Morocco

The tour starts at 10.00am on Wednesday 16 October, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Casablanca.

The tour ends after breakfast on Sunday 3 November, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Casablanca.

Individual transfers from Casablanca International Airport
to the hotel in Casablanca will be arranged by Academy
Travel. We meet for introductions in the lobby of the hotel before enjoying a tour of Casablanca, including the opulent Hassan II mosque set on an outcrop jutting over the ocean.
In the afternoon we travel to the imperial city of Rabat, where we spend our first two nights. On arrival, we enjoy an orientation tour before a welcome dinner in the hotel. Overnight Rabat (D)

We begin the day with a visit to the archaeological site of Chellah, a Roman trading post later used as a royal burial ground by 13th and 14th-century dynastic rulers. We continue to the Archaeological Museum and its magnificent collection of Roman bronzes. After lunch we’ll see the imposing tower of the ruined 12th-century Hassan mosque alongside the grand modern mausoleum of Mohammad V. We stop at the Kasbah des Oudaïas with its 12th-century fortifications, Andalusian garden, charming whitewashed houses and view across the Bou Regreg estuary to the old walled town of Salé on the other side. Overnight Rabat (B, L)

This morning we leave Rabat to drive along the coast to Tangier. We stop to visit the picturesque though overgrown ruins of ancient Lixus, in Roman times a wealthy port famous for its salt and garum, a pungent fish sauce featured in many Roman recipes. On the way to the acropolis we’ll see the public baths and the amphitheatre that once staged wild beast shows and gladiatorial contests. After lunch at a restaurant by the sea, we continue to Tangier. Overnight Tangier (B, L)

A gateway between Africa and Europe, Tangier once had a reputation for seediness, but has now polished up its allure as an international tourist spot. We’ll begin with the American Legation Museum, an historic building with an interesting art collection and a section dedicated to American composer and writer Paul Bowles, who spent most his life in the city. A walk through the medina’s streets will take us past the once-glamourous Hotel Continental and the house that belonged to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. The kasbah, at the top of the hill, houses a splendid museum in the former residence of the sultan. In the Ville Nouvelle we see the churchyard of St. Andrews Anglican Church, where several well-known expatriate Tangerinos are buried, and the Café de Paris, a famous rendezvous during the International Zone era. There is time to relax before enjoying dinner together. Overnight Tangier (B, D)

Today we travel through the Rif to Chefchaouen, a picturesque walled town known for its blue-washed buildings with red-tiled roofs adorned with pots of flowers. We’ll tour the compact medina and kasbah before we have lunch and check into our centrally located riad. The afternoon is free for relaxation and further exploration. Overnight Chefchaouen (B, L)

After a leisurely start, a drive through the lovely countryside takes us to the ancient Imperial capital of Fes el Bali. This afternoon we will take an orientation tour visiting Borj Sud, a 16th-century fortress, and the Marinid Tombs dating from the 13th to 15th centuries. Both locations also afford panoramic view over the souks of Fes el Bali. Overnight Fes (B, L, D)

Entering through the Bab Boujeloud gate in the old city walls, we begin our exploration of the Fes el Bali medina with a visit to the Medersa Bou Inania, an intricate masterpiece of Merenid architecture. We walk through the souk, with its shops and stalls selling foodstuffs, perfumes, hardware, clothing, shoes and slippers, silks, embroidery and spices, stopping to visit old fondouks, some of which are still used as warehouses and workshops by local artisans. We look around the area of the great Kairouine mosque and the fascinating tanneries that use age-old methods of treating and dyeing hides. Overnight Fes (B, L)

This morning we drive from Fes to the archaeological site of Volubilis. Once capital of the Roman Province of Mauretania, its ruins are picturesquely located on a high ridge above a fertile valley. We’ll walk past an industrial area, where several olive oil presses have been found, to the city centre with its forum, capitol and basilica and imposing triumphal arch. The streets beyond are lined with grand private houses, many of which still have their beautiful mosaic floors. Near the entrance is a museum with numerous finds from the site and excellent explanations. After our visit we return to Fes. Overnight Fes (B, L)

This morning we visit the Musée du Batha, a converted 19th-century palace with pleasant gardens and an excellent collection of wood carving, metalwork, costumes and pottery. Afterwards, we stroll through the Jewish Mellah, where the old houses are distinguished by their wooden shutters and wood and wrought iron balconies. This afternoon there will be some free time before a group dinner. Overnight Fes (B, D)

