Journey Through Morocco

(11 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Fez, Sahara, Erfoud, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh

This tour combines the ancient city of Fez and the festive city of Marrakesh with a few days in the magical Sahara desert, exploring oases, fortified towns, sand dunes and Berber culture.

Begin in Fez, the intellectual and religious heart of the nation. Stay at the Sofitel Palais Jamai, a former Moorish palace overlooking the medieval medina (old town). Tour Fez el-Bali ("Fez the Old") and its medieval medina (old town), a UNESCO world heritage site crammed with narrow, winding streets, tiny squares and artisan workshops. Visit centuries-old mosques and universities, see the multi-colored vats of the open-air tanneries, and shop for traditional wares made from copper, ceramics and leather. Also visit Fez el-Djedid ("Fez the New"), built in the 13th century. Visit the Royal Palace and the mellah (Jewish Quarter), the largest in Morocco.

Continue to Erfoud, a small town on the edge of the Sahara desert. En route, visit Ifrane and the market town of Midelt, renowned for its Berber carpets. Cross the Atlas Mountains into the palm-filled Ziz Valley. Visit fortified Berber villages before reaching Erfoud, one of the largest oases in all of Morocco. Spend one night in a private Bedouin tented camp in the desert. Explore the Sahara Desert and ride camels over the dunes. Also spend a night at a hotel in Erfoud and visit the ancient town of Rissani and the ruins of Sijilmassa, a famous capital of the old caravan routes in the 8th century.

Next, drive through romantic empty desert to the towering Todra Gorges. Enjoy a traditional tagine lunch amid canyon walls rising 1200 feet. Continue through the High Atlas range, following the Dades Valley to the captivating city of Ouarzazate, founded by the French in the 1920's. Often called the Valley of the Thousand Kasbahs, this area is home to some of Morocco's finest examples of fortresses and citadels.

Cross the breathtaking Tizi n' Tichka Pass to the kasbahs of Taourirt and Tifoultoute, and the nearby fortified village of Ait Benhaddou, the backdrop for famous films such as Lawrence of Arabia. This impressive kasbah is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Pass picturesque farmland, Berber villages and ruins of ancient Kasbahs en route to Marrakesh, an ancient city of weathered pink buildings and orange groves at the base of the Atlas Mountains. Tour the most interesting local souks (markets), palaces, gardens and shops. See the Djemaa el-Fna, a carnivalesque public square where water sellers, snake charmers, magicians and storytellers compete for an audience. Also see the Jardin Majorelle, stunning gardens created by French painter Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s; the Palais de la Bahia; the Dar Si Said Museum of Moroccan Arts; the Palmerie and the beautiful Jardin Menara, with its reflecting pools surrounded by a large grove of olive trees. Browse the city's most stylish shops and galleries, and dine at the finest restaurants.