Castle
Hotels of Morocco
The
9 day edition with one night camping in the Sahara
Weekly on Fridays in Marrakech. Tour the Imperial cities in
as the grand Vizier would have ! The grace and splendor of the Orient,
traditional Arab hospitality, and the fine service and amenities of
a boutique hotel all come together in the Moroccan Riad ,(Sample
images). This 9 day package affords a sampling
of these unique accommodations, along with an array of unforgettable
experiences, ranging from train and camel rides to dinner in the home
of a local family.
Click
here for the 11 day edition
with a sea side extension , the 7
days , or 12-Day
edition

Dar
Ayniwen Riad in Marrakech
DAY
1 - Marrakech Friday
Our local staff will meet you at Marrakech Menara airport and escort you
to your accommodations at Riad Malika, where a traditional welcoming mint
tea and a fruit basket await you. Your personal requirements and relaxation
are foremost. The formality of check-in can wait. This luxurious yet delightful
Riad is a former palace restored to 1930s grandeur. Its substantial walls
and orientation to a central patio with venerable trees provide a haven
of peace in the midst of bustling Marrakech. Guests are accommodated in
only five guest suites, each with sitting area and the finest oriental
appointments, fireplace, air conditioning, and European-style dining room.
The private terraces of Riad Malika provide a secluded window on the active
life of romantic and mysterious Marrakech.
Sample air fare from Spain:
Malaga one way : $335.00 , or Madrid Marrakech roundtrip : $ 460.00
Ferry
Algeciras or from Gibraltar:
When you arrive by ferry to Tangiers , we'll meet you at the pier: Transfer
and first class train ticket : Tangiers/ Marrakech , overnight , sleeper
car, leaving Tangiers at 10:30 PM, arriving Marrakech 07:50 AM next day
: Please add $115.00 Per person , to add a tour of Tangiers before you
board the train, please add $40 per person .
DAY
2 - Marrakech- Leisure-Saturday (B)
Enjoy a relaxing day at leisure or
Join
one of our local optional tours: ( Additional cost $ 40 )
Full day Marrakech, including lunch : Tour the Koutoubia, the landmark
mosque of the city. Perhaps you'll note its similarity to its sister tower,
the Giralda of Seville, in Spain. You'll continue to the Saadian Tombs,
and the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth century, with room after
stately oriental room with intricate plaster work and finely detailed
columns, and sedate hidden gardens. In the afternoon, you'll discover
the old city and always-lively Djemaa El Fna Square, populated by water
sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal tamers, who carry
on an endless flurry of activities straight out of the middle ages. If
you have a spare moment, the souks of Marrakech will always keep you entertained
( cost $ 40 per person).
DAY
3 - Marrakech - Home Hosted Dinner Sunday (cB)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Morning at leisure. Later in the day , just
before sunset, we'll call on you to take you for your sunset camel ride,
in the 13,000 acres of palm groves around Marrakech. You'll finish the
day with a memorable experience of Moroccan hospitality, dinner in the
home of a Marrakech family in the old Medina.
Complimentary
Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T
shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech ! You'll be invited
to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties,
you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of
life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new
friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once
the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have
more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet
evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.
DAY
4 - MARRAKECH, CASABLANCA, RABAT, MEKNES, FEZ Monday (BL)
We'll pick you up in the morning and take you to the Marrakech railroad
station. Tickets in a first-class compartment and lunch are provided.
You'll roll in comfort through stunning mountain scenery to Casablanca.
Once you detrain, we'll escort you to visit the Hassan II Great Mosque,
a monument to Moroccan artisanry and architecture. Then we'll continue
to Rabat, the capital of the kingdom, where we'll stop at the mausoleum
of Mohamed V, built in the Spanish-Moorish style, and at the nearby Hassan
Tower. We'll continue by way of Meknes to arrive in the evening to Fez,
and your accommodations at one of the charming Riads. A welcome mint tea
and a fruit basket await you, usually In the heart of the Medina, the
old city of Fez. A Moroccan-style breakfast is included.
DAY
5 - FEZ, Leisure Tuesday (BL)
Full day at leisure or join on of our local tours :
Optional tour : Full day to Volubilis including lunch:
We'll set out in the morning for the site of Volubilis, once the capital
of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitania. We'll have lunch en route,
and continue to Moulay Idriss, the picturesque shrine village named for
the founder of the kingdom, who is interred here. Late afternoon return
to Fez ( cost$60 per person)
DAY
6 - FEZ Wednesday (B)
Put on your walking shoes this morning for a trip in time back to the
ninth century, as you explore the old city of Fez. Its Medina and its
labyrinth of souks have been declared a world cultural treasure. Your
afternoon is free for relaxation or shopping or further exploration as
you wish.
