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Morocco Culture, Cuisine & Photography Tour

Morocco Culture, Cuisine & Photography Tour

We've put together a tour of the country designed to delight the senses, enlighten the mind, and provide wonderful opportunities for photographers of every age and skill level.
Operator rating 9.3/10 from 6 trip reviews
  View Itinerary | Reviews (6) | Enquire About This Trip  make an enquiry
Price: USD $2,950 per person
Currency Price: GBP £1,843 /person estimated
Type: Tour
Duration: 11 days
Customise: This Tour can be customised
Country: Morocco
Supplement: Plus USD $1,000 for a single person booking
Persons: minimum (2)  
Accommodation: Mixed
Activities: Camel Riding, Craft Tours, Cultural Tours, Desert Tours, Geological Tours, Hiking, Historical Tours, Photography
  view all trips by this operator
  enquire about this trip

Itinerary

Morocco Culture, Cuisine & Photography Tour

Morocco Culture, Cuisine & Photography Tour

Morocco Culture, Cuisine & Photography Tour

Day. 1 - Casablanca

After your arrival to Casablanca: free time at the Hotel

1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.: lunch at hotel

2:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. : Hassan II Mosque -
The Medina (Andalusian Walls/artisan's stalls/ bazaars/ Rue des Consuls with old fondouqs/Souk el Ghezel/ Hammam el Jedid/ the Mellah) - The Kasbah of the Oudayas (fortifications,
the Oudaya gate/ the Oudaya palace/Jamaa el Atiq/ the Dar Baraka/ Tour des Corsaires/ Andalusian Garden) -The Oudaya Museum - The Hassan Tower and Mosque


Dinner at Rick's Cafe' from the movie Casablanca

Accommodation at the Royal Mansour Palce



Day. 2 - Volubilis - Fez

7:00a.m.-8:00a.m.: breakfast

8:30a.m.: departure for Volubilis (1 hour) passing through Jebel Zerhoun

12:30a.m.-1:30:00a.m.: Volubilis (The Olive Presses/ the House of Orpheus/ the Gallienus Baths/ the Forum/ the Basilica/ the Capitoline Temple/ the House of the Athlete/ the Triumphal
Arch)

1:30a.m.-2:30: lunch at Volubilis restaurant

3:00-5:00p.m.: driving to Fez. Arrival at luxury riad Yakout

5:00 - 8:00p.m.: Break

8:00p.m.: dinner Palais Jamai

Accommodation at your deluxe riad Yakout in Fez.



Day. 3 - Fez

7:00a.m.-8:00a.m.: breakfast
9:00a.m.-12:00: Second visit : Fez-el-Bali (the Karaouiyne Quarter/the Bou Inania Medersa/ Rue Talaa Kebira/the Henna Souk/Moulay Idriss "Zaouia"/the Kairouyine Mosque/the
tanneries)

12:30-1:30p.m.: lunch in the area
2:00p.m.-3:30p.m.: 1 palace (Dar Caid Bel Hassan or Dar Zouiten or Dar Adiyel)

4:00p.m.-6:00p.m.: The Andalous Quarter? or tour of the ramparts? or free late afternoon for shopping or relaxing at the hotel?
8:00p.m.: dinner at La Maison Bleu

Accommodation at your deluxe riad yakout in Fez



Day. 4 - Fez - Ifrane - Beni Mellal - Marrakech

Lunch: at one of the villages on the way to Marrakech.

