THE MAGIC OF MOROCCO TOUR, 2024
Septmember 19th – 30th, 2024
12 Days, 10 Nights, 9 Cities
~REGISTRATION NOW OPEN~
A TRIP OF A LIFETIME and a professionally guided tour to one of the most beautiful and magical places on earth, MOROCCO with its rich history, culture, varied geographic and climate regions and some of the friendliest people and BEST FOOD anywhere 🙂
Designed and overseen by the owner of The Arabic Bazaar/WMD Productions and artist/entrepreneur, Zein Al-Jundi who is a native of Syria and has travelled to Morocco extensively thus being able to put together a tour for all to EXPERIENCE THE COUNTRY FROM AN INSIDER’S POINT OF VIEW…..for this trip (as it was the case with previous tours) she has teamed up with the best travel professionals here in the US and in Morocco and will be on hand for the duration of the trip in Morocco with the group!
***TO REGISTER, QUESTIONS OR TO MAKE PAYMENT***
IN PERSON: The Arabic Bazaar
(in The Domain @ 3201 Feathergrass Ct, Ste 108. Austin TX 78758)
BY PHONE: (512) 533-9227
BY EMAIL: wmproductions@sbcglobal.net
or TheArabicBazaar@att.net
CLICK for REGISTRATION FORM
Payment via PayPal: wmdproductions@sbcglobal.net
Pricing & DISCOUNTS
**$4995 pp. (double occupancy, $1395 additional for single supplement)
**Land Package $4095 pp (double occupancy, $1395 additional for single supplement)
**PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE (details below)
**$200 DISCOUNT PP if registered by 5/15/2022 or if opting for full payment (vs payment plan).
**$150 DISCOUNT PP if registered after 5/15/2024 for Couples/Family Members or those who have been on any of our tours previously!
**Other city Departures are available. PLEASE INQUIRE (512) 533-9227
Price includes:
**Direct flight from New York City (JFK) to Casablanca, Morocco and back to JFK.
Other city Departures available. PLEASE INQUIRE @ 512-533-9227.
**Accommodation 04 nights in 5 star selected hotels, on Bed and Breakfast (BB)
**Accommodation 05 Nights in selected 5 star hotels, on Half Board (HB) TWO MORE DINNERS ADDED for 2024 than previously!
**01 night at the Deluxe Camp at desert of Merzouga on Half board (HB)
**1 Hour Camel Ride activity to assist the sunset at Desert Merzouga
**Roundtrip transfers by 4×4 Car to attend Merzouga Camp.
**Transportation by Air Conditioning Private Bus throughout the tour.
**Visits and all monument entrance fees mentioned in the program with an extensive itinerary (Daily Sightseeing Excursions).
**Assistance of an official English Speaking Tour Guide throughout the tour.
**All hotels taxes and services.
**Portages in/out of hotels and the airport (NEW)
Excluded services are:
**Any airfare ticket to and from JFK airport in New York from your home city or any other changes to the included flight schedule.
**Meals except what is mentioned above.
**Drinks with all meals.
**Tips for driver, driver assistant (if we have one) and guide.
**Any other expenses incurred throughout the tour not mentioned above.
Day 1
Thursday – September 19th, 2024 / Departure from JFK – New York
Let the adventure begin……Morocco, here we come!
Day 2
Friday – September 20th, 2024 /Arrival Casablanca Airport – Casablanca
Welcome to Mohamed V airport of Casablanca. Arrival via flight……….. Meeting with your Tour guide. Assistance to the formalities and transfer to the city centre for sightseeing. Depending of the arrival time. Casablanca, economical capital of Morocco, your guided sightseeing tour of Casablanca includes Mohamed V place , the united nations square , the new medina and the Mahkama ( Moroccan law courts) in Hispano- Mauresque architecture , Notre Dame de Lourdes church in stained glass , the Anfa residential suburb site of the war time conference between Roosevelt / Churchill and Mohamed V , Ain Diab Casablanca’s playground with its cafés , restaurants and pools , the newly built Hassan II Mosque , the second largest mosque in the world. Check-in, overnight at your hotel.
