Morocco 2024 - Tour 2

Flights will be available November 2023

•  Arrive in Casablanca and meet your driver outside the airport.
•  Begin with a visit to the stunning Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world that non-Muslims are allowed to enter. Able to accommodate up to 105,000 in prayer, this marvel of modern Moroccan architecture is the work of hundreds of expert craftsmen from around the country, many of them donating their work.
•  Head to nearby Rabat to have lunch at a local seafood restaurant in the Marina. Lunch included.
• Check into your hotel and enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure to relax and recover from your travels.
• Overnight in Rabat.

Hotel: La Tour Hassan Palace (or similar) in Rabat
Meals: Lunch

• After breakfast, make a quick visit to the Hassan Tower, which has sat unfinished since 1199. Commissioned by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, the tower was to be the minaret for the largest mosque in the world. Unfortunately, when the sultan passed away in 1199, the project was abandoned, leaving some partial outer walls, 348 columns, and a minaret only standing half-finished at 140 feet rather than the intended 260 feet.
• Standing opposite the Hassan Tower is the Mohammed V Mausoleum, which contains the tombs of Mohammed V, the current king's grandfather, as well as the king's father, Hassan II, and his uncle, Prince Abdallah. It is considered a masterpiece of Alaouite architecture with its white walls and green tiled roof.
• Continue north to Tangier, on the Mediterranean coast.
• Stop to see where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic from Cap Spartel, the northernmost point in Africa.
• Visit the Cave of Hercules. Legend holds that when Hercules was in need of a place to rest between two of his labors, he swam across the Strait of Gibraltar and ripped the cave from the side of the cliff with his hands. The opening of the cave that faces the sea is in the shape of Africa.
• Overnight in Tangier

Hotel:  Barcelo Tanger (or similar) in Tangier
Meals: Breakfast

Shades of Orange Day – wear an orange outfit today. This will look beautiful against the blue walls of Chefchaouen!

•  After breakfast, travel to Chefchaouen, nestled high in the lush Rif Mountains.
• Once a sacred city that was closed to outsiders, once it was opened, word got out about the “Blue Pearl of Morocco”, attracting travelers from all over the world.
• Explore the charming blue-washed medina with an endless winding maze of picturesque homes and streets with a private guide. In the late 15th century the population was boosted by a number of Jews and Muslims fleeing southern Spain and remained mostly untouched and isolated until the last century.
• In the late afternoon, continue your journey south, down the Rif Mountains and into the Atlas, checking into your mountain resort.
• Enjoy dinner at the resort. Dinner included.
• Overnight in Ifrane.

Hotel: Michlifen Resort (or similar) in Ifrane
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Take a day trip to the historic city of Fes, Morocco’s oldest city and handicraft capital.
• Tour Fes with a private guide. (Walking tour with some transportation between sites.)
• Begin at the royal palace, with its seven golden doors, and learn about the significance of the intricate decor.
• Stroll through the Mellah, or Jewish quarter, which was built next to the palace to offer protection.
• Take in the view of the city from Borj Sud, a former fortress and one of the lookouts on a hill where you can see all of Fes laid out, allowing you to spot landmarks otherwise hidden by the skyline-obscuring buildings.
• Visit a pottery co-op to see how they make the unique Fes pottery, as well as handcrafting the intricate mosaics adorning half of Morocco.
• Head into the ancient medina and step into a sort of living museum. The Fes medina is very much a local community that lives and works and goes about daily life in the medina, so be sure to keep moving and watch out for the donkeys!
• Stop by the Al-Quaraouiyine University, the oldest degree-granting university still in operation, having been founded in 859CE by a woman.
• Visit handicraft workshops, where you will see why Fes is considered the handicraft capital of Morocco. This can include, among other things, the silk weavers, where beautifully colorful fabrics are woven from silk fibers of the agave plant; and the famous Fes tannery, where they process all manner of animal hides by hand, much as they have for nearly 1,000 years.
• During your tour of the medina, you will stop for lunch in a restaurant that would be very easy to walk right past, but is truly a hidden gem. Lunch included.
• Return to Ifrane in the evening.
• Overnight in Ifrane

Hotel: Michlifen Resort (or similar) in Ifrane
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 Enjoy a leisurely day relaxing at the resort, perhaps indulging in a hammam at their incredible spa.

OPTIONAL: Head to Fes, Morocco’s oldest city and handicraft capital, for a day tour with a private guide. (no fee required)

OPTIONAL: Visit nearby Meknes for a wine tasting, along with local olive oil and goat cheeses, at on of Morocco’s best wineries. (fee required, depends on the number of pax)

Hotel: Michlifen Resort (or similar) in Ifrane
Meals: Breakfast

• Depart Ifrane after breakfast and begin your journey south over the Atlas Mountains.
• Visit the wild monkeys in the cedar forests outside of Azrou, where they are happy to be fed but surprisingly well mannered.
• Stop in Zaida for lunch, enjoying fresh barbecue in one of the many streetside restaurants.
• Lunch included.
• Take in the scenery as you cross the Atlas Mountains.
• View the lush green date and almond trees filling the gorge in Errachidia.
• Arrive in Rissani in the evening and check in to your riad in time for dinner. Dinner included.
• Overnight in Rissani.