Dinner at the famous Restaurant Stylia from the 15th century

Evening: place Djemaa'n Fna

Accommodation at your luxury suite at Riad at the ancient city of Marrakech



Day. 5 - Marrakech

7:00a.m.-8:00a.m.: breakfast

9:00a.m.-12:30: Imperial Marrakesh (Bab Agnaou/ the Saadian Tombs/ El Badia Palace/The mellah/the Bahia Palace/ Dar Si'Said)

12:30-2:00p.m.: lunch at Restaurant Riad Tamesna

2:00p.m.-5:30p.m.: The medina (the Koutoubia Mosque, the Djemaa'n Fna by day/the Souks/ shopping)
8:30pm : Dinner at restaurant Yakout

Accommodation at your luxury suite at Riad at the ancient city of Marrakech



Day. 6 - Marrakech

7:00a.m.-8:00a.m.: breakfast

9:00a.m.-12:00: The Majorelle Garden and The Menara

12:30-1:30p.m.: lunch at Restaurant La Paix in Marrakech

Afternoon at the souk to katch up with the last minute shopping

8:00p.m. you’ll cap off your journey at a spectacular dinner event, the Fantasia, (Borj Bladi) where we’ll bear witness to a splendid drama of Arabian Nights filled with belly dancing, folkloric
troupes, and stately Arabian steeds charging in dynastic battles as of yore.

Accommodation at your luxury suite at Riad at the ancient city of Marrakech


Day. 7 - Essaouira

8:30 to 9:30 Breakfast

9:00 am departure to Essaouira

12:00 noon: Lunch at the fish market, bursting with a plethora of fruit of the sea to be grilled to a
succulent finish before your eyes.

All day to explore,

The 60’s music legends Jimmy Hendrix and the Rolling Stones were drawn to Essaouira’s idyllic charm, which continues today to lure musicians and artists alike to the sparkling
whitewashed fishing village trimmed with the brilliant azure of its skies. A former Portuguese settlement in the 18th century, its stone ramparts overlook an emerald sea where dolphins
sometimes frolic near the fringe of silvery beach, and camels ferry passengers across fine sand. Dream on the beach, stroll through serene squares, browse artisan shops or the fish
market, bursting with a plethora of fruit of the sea to be grilled to a succulent finish.

This is where you can take a camel ride at the beach of Morocco.

Dinner and overnight at your luxury Riad in Essaouira.


Day. 8 - Essaouira - Ourika Ourika Valley (high atlas mountains)

4:00pm departure from Essaouira to the Ourika Valley / high atlas mountain.

A visit o the Berber village of Anrar occupied by 52 Berber families...including a cup of tea with one of the Berber families.

Dinner and overnight at your luxury Riad Kasbak Omar in Ourika.


Day. 9 - Ourika Valley

You will explore one of the most beautiful and unspoiled valleys of the High Atlas Valley of Ourika rises gently up to the preliminary hills of the High Atlas where small typical villages have
nested. It is a pure and magnificent place where silence is only " disturbed " by birds singing, water streams and wagtails. Ourika is famous for its pottery, minerals and crystal.

A couple of hours trekking to one of the hidden waterfalls of the valley.

A visit to the Herbal organic oil body and spirit at Souk Latnin

6:00p.m.-8:00p.m.: back to Riad *relaxation /time to pack/ Traditional Hammam (Steamed bath)*

Dinner and overnight at your luxury Riad Kasbah Omar at Anrar Mountain of Ourika.


Day. 10 - Ourika - 5 hours trekking to discover the hidden Berber villages

From our Berber village Anrar at Douar Tafza until we reach the Berber hamlet of Oualmes (1150m) to start our 5 hour hike across the river and up along a narrow winding hillside path
surrounded by fields of corn towards Anins and the through the col (1670m) where you have lunch at the Berber village of Tizin-Oucheg. From here You you'll continue your Berber
adventure to explore the hidden village of Agard then to Anamer villlage followed by a short trek that would bring you back to Tazintoute village at 1148m) where you shall cross the Assif
Ourika to get to your vehicle for your return to your Anrar village around 5 - 6.00 in the evening.

Dinner at Ourika Garden in Ourika

Accommodation at the luxury Berber Kasbah Omar at Anrar village in Ourika.


Day. 11 - Airport Transfer
Transfer to Casablanca airport for your return home with plenty of tales of Arabian days and nights.


