Morocco Tour Itinerary - April 8th to 18th, 2024

Day 1: Monday April 8, 2024  Late morning our bus departs from London to Toronto. Our flight departs Pearson International at 4:00 p.m. Air France to Casablanca, Morocco.

Day 2: Tuesday April 9, 2024  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. Kenos Basma Hotel 2 nights.

Day 3: Wednesday April 10, 2024  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 Rick’s cafe. Made famous from the Hollywood movie Casablanca film Rick' S Cafe is located on the ramparts of old the Médina of Casablanca, opposite the port. This will be a memorable dinner. Return to our hotel Kenos Basma hotel.

Day 4: Thurday April 11, 2024  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 Barcelo for 2 nights.

Day 5: Friday April 12, 2024  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 tk our Hotel Barcelo. Dinner at leisure at our hotel this evening.

Day 6: Saturday April 13, 2024  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 riding at sunset.

Day 7: Sunday April 14, 2024  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 and overnight. 

Day 8: Monday April 15, 2024  Breakfast at our hotel. Then morning departure towards Marrakech and a photo visit en route to Ouarzazate. We will also visit Kasbah Taourirt: situated at the city's centre. This is 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.   In recent years UNESCO undertook the restoration of whole sections of the building.

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 photo experience. Through a frame of the palm branches you see the structures of the kasbah slightly bending and stretching to the sky. We continue towards Marrakech. This evening check-in at our hotel Hivernage Hotel & Spa: for the 3 nights.

Day 9: Tuesday April 16, 2024  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.

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 at leisure and overnight accommodation Hivernage Hotel & Spa.

Day 10: Wednesday April 17, 2024  Breakfast at our hotel. On our last day in Morocco something different. A visit to one of the city squares photos and attend a cooking class where we will prepare a traditional meal. Our chef will teach you all there is to know about cooking local recipes and to do the bread in a Moroccan traditional oven. Lunch of what you prepared.

This afternoon some leisure time to prepare for our trip home. 

Tonight dinner at Dar Zellij. Located in the heart of Marrakech, this superb 17th century Ryad, surprisingly well preserved, is one of the most beautiful in the medina.

Enjoy all the delights of Moroccan gastronomy. Enjoy a luxurious and romantic atmosphere, perfect for a moment of relaxation as we enjoy our last evening in Morocco. Dar Zellij, this extraordinary house opens its doors for us for a unforgettable dinner. Return to our hotel Hivernage Hotel & Spa.

Day 11: Thursday April 18, 2024  Breakfast at our hotel. Check-out and transfer to Marrakech airport for your connecting flight back home. Our flight departs at 9:10 a.m. arriving in Toronto at 3:22 p.m. We will board our coach to return to London. We should arrive around 5:30 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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Morocco Registration Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy

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The cost of our Morocco Photo Tour Departing from Toronto is $6645.00 per person CAD based on double occupancy including airfare departing from Pearson International Toronto, plus air taxes of $889.33 CAD plus HST $12.74. Single supplement is available of an additional $1,400.00 CAD.

Booking our Morocco tour, a $100.00 non refundable deposit is due at the time of registration a second non refundable deposit of $400.00 December 15, 2023 with the balance due 60 days before departure.

You may also choose to pay over 12 monthy payments through our Uplift finance program estimate -  $551 per month. You select 12 month payment option under the payment section 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 18, 2024.

Includes:

• Round trip coach via Coach for departures from London and pick up enrute to Pearson, Toronto
• Round Trip Airfare via Air Canada  - Departing from Toronto
• 9 nights accommodations, Kenzi Basma,Barcelo,Merzouga LuxuryCamp, Xaluca Dades, and Hivernage Hotels
• All airport and hotel transfers,
• Breakfast included each day,
• 5 days lunch and 6 days dinner
• 2 bottles of water each day
• Entrance fees where applicable according to the itinerary
• 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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