Meals included: B, D

Upon your arrival, you will enjoy a guided tour of this modern-day imperial city. Your tour will include visits to the important monuments of the city such as the Royal Palace, the Hassan Tower, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. You will also explore inside the blue and white painted streets of the Kasbah of the Udayas. 

After your tour, you'll have the evening free to explore on your own. Of course, you tour manager will be available to you should you need any assistance or recommendations. After the guided tour of Rabat, we will start our journey to the beautiful blue city of Chefchaouen nestled between two peaks of of the Rif Mountains.  Upon your arrival in this charming city, you'll check into your accommodations and have a little time to rest.

Evening Walk in Chefchaouen

At 4:30 PM, you will head out for an evening walk of the city. You'll start by heading up along the Ras el Ma, past the local laundromat (aka the river) to the wall of the city. From here you’ll wind our way down through the blue alleys and streets to Place Outa el Hammam, the central square of the city, where you will enjoy a group dinner before returning on foot to your accommodations.
Sleep: Riad El Palacio & Spa

Meals included: B, L

9:00 - 1 hour 30 minutes

Optional Morning Hike to the Spanish Mosque

This morning after breakfast, you'll have the option to hike up to the Spanish Mosque for panoramic views of the city. This will be a fairly challenging walk.  It will take approximately 30 minutes to hike up and 30 minutes back with 15-30 minutes at the top to rest and enjoy the view.

11:00 - 5 hours 30 minutes

Walk through the Villages of the Rif Mountains

Late morning, you will be transported into the Rif Mountains to the starting point of your walk and make your way to the village of Kalaa where you will join the El Khyati family for lunch.  After lunch, you'll continue walking for another 2 hours.  Upon reaching the end of the walk, you'll meet the bus and head back to Chefchaouen, stopping along the way for tea, panoramic pictures, and toilets.  You will arrive back in Chefchaouen by late afternoon and will have the rest of the day and evening free to explore on your own.

Meals included: B

Note: dinner is not included, but can be arranged o be served at the riad upon arrival

Check out at Riad El Palacio & Spa.

After breakfast, we will depart Chefchaouen and head south towards Fes. 

Our first stop today will be the sacred city of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun which is home to the Idriss I’s tomb. A pilgrimage site, this city was until recently forbidden to non-muslims. 

Walk to Volubilis

We will enter the hillside city of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun and head to the very top. From there, we will have a panoramic view of the city to our right and see the Roman ruins of Volubilis in the plains below us.

We'll start an easy walk down the hill through the streets of Moulay Idriss. When we reach the bottom of the hill, we'll walk through some small villages, stopping for lunch at the home of a local family where the matriarch, Lalla Fatima, will treat us to a delicious home-cooked meal. We'll enjoy the food and the company in their garden house surrounded by olive trees.

After lunch, we will walk another 10 minutes to the entrance of Volubilis where we will meet our guide and have a tour of the ruins.

Transfer to Fes

After our guided tour, we will transfer the rest of the way to Fes where we will check into our riad and have some time to rest and relax.

Meals included: B

Check in at Riad Dar Farouzi

Guided Tour of Fes

Today after breakfast, your local guide will meet you at your riad at 8.30 AM for a brief discussion about the day's tour. At 9 AM you will depart the riad and drive to the Royal Palace and then walk through the old Mellah (Jewish Quartier) of the city. From here, you will rejoin the bus and drive to one of the Borj (towers) and get a panoramic view of the entire medina. Next, you’ll head to a mosaic house where you will have a demonstration of the traditional pottery methods utilized by Fassi artisans – you’ll see every step of the process from the formation of the clay to the piecing together of the mosaics. After this, you'll head back into the medina of Fes to begin your walking tour of this old city. You will discover the ancient streets and neighborhoods, visit the various artisan sections, and the important historic monuments (including the tomb of Idriss II and the Al-Qarawaiyin University - the oldest continually operated university in the world). You'll stop for lunch and a little rest and then walk to the famous tanneries of Fes. After your visit here, you'll walk back to the riad and have the rest of the afternoon free to explore on your own.

Optional Dinner: Palais Medina
Enjoy traditional Fassi cuisine while watching a show that includes traditional music, folklore, belly dancing, and even a little magic. 

