November 2020 Women’s Tour

Join us on this incredible 9-day journey through Morocco’s most popular locations! Featuring wine tasting, cooking class, shopping, and time to relax with a luxurious hammam, this tour makes the perfect getaway for sisters, mother/daughter, or just besties! This tour includes five-star accommodations with breakfast daily, as well as seven dinners and four lunch at incredible restaurants. Join us for this one of a kind small group experience!


Dates:

Nov 14 - 22, 2020

Travelers:

8 - 12 Travelers

Cost:

$2480 per person, based on double occupancy; $900 single supplement applies

Includes:

  • Ground transportation via minibus with English-speaking group guide

  • 8 nights accommodations with breakfast

    • Sofitel Rabat Jardin de Roses in Rabat

    • La Maison Bleue in Fes

    • Es Saadi Palace in Marrakech

  • Four lunches

  • Seven dinners

  • Professional city guides in Fes and Marrakech 

  • Entrance to all included sites and monuments 

  • Wine tasting at Les Celliers de Meknes

  • Cooking class (counts as one lunch)

  • Local taxes and fees


Does Not Include:

  • Airfare

  • Beverages

  • Meals not noted as included

  • Snacks and incidentals

  • Hotel services, such as room service or laundry service

  • Tips and gratuities

  • Travel Insurance

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Itinerary:

  • NOV 14 - CASABLANCA, RABAT (L, D)

    • Meet your guide outside the CMN airport at approximately 10:00 am.

    • Begin with a visit to the stunning Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world that non-muslims are allowed to enter.  Able to accommodate up to 105,000 in prayer, this marvel of modern Moroccan architecture is the work of hundreds of expert craftsmen from around the country, many of them donating their work.  

    • Enjoy lunch at the iconic Rick’s Cafe, modeled after the famous nightclub in Casablanca.  Lunch included.

    • Continue on to Rabat, where you will visit the Hassan Tower, which has sat unfinished since 1199.  Commissioned by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, the tower was to be the minaret for the largest mosque in the world.  Unfortunately, when the sultan passed away in 1199, the project was abandoned, leaving some partial outer walls, 348 columns, and a minaret only standing half-finished at 140 feet rather than the intended 260 feet.

    • Standing opposite the Hassan Tower is the Mohammed V Mausoleum, which contains the tombs of Mohammed V, the current king's grandfather, as well as the king's father, Hassan II, and his uncle, Prince Abdallah.  It is considered a masterpiece of Alaouite architecture with its white walls and green tiled roof.  

    • Enjoy dinner at your hotel that night.  Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Rabat.

  • NOV 15 - MEKNES, FES (B, L, D)

    • After breakfast, head to Meknes where you will visit Morocco's premier winery, Les Celliers de Meknes.

    • Tour the building where the wines are made and stored, followed by a tasting of three wines in their beautiful tasting room.

    • Enjoy a delicious lunch on the lawn of the winery, in the shade of the olive trees, accompanied by a tasting of three of their wines. Lunch included.

    • In the afternoon, head to Volubilis.  Tour the site with a guide. The site of the ancient Roman ruins dates back to 3 BCE, when it was the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania.  The Roman rule began in the 1st century CE, and continued until it fell to local tribes in 285. The remains of many ancient structures are still being excavated, as well as the triumphal arch still standing.  There are several large mosaic floors still fully intact, and they will still reveal vibrant colors when wet.

    • Head to Fes to check into your riad.  Enjoy dinner at your riad that evening.  Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Fes.

  • NOV 16 - FES (B, L, D)

    • Tour Fes with a private guide.  (Walking tour with some transportation between sites.)  

    • Begin at the royal palace, with its seven golden doors, and learn about the significance of the intricate decor. 

    • Stroll through the Mellah, or Jewish quarter, which was built next to the palace to offer protection. 

    • Take in the view of the city from Borj Sud, a former fortress and one of the lookouts on a hill where you can see all of Fes laid out, allowing you to spot landmarks otherwise hidden by the skyline-obscuring buildings. 

    • Visit a pottery co-op to see how they make the unique Fes pottery, as well as handcrafting the intricate mosaics adorning half of Morocco. 

