Imperial Cities of Morocco

Meals: Breakfast
Upon arrival at Mohamed V International Airport, we will be met by our local guide and will be assisted with customs and immigration formalities. Afterwards check-in at hotel his morning we visit the richly decorated Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest religious building in the world after the mosque in Mecca, it would comfortably fit Rome’s St Peter’s inside. The statistics are staggering, it is over 200 metres long, 100 metres wide, 65 metres wide, has the tallest Minaret in the world.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This afternoon we visit Rabat, the first of the Imperial Cities where we see the city’s Medina and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Guarded by two mounted, traditionally robed spear-carrying ‘lancers’, it is built in traditional style, the grandfather and father of the present king are buried here and its contemporary mosaics and spiral designs make a fascinating comparison with the adjacent Hassan Mosque, a wonder of the medieval Moorish world with its great minaret left unfinished when its founder died in 1199. If completed it would have been the largest building in the world at that time. The harbour is full of traditional fishing boats and on the opposite river bank is Sale, Rabat’s twin city where Robinson Crusoe was enslaved before his final escape to Brazil. We then drive inland to Fez where we stay at the five-star Golden Tulip Farah Hotel. As you would expect, this is a wonderful hotel with large reception rooms and restaurant furnished in traditional style, with large well-appointed bedrooms, and two swimming pools set in manicured

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
The scenery on this morning’s short drive will surprise many, this is not the hot dry dusty Moroccan interior bordering the desert; instead against a backdrop of the stunning Atlas Mountains, the rolling fertile hills covered with fragrant wild flowers and vineyards are redolent of Mediterranean Europe. But on arriving in Meknes the sounds of Morocco’s African heritage resound once again. Meknes is renowned for its blend of Spanish and Moorish styles reaching its zenith at the turn of the 18th century. Its 25 miles of city walls remain magnificently intact and include a magnificent 16 metre gate, a large Medina and 150 mosques, the finest of which feature exquisite ceramics and calligraphy. With his 500 wives, the Sultan was obsessed with emulating France’s Louis XIV, building a sumptuous palace earning Meknes the sobriquet “the Moroccan Versailles”. We tour the palace remains, its gardens and huge reservoirs together with the remarkable underground granaries and storehouses, designed to enable Meknes to withstand a 20 year siege. This afternoon we visit nearby Volubilis, the westernmost outpost of the Roman Empire. Wonderfully isolated, set amongst gorgeous rolling hills and olive groves, it is a haunting sight, silent and almost ghost-like. Here our guided tour will ensure you appreciate Volubilis’s historic importance and its stunning mosaics. We return to Fez for dinner. Fez, at the foot of the Middle Atlas mountain range, is a real surprise to most visitors. This is one of the world’s finest historic cities and our tour will for many be the highlight of the whole holiday. The old town is like a trip streets – all 9,000 of them in such maze-like complexity. Traditionally attired artisans are busy making every conceivable item, high quality woodwork, leather-ware, even the traditional white sedan wedding chairs, all for the locals. Drink in the lovely aromas wafting from the herbalists and bakers with their open ovens and marvel at the sights and sounds of the medieval market all around you. For a complete contrast there is the majesty of the intricate Moorish decoration of the world’s oldest university, Al Karaouine – founded in the 9th century, home to a staggering 30,000 manuscripts. This learned institution played a leading role in the cultural exchange and transfer of knowledge between the Muslim and European worlds throughout the Middle Ages. Fez, you will love it! This afternoon you are free to explore as you wish or perhaps simply catch up on some reading by the hotel’s pool.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Today we take a fascinating journey south to Marrakesh with plenty to appreciate en-route. Note the strong French influence as we climb higher into the cooler hills with the plane trees and French restaurants along the roadside reminding you more of Provence than Africa. Dotted throughout the meadows are small tented communities of nomads, settled for the summer where the grass is plentiful for their animals. En route we’ll pause to visit Gouraud’s Cedar, reputedly the oldest Cedar in the country where there’s also a chance to see unusual wildlife including the endangered Barbary ape, probably brought here from Gibraltar. The scenery is quite spectacular as the road begins its inexorable descent. We pass Berber Tribesmen adorned with traditional dress, seemingly untouched by modern influences, driving their sheep and cattle to market in Moorish towns before arriving in Marrakesh, staying at the four-star Golden Tulip. It is extremely comfortable, being a large resort-style property set in extensive gardens. There are two pools, two restaurants, a poolside terrace, and comfortable lounge, two bars – one of which has live piano music. It is fully air-conditioned, has a small shopping mall for all those essentials and even a spa where you can pamper yourself. The rooms themselves are very well appointed and furnished in a tasteful style.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Marrakesh is a labyrinth of tiny alleyways, teeming with street life like few other places in the world and it is just as you imagine it to be! A mud-brick city, with classic French colonial buildings and boulevards surrounded by almost intact medieval walls – so perfect it could be, and often is, a film set! Founded almost a thousand years ago Marrakesh became the centre of a large empire stretching south into the Sahara, east into Libya and north into Moorish Spain, growing rich trading in anything from gold to ivory, dates and even slaves. Craftsmen from Cordoba then began a feast of building culminating in the Koutoubia, one of the most exquisite Mosques ever constructed. Eclipsing Meknes, the city entered its golden age during which much of what you see today was created. There are some fascinating things to see: firstly the Saadian tombs, built to house the descendants of Mohammed himself and one of the world’s finest examples of Moorish architecture, whose classic archways are covered in gold-leaf and stucco work; then there is the El-Badi Palace which when it was built was acclaimed as the world’s most beautiful and famed for its 50 marble columns.
This morning we will have a walking tour of this stunning city during which we see its principal monuments and souks or covered markets, arranged according to the nature of goods on offer such as leather-ware, slippers, jewellery and hand-made furniture. You see immensely skilled craftsmen creating intricate articles in the blink of an eye. You can see dyed cloth hanging out to dry and experience the smoky din of the metal workers – artisans tirelessly hammering away in the heat and dust, creating anything from lamps to delicate wrought-iron work. This afternoon you are free to explore as you wish or simply relax by the hotel pool. At dusk we really recommend you visit the Djemma El Fna, which has evolved
From a medieval place of execution to a showcase for traditional Moroccan life. You will experience a fantastic spectacle of musicians, dancers, fortune-tellers, snake-charmers and all manner of entertainment in a kaleidoscope of colour.

Meals: Breakfast
Morning at leisure. Lunch at the Moroccan restaurant, then Departure to Casablanca. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel. 

Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to the Airport, with Departure assistance formalities.