Morocco Blue City Tour Itinerary - April 12th to 24th, 2025

Day 1: Sunday April 12, 2025 Late afternoon our bus departs London to Toronto. Picking up any guest requests enroute to Toronto via the 401 corridor. GTA guests will meet the group at Pearson Airport. Our flight departs Pearson International at 11:00 p.m. for our overnight flight via Air France to Casablanca, Morocco.

Day 2: Sunday April 13, 2025  Arrival of our group at Casablanca Airport, meet our local guide and transfer to our hotel. We have have time to relax and explore around our hotel and some leisure time before dinner at our hotel. Barcelo Anfa Hotel 2 nights.

Day 3: Monday April 14, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel then depart to explore and photograph the city of Casablanca. Our tour will include: Habous Quarter: This is the heart of the city’s second Medina, built long after the original old town standing near Mohamed V place. It included beautiful Moorish monuments like the great mosque and law courts, hundred of well stocked bazaars, shops and picturesque houses. United Nations Square: Famous for the neo Moorish monuments which surround it and the musical fountain which splashes out multi-coloured water to the sounds of Strauss and alousian music, this is without doubt Casablanca’s focal point not to be missed and many colourful photo opportunities. Mohamed V place: This is the heart of the city, standing between the two contrasting s ides of this Metropolis: The medina or old town and the elegant modern section with its skyscrapers and large boulevards.

Lunch in the city 

This evening dinner at Dar Dada. For the pleasure of lovers of Moroccan cuisine. Dar Dada has already become the hotspot for Casablancais in search of new, but especially, in search of a good and traditional Moroccan restaurant. Barcelo Anfa Hotel for our 2nd night.

Day 4: Tuesday April 15, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel. Departure for Chefchaouen (the Blue City) where walls, doors, windows; stairways, alleyways and archways – are varying shades of blue. Our tour today is about a 5 hour drive and we will be making photo stops along the way. This afternoon check into our hotel. Riad Dar Echchaouen. We will have our first opportunity to explore and photograph before dinner. During our time in the Blue City we will have be working with a local photographer ensuring we visit some of the great photo locations the Blue City has to offer.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at our hotel. Riad Dar Echchaouen 3 nights.

Day 5: Wednesday April 16, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel. We will start our day of photography. Our visit of Chefchaouen will include the old medina with its bleu houses and narrow alleyways, Kasbah Museum, the Grand Mosque exterior visit , Ras El Ma (head of the water): the point at which the fresh mountain water trickles into town. The ancient medina is nestled in a sharp valley between mountain peaks and is one of the more pleasurable medinas to visit in all of Morocco. It’s often painted by the locals in shades of blue that have been combined to make the stunning “Chefchaouen blue.”Again we will be working with a local photographer and guide will be at our guests disposal. This evening Chefchaouen by sunset to admire and photograph the scenery. We will have time at sunset for photography in the blue alleyways by the sunset. Dinner and overnight accommodation at your Riad Dar Echchaouen night 2.

Day 6: Thursday April 17, 2025 Breakfast at our hotel. Depart for another day of photographing and exploring the Blue City. Often regarded as one of the prettiest towns in Morocco, the “blue city” of Chefchaouen doesn’t disappoint. The narrow blue passages give way to wide squares where the historic Andalusian influence on the town is easily notable in ornate archways, doorways (the most famous of which is a ruin at the entrance of town), windows, and the sprawl of red-tiled rooftops. Dinner and overnight accommodation at Riad Dar Echchaouen night 3.

Day 7: Friday April 18, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel. Departure for Fes we will be doing photo stops en route and visit of Meknes and Volubilis. Meknes: one of the four imperial cities in Morocco. Although it is the smallest one, it really deserves a visit. Nowadays Meknes is more an agricultural centre of the region, but one day in history the city was supposed to host the biggest Royal Palace in the nation. 

Lunch in a local restaurant in Meknes then continue towards Volubilis city of Roman ruins dating back to the years 200 and 300. You can find traces around the entire city.

Arrival in Fes in the late afternoon, a short tour then check into our hotel. Hotel Palais Medina Fes. We will be staying at this beautiful 4 start hotel for 2 nights. Dinner at our Hotel.

Day 8: Saturday April 19, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel. We will start our day with a Panoramic visit of Fes, offering up many cultural and landscape photo opportunities. We will then visit the religious capital of Morocco with its ancient mosques in the old Medina. Then a visit to Dar Batha Museum: We have made special arrangements to visit interior of a spectacular privately-owned 18th century structure - traditional Islamic courtyard house- once one of the wealthiest mansions in the city Fes. After lunch a photo visit Fez Jdid, the newest part of the city and its chic cafe – lined avenues that provide a jarring contrast; the modern flip side to the ancient city. Return to our Hotel Palais. Dinner at leisure at our hotel this evening.

Day 9: Sunday April 20, 2025 Breakfast at our hotel. Depart for Erfoud via the mountains of the middle Atlas passing by Ifrane. We continue to Midelt where you will have a pause for lunch at leisure. After lunch on to the high Atlas Mountains via the Ziz Gorges and Errachidia. Arrival to Erfoud; we are now at one of the largest oases in all of Morocco. This region is famous for its almost one million date palm trees. More photos!

Our overnight accommodations, private encampment by the foot of the dunes of Merzouga at Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: (We will be using four wheel drive vehicles to reach the camp). Dinner under the stars. Camel ride at sunset. (Please note if too windy we will do the camel ride the next morning at sunrise)

Day 10: Monday April 21, 2025  Early wake-up. Board a 4x4 to be driven to watch the sunrise over the Sahara desert at the dunes. Back to your encampment for breakfast. Then we will drive in our four wheel drive vehicles back to Erfoud. Your transport will take you through Tinghir, the scenic Todra Gorges, wonderfully sculpted by Mother Nature. Hugging the lush river bed are many of Morocco’s most scenic regions. We will continue towards Dades and check-in at our hotel Xaluca Dades. Dinner at our hotel and overnight. 