    • Head into the ancient medina and step into a sort of living museum.  The Fes medina is very much a local community that lives and works and goes about daily life in the medina, so be sure to keep moving and watch out for the donkeys! 

    • Stop by the Al-Quaraouiyine University, the oldest degree-granting university still in operation, having been founded in 859CE by a woman. 

    • Visit handicraft workshops, where you will see why Fes is considered the handicraft capital of Morocco.  This can include, among other things, the silk weavers, where beautifully colorful fabrics are woven from silk fibers of the agave plant; and the famous Fes tannery, where they process all manner of animal hides by hand, much as they have for nearly 1,000 years.  

    • During your tour of the medina, you will stop for lunch in a restaurant that would be very easy to walk right past, but is truly a hidden gem.  Lunch included.

    • Enjoy dinner at La Maison Bleue Batha that evening.  Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Fes.

  • NOV 17 - FES (B, L, D)

    • In the morning, embark on a culinary adventure with a hands on cooking class.  Learn to make traditional Moroccan dishes including cooked salads, tagine, and, of course, mint tea.  Enjoy the fruits of your labor for lunch. Lunch included.

    • Enjoy a leisurely afternoon in Fes, perhaps heading back to the market or scheduling a hammam.

    • That evening, head to Hotel Sahrai for dinner. Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Fes.

  • NOV 18 - MARRAKECH (B, D)

    • Enjoy a leisurely morning in Fes before making your way to Marrakech.

    • Top for lunch along the way at a local restaurant.

    • Check into your hotel and enjoy the afternoon to relax and enjoy the resort.  

    • That evening, enjoy dinner at Es Saadi’s La Cour des Lions.  Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Marrakech.

  • NOV 19 - MARRAKECH (B, D)

    • Tour Marrakech with a private guide.

    • Visit the Koutoubia minaret, the tallest in Marrakech.  Within the city walls, no building is allowed to be taller than the Koutoubia's 253 feet.  The minaret is part of the largest mosque in Marrakech, which was completed in 1199.

    • Stop at a Berber Apothecary shop, learning of the medicinal uses of many of the common spices and herbs that are still used across Morocco to treat common illnesses.  While it's not as picturesque as the heaps of spices you find in the market, it is far more informative!

    • Tour the Bahia Palace, a late 19th-century palace built for the grand vizier and named for his favorite wife.  The rooms, set in a 2-acre garden, include the rooms which housed his harem, an often political position.

    • Explore Jemaa el Fna, the primary square in the medina and a UNESCO world heritage site.  Though now filled with street performers, snake charmers, merchants, and orange juice stalls, when it was created in 1050, it was used for public executions, perhaps leading to its name which can be translated as "assembly of death".  

    • Head into the souks surrounding Jemaa el Fna to several workshops, including shoemakers and bakers.

    • That evening, enjoy Moroccan hospitality with dinner with a local family.  Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Marrakech.

  • NOV 20 - ESSAOUIRA, MARRAKECH (B, D)

    • Take a day trip to the coastal town of Essaouira, hopefully spotting the goats in the argan trees along the way.

    • Enjoy the day exploring Essaouira.

    • Stroll through the charming oceanside medina, where you will find artist galleries and woodcarvers, as Essaouira is known for its Thuya wood, a dense, mahogany-like hardwood.

    • Walk along the ancient ramparts, dating back to when the Portuguese built a fortress there in 1506.

    • Enjoy fresh seafood in one of the beachside restaurants.

    • Return to Marrakech in the late afternoon and enjoy dinner at the chic Le Palace. Dinner included.

    • Overnight in Marrakech.

  • NOV 21 - MARRAKECH (B)

    • Enjoy a free day to explore Marrakech. 

    • You may choose to visit museums, such as the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and Berber Museum, along with the Majorelle Garden.

    • Maybe indulge in a traditional hammam, which includes being covered in black beldi soap, scrubbed with an abrasive kessar mit to remove dead skin, and relaxing in a steam room.

    • Or just enjoy exploring the bustling city, wandering the souks and people-watching from streetside cafes.

    • Overnight in Marrakech.

  • NOV 22 - DEPARTURE (B)

    • After breakfast, check out of your hotel and travel north to Casablanca for approximately 1:00 pm drop off at CMN airport