What's Included:

* All meals
* Deluxe hotel & Riads & Kasbah lodging and all transportation
* Transfers to and from airport
* Knowledgeable certified guides


Not included in package price:

* Airfare
* Personal needs expenditures
* Drinks
* Travel Insurance


Pricing based on 4* accommodation:

USD 2950.00 per person based on double occupancy
USD 5900.00 for for 2Pax

Pricing based on 5* accommodation:

USD 3950.00 per person based on double occupancy
USD 7900.00 for 2Pax

What's Included:

* All meals
* Deluxe hotel & Royal Palaces lodging and all transportation
* Transfers to and from airport
* Knowledgeable certified guides


Not included in package price:

* Airfare
* Personal needs expenditures
* Drinks
* Travel Insurance

Tour Operator Reviews (6) about reviews
1 
Client: Naimah - from Malaysia
Trip: Eternal Imperial Cities & High Atlas of Morocco
Rating:
rating 8/10
Comment: We are now back home after a lovely holiday in Morocco. Morocco is beautiful and the people are very warm and friendly.

With one or two exceptions, we have no major complaints with the tour. Our driver Mohamed was excellent; he was helpful and sorted out our problems in no time at all. He drove at a good pace and was also informative. He also ensured that we were comfortable and were enjoying the trip.

The Riads are beautiful but I think that for the first two at least, they were not quite suitable for the winter. They were too cold and would have been quite lovely if we were there in the summer. All the other riads were not only excellent but their staff and hospitality were impeccable.

The tour itself was just nice, not too long and not too short (I sound like Goldilocks) Hisham, our guide in Fez was good. He was very knowledgeable and very informative.

Other than the cold riads, (and the fact that my son had food poisoning on the second day in Fez) we were very happy with the tour and would recommend this tour and the tour operator highly
 
2 
Client: Nicola Rethman - from South Africa
Trip: Eternal Imperial Cities & High Atlas of Morocco
Rating:
rating 9/10
Comment: Morocco is a beautiful country and I thought the most ‘undersold’ parts were the best – Fes & surrounds, Ourika Valley. I found Marrakech a bit disappointing and Casablanca a big bore (but perhaps both were because I ended up travelling alone – not intended – and hence could not enjoy the night life). The amount of construction on the seafront areas of the Atlantic coast was quite a surprise and limits what one can actually see. Next time I would add the Med coast; the Sahara and the Southern part of the country to my itinerary.

Services provided by the operator were generally good, although the itinerary provided was a bit different to the actual one (it almost seemed as though the person writing the itinerary had not been to many of the places as some suggestions were impractical – e.g. a routing from Ourika Valley to Fes via Meknes and Rabat in a single day!).

The driver and guides provided were all well informed and well spoken but somewhat inclined to ‘guide’ me to places where the intent was largely to get me to shop (which, after a credit card challenge in Marrakech, I was disinclined towards). The mountain guide in the Ourika Valley was magnificent, very patient and helpful on the rather strenuous hike.

My planned travel companion had visa problems (she is South African but lives in Nigeria and couldn’t get a visa – which as South Africans is a requirement – due to problems with her Nigerian work permit) and had to cancel at the last minute (after her planned arrival). Obviously, expecting a refund on the travel or accommodation was unrealistic given the late cancellation and the operator offered to give her a 20% discount if she books through them again.

The ‘personalised’ tour (i.e. own car and driver, rather than sharing with a bus load of others) was fantastic and the accommodation was superb throughout. If I return to Morocco, I would plan for something similar.
 
3 
Client: Silvia Portnoy - from Argentina
Trip: Eternal Imperial Cities & High Atlas of Morocco
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment: We have just come back home from our holidays.

Visiting Morocco was an exciting and unforgettable experience: the people, the landscapes, the cities, the food, everything was just wonderful. We absolutely enjoyed it.

As mentioned by the operators advertisements, we are back home “with plenty of tales of Arabian days and nights”; I can still smell the spices, the flowers, the fresh of the Ourika valley. By the way, Mr Karim kindness and hospitality at the Kasbah Omar has to be highlighted. He also helped us in exploring the beautiful valley leading us in two wonderful walks.

