Morocco: Rabat, Fez, Sahara Tented Camp, High Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh, Casablanca
Includes airfare
During your trip, you will have the opportunity to join optional tours to further your discoveries—all of which are noted below. Most of these tours can only be reserved onsite with your Trip Experience Leader, however due to limited space and other special requirements, some optional tours must be reserved before your departure from the U.S. If this trip has optional tours that need to be purchased in advance, they will be noted with a disclaimer below.
Day 14 | $75 per person
Day 14 | $75 per person
Begin your day with a visit to Dar El Bacha, a beautifully-preserved 20th century riad-style palace that was once the home of the pasha (regional governor) of Marrakesh. The estate was opened to the public in 2015 as the Museum of Confluences, which we’ll explore today, taking in the selection of permanent and rotating exhibits that showcase the Islamic art, culture, and history that forms the local cultural tapestry.
Then we visit the Museum of the Water Civilization, which documents the ingenious engineering solutions that Moroccans have employed over the years to provide clean water for their daily needs. Then we journey behind the eleventh-century ramparts to explore the narrow streets of Marrakesh’s old fortified city, the medina, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your optional tour concludes with a lunch with some Moroccans, who will share the secret of their special local treat—slow roasted leg of lamb.
Day 14 | $220 per person
Day 14 | $220 per person
After driving about 45 minutes outside the city to our balloon site, we'll receive a safety briefing from our pilot and watch an expert team inflate and prepare our balloon. Afterwards, we'll ascend into the morning sky on a 1-hour hot-air balloon ride, (duration dependent on weather conditions) which offers a unique perspective of Morocco. We’ll witness the early dawn light illuminating the city and the Atlas Mountains. We may be able to see the traditional Berber villages or far-off palm groves dotting the desert landscape. A traditional Moroccan breakfast will be served at the balloon site.
Day 6 | $105 per person
Day 6 | $105 per person
On this full-day optional excursion, we’ll explore two eye-opening, ancient sites.
First we’ll pass through the rolling countryside until we arrive at Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it’s one of the best-preserved Roman cities in North Africa. Led by a local guide, we'll wander amongst its historic ruins, where—peppered within the fragments of stone from ancient dwellings—we’ll behold a variety of striking, well-preserved mosaics, and our guide can help us envision what life was like in ancient times. From this vantage point, we'll also be able to look out upon the panoramic, whitewashed vistas of the holy city of Moulay Idriss in the distance.
Then we’ll set off for Meknes, onetime home of the Moroccan sultanate and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After passing through the monumental gates of this walled city, we’ll stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
Please note: If Day 5 falls on a Friday, today's optional tour to Volubilis and Meknes will be featured instead. Today's activities will be replaced with a visit to a local medina.