Hyatt Regency Casablanca Hotel, Bed & Breakfast
Day 3
Saturday – September 21st, 2024 / Casablanca / Marrakech
Breakfast at the hotel. You will drive via highway.
You will start the Marrakech sightseeing in the afternoon after arrival to Marrkech and hotel check in:
Beginning of the visit of Marrakech ” the pearl of the south”.
Second of the four Imperial cities, rose-red-oasis at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, founded in 1062. Your historical visit will includes: the stately 12th century Koutoubia minaret, built by same architect as the Giralda in Seville and Tour Hassan in Rabat, the secret 16th century tombs of the Saadian Dynasty, the Menara Gardens. Lunch at your Riad…
Afternoon, continuation of the visit: the medina, the souks and the famous Jemaa El Fna square with its permanent entertainment, narrators, charmers of snakes…
Overnight at your Riad Demeures D’orient, Bed & Breakfast
Day 4
Sunday – September 22nd, 2024 / Marrakech / Ourika Valley Berber Village (Atlas Mountains)
Breakfast at your Riad
Leave Marrakech and start your Excursion to the OURIKA valley
This three quarter day excursion begins with a very picturesque drive from Marrakech through the gorge of Oued Ourika, allowing for stops to see the local pottery and high quality good for sale at the Berber Museum (which is a shop more than a museum) and the waterfall in Siti Fatma (when accessible and for those who enjoy walking approximately 45 minutes each direction).
After visit you will drive to Casablanca about 3 ½ hours
Overnight at your Riad in Marrakech
OR
Excursion to Asni, Berber villages
Leave Marrakech and start your Excursion to the Asni & Ouirgane.
This three quarter day journey takes us into the Atlas Mountains to see a vast array of vegetation, colored rock cliffs, mountains streams, Berber villages, and local mountain people. The local souk at Asni takes place on Saturdays/ Tuesdays only.
We continue our trip through to Ouirgane, with its fabulous hillside views overlooking local villages and the neighboring areas, Berber hamlets and stupendous landscapes of forests, mountains and valleys. Nature lovers and all those who needs to escape from the fast pace of urban life will find Asni Ouirgane the perfect place to be. Take the opportunity to stop and visit the inside of a Berber home for a cup of tea and homemade Berber bread (Tanourt).
Riad Demeures D’orient, Bed & Breakfast
Day 5
Monday – September 23rd, 2024 / Marrakech /Ouarzazate
Breakfast at the Riad and Leave Marrakech to Ouarzazate.
we set forth towards south down across the Glaoua Plains via Aït Ourir Taddert (1650m) up into the High Atlas Mountains.We stop for a photo-op of a vista dominated by peaks of some 2500+m to continue now into a totally different countryside, from mountains and plains into the Assif Ounila Valley to ochre earth, oases and the magnificently exotic and remote Kasbah and ksour of Aït Ben Haddou, declared, and rightly so, a World Heritage Site.
Check-in and Overnight at Kasr Ignda, Bed, Dinner & Breakfast
Day 6
Tuesday – September 24th, 2024 / Ouarzazate / Erfoud
Breakfast at hotel and Leave Ouarzazate to Erfoud
You drive to Boumalne Dades, is for most tourists a hub for visiting the fantastic Dades Gorge which starts just north of Boumalne.
Tinerhir. Long green valley: There are two oasis near Tinerhir. To the north the Todra, which is parallel to the road going to the Todra Gorge, but which must be accessed another road. The views over the oasis valley from the Todra Gorge road are however spectacular, and gives a great impression of the extent of the oasis. To the east, the Tinerhir oasis lies. It is very much the same as the Todra oasis, but in scenery and architecture. When you arrive in this part of Morocco, at least one of the oases should be on your itinerary, not just the Todra Gorge, which is the main attraction. While the centre of Tinerhir is made into a typical modern Moroccan town, the villages around the oases have retained traditions and old life styles. Houses are made mainly from mud, and often by the owner himself. The paleness of the houses are in a stark contrast to the freshness of the vegetation and the shifting colors of the surrounding mountains through the day. The agriculture is organized so that date palms grow on the edge, olives, pomegranates, almonds and fruits further in, together with grain and vegetables. The oases have traditionally been organized with independent families in each their ksours, a sort of low-scale fortress. Warfare and murder between families were far from uncommon before modern times.