Note: This dinner is not included in the tour price, but we can make it an optional add-on (including wine). Price$50.00 USD

Meals Included: B, D

After breakfast, you will depart from Fes head to the desert. Your first stop on the way will be the interesting Alpine-like city of Ifraine. Driving through this city, you will think that you have been teleported to Switzerland. The city's biggest claim to fame is a statue of the now extinct Atlas lion that once roamed the lands, but the best part of the city is the European-like cafe in the main square that serves great coffee and delicious sweetsAfter a quick stop here for coffee and a snack, you'll continue into the Middle Atlas Mountains and through the largest cedar forest in Africa which is also home to the barbary apes (aka Atlas Monkeys) which are sure to entertain. Just be prepared to pay a toll in peanuts. These little guys may not let you pass without it!

After you've crossed through the Middle Atlas Mountains, you'll arrive to the city of Midelt located on the high plains between the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. You'll likely stop in this area for lunch and then continue through the High Atlas Mountains via the Ziz Gorge. You take note of the change of landscape as you enter the desert region and make the final leg of the journey to Merzouga and the great sand sea of the Sahara, Erg Chebbi. You’ll have a little time to relax and unwind from the days driving and just before sunset, you will climb aboard your camel and trek through the dunes to your luxury Berber camp for the night. Once there you will watch the sunset and the stars come out. Dinner will be served and traditional music will be played while you lounge around the campfire gazing at the stars. When you are ready, you can retire to your tent for the night… or, if you wish, you can sleep under the stars.

Sleep: Sahara Stars Camp.

This morning, your camel guide will wake you early so that you can watch the sun rise over the dunes.  After watching the sunrise, breakfast will be served at camp and you’ll have time to shower and prepare for your day before taking to your camels one more time. You'll trek back to the edge of the dunes and then transfer to your more conventional transportation (your bus) to head to the breathtaking Dades Gorge.  

Along the way, you’ll stop to visit Khettaras, the ancient irrigation system that once brought water to the desert from the distant Saghro Mountains.  

After this, you’ll head to the oasis town of Tinghir where you will have a guided walk of the palmeraie and Mellah (old Jewish area). This walk will include a stop at a local rug cooperative where you will have a demonstration of the this traditional art form and then you will walk into the most impressive part of Todgha Gorge.

After your visit here, you'll drive a short distance to your hotel where you can relax before a delicious dinner.

Sleep: Chez Ichou

Distance: 12 km (7.5 Miles)
Duration: 6 hours
Altitude Gain: 1467 m (4813 ft)

Meals included: B, L, D

This morning you will depart with your tour manager/driver from the Red City (Marrakech) at approximately 1175 ft (535 m) above sea level and drive about 1 hour and 40 minutes to Imlil Valley located at an altitude of 5708 ft (1740 m).

Upon your arrival, you'll meet your trekking team including your mountain guide and drink a glass of tea before beginning your ascent with your guide and mule team. The first landmark of note is the shrine of Sidi Chamharoche (7808 ft/2380m). According to legend, this shrine is dedicated to the king of the Djenn and is a pilgrimage site for those seeking healing. Forbidden to non-muslims, you will be able to see it from a distance, but still close enough to feel the energy. You'll have about a 30 minute break here, before continuing.

After this, you will continue your ascent, hiking through some mountain villages where there will be the opportunities to have a break at one of the many local cafes. 

You'll stop for lunch - about 2 hours after passing Sidi Chamharoche - in Imi n'Tfrit (9416 ft/2870 m).

After lunch the ascent continues to the Toubkal refuge (10,521 ft/3207 m) where you will find hot showers and team and a warm dinner, followed by a good nights sleep.

Distance:

9 km (5.5 miles)
Duration: 7 hours
Altitude Gain: 960 m (3150 ft)
Altitude Loss: 960 m (3150 ft)

Meals Included: B, L, D

This morning, you will wake up early, have a good breakfast, and then attempt to reach the summit of Mt. Toubkal. At 13671 feet (4,167m) above sea level, this is the highest peak in North Africa. 

You'll ascend for approximately 4 hours to reach the peak. Once you reach the summit, you will have about 30 minutes to enjoy the views and celebrate your achievement, before descending for approximately 3 hours back to the refuge for the night with the option to take a different return route.

Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles)
Duration: 4 hours
Altitude Loss: 1467 m  (4813 ft)

Meals included: B, L, D

This morning after breakfast, you'll depart the refuge and continue your descent to Imlil.. On the way, you'll stop again for a break at Sidi Chamharouch before making your final descent to Imlil Valley. Upon reaching the valley, you'll enjoy lunch and meet your tour manager/drive once more. From here, you'll head to your accommodations and enjoy some much deserved relaxation for the rest of the afternoon.
Sleep: Riad Jnane Imlil