7 Day Imperial Cities Discovery… (trip)

7 Day Imperial Cities Discovery - Classic

  • Casablanca Airport, Grand Casablanca, Morocco
  • Active & Adventure
Morocco, Africa

from $2,024* per person7 DaysYear-round
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Kensington Tours 12 people max
A sun drenched land of sea and sand, blazing desert and cool Atlas mountain passes, Morocco has fascinated travelers for centuries. Blending the European influence of the Moors with the nomadic Berber caravans, the country combines unique food, architecture and history. Explore Meknes, the UNESCO world heritage city of Fes, and the exotic matchless bazaar of Marrakech. An extraordinary journey through time. Morocco promises to delight and amaze.

Loading map, please wait...

Locations visited/nearby

Morocco, Africa

0 testimonials about this trip.

3 testimonials about the provider, Kensington Tours:

  • Reviewer: Rinat Goren, 2009 located in Central America

    "Just wanted to thank you. We are back from Costa Rica and had a wonderful trip. Everything worked really well, on time and we had really good time. Also, I wanted to comment on your contacts in Costa Rica- they were very responsive, helped solve problems on the spot and it was very reassuring to have them there."

  • Reviewer: Nita Duncan, 2009 located in Egypt & Ancient Lands

    "For any single traveling woman - no fear! I, a single 61 year old female, traveled through Egypt & Jordan with absolutely no fear or concern for my safety. Not because I am brave but because there was no external cause for fear. The representatives who met me at the airports, the guides (especially Sam), and the drivers were all wonderful and very informative. The tour was first class and I would love to take another with Kinsington Tours and will recommend them to all my friends."

  • Reviewer: Marie, 2009 located in Asia

    "We are back and we had a wonderful trip. Everything was perfectly organized, with the right balance between time with a guide and free time. We were very lucky with the weather, no rain at all except for a 20 minutes thunderstorm in Dalat. Halong Bay was very clear all the time although it is supposed to be foggy during the day. The Metropole was perfect, the best breakfasts ever, the boat, Jasmine, wonderful and we were only 14 people instead of 44…,the Palm Garden in Hoi An very nice, the Ana Mandara in Nha Trang, pure Heaven, the Sofitel in Dalat beautiful, almost empty and a very friendly staff."

Comments from Facebook

Special information

  • This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.

Itinerary

Day 1 Rabat

Rabat is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé. Together the two cities with Témara account for a population of 2 million. Rabat is the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca.

Travel today between Casablanca and Rabat with private vehicle and english speaking driver.  Before leaving Casablanca, enjoy a brief city tour.  This city is located on the Atlantic Ocean and is the business centre of Morocco. Casablanca was established as a commercial centre by the French. The architecture is a mix of modern, art deco and the traditional. La Corniche on the ocean front and the remarkable Mosque Hassan II, one of only two mosques in Morocco open to non Islamic believers. Built by the late King Hassan II at the end of his 40-year reign, this astounding edifice is larger than Saint Peter’s in Rome and capable of holding 80,000 worshippers. You'll continue on to Rabat.

Lunch not included in tour price. Your driver and/or guide will assist you for lunch options on the way.

Embark on a private guided tour of the capital city of Rabat. You'll have time to explore the grounds of the Royal Palace, the wild gardens of the Chellah and a 14th-century Merinid necropolis. You'll also have a walk in the Andalusian Gardens which is within the walls of the kasbah of the Oudaya. Finally, stop at the Hassan Tower, a huge unfinished minaret which was built mostly at the end of the 12th century.

The Riad Kalaa is a Kasbah which dates back to the Almoravide dynasty was built in 1815, in the heart of the ramparts of the medina and only a few steps away from the ocean. The hotel has undergone a thorough and lengthy restoration, using artisan workmanship traditional to Morocco. The architecture of the riad is quite unique, with nooks and crannies, terraces, alcoves and salons, ensuring intimacy and a cozy, harmonious and restful ambiance for all the guests.

Overnight at Riad Kalaa.

Day 2 Fes

Fès is the most ancient and impressive of the imperial cities. Built in the eighth century, it has more history and mystery than anywhere else in Morocco. The medina (market) in Fès El Bali is one of the largest in the world and is also on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It is a huge maze of winding streets and covered bazaars where you can buy almost anything. It is particularly good for carpets, rugs and ornate metalwork.

