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Friday, 29 March 2013

the rest of Grand Tour of Morocco 14days/ 13 nights



Day 4: Fez – Meknes – Chefchaouen
After breakfast, your guide will take you on a tour of Meknes, one of Morocco’s most striking Imperial Cities, the Sultan Moulay Ismail has made it as his capital, then you will visit attics stables of Moulay Ismail, place El Hdim, Bab Mansour, the most famous door of all North Africa… Lunch will be taken in Meknes one of Morocco’s Imperial cities, you will visit the best preserved Roman ruins of Volubilis and the birthplace of Moulay Idriss, the creator of the first Muslim dynasty. You will spend 1 hour exploring the 2000-year-old ruins and getting a picture of life flashback during the Roman Empire. Then continuation to Chefchaouen, one of the most beautiful small towns in the Rif Mountains, it is painted in hues of blue. Dinner and overnight in Chefchaouen
Day 5: Chefchaouen – Tétouan – Tangier
After breakfast, we will visit the beautiful city of Chefchaouen, known as the “blue city" picturesque Berber stronghold in the high up Rif Mountains, founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain. Its blue-glazed houses and buildings are a tradition that comes from the town’s former Jewish population. “Chefchaouen a heaven of peace and tranquillity”. The main square is the heart of Chefchaouen, with the Kasbah (Built back in the 18th century), central mosque and cafes with authentic menus. Then departure to Tangier via Tetouan; “The white pigeon” city known as home to the Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492. The city is the centre of Andalusian Morocco; explore the charming “white” city of Tetouan, affectionately called by the locals “The daughter of Granada”. Visit the Guersa Kebira square, one of the many bustling souks. Then we stop at the Medina, one of the most fascinating in the country and now a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. See also the superb Royal Palace, a fine example of Hspano-Moresque architecture. Continuation to Tangier, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Tangier – Asilah – Larache – Rabat
After breakfast, visit of Tangier, the mythical city, indefinable, that has charmed many artists. Then we walk to achieve the “Spartel Cape”. Some highlights: the Grand and Petit Socco, the two main squares of the city teeming with activity, Kasbah located on the hillside offering views of the harbor, and is divided into very steep streets shopping, Dar El Makhzen: former palace with it’s fantastic architecture, which is called now as museum of Moroccan art. Then visit of the caves of Hercules and and departure to Asilah. Long Spanish enclave, it is now a city of artists and home to many galleries. Do not miss visiting the Old Portuguese walled city dating from the fifteenth century. Continuation towards Larache, including the medina in a lot of character: a maze of narrow streets all leading to the sea and the village of Moulay Bousselham which owes its name to the person who was the founder. Do not miss also her lovely small port, near one of the most Brands ornithological sites in Morocco. Arrival in Rabat, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Rabat - Casablanca – El Jadida – Oualidia
Breakfast; and visit of the kingdom’s capital RABAT. Rabat has always been a seminal town with the ruins of Chela, an ancient Roman city, and the numerous monuments dating to the 13th century. The Almohad dynasty, under Yacub El Mansour, has devoted the town by building the Chellah necropolis. The Hassan Tour (which ought to have been one of the biggest mosques of the Moslem world). Then we take a ride to Oudayas Kasbah. And more recently, you have the Mausoleum of the late king Mohamed V, architect of independence in 1956. This Mausoleum is a real jewel of Moroccan architecture art. The late king of Morocco, Hassan II, and his brother Prince Mulay Abdellah, are also buried there. Rabat is today a modern town, a garden city, seat of the Royal Palace, the embassies, the   parliament,and the ministers.   .
Then departure for Casablanca, the economic capital, second town of Africa it is the main business and industrial centre. Its Aïn Diab coast is endowed with beautiful swimming pools; cafes, restaurants, private clubs, hotels and night clubs are interspersed along its very active coast. An orientation tour will take us to the outside of the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, the second largest Mosque in the world… Continuation to El Jadida, this Portuguese town is honoured by UNESCO, a short visit of the famous citadel, reminder of the Portuguese occupation of the 16th Century… Lunch and continuation to Oualidia, dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Oualidia – Safi – Essaouira
