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JEWELS OF MOROCCO - 2010
11 days incl. air, or 10 days Casablanca to Casablanca
(CO-6780)
Return to
France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco Vacations & Tours
Vacation Overview
Exotic and fascinating,
the Kingdom of Morocco is rich in history and culture. Your vacation
begins in Casablanca. Drive to Rabat, Morocco’s vibrant capital city, and
see the city’s sights on your guided sightseeing tour. Then travel to Meknes
with its monumental gates, mosques, palaces, and protective walls. Spend
two nights in Fez, Morocco’s most enchanting city, where the medina is
one of the largest medieval cities in the world. Admire the scenery as
the Middle Atlas mountain range transforms to desert and you approach the
Erfoud oasis. Visit Rissani with the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif, then
enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” on the
way to Ouarzazate, famous for its film studios. Enjoy dramatic landscape
as you cross the High Atlas Mountains and reach fascinating Marrakesh,
where the famous Djemaa el Fna square provides some of the world’s
greatest open-air entertainment. A city sightseeing tour acquaints you
with Marrakesh—the most fascinating of all Moroccan cities. Return to
Casablanca and take advantage of the included sightseeing tour. In
Morocco, you may feel like you’ve stopped the march of time—what more
could you want in a vacation?
Itinerary
Day 1 Thu. BOARD YOUR
OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
Day 2 Fri. ARRIVAL IN
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
Check into your hotel. Later, meet your Tour Director and
fellow travelers.
Day 3 Sat.
CASABLANCA-RABAT-MEKNES-FEZ
A short ride along the coast to Rabat, once a lair of the
corsairs and now the country’s capital. Sightseeing includes the Royal
Palace, Hassan Tower, and the Casbah of Ouidais. You are reminded of the
time when Morocco was the Roman province of Mauretania as you visit the
fine Roman relics of Chellah and its gardens. Next stop, Meknes—see its
monumental gates, mosque, palace, and miles of protective walls. Travel
east towards Fez, Morocco’s most enchanting city. (B,D)
Day 4 Sun. FEZ
At leisure in ancient Fez, which occupies a position of
outstanding scenic beauty. Visit the exotic ancient Medina on the
optional sightseeing tour, a maze of narrow bustling streets and alleys
that make up the old Medina with its colorful souks. (B)
Day 5 Mon. FEZ-ERFOUD
Travel today into the very heart of Morocco. Morning break
in the quiet, French-built alpine resort of Ifrane. Verdant cedar forests
give way to volcanic mountains and wind-swept plains as you motor across
the Middle Atlas range to Midelt. Pass fortified mud-and-straw villages.
Descend into the spectacular Ziz Gorges and arrive in Er-Rachidia, an
important crossroad once controlled by the French Foreign Legion.
Afterwards, the landscape becomes progressively more arid, and you enter
a stony desert. On your last stretch to Erfoud, an unexpected and
breathtaking surprise: the miraculous and peaceful oasis of Ziz Valley.
(B,D)
Day 6 Tue. ERFOUD
The best choice today is an included excursion to Rissani
to see the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first ruler of the Alaouite
Dynasty. This evening, enjoy an optional excursion in the desert. (B,D)
Day 7 Wed. ERFOUD-THE
ROAD OF A THOUSAND KASBAHS-OUARZAZATE
Enjoy the drive through the eastern slopes of the Atlas
Mountains and arrive at the Tinerhir oasis with its green valley of palms
and local villages. Drive north to the impressive Todra Gorge, then west
along the Dades Valley to the film capital of Morocco, Ouarzazate, for an
overnight stay. (B,D)
Day 8 Thu.