Travel today between Rabat and Fez with private vehicle and english speaking driver.  This morning you'll drive to Meknes and embark on a city tour. The Ismalian capital famous for its 40 km long walls. Visit Bab Mansour, the Royal stables and the Jewish quarter. Continue to Fes, visiting en route the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay Idriss. Upon arrival to Fes, transfer to your hotel.

Lunch not included in tour price. Your driver and/or guide will assist you for lunch options on the way.

Riad Myra was built in the early last century and restored by the finest craftsmen in Fez. Riad Myra is one of the most prestigious guest houses in the city. Riad Myra enjoys a privileged location in the Batha district at the door of the Medina of Fez, a few minutes walking distance of the Batha Museum and the famous Bab Boujloud. Its Arab-Andalusian architecture, decor and cozy atmosphere recall the old bourgeois houses.

Overnight at Riad Myra .

Day 3 Fes

Private car, guide & driver at your disposal for the day. (Mercedes Viano/Vito or similar)

Full day private tour to explore the city of Fez. Fes el Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century and is home to the oldest university in the world. Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Merinids, when it replaced Marrakech as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina – madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - date from this period. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez has retained its status as the country's cultural and spiritual centre. Artisan workshops in the medina are as active today as 100 years ago, and strongly contribute to the city’s industrial economy. Trades such as metal and leather working, ceramics, silk, tapestries, and sculpting are still practiced in these workshops. Original ramparts still protect the ancient city and its 9000 passageways and narrow streets.

Overnight at Riad Myra .

Day 4 Marrakech

Marrakech, founded over 1,000 years ago, is also known as the ‘red city’, from the natural red-ochre pigment that colours its walls and buildings, and is perhaps the most famous city in Morocco. A combination of the old (the Medina) and the new (Guéliz), Marrakech is an exotic cocktail of sights and sounds. Its roots are Berber, rather than Arab, having developed as the metropolis of nomadic and Atlas tribes (from the plains and Sahara desert). Once upon a time, Marrakech was the marketplace for goods of all type (slaves, gold, ivory) brought by caravan from distant Southern empires, a commerce which shaped its souks and carnival way of life.

Travel today between Fes and Marrakech with private vehicle and driver.  Enjoy lunch en-route.  Explore the Mountain range of the Middle Atlas, with incredible passes and dizzying sights. Visit the Berber villages of Immouzer du Kandar and the University town of Ifrane to experience rural Morocco. Explore the Kasbah (market) of Ras El Ain. Approx. 7 hours.

Lunch not included in tour price. Your guide and/or guide will assist with lunch options on the way.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Riad Amina invites you to discover the welcoming atmosphere of an authentic aristocratic household. A veritable haven of peace and tranquility deep inside the vibrant old city of Marrakech, our luxury guesthouse keeps alive all the traditional, stylishness, warmth and comfort from which the great house's of Marrakech were once so famous for. True to its centuries of history, and in keeping with the way of life of the rich an noble families whom used to inhabit it, Riad Amina continues to marry modern luxury with a traditional atmosphere.

Overnight at Riad Amina.

Day 5 Marrakech

Private car, guide & driver at your disposal for the day. (Mercedes Viano/Vito or similar)

After breakfast you will be met at your hotel and taken on a full day guided tour of Marrakech. Your tour usually starts at the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque but you can discuss all of the options with your guide. The mosques beautiful minaret dominates the skyline of Marrakech and can be seen from almost every approach to the city thanks to a long-standing planning ordinance that forbids any other building in the old city to rise above the height of a palm tree. You will also visit the El-Bahia Palace, this 19th century palace is elaborate in its decoration and was built over a period seven years for Ba Ahmed, the son of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa, there are row after row of apartments—that once housed Ahmed's harem—a trapezoidal garden, a huge tiled courtyard, and many hidden treasures, both in the form of antique objects d'art and the palace's convergence of Andalusian and Moorish architecture. One of most visited sites in Morocco is the Saadian Tombs which were only accessible via the mosque next door. However, in 1917 they were opened to the public and can now be accessed via a narrow passage that leads to an enclosed garden watched over by two mausoleums that include more than one hundred mosaic decorated tombs. The Koranic School Medersa Ben Youssef which is a Theological college founded by the Merenid Sultan Abu Hassan in the 14th century, and restored in 1564 by the Saadians who made it the largest theological college in the Maghreb and a rival to the important Medersa Bou Inania in Fés.

Overnight at Riad Amina.

Day 6 Marrakech

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Overnight at Riad Amina.
    
Day 7 Casablanca

Airport transfer. Your driver will drop you off at the Casablanca airport.

Depart from Casablanca International airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

More information from Kensington Tours: