Details, prices and bookings come from the operator (coda-tours.com). Check with them before you go.
A Coda Signature luxury holiday journey through the mysterious capitals of Morocco, capped by a festive New Year’s Eve party. 11 days / 9 nights in First Class & Deluxe hotels. 16 meals included.
Depart the USA on any regularly scheduled flight to Casablanca, Morocco. Royal Air Maroc has direct flights from New York to Casablanca (code share with Delta Airlines.) They are code share with Delta Airlines. Air France has flights visa Paris and Iberia Airlines has flights via Madrid (code share with American Airlines.)
Welcome to Morocco! After clearing customs and immigration you will be met by our representative and transferred to our hotel. Located in the city center, this 24-floor work of art overlooks the medina, the Atlantic Ocean and the magnificent Hassan II Mosque. The hotel features 141 bright rooms and 30 suites, each of which boasts an innovative design combining comfort, modernity and luxury. The first floor of this building provide charismatic architecture and offer guests amenities that include two restaurants, a bar, the two-floor So Spa with a traditional hammam, indoor heated pool and Jacuzzi and fitness Center. In the evening, we will dine at Rick’s Café, named for the mythical café from the 1942 film “Casablanca”.
Start the day by exploring Casablanca’s most important site, the Hassan II Mosque, which houses 25,000 worshippers. Its minaret is the tallest religious structure in the world. Afterward, drive to the city of Meknes a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the seventeenth century by the powerful sultan Moulay Ismail to rival the court of French contemporary Louis XIV. Following lunch, your sightseeing continues to Volubilis, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to Morocco’s largest and most well-preserved Roman ruins. With its soaring arches and basilicas, Volubilis’ skyline is peppered with examples of Roman architecture — though its greatest treasures are the excellently preserved mosaic floors. At day’s end, arrive in Fez.
Spend the day today discovering Fez. Step back in time to the Middle Ages as you visit one of the most ancient and untouched city neighborhoods in the world, Fez el-Bali (“Old Fez”), the cultural heart of Morocco. Take your pick from and meander in some 9,000 car-free narrow lanes, alleys and souks that comprise the labyrinth of the city’s old quarter, originally founded in the eighth century AD by Moulay Idriss I. Take in the sights and sounds of locals conducting their day to day business and merchants selling spices and goods. The imperial capital was a center of medieval learning and at its heart remains the Al Karaouine university, originally founded as a madrasa in 859. Pause at Nejjarine Square, with its beautiful fountain with elaborate mosaic tilework. After lunch, discover Fez el-Jedid (“New Fez”), built by the Merinid Dynasty in the thirteenth century. Fez el-Jedid is home to the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, which boasts traditional Jewish architecture of wrought iron–decorated windows and splendid carved wood balconies.
After breakfast, drive to Rabat (approx. 3 hours), the capital of Morocco. After settling in to your hotel, set off to explore the city’s highlights, including its superbly preserved Moorish relics, such as the twelfth-century Hassan Tower, the incomplete minaret of a great mosque built by Yacoub el-Mansour. View the mausoleum of Mohamed V, founder of modern Morocco, and visit Oudaya Kasbah, built on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic. Note the kasbah’s gate, one of the most beautiful surviving ones in the Moorish world. Once inside, explore a delightful Andalusian-style garden, complete with a fountain and sweet-scented orange trees. Beyond the city walls are the remains of the ancient city of Sala.
This morning, drive to Marrakech (approx. 4 hours). Founded in 1062, Marrakech was once the capital of an empire that stretched from Toledo, Spain, to Senegal. Also known as the “Red City” or “Pink City” due to the distinctive hue of the local earth used in the construction of its many brick buildings, Marrakech is a city of labyrinthine alleyways, secluded palaces, museums, mosques and markets.
Spend the day discovering mysterious, glorious Marrakech, starting at its ancient medina, the old walled section of the city. Visits include the Saadian Tombs, displaying intricate stucco and Granada-style carvings; the Dar Si Said, one of the most beautiful palaces and the home to the Museum of Moroccan Arts and Crafts; and the Bahia Palace, the residence of the grand vizier Si Ahmed Ben Moussa. Stop at the twelfth-century Koutoubia Mosque, with a minaret considered the most perfect Islamic religious structure in North Africa. Afterward, stroll through the labyrinthine souks and the fabled Djemaa el-Fna square, with its fire-eaters, mimes, snake charmers and street musicians performing at every turn.
Continue exploring Marrakech, starting by visiting the beautiful gardens dotting the city. One of the most lovely are the Menara Gardens, which date to the twelfth century and are set among extensive orchards and olive groves. At their center is a rectangular pool with a fabulous view of the Atlas Mountains. From here, continue to Majorelle Garden, originally designed in 1924 by French artist Jacques Majorelle and once owned by famous couture designer Yves Saint Laurent. Marvel at the garden’s exotic plants, such as bamboo, cacti, bougainvillea and palms, and take in the tranquil streams and fish-filled pools peppered throughout. The rest of your day is at leisure, perhaps for last-minute shopping or sightseeing at your own pace.
Enjoy a full day excursion into the High Atlas Mountains, North Africa’s greatest mountain range. Sightseeing includes the picturesque Berber village of Asni Valley, located at the foot of some of the highest peaks of the Atlas Mountains. We drive along an amazingly scenic route with beautiful views of the Atlas Mountains. Afterwards, you will enjoy a soft trek through the fabulous landscape, stopping at a Berber family’s house to enjoy a Moroccan tea before continuing our walk through a small Berber village where people still leave in traditional ways. Lunch is at Kasbah Toubkal. Return to Marrakech in the afternoon. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enjoy a New Year’s Eve party to ring in 2016 at the hotel this evening.
Spend the day at leisure at the hotel and in Marrakech.
Transfer from the hotel to Casablanca airport (about 3 hours). Our representative will assist you during the check-in formalities. You should be at the airport 2hrs before take-off time. There will be one group transfer to the airport in Casablanca at a time when the majority of guests are flying. Any transfers other than this group transfer will have additional costs for a private transfer. You may also fly out of Marrakech and avoid the transfer to Casablanca. Some flights fly directly to European hubs from Marrakech or you can connect in Casablanca to the USA.
Last departure 30 Jun – 13 Jul 2016 · Madagascar, South Africa · with Coda Tours
Last departure 25 Aug – 10 Sept 2016 · Ethiopia · with Coda Tours
Last departure 2–12 Nov 2016 · Egypt · with Coda Tours