Sahara, and the lush, soft, and evergreen side, which collects the moisture from the Gherbi winds of the Atlantic Ocean.

You will arrive in Marrakech, a city of pleasure for visitors and locals, where southern tribespeople and Berber villagers bring their goods to market and find a variety of entertainment. To tourists, the city is a feast for the imagination, full of incomparable beauty, situated before the towering mountains that provide a thrilling backdrop. After a visit to the bustling Jemaa El Fna square, you will conclude your day with dinner and other accommodations at your hotel.

You will devote your morning to exploring Marrakech’s many historical sites, starting at the Menara, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowerbeds that resemble an exquisite Moorish edifice. It was constructed in 1866 for dignitaries who enjoyed glorious sunsets with the ethereal Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. The pool also functions as an innovative irrigation system that serves dry life in the desert.

Your tour will cover many impressive sites, including the Koutoubia Minaret (identical to la Giralda, a tower found in Sevilla, Spain) and the Saadian tombs, demonstrating Moorish architecture at its best. The tombs consist of sixteenth-century mausoleums that had lain walled in and undiscovered until 1917. Next, you will explore the gardens of the Agdal and then the Marjorelle. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner and other accommodations.

You will begin your day with an excursion to the Ourika Valley, where you will visit the traditional Berber Souks and the Jewish shrines. You will visit the Berber Museum of Arts and Crafts to learn about the dwellers of these mountains and their products before you discover their workshops and sophisticated, hand-made products. You will return to Marrakech for lunch and a belly dancer class. After dinner, we will take a Marrakech by-night tour on buggies.

You will begin your day by traveling to Essaouira (Mogador), a picturesque city with a rich history. With fascinating antiquity, Essaouira was occupied by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, supplied essential purple dyes to the Romans, absorbed the sophisticated Jewish arts of the silversmith, and spent centuries as a Portuguese enclave. On the way, visit an argan oil women's cooperative.

Despite the apparent influence of these civilizations, Essaouira has managed to remain a small, authentic Berber town. Alive with the breath of fresh air provided by the Atlantic, Essaouira is a jewel nestled in the rugged coast, with a vast expanse of empty sands trailing back along the promontory towards the South. After an introductory tour, you will conclude your day with dinner and other accommodations in your hotel.

You will travel to Casablanca, stopping at El Oualidia for a seafood lunch. You will continue to El Jadida, where you will visit the citadel, evidence of the 11th-century Portuguese occupation. Finally, you will arrive in Casablanca, having completed a journey that has led you to immeasurable antiquity. You will conclude your day with a farewell dinner at a Moroccan restaurant with the show and spend the night at the hotel.

The whole day will be devoted to exploring the marvels of this vibrant city with a local guide. Enjoy exploring the Art Deco Casablanca downtown, the Habous Moorish Quarter, the Cornish shoreline, the Great Mosque Hassan II, and the Jewish Museum and Synagogue. End your day at Rick’s Café.

In the morning, your driver will meet you at your hotel to assist you with your luggage and transport you to the Mohamed V Airport. Your driver will help you with your check-in and bid you farewell.