OUARZAZATE-AIT BENHADDOU-TIZI-N-TICHKA PASS-MARRAKESH
Marrakesh
Enjoy an orientation drive this morning in Ouarzazate,
famous for its film studios and a visit of the Kasbah de Taourirt. Next
to Ait Benhaddou, a Kasbah famous as a film location for Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. Pass through picturesque
villages surrounded by craggy mountains while motoring towards the
7,414-foot-high Tizi-n-Tichka Pass in the heart of the High Atlas
Mountains. Each new twist in the road leads to a different, more dramatic
landscape. Leaving the pass behind, the landscape gradually changes to a
tapestry of red ochre. Afternoon arrival in the red-colored imperial city
of Marrakesh, justly reputed the most fascinating of all Moroccan cities.
(B,D)
Day 9 Fri. MARRAKESH
The included city sightseeing starts this morning with an
orientation drive followed by a walk through the ancient quarters to the
fascinating Jemaa-el-Fna square and its exotic bazaar. You’ll really feel
as if you’ve stopped the march of time. Marrakesh has always been a
meeting place—first just a group of nomad tents, now a bustling city. An
optional evening excursion will be a fitting choice to end the day. (B)
Day 10 Sat.
MARRAKESH-CASABLANCA
Leave Morocco’s magical city of Marrakesh for the journey
northwest back to Casablanca. In the afternoon, see the sights in the
company of a Local Guide. (B,D)
Day 11 Sun. YOUR
HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY
(B)
AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Airport transfers may be included when you make your
international flights arrangements.
Dates and Prices
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Departure
Details
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Departure
Date
|
Tour
Start Date
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Return
Date
|
Land/Cruise
Price Only
|
Status
|
|
Popular Departure
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1/21/2010
|
1/22/2010
|
1/31/2010
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$805.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
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1/28/2010
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1/29/2010
|
2/7/2010
|
$825.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
|
2/4/2010
|
2/5/2010
|
2/14/2010
|
$825.00
|
Available
|
|
2/11/2010
|
2/12/2010
|
2/21/2010
|
$825.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
2/18/2010
|
2/19/2010
|
2/28/2010
|
$825.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
Popular Departure
|
2/25/2010
|
2/26/2010
|
3/7/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
|
3/4/2010
|
3/5/2010
|
3/14/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
|
3/11/2010
|
3/12/2010
|
3/21/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
|
3/18/2010
|
3/19/2010
|
3/28/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
3/25/2010
|
3/26/2010
|
4/4/2010
|
$885.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
Popular Departure
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4/1/2010
|
4/2/2010
|
4/11/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
|
4/8/2010
|
4/9/2010
|
4/18/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
|
4/15/2010
|
4/16/2010
|
4/25/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
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4/22/2010
|
4/23/2010
|
5/2/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
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4/29/2010
|
4/30/2010
|
5/9/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
5/6/2010
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5/7/2010
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5/16/2010
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$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
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5/13/2010
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5/14/2010
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5/23/2010
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$885.00
|
Available
|
|
5/20/2010
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5/21/2010
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5/30/2010
|
$885.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
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5/27/2010
|
5/28/2010
|
6/6/2010
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$885.00
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Available
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6/3/2010
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6/4/2010
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6/13/2010
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$885.00
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Available
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6/10/2010
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6/11/2010
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6/20/2010
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$885.00
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Available
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6/17/2010
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6/18/2010
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6/27/2010
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$835.00
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Available
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6/24/2010
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6/25/2010
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7/4/2010
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$835.00
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Available
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7/1/2010
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7/2/2010
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7/11/2010
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$835.00
|
Available
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7/8/2010
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7/9/2010
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7/18/2010
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$835.00
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Available
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7/15/2010
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7/16/2010
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7/25/2010
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$835.00
|
Available
|
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7/22/2010
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7/23/2010
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8/1/2010
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$835.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular Departure
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7/29/2010
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7/30/2010
|
8/8/2010
|
$835.00
|
Available
|
|
8/12/2010
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8/13/2010
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8/22/2010
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$835.00
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Available
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8/26/2010
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8/27/2010
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9/5/2010
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$905.00
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Available
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Popular Departure - due to itinerary and time of year,
this departure historically sells out quickly. Early booking is
encouraged.
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