Globus > MOROCCAN ADVENTURE (QM2008)

MOROCCAN ADVENTURE (QM2008)
13 Days starting from $CALL

Countries Visited:
Not Available

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Length: 13 Days
Type: First Class Tour
Category: REGIONAL DISCOVERY AFRICA
Operator: Globus
Tour Code: QM-2008
   
 
About This Tour



Vacation Overview
If you crave adventure, this 13-day journey is for you. It begins and ends in Humphrey Bogart’s Casablanca and travels via the Barbary coast to Rabat, where a visit to the fortified Kasbah of Oudaias is included. Continue to the second imperial city of Meknes, and then to Fez to visit Morocco’s largest medina. Wind through the Middle Atlas range and spectacular Ziz Gorges to Er-Rachidia of French Foreign Legion fame. Next through stony deserts to Erfoud and holy Rissani, gateway to the Sahara Desert, followed by a thrilling experience: a visit to the colorful Souks, the desert tribe’s market, where Tuareg, Berber, and Blue People meet. Next is Ouarzazate, known for its film studios, where you will visit the Taourirt Kasbah, and a spectacular excursion to Zagora. In Marrakesh enjoy a carriage ride, stroll through the exquisite Yves Saint Laurent Gardens, and visit Menara Park, Bahia Palace, and the elaborately decorated 16th-century Saadian Tombs. A full day at leisure has been added to fully enjoy this “pink city”, before returning to Casablanca. The perfect Moroccan vacation.

 
  • What's Included
  • Itinerary
  • Dates & Prices
  • Sightseeing Highlights
  • Additional Details
  • SPECIALS

Meals
11 buffet breakfasts (BB); 2 lunches (L); 8 three-course dinners (D) including welcome and farewell dinners in Casablanca

Hotels
CASABLANCA Le Royal Mansour Méridien (D), FEZ Zalagh Parc Palace (SF), ERFOUD Belere (F), OUARZAZATE Le Berbere Palace (D), MARRAKESH Es Saadi (SF)
Day 1:
(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Casablanca, Morocco. (Sun.) After you check into your hotel, there’s time to rest or start exploring Morocco’s pulsating business capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner. (D)

Day 3:
Casablanca–Rabat–Meknes–Fez. (Mon.) Follow the infamous Barbary Coast to the imperial city of Rabat, once lair of the corsairs and now the country’s capital. Sightseeing focuses on the Royal Palace and residence of King Hassan II, MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM, Hassan Tower, and the fortified KASBAH OF OUDAIAS. Today’s second imperial city is Meknes, with its monumental gates and city walls, known as the unfinished dream of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Visit the impressive OLD GRANARIES and STABLES, which housed up to 12,000 horses, and stop at the Market Square to admire Bab el-Mansour, the finest gateway in North Africa. Continue your journey to Fez. (BB,D)

Day 4:
Fez. (Tue.) Snap pictures of the magnificent entrance to the Royal Palace, drive through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, and travel on to beautifully ornate BAB BOU JELOUD, the traditional entrance to old Fez. Today’s highlight is a visit to the labyrinthine FES-EL-BALI, Morocco’s largest medina: follow your Local Guide to exquisite MEDERSA BOU INANIA, admire Nejjarine Square and its fountain, the Karaouiyne Mosque and University, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss. Enjoy a tenmile drive along the panoramic Route de Fez, stopping at its best vantage point. Back to your hotel with time to relax by the pool. Tonight your Tour Director may suggest an optional folklore dinner at a typical Moroccan restaurant. (BB)