After breakfast, a short visit very small city Oualidia, it is a village of fishermen unique in the world for the incredible diversity of its landscapes and for the richness of its historical remains and its cultural heritage. Departure to Essaouira via Safi, an important port since Roman times (mainly for sardines). At that time it was known as Asfi. The Almohads surrounded the town with ramparts and made the town an intellectual and spiritual centre. In the past, the town opens to the western world; it is today open to the whole world. Lunch, then continuation to Essaouira. Dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Essaouira – Taroudant
After breakfast, we will explore the Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador"), which is considered as UNESCO’s World Heritage. Essaouira is an example of a late 18th century fortified town, North Africa-style... The Essaouira medina grasp many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'Thuya' wood-carving using roots of the Tetraclinis tree; both have been practised in Essaouira for centuries. The town enjoys a micro-climate which attracts many summer visitors from the inland towns such as Marrakech. In addition, numerous artist painters and musicians have settled there. Essaouira is host every year in April to the Festival of Classical Music, “Les Alizés”, and towards mid-June, the Gnaoua festival, a sort of jazz, attracts thousands of young people.
Leave Essaouira and departure towards Taroudant the old capital of the Souss and one of the typical Cities of Morocco, Turn of the ramparts, visits Souks and discovered of Berber pottery. This town offers more than a complete change of scenery: it is famous by its jewellery souk and its craftwork of copper, leather and carved stone. Dinner and overnight in Taroudant.
Day 10: Taroudant – Aoulouz – Taliouine – Taznakhte – Ouarzazate
We depart this morning and travel via the Anti Atlas Mountains, where scenery will be changing between the semi deserts to a weirdly shaped mountains. After the beautiful oasis town of Taliouine, the capital of Saffron we will stop in Taznakht, A Berber town well known by its handmade Berber carpets, Lunch and continuation to Ouarzazate.
The Town of Ouarzazate stands in the middle of an arid plateau contrasting sharply with the slopes and vegetation of the nearby High Atlas. It occupies a geographic location at the crossroads of the main route leading to the Draa, Dades, and Souss Valleys. Dinner and overnight in Ouarzazate.
Day 11: Ouarzazate – Zagora
Departures in the morning from Ouarzazate to Agdez, passing over the Tizi-n-Tinfifite Mountain pass (1660m). After an interval for a glass of tea or morning coffee in Agdez, we continue via the Draa valley. This allows a better view of the valley, passing the gardens, oases and Kasbahs between the Draa River and the mountains. We stop at Kasbah Tamnougalte for tea/coffee. This Kasbah is the oldest in the Draa valley and still partly inhabited. You could wander round and explore the Kasbah with a guide if you wish, lunch and continuation to Zagora, the largest oasis in the Draa valley and especially famous for its dates.
We continue to Tamegroute with a visit to the Koranic libraray and the local potteries, which produce all the green pottery that you will see in the south. Dinner and overnight in Zagor
Day 12: Zagora – Nekob – Tazzarine – Alnif – Erfoud – Merzouga
After breakfast, departure for Merzouga through unique desert landscapes, sprinkled with oasis. This very beautiful road with many small oases was one of the largest caravans. Lunch in a local restaurant on the way. Continuation towards Merzouga dunes.
You will experience a true camel trek in the Sahara desert, enjoying the great solitude, immensity, and silence of the Sahara, and night spent under a starry sky… we will attend to lie down it of the sun in dunes of Erg Chebbi that constitute the big curiosity of the corner. It is real moving sculptures in the shape of draperies whose colours vary according to the intensity of light. They stand as the living defensive walls to doors of the desert. It can reach over than 150 ms.
Day 14: Boumalen Dadès – Ouarzazate – Marrakech
After breakfast we leave to Marrakech via Ouarzazate, which is the first town, most populated after crossing the High Atlas, it is the unofficial capital of the south of Morocco. Formerly a Foreign Legion outpost in the southern Kasbah region, it has been notably used as a location backdrop by many epic films such as Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, the Mommy, 7 days in Tebet, Babel, Alexander the great…We visit the restored Taourirt Kasbah, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage of Humanity Site with its ochre adobe buildings. This ancient residence of Pacha Glaoui has been perfectly restored using traditional techniques; the village, with its several hundred inhabitants, is a living treasure. It is one of the places where you can admire the wealth of the local craftwork which includes carpets, furniture, reed baskets, pottery, jewellery and Berber daggers.

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