SoulFul Morocco Tour: March 8-17, 2024
Day 1: Casablanca
We will greet you at Casablanca airport and transfer to the hotel.Located right by the medina, old city, interesting place to explore or watch from the many cafe’s around. Great way to arrive and rest after a long flight.
** 7:30 Dinner and a welcome orientation.
Dinner is included.
Day 2: Casablanca-Marrakech (150 miles,240km)
**9am Following delicious breakfast, we’ll journey southward to Marrakech. This unique city is located where the desert and mountains meet. Known is the “Pearl of the South” or the Red City it was established in the 11th century by the Almoravid Dynasty.
** 1:30 pm we’ll arrive to our hotel for lunch and settle into our rooms. We can swim in the pool and relax . Afternoon overview of Marrakech and the Medina.
** 7:30 pm dinner and a musical evening at a local private Family home.
The ladies of the house will cook for us a delicious traditional Moroccan Dinner. and a musical group of Dekka Marrakchia or Tkitikat, will join.Dkka Marrakchia is a local music of Marrakech, considered as a musical genre for male groups and is produced by polyrhythmic percussion and choral chants.
Lots of rhythms, trance, spiritual, humor and joyful…
Breakfast & Dinner Included
Day 3: Marrakech
** 9:30am, after Breakfast. We will devote our morning to the exploration of Marrakech’s many historical sites, including the Saadian Tombs, the Dar Si Said Museum, the Bahia Palace, and the city’s focal point: the 12th century Koutoubia Minaret.
** before or after lunch, we will visit a Berber Pharmacy and learn about natural herbs, oils and traditional medicine that we can also purchase.
We will have an opportunity to visit the souks, a plethora of alleyways with multicolored shops, and the famous Jamaa El Fna Square, where snake charmers, acrobats, and fortune-tellers put on a never-ending show.
Afternoon rest at the hotel.
**8 pm We will conclude the day with dinner and another evening of music with local Chaabi Band, Andalousi music at an amazing looking restaurant. (Unless we choose to explore Jama al Fna square (it gets really wild at night )
Breakfast included.
Day 04: Marrakech – Ourika Valley (31miles, 50km)
** 9:30am after breakfast – on the bus.
The Ourika Valley spreads between the first foothills of the Atlas Mountains, extending along the Wadi River.We may visit a local Berber weekly market “Souk atneen” if it’s on that day.
There is nothing for us to buy there but it is like a time travel experience, goat market, donkeys, dentist under the tree…Despite it being so close to Marrakech, this beautiful green valley is one of the most pristine valleys in Morocco. The most beautiful and special place we’ll arrive at has an herb garden where we’ll be served traditional mint tea by the local people and enjoy a delicious berber lunch.
**4:30-5:30 pm Qi Gong
** 7pm Dinner.
After dinner , An Ahouach of Ourika, local band will be visiting us to share the best of its local Berber music. Oh, what a trance, we can dance, play, sing, scream….That night we may stay there or drive back to our hotel in Marrakech
Breakfast included.
Day 5: Marrakech-Ourika Valley-Ouarzazate (155miles, 250km)
** 9am Departure to Ouarzazate Through the Tizi-N-Tichka pass , the beautiful Atlas mountains(2260m).We will discover a remarkable region characterized by the magnificence, beauty of its landscapes dominated by Berber villages and their farms.
Tizi Tichka is the top of the high Atlas. We’ll visit an Argan Oil women Coop, learn about the Argan and be able to purchase argan products. We may be able to do a short Qi Gong practice on top of the Atlas and will have lunch.
Before arrive Ouarzazate we may (I said may since many times we prefer to just swim in the pool…) view the kasbah Ait Benhadou (the world heritage site) and continue to Ouarzazate” The Hollywood of Africa”.
Arriving at our Riad , we’ll be served tea and settle into our rooms.conclude the day with dinner and sweet night.