Todra Gorge. Deep cut into the mountain:
The Todra Gorge is clearly among the most dramatic sights you can get across in Morocco. The cut through the mountain gives at some points only a 10 meters wide passage beneath 300 meters tall walls. Sun only accesses the bottom of the gorge, where a ice-cold river flushes through, in the morning. Later in the night the gorge gets its own climate, and while evenings are damp and warm in the nearest village, they easily get to be freezing here. Join us while we walk through the less than 600 meters of the gorge, until we meet the clearing on the other side. Half the way through, you realize that even if nature is especially harsh here, tourism has left its lasting traces. At one of the few points where the pebbles along the river gives enough space, a handful of houses has been put up. Here you will find restaurants and even a hotel. A great place to pass a night, and definitely different from most hotel experiences. This would easily allow you the chance of making a walk through the gorge at the middle of the night. Quite scary and fascinating, I guess. It is not easy to capture the awesomeness of the gorge with a camera. What you see when you bend your head all the way back, cannot really be captured even with a wide angle lens. On this photo, you see the full height at 300 meters. At the time when this photo was made, the sun was setting, and it was getting quite cold. The gorge finally comes to an end – and in a way, a bit disappointing end. What is on the other side, is more or less only what was on the side you came from: A river with normal, red mountains on both sides. On this side, you see that the gorge is not just a passing through the mountain. It is also a part of the road between the villages of Tinerhir and the valley of Aït Morrhad, where Tamtattoucht is the first important settlement you come to Erfoud.
Check-in and Overnight at Kasbah Chergui Hotel, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Day 7
Wednesday – September 25th, 2024 / Erfoud / Merzouga
After breakfast at the hotel, morning will be devoted to explore Erfoud and it area … Afternoon, you change your Car by a 4X4 vehicle to attend Merzouga for a night under tents if weather conditions allow it. A wonderful experience of seeing sunset over the seas of sands. 01 hour Camel ride before to assist to sunset over dunes. Return to the camp Installation under tents for dinner and overnight.
Bivouac Chergui Sahara, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Day 8
Thursday – September 26th, 2024 / Merzouga / Erfoud / Fes
Breakfast at your camps then start your day taking the drive across the cedar forests and picturesque scenery of the Middle Atlas Mountains to Fes, the religious capital of Morocco. Arrive at your hotel for check in and overnight.
**WE ARE SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE SECURED A NEW (amazing) RIAD IN FES and ADDED DINNER MEALS TO WHAT’S INCLUDED IN OUR 2024 TOUR**
Palais Faraj, Bed, Breakfast & Dinner
Day 9
Friday-September 27th, 2024 / Fes
Full day sightseeing city tour of Fes, the oldest of the four Imperial Cities, founded approx. 809
A.D. spiritual and intellectual capital of Islam in the west, your visit will include: the 15th century Borj Nord (north forth) arm museum, the great gateway of the Royal Palace, the 9th century Karaouiyine Mosque and University; with its Medersas (colleges) of Bou Inania and Attarine dating from the 14th century, the shrine of Moulay Idriss II, founder of Fes, the Nejarine fountain.
Afternoon continuation of the visit of the spice market, the souks and the Medina.
Overnight at your Riad.