Day 5:
Fez–Erfoud. (Wed.) An unforgettable scenic journey through ever-changing landscapes on your way to the mystical deep south. Morning break in the quiet Swiss-style village of Ifrane. Verdant cedar forests give way to volcanic mountains and wind-swept plains as you motor across the Middle Atlas range to Midelt. Pass fortified mud-and-straw villages and spot young shepherds driving their flocks to scant pastures. Descend into the spectacular Ziz Gorges and arrive in Er-Rachidia, an important crossroad once controlled by the French Foreign Legion. Afterwards, the landscape becomes progressively more arid, and you enter a stony desert. On your last stretch to Erfoud, an unexpected and breathtaking surprise: the miraculous and peaceful oasis of Ziz Valley, dotted with palm-fringed towns, fortified strongholds, and scenes of timeless rural life. (BB,L,D)

Day 6:
Erfoud. (Thu.) A short drive takes you to holy Rissani, gateway to the Sahara Desert, where a few bowing date palms recall what was once a luxuriant oasis. For a thousand years this was the principal trading post for caravans from the Niger River, where gold was exchanged for salt and sugar. See the Grand Gateway of the town and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first ruler of the Alawite Dynasty. A thrilling experience is the visit to the colorful SOUKS, the desert tribes’ market, where Tuareg, Berber, and Blue People meet and animatedly swap silver jewelry and rugs for vegetables, salt, and other goods, by slapping one another’s hands. Weather permitting, your Tour Director will offer you an exciting optional excursion to the 450-foot-high Erg Chebbi sand dunes for a close-up encounter with the Sahara Desert. (BB,D)

Day 7:
Erfoud–Ouarzazate. (Fri.) Motor along the eastern slopes of the High Atlas mountains to the enchanting oasis of Tinerhir. Follow its lush valley, where crops grow in the shade of date palms, hemmed in by mud-brick villages and barren mountains, to one of Morocco’s most impressive natural sights: the Todra Gorge, also known as the “Grand Canyon of the Sahara.” After lunch, explore its narrowest point, just 33 feet wide, but some 950 feet high, with a crystal-clear river running through it. Drive further west through the Dadès Valley, called “Valley of the Thousand Kasbahs” for its superb and noble fortresses, and “Roses Valley.” Arrive at the resort town of Ouarzazate, famous for its film studios. Before heading to your hotel, time for a visit to the carefully restored TAOURIRT KASBAH, where outstanding views of the fortified town and valley can be seen from the terrace. (BB,L,D)

Day 8:
Ouarzazate. Excursion to Zagora. (Sat.) Enjoy a spectacular full-day excursion to the town of Zagora on the edge of the Sahara Desert. You will be amazed by the contrast of the breathtaking scenery of the Drâa Valley with its palm grove oases, kasbah dwellings, and colorful Berber villages with the surrounding desert. (BB,D)

Day 9:
Ouarzazate–Marrakesh. (Sun.) Pass through picturesque villages surrounded by craggy mountains while motoring towards the 7,414-foot-high Tizi-n-Tichka Pass in the heart of the High Atlas mountains. Each new twist in the road leads to a different, more dramatic landscape. Leaving the pass behind, the landscape gradually changes to a green mantle. Lunchtime arrival in the redcolored imperial city of Marrakesh, situated in an oasis of more than half a million palm trees and surrounded by deep walls. In the late afternoon, enjoy a leisurely CARRIAGE RIDE and a stroll through the exquisite YVES SAINT LAURENT GARDENS. (BB,D)

Day 10:
Marrakesh. (Mon.) Guided half-day sightseeing includes MENARA PARK with its man-made lake and quaint pavilion, BAHIA PALACE, the elaborately decorated 16th-century SAADIAN TOMBS, and Djemaa El-Fna, the palpitating town center dominated by the 222-foot-high Koutoubia Minaret. Afternoon at leisure to catch up on your postcards or bargain hunt in the souks. Tonight an optional excursion not to be missed: the 30-horse fantasia and Moroccan feast “Chez Ali.” (BB)

Day 11:
At Leisure in Marrakesh. (Tue.) Full day to let your senses truly come alive in this magical “pink city” or to just relax at the pool in its enchanting setting of perfumed gardens and exotic plants. (BB)