Today is a travel day, departing for the long drive to Marrakesh. We stop enroute to have lunch and see examples of local carpet weaving before continuing the journey in the afternoon. After checking into our hotel with time to freshen up, we enjoy a dinner of traditional Moroccan cuisine. Overnight Marrakesh (B, L, D)

Our Marrakesh exploration begins at the 16th-century Sultan Ahmed el Mansour’s marble and gilt Saadian tombs, and the Badi Palace with its sunken gardens and pavilion housing the original wooden minbar from the Koutoubia Mosque, a masterpiece of 12th-century Moorish art. Past the Jewish Mellah, we come to the Bahia palace, built in the 19th century by a black slave who became grand vizier. A stroll through narrow streets and alleys brings us to the lively main square, overlooked by the Koutoubia minaret, one of the symbols of the city. After a break for lunch we explore the colourful souks north of the square and end the day with a visit to the Ben Youssef Medersa, an exquisite 14th-century Koranic school. Overnight Marrakesh (B)

This morning we travel a short distance outside Marrakesh to visit the modern sculpture exhibits of the Anima Garden, established by Viennese multi-media artist André Heller. Upon return we see the lovely Jardin Majorelle, designed by artists in the 1940s and bought by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. We’ll also visit a small museum of Yves Saint Laurent’s artwork and a Berber museum in Jacques Majorelle’s former cubist painting studio. We end our day at Le Jardin Secret, located in an historic riad and home to a traditional Islamic garden fed by a restored original khettara (underground irrigation system). Overnight Marrakesh (B, D)

Today we enjoy spectacular scenery as we cross the High Atlas Mountains over the winding Tiz n’Tichka pass. We stop for lunch at Ait Benhaddou, where the movie Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, was filmed. The ksar or fortified old town, now largely abandoned but protected as a heritage site, is a striking example of southern Moroccan mudbrick architecture. We continue to Ouarzazate, checking into our hotel on arrival. Overnight Ouarzazate (B, L, D)

We begin the day with a visit to Kasbah Amridil, an ancient fortification nestled in the date palms of Skoura. Founded at the end of the 17th century by the Nassiri family, who still maintain it to this day, it is now a living museum showcasing traditional kasbah life over the centuries. Returning to Ouarzazate for lunch, we then visit the striking Taourirt Kasbah in the centre of the city before making our way out to the Atlas Studios, where Hollywood blockbusters and TV series are filmed. Overnight Ouarzazate (B, L)

Today we make the beautiful drive to the coastal city of Agadir, situated at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. Enroute we stop in the small town of Taznakht, where Berber women have been cultivating the art of rug making for generations, and the village of Talioine, famous for its excellent saffron. Lunch is enjoyed in a local restaurant before continuing the journey to Agadir. On arrival, we stroll around this tranquil town before checking into our hotel. Overnight Agadir (B, L)

This morning is spent exploring Morocco’s larget souk in Agadir, before we travel aong the Atlantic coast to the harbour town of Essaouira. Enroute we stop at the Marjana Women Cooperative, established to empower local rural women, where we learn about the production of manually making argan oil. After checking into our hotel on arrival, there is time to relax before we gather in the beachfront bar to watch the sun set into the Atlantic. Overnight Essaouira (B, L, D)

Our visit to Essaouira, an 18th-century town surrounded by impressive ramparts, begins at the harbour, where every morning the fishing boats bring in the catch to be sold at the nearby market. We walk along the ramparts by the Skala bastion for views across the ocean and stroll through the medina with its whitewashed houses, woodworkers’ and jewellers’ souks and former Jewish Mellah. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Essaouira (B)

We depart Essaouira this morning via the scenic coastal road, stopping for lunch at El Jadida and its old Portuguese medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After lunch we walk along the ramparts and through the streets to see the Church of the Assumption and the minaret of the Grand Mosque, which once acted as a lighthouse. We continue to Casablanca where we gather in the evening for a farewell dinner. Overnight Casablanca (B, L, D)

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. We then transfer by coach to Casablanca International Airport, arriving in time for departing flights. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location.

• Rabat, Le Diwan Rabat-MGallery (2 nights)

• Tangier, Royal Tulip City Center (2 nights)

• Chefchaouen, Casa Hassan (1 night)

• Fes, Barceló Fès Medina (4 nights)

• Marrakesh, Barrière Le Naoura (3 nights)

• Ouarzazate, Riad Dar Chamaa (2 nights)

• Agadir, The View Hotel (1 night)

• Essaouira, Riad Mimouna (2 nights)

• Casablanca, Hyatt Regency (1 night)