Palais Faraj, Bed, Breakfast & Dinner
Day 10
Saturday-September 28th, 2024 / Fes / Mekens / Volubilis / Chefchaouen
Breakfast at your Riad
This morning drive will began with a short drive to Volubilis, imposing Roman ruins, capital of Roman Province of Mauritania and home of Sylene, daughter of Antony and Cleopatra who married the Berber King Juba II, visit the Olive press, the House of Orpheus, the Basilica, the Baths of Gallienus, the Forum, the Triumphal Arch of Caracalla, the House of Venus. Continue via Moulay Idriss, Holly City, founded in the 8th century by Moulay Idriss I, who brought the Islamic religion to Morocco, center of pilgrimage.
Continue to Meknes, third of the Imperial Cities, built by the 17th century Sultan Moulay Ismael, contemporary of Louis XIV of France, whose grandiose building schemes he imitated. Visit the monumental Bab El Mansour gateway, the Place Lalla Adoua, the prison of the Christian slaves, the palace-tomb of Moulay Ismael (The only mosque in Morocco, after the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca which non-Muslims are allowed to enter), the ruins of the Agoudal Busin that was used to water the royal gardens and amuse the favorite concubines, the Moulay Ismail royal stables, granaries and House of Water (Dar El Ma) which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to house, feed and water the sultan’s twelve thousand horses. After visit you will drive to Chefchaouen.
Overnight at your Riad.
Riad Lina or similar , Bed & Breakfast
Day 11
Sunday-September 29th, 2024 / Chefchaouen / Casablanca
After breakfast at the Riad, Start the sightseeing of Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is a city in northwest Morocco, built 600 meters above sea level on the chain of the Rif. The name of the city means in Amazigh Rif » horns » because Achawen mountain peaks that dominate and surround the ville.La lprovince has in the field of tourism of significant and diversified potentialities made up of historic buildings , many beaches and vast forests with fauna and varied flora. The key sights that our drivers will show you around are: – The city of Chefchaouen – The source of Ras El Maa ( 3 km from the town of Chefchaouen ) – The old medina with the kasbah – Forest Talassemtan. After visit you will drive directly to Casablanca via highway.
Overnight at your hotel.
Hyatt Regency Casablanca hotel, Bed & Breakfast
Day 12
Monday – September 30th, 2024 / Casablanca / JFK, New York
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Casablanca airport in time for you flight home via flight…… taking with you some certainly incredible memories of our land so full of remarkable contrasts and very friendly people.
Bon Voyage to all……End of service!
***TO REGISTER, QUESTIONS OR TO MAKE PAYMENT***
IN PERSON: The Arabic Bazaar (in The Domain @ 3201 Feathergrass Ct, Ste 108. Austin TX)
BY PHONE: (512) 533-9227
EMAIL: wmproductions@sbcglobal.net
or TheArabicBazaar@att.net
CLICK for REGISTRATION FORM
Payment via PayPal: wmdproductions@sbcglobal.net
**Please Note**
**ALL PACKAGES/PRICES INCLUDE A NONE REFUNDABLE $850 REGISTRATION FEE.
**TRIP IS NON-REFUNDABLE AFTER July 15th, 2024…..
**If in the very unlikely event that we, for any reason, have to cancel this trip AFTER JULY 15th, 2024, any payment made minus the non-refundable $850 registration fee will be given as credit toward the land package of a future trip with us. Please check with the airline company of your flights for possible voucher toward future flights.
**3% SURCHARGE IS ADDED TO CC & PAYPAL PAYMENTS (make a payment by check or cash in person to avoid paying surcharge)
**ONLY ONE DISCOUNT IS APPLICABLE TO EACH PERSON REGISTERED.
**PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE AS FOLLOWS:
**Deposit of $1095 at registration (any discount if applicable is deducted from payment at registration)
**Four payments of $975 due on or before May 15th, June 15th, July 15 & August 15th, 2024
Photo Galleries:
MOROCCO TOUR, 2017 on Facebook
MOROCCO TOUR, 2018 on Facebook
MOROCCO TOUR, 2022 on Facebook
MOROCCO TOUR, 2023 on Facebook
TO INQUIRE / REGISTER: 512-533-9227
The Arabic Bazaar (3201 Feathergrass Court, Suite 108, Austin TX)
or mailto: WMDProductions@sbcglobal.net