Hotel: Kasbah Mohayut (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Explore the Sahara Desert with an SUV excursion to take you through the dunes.
• Stop for tea with a nomadic family in their winter home. The nomads herd sheep and goats from the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert, moving with the weather.
• Visit the Gnawa Village to listen to their entrancing music. The rhythmic, hypnotic music has long been part of their ceremonies, from the time their ancestors were brought to the area as slaves. The music has influenced an entire genre that is performed all across Morocco and has even inspired several music festivals.
• Enjoy lunch in the the village. Lunch included.
• Hunt for fossils of aquatic critters in the desert. The Sahara was once an ocean 7 million years ago, and there are countless fossils remaining.
• Visit a local artist’s workshop for coffee.
• In the late afternoon, meet your camels for your trek into your desert camp. You will journey through the dunes, and your camel guide will be able to get some great pictures for you as well!
• Arrive at your camp and enjoy a welcome glass of Moroccan mint tea and Moroccan cookies. Take some time to relax before dinner. Dinner included.
• After dinner, enjoy live music around the bonfire.
• Overnight in the Sahara Desert.

Hotel: Golden Camp (or similar) in the Sahara Desert
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 OPTIONAL: Wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes. Remember it gets cold in the desert overnight, so don't forget your jacket!

• Enjoy a traditional Moroccan breakfast at the camp.
• Depart your camp via SUVs.
• Meet up with your coach bus  once more, and begin your journey west, stopping for lunch along the way. Lunch included.
• Make a stop in Boumalne Dades to see the stunning Todra Gorge, carved from the red rocks of the landscape by a river.
•  Stop as you pass through Kalaat M'Gouna, which is famous for its production of rose products. The area is known as the Rose Valley because it is where thousands of roses are grown each year to be distilled into rose water and rose oil, then used to make all manner of cosmetics.
• In the afternoon, arrive in Ouarzazate, known as "Moroccan Hollywood," thanks to the Atlas Film Studio and other local spots used in filming.
• Overnight in Ouarzazate.

Hotel: Dar Chamaa (or similar) in Ouarzazate
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

•  As you head out of Ouarzazate, make a stop at Ait Ben-Haddou, an ancient Ksar that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located along the former trade caravan route between the Sahara Desert and Marrakech, the Ksar is now often used as a filming location for movies including The Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, and Kingdom of Heaven.
• Continue across the Atlas Mountains via the winding Tichka Pass, stopping for lunch along the way. Lunch included.
• Arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon and check in to your hotel in the Hivernage neighborhood of the city.
•  Enjoy the evening at your leisure.
• Overnight in Marrakech.

Hotel: Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial (or similar) in Marrakech
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Tour Marrakech with a private guide.
• Visit the Koutoubia minaret, the tallest in Marrakech. Within the city walls, no building is allowed to be taller than the Koutoubia's 253 feet. The minaret is part of the largest mosque in Marrakech, which was completed in 1199.
• Stop at one of the iconic spice markets, learning of the medicinal uses of many of the common spices and herbs that are still used across Morocco to treat common illnesses.
• Visit Dar Bacha, which houses the Museum of Confluences, offering a mixture of Berber, Arab, and Jewish artifacts from throughout Morocco’s history. While you are there, be sure to enjoy coffee in their coffee room, offering over 200 varieties of coffee from the world over, housed in a historic palace in Marrakech.
• Explore Jemaa el Fna, the primary square in the medina and a UNESCO world heritage site. Though now filled with street performers, snake charmers, merchants, and orange juice stalls, when it was created in 1050, it was used for public executions, perhaps leading to its name which can be translated as "assembly of death".
• Head into the souks surrounding Jemaa el Fna to several workshops, including shoemakers and bakers.
• Overnight in Marrakech.

Hotel: Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial (or similar) in Marrakech
Meals: Breakfast

• In the morning, embark on a culinary adventure with a hands-on cooking class. Learn to make traditional tagines, cooked salads, bread, and, of course, Moroccan mint tea to allow you to bring a bit of Morocco home with you! Enjoy the fruits of your labor for lunch. Lunch included.
• Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure. Perhaps book a traditional hammam, visit the Majorelle Garden and YSL Museum, or just explore the city.
• In the evening, end your Moroccan adventure with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
• Overnight in Marrakech.

Hotel: Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial (or similar) in Marrakech
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• After breakfast, check out of your hotel and travel north to Casablanca to catch your return flight to JFK.
• Arrive in JFK in the late evening.

Flights will be available November 2023

Full Package Price

$4,799 per person
(double occupancy)

$6,099 per person 
(single occupancy)

$4,499 per person
(triple occupancy)

Land Only Package 
(flights and transfers NOT included)

$3,899 per person
(double occupancy)

$5,199 per person 
(single occupancy)

Note: In the Land Only package you will make your own flight arrangements and transportation to/from the hotel upon arrival and departure. Overton Travel can assist you with these arrangements upon request.

Payment Schedule

• Deposit: Due at time of booking: $300 (non-refundable)    
• Installment #1: July 31, 2023    $375
• Installment #2: August 31, 2023    $375
• Installment #3: September 30, 2023    $375
• Installment #4: October 31, 2023    $375
• Installment #5: November 30, 2023    $375
• Installment #6: December 31, 2023    $375
• Installment #7: January 31 2024    $375
• Installment #8: February 29, 2024    $375
• Installment #9: March 31, 2024    $375
• Installment #10: April 30, 2024    $375
• Installment #11: May 31, 2024    $375
• Installment #12: Final Payment: June 30, 2024    Remaining Balance

Flights will be available November 2023

We encourage all travelers to purchase a travel protection plan at the time of initial trip deposit. 

Overton Travel uses Travel Insured International. Click here to review and purchase a travel protection plan from them: Travel Protection.

You can purchase travel protection through the supplier used by Overton Travel or any other supplier you choose.