Breakfast included
Day 6: Ouarzazat– Erfoud – Merzouga dunes (217miles, 350km)
** 9 am, after breakfast we will continue the road of 1000 kasbahs , visit Kasbah Amridil- a beautiful preserved Kasbah from the 17th century- eye opening to learn of echo building, sustainability as a basic way of life…
Then we’ll set off towards Todra Gorges, and then to Tinghir where we’ll be hosted with local “Touareg” : they’ll share with us stories about different carpets and rugs, bedouine,Nomad, Berber, Touareg… we’ll have lunch with the, maybe “berber pizza”…then Carry on the road to Merzouga in the Sahara desert across palm Trees and the town of Erfoud. We will then leave our bus with just a small back pack for over night on the Sahara dunes, we’ll depart by jeep 4×4 to ride to the edge of the dunes where the camels will be waiting for us, we’ll ride the camels into the dunes for about 30-45 minutes, to spend the night in the heart of the Sahara.
Dinner and overnight under a nomad tent under millions of stars…
** Note: You may have an option to stay in the beautiful hotel on the edge of the desert if you’d rather not ride camels to the Sahara.(Must request when registering)
The Sahara dunes are magnificent, the loudest silence I’ve ever heard… usually so many stars… last year it was a beautiful full moon…
Breakfast, dinner are included.
Day 7: Sahara, Merzouga dunes
We’ll wake up really early am so we can climb the Sahara dunes to watch the sunset.
** 6-7am Qi Gong session on the dunes.
After tea and early camel trek out of the dunes, We will ride the 4×4 to the beautiful hotel we’ll be staying at, have a huge buffet breakfast and the free day to relax and enjoy the beautiful desert space, pool, Spa,massage, Hammam….
6-7pm frame drum lesson.
** 8pm Dinner.
After Dinner we’ll visit the village of the best Gnaoua music band, play , sing, dance, enjoy…
Breakfast and Dinner included.
Day 8: Sahara – Fez (190miles, 300km)
** 8am, after breakfast, on the bus.
The journey today takes us through the small towns of Errachidia en route to Fez. Stop at Midelt for lunch. We may have short Qi Gong session.
This area is classic Berber country, the people being semi-nomadic, owning homes but, spending a great deal of time following their flocks. This drive takes most of the day.(We’ll enjoy tea/coffee, bathrooms and lunch stops)
Breakfast included
Day 9: Fez
Undeniably fascinating, Fez stimulates the senses with its haunting yet beautiful sounds, visual splendor, and evocative smells. The most ancient of imperial capitals and the most complete medieval city of the Islamic world, Fez is reminiscent of a city suspended in time, unfazed by the constantly evolving world outsides its walls, owing nothing to the Western world save electricity. Time spent in Fez with its over 9,000 alley ways will reveal much about the sophistication of the Moroccan artisan, providing an unparalleled learning experience to those who cross its path.
**9am after breakfast,
The morning will be spent visiting a local clay factory, beautiful products made the same way for hundreds of years, from earth to magnificent finished pieces… visit the worldly known Tanneries of Fes…break for lunch at a Moroccan restaurant and will continue to explore the Medina and shop…
** 8pm dinner and final ceremony.
Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 10: Fez –
End for an amazing, exhilarating, cultural, spiritual and joyful experience…
In the morning , We will travel to the Fes Airport.
Included and not
*9 nights’/10 days accommodation in Hotels (mostly 4*) and Riads, as indicated in the itinerary breakfast daily and four dinners.
*Land Transportation in a deluxe bus throughout the journey.
*4X4 and Camels in the Sahara Bivouac over the dunes
*Services of guides and escort.
*Music bands as indicated in Itinerary.
*Tickets to monuments and museums are not included.
*Tips are not included
*Itinerary may change without early notice.
*The pace, culture, values and timing in Morocco are very different than ours, please expect delays and changes already! We still can have great and deep exploration and much fun.
*I put together the itinerary according to my passion, what I liked & enjoyed the most. When joining my adventures you agree to release me (Dror Sinai) and (Lee Holden) from any liability that may occur.
*Please make sure to purchase a travel insurance when you purchase your air ticket. (Must) Itinerary may change.