The trip went on as planned. Riads and hotels were great, as well as restaurants and foods in our dinners. Guides and visits were very well coordinated. Everything on time and the trip fulfilled every word committed by the tour operator in the package we bought.

Said, the driver that spent with us the whole visit, was perfect; always on time, ready to help us in every question we asked, excellent driver, at all times taking care of our safety and comfort. Meeting Said is part of the nice memories we have from our trip.

Summing up and for the requested feedback, I would qualified my holiday with a 100. Hope to visit Morocco again!!!!
 
4 
Client: Robert and Karen Grozier - from Australia
Trip: Moroccan Caravan Adventure Tour
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment: Thank you for your assistance in passing on our enquiry to such an efficient company. We think the trip was one of the best we have taken.

We had a wonderful time with our driver Mohamed who took very good care of us throughout. It was great that he was always there to pick us up from outings which made for a very stress free trip. His driving, in sometimes very difficult conditions such as heavy snow in the High Atlas was to be commended. We feel we saw much more than was in the itinerary and people we have since spoken to have been amazed at what we actually fitted into the twelve days.

Regarding the dinners, all included, we could not fault them from the Styze club in Marrakech to the homecooked meals in the Riads.

By chance we were invited to a Berber wedding which was being held next to our Riad out of Marrakech which was a real bonus. Stayed with it till midnight. A lot of fun.

Even though we were guided everywhere, we felt we got to experience the local flavour and so believe our trip was wonderful value. Because of the spread of accomodation the operator supplied from very good small riads to the opulent riad in Fez we feel we have certainly seen a wide cross section of Moroccan life.

Finally, thanks to them for organising all this at what was very short notice. It all went very smoothly thanks to Mohamed.
 
5 
Client: Dr Richard Zapanta & Family - from United States
Trip: Moroccan Caravan Adventure Tour
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment: I'd like to inform you that we had the most amazing and out-of-this-world experience while vacationing in Morocco.

Our driver Abdel was not only very careful and cordial but also extremely hospitable and eager to share with us the Moroccan lifestyle. We are most appreciative of him opening up his home for a home-made chicken cous-cous meal with his lovely family. It truly made our trip more than personal now that we have a 'new family' in Morocco!

We will highly recommend this trip with this company to our friends who have seen, from our pictures, the many splendors of Moroc!

We hope to travel back very soon as we know there are many other treasures yet to be seen!

Again, we give our highest marks to your agency and it's tour guides/driver.

Thank you so very much!
 
6 
Client: Carol Sporleder - from United States
Trip: customised itinerary
Rating:
rating 9/10
Comment: We returned last Tuesday from Spain and Morocco. I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we all had.

Our driver Abdul was waiting for us when we got off the boat in Tangier with a very nice and comfortable van. Abdul did a wonderful job. He was a great driver and was always punctual and very helpful.

Our stay at the Riad in Fez was wonderful. The staff was so attentive. Our rooms and the courtyard and garden areas were just beautiful. We had a very enjoyable day in Fez with our guide Abdul (another Abdul) and a delicious dinner with entertainment at Maison Blue.

The following day we really enjoyed Meknes, Volubilis, lunch at Moulay Idriss and finally Chefchaoen. What a beautiful town. Our Riad here, although not as luxurious as the one in Fez, was so conveniently located near the main square.

The people of Morocco were very friendly and welcoming to us.

We were all very impressed with the beautiful mosaics in all the buildings we visited but the most pleasant surprise of all was the delicious food. We absolutely loved the Moroccan salads, pastilla, and the tajines, and fresh fruits and most of all the mint tea. When I got home, I bought a Moroccan cookbook immediately.

If there was one complaint, it was that all the interesting presentations in Fez (ceramics, carpet, tannery, cloth ) also included a bit of high pressure sales after the presentation. All three couples bought mosaic tables which we are looking forward to enjoying in our yards here in California.

Thank you to the operator for organizing a trip to Morocco that we will never forget.

 
 
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