Day 11: Tuesday April 22, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel the we will departure for our 3 hour drive to Marrakech and visit and photograph en route Ouarzazate to include: Kasbah Taourirt: situated at the city's centre, one of the most significant kasbahs of the area and the stronghold of the Glaoui chiefs in the 1930s. It sheltered the members of the dynasty of Glaoui and their many servants. UNESCO-restored kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou: stands out as an exquisite example of how to take care of one's heritage with style. Seeing the kasbah from the other side of the river is a great experience. Through a frame of the palm branches you see the structures of the kasbah slightly bending and stretching to the sky. We will conture towards Marrakech. Check-in at our hotel Hivernage hotel & Spa: This evening dinner at our hotel. 

Day 12: Wednesday April 23, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel. Full day touring and photograhing in Marrakech. First a visit to Jardins Majorelle gardens: This is one of the most delightful and photographic places in Marrakech. A small, meticulously botanical garden created in the 1920s by the French painter Jacques Majorelle. Now superbly mature, it is owned and splendidly maintained by Yves Saint Laurent. In the artist’s former studio, a museum of Islamic arts exhibits Saint Laurent fine personal collection of north African carpets, pottery and furniture. Then we will photograph and visit Koutoubia Mosque, one of the best examples of the Hispano-Moresque art, which combines simplicity with superb craftsmanship. Then on to El Bahia Palace.Standing in a 2-acre garden, is a haphazard arrangement of secret luxury apartments opening on to inner courtyards. A fun place to explore.

Lunch in local restaurant old town centre Al Baraka 

Souks: This afternoon the colour market of Souks. It is colourful activity of wealthy storehouses of all the treasures of this vast and varied country. You will find all the silver merchants in one corner, all the gold merchants in another, and rows of stalls selling exclusively leatherwork or copper goods or jewelry. Many great photos tote fund. The real fascination is to watch the craftsmen at work, gilding on leather, or inlaying with enamel the sheaths of ornate silver daggers, hammering out copper, embroidering silks or smoothing out the surface of cedar wood table. En route back to our hotel we visit Djemaa El Fna square. The name literally translated is assembly. The square where a real image of the charm of Moroccan folklore is operating: story tellers, snake charmers, acrobats, folkloric bands. 

Dinner in a Moroccan family house: it is not only a dinner but a complete immersion into the Moroccan culture and family life. Many restaurants serve Moroccan food, but the best Moroccan food is found in family home. Immerse yourself in a fascinating culture, while learning from its heart and soul by an incredibly unique experience in the joyful company of a local family! It’s a fantastic way to understand and delve into Moroccan culture first-hand, and you’ll no doubt be touched by their beautiful hospitality and generosity while gaining an understanding of local culture and the etiquette involved in visiting a family. An Andalousian band will perform during dinner. Overnight accommodation Hivernage Hotel & Spa.

Day 13: Thursday April 24, 2025  Breakfast at our hotel. Check-out and transfer to Marrakech airport for your connecting flight back home. Our Air France flight departs at 10:30 a.m. arriving in Toronto at 8:45 p.m.  After clearning customs say farewell to our GTA and connecting guest and return coach offered to London arrivng at approximatly 11:50 p.m.

Morocco has an annual temperature range of 14C (56F) to 28C (82F). The temperatures in May are 18C (65F) to 22C (72F). Making it a great time of year to travel.

Pre-tour Information Night:  As with all our photo tours, we will hold a photo information night approximately three weeks prior to departure. We will present the final itinerary, travel suggestions, what gear to pack, and hand out all related travel documents. The pre-tour presentation is designed to give our photographers all the information needed for our trek. This also allows a chance for you to meet your fellow travellers, and host. We will be update with meet up date closer to our departure.

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The cost of our Morocco Photo Tour Departing from Toronto is $7,779.00 per person CAD based on double occupancy including airfare departing from Pearson International Toronto, plus air taxes of $866.50 CAD plus HST $15.73. Single supplement is available of an additional $1,795.00 CAD.

Booking our Morocco tour, a $500.00 non refundable deposit is due at the time of registration with the balance due 60 days before departure February 12th, 2025.

More ways to pay ... Equal monthly payments from deposit day to 90 days prior to departure charged to your credit card or finance though our Uplift Finance Program and pay over 6 month, 12 month  or 18 month payments. You may choose your payment option during registration. 

Photo Tour Trekkers and Tourcan Vacations recommends the purchase of travel and health insurance as tour takes us out of the country. Health insurance is highly recommended. Please note your passport expiry date must be valid for 6 months past our return date of April 24, 2025.

Includes:

• Round trip coach for departures from London to Pearson, Toronto pick-ups available along the 401 corridore 
• Round Trip Airfare via Air France - Departing from Toronto 
• 11 nights accommodations, Barcelo Anfa Hotel , Dades in the Blue, Merzouga LuxuryCamp, Xaluca Dades, and Hivernage Hotels
• All airport and hotel transfers
• Hotel taxes
• 35 motor coach with us during our tour
• Breakfast included each day
• 6 days lunch and 10 days dinner
• 2 bottles of water each day
• Local photographer in the Blue City
• Entrance fees where applicable according to the itinerary
• English speaking Morroco guide 
• Tour hosted and escorted by James Cowie

Excludes:

• Items of a personal nature, laundry, phone calls, etc.
• Local guide and driver tips and gratuities, we will provide suggestion
• Alcoholic beverages,

** Schedule may vary according to weather or traffic

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