DAY
7 FEZ - MIDLET - ERFOUD - MERZOUGA Thursday (BLD)
We'll call on you early in the day and start or trip south through the
Middle Atlas range, lunch is included at Kasabah Asmaa, in Midlet
at the foot of Djebel Ayachi.
We
drive through the famous Legionnaires Pass, Rachidia and the Tafilalet
Valley. Upon arrival at Erfoud, board a our motorized caravan ( Turbo
four-wheel -drive Land Rover), to continue on to Merzouga on the edge
of the Sahara. Accommodation: Bedouin Tent, -foam mattress- billow, sheets,
blankest will be provided, toilet tents available. Your stay includes
a sunset or a sunrise camel ride, as you prefer !
Evening
bonfire as well as folk dance by the villagers from nearby oases. Dinner
included with one bottle of mineral water for each person.
Tonight
we enjoy our desert sunset and night sky, not to mention the cool, pure
breezes that waft through our tents. We camp in the shadow of the Erg
Chebbi dunes south of the Tafilalet Valley. The sand mountains of
the erg hide scattered oases marked by groves of date palms and other
greenery.

DAY
8 ERFOUD - OURZAZATE Friday (BLD)
Early
morning spiritual sunrise experience with a 1,000 stars as the sun comes
up over the Sahara Dunes.
After breakfast , we ride our ( four wheel drive Turbo Land Rover) , and
head back for Erfoud where we change our mode of transportation to a Mercedes
Sedan or a an air conditioned van depending on the numbed of guests.
We
stop briefly at Tinerhir , a former military outpost built on terraces
above a magnificent palmgrove , we head into the Todra Pass for lunch
at Yasmina restaurant , at " The ends of the Earth" famous
point at the Gorge snuggled between 300 meter high cliffs. Reach Ouarzazate
in time for dinner and a relaxing evening.
DAY
9 - MARRAKECH Saturday (B)
Early Morning we drive across Atlas mountains and through Tizi N'Tichka
Pass heading north for Marrakech at escort you to Marrakech Menarah airport,
where you'll board your flight to begin your journey home.If
you plan to fly out from Casablanca , then we 'll be glad to arrange for
a flight back to Casablanca , additional $$$ applies .
This tour operates weekly starting on Fridays in Marrakech, year round.
Rates
per person in US $
| In Triple
Occupancy |
US$ 1990.00 |
| In
Double Occupancy |
US$
2050.00 |
| In
Single Occupancy |
US$ 2760.00 |
For
a private tour, based on two participants, starting on any day
please add $150 per person to the above rates.
Your
tour includes:
- Accommodation
as described, suite at Riad Malika, Riad Kaiss in Marrakech, and traditional
room at Mabrouka Riad, Dar Ghalia or Arabesque Riads in Fez, breakfast
included. Dinner hosted in a local home in Marrakech . Meridien Berber
palace ( subject to availability) or Kenzi Belere Hotel in Ourzazate
, Riads & Hotels are subject to availability at the time we receive
your booking , we keep the right to use similar facilities.
- Sahara
Oases camp: one night accommodation , with breakfast & dinner, one
bottle of mineral water, in a Bedouin tent, foam mattress, sheets, blankets.
- Camel
ride to the dunes , you have the choice of a sunrise or a sunset ride.
- Continental
(cB) or full breakfast (B)
daily; set-menu dinner (D) as shown in the itinerary.
- Escorted
guided sightseeing tours by air conditioned private motor coach as indicated
in the itinerary, including all entry fees . Camel ride in Marrakech
palm grove. Other car/van/ Land Rover transportation as indicated.
- All
transfers within Morocco.
- Lonely
Planet guidebook to Morocco
- Tea,
mint tea or coffee upon arrival at your hotel in Casablanca on Day 1.
- Hammam
session ( Steam Room ) , at your Riad /Hotel , subject to availability
.
Not
included:
TRAVEL/MEDICAL
INSURANCE:
Travel and medical insurance is not included in the rates. We will send
you the necessary forms and information, upon request.
We highly recommend travel insurance for any trip that includes sailing
, active sport, adventure ad Sahara.
For
the camp : SANITARY FACILITIES:
To ensure your utmost comfort, showers /toilets are always available
Henna
party ( For ladies only ) :
One of the "insiders" excursions into Moroccan culture, a chance to attend
a henna party, the painting of hands and body r with this natural red
dye is a symbol of joy at weddings and regarded as a way to enhance one's
beauty , if interested in attending a Henna party , please let's know
in advance.
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