Day 12:
Marrakesh–Casablanca. (Wed.) Head across farming country towards Casablanca, Morocco’s modern seaport with a strong French accent, recalling scenes from the film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Sightseeing focuses on the magnificent United Nations Square, the Arab League Park, Anfa’s residential quarters, the SYNAGOGUE, the CHURCH OF OUR LADIES OF LOURDES, and to top it off, the imposing HASSAN II MOSQUE, built in a breathtaking setting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner celebrating the success of your fascinating Moroccan adventure. (BB,D)

Day 13:
(Thu.) Your homebound flight arrives today. (BB)


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Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

         
Touring Date
Land Only
Land + Air
Single
(Land Only)
Single
(Land + Air)


No Departure Date Information was found for this Tour. This could be due
to our website undergoing an update.

Please call a tour specialist at 1-800-942-3301 for personalized assistance.

 

         

Price Details US
Single room supplement:
$489

Triple room reduction per person:
$39

Extra nights per person in Casablanca:
in single room $150; in twin room $95; in triple room $83

City Highlights
CASABLANCA
Welcome and farewell dinners; guided sightseeing; visit the Synagogue, Church of Our Ladies of Lourdes, and the Hassan II Mosque

RABAT
Guided sightseeing, visit the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Kasbah of Oudaias

MEKNES
Guided sightseeing and visit the Old Granaries and Stables

FEZ
Guided sightseeing including Bab Bou Jeloud; visit the Fes-el-Bali Medina and Medersa Bou Inania

ERFOUD
Visit the souks

OUARZAZATE
Visit the Taourirt Kasbah; excursion to Zagora

MARRAKESH
Guided sightseeing; carriage ride; visit Yves St. Laurent Gardens, Menara Park, Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs

Price Details US
Single room supplement:
$489

Triple room reduction per person:
$39

Extra nights per person in Casablanca:
in single room $150; in twin room $95; in triple room $83

CURRENT SPECIALS:

Save $200 per couple on the air-inclusive price of 2009 Europe Vacations

*Book a 2009 Globus air-inclusive European vacation to receive the $100 per person discount. Booking must be made, under deposit and discount applied between October 8, 2008 and November 30, 2008 for travel commencing between January 1, 2009 and October 31, 2009. Offers not valid with any other offer and applies to new 2009 European bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.


Standard Offers and Specials provided by Globus

Discount for young travelers

Share the pleasure of a Globus vacation with your children and grandchildren and take advantage of a 10-percent discount on the land-only price. For eligibility, children must be under 18 years of age on the departure date and must be accompanied by an adult. On escorted vacations we don’t accept children under eight years old because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Pay less for your second vacation

We charge you vacation price for your first vacation in 2008, but for every additional Globus vacation you take in the same year, you pay US$35 under list. Our vacations are designed and scheduled so you can combine them almost any way you want. It’s fun to play the add-a-vacation game yourself or talk to your travel agent.

Triple room reduction

On most Globus vacations you receive a reduction when three people travel together and share the same accommodations. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed on the itinerary pages. A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway put in a twin-bedded room.

Avoid the single room supplement

We do not take reservations on a “share” basis because we have found that strangers rarely enjoy sharing a room for the duration of their vacation. Avoid the single room supplement by traveling with a friend. It’s less expensive and much more fun!


Right now when you book a 2009 vacation between 5 and 7 people before December 31, 2008, each passenger will save $75

Do you have a large party of friends or family that wants to travel? Right now when you book a 2009 vacation between 5 and 7 people before December 31, 2008, each passenger will save $75.* For example, book 5 passengers and receive a $375 discount, 6 passengers equals a $450 discount and 7 passengers will receive a $525 discount. With an offer like this, the world’s greatest destinations are now closer than ever!

*Book a 2009 Globus vacation for five, six or seven travelers to receive the $75 off per person offer. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between Jun 4 and Dec 31, 2008 for travel through December 31, 2009. Individuals must be traveling together from the same origination point to receive the discount. Not valid with any other offer and applies to new 2009 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.


   
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