10 days Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour

On your arrival at Casablanca airport, you will be greeted by a Marrakesh Journeys tour manager who will assist you with your luggage and transfer you to your hotel in Casablanca.
In the afternoon we will have an Orientation tour of Casablanca, including the Habbous quarter, the United Nations square, the exterior of the Royal Palace, and an interior visit of the Hassan II mosque, one of the Islamic world’s stunning monuments.
Suggested dinner at Rick’s cafe and overnight at your hotel

After breakfast in Casablanca, we will visit the interior of the Hassan II Great Mosque, one of the Islamic world’s greatest monuments, followed by a visit of the Place Mohammed V, Casablanca Jewish Museum and the United Nations Square, and the surroundings of the Royal Palace before strolling along the Ain Diab corniche as well as a visit to the Temple Beth- El Synagogue, Em Habanim & Neve Chalom in Casablanca. After Casablanca, we will continue departure to the administrative capital of Morocco. In Rabat, we will visit the splendid Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Hassan Tower. Overnight at your selected accommodation

Rabat

Rabat literally “Fortified Place,” is the capital city of Morocco. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, Rabat’s bedroom community. Together with Temara, the cities account for a combined metropolitan population of 2.6 million. It is an easy-going city by Moroccan standards. The city of Rabat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On day three of the Jewish Heritage Tour, after breakfast in Rabat, set off through the Moroccan countryside on your way to Meknes. A cultural center for more than ten centuries, Meknes boasts a fascinating medina (old city) and maze of streets filled with colorful stalls and architectural delights such as the intricately carved Bab el-Mansour. Continue to Moulay Idriss, Morocco’s holiest city, and then onto the Roman ruins at Volubilis to see the Triumphal Arch and exquisite mosaics. Late this afternoon, arrive in Fez.

Spend the day exploring Fez, the oldest of the imperial cities and the country’s religious and cultural heart. See the old medina, the largest living Islamic medieval city in the world, before visiting the Kairaouine mosque, where a meeting with a senior cleric in the private library has been arranged. Continue through the Jewish quarter to the Nejjarine Museum of Woods & Crafts and the nearby fountain. After lunch, visit the Bou Inania madrasa, an excellent example of Marinid architecture and one of the few religious sites accessible to non-Muslims. Finish the day with a short drive to the Merenid tombs. Formerly a 16th-century palace and necropolis, the ruins offer panoramic views of the city ramparts.

Continues our Jewish Heritage Tour, we will make our way south toward the Sahara Desert, the drive is about 6.5 hours which may seem a lot but don’t worry, our drivers will make it very enjoyable and we have scheduled a night in the city of Erfoud so that next day, we will have a full day to explore the desert.
We will drive through fertile valleys and into the cedar forests and beautiful lakes of the Middle Atlas Mountains. Stop for a picnic lunch at the nature reserve of Midelt before descending into the impressive palm groves and fortified villages of the Ziz valley arriving at Erfoud around 4 pm.

Morning at your leisure in Erfoud, then we will head to the village of Merzouga via the holy city of Rissani, a site where the ancestors of the Alaouite Dynasty are buried in the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sherif. Also in this Jewish Heritage Tour, you will visit the ruins of Ksar Abbar, a Kasbah that dates from the 17th century. Continuation to the village of Khamlia known for its Jazz and Gnawa music before we arrive at the auberge close to the dunes, we will then have lunch, and relax for a couple of hours before we start the Camel adventure for an hour seeing the sunset over the Golden dunes of Erg Chebbi and arriving to the camp for the overnight.

An early morning to see the beautiful sunrise, a delicious breakfast in the middle of the dunes, followed by a camel ride back to the hotel. Once there, you will trade your camels and get into your private vehicle departing to Dades Gorge, where we have a scheduled overnight. En route, we will visit the Todgha, where you will experience the unbelievable glory of the massive canyon walls reaching some 300 meters (900 feet) high and continuing for some 100 meters (300 feet). We will make a few stops along the way as we drive through various small Berber villages and the town of Tinjdad, and we can even schedule a short walk through the Todgha Valley if time permits.

After breakfast in Dades Gorge, we will continue our drive toward the city of Marrakech, one of the most popular destinations in the country. En route, we will drive through the oasis of Skoura, the City of Ouarzazate, before we arrive at the Unesco world heritage center of Ait Ben Haadou Kasbah. The entire route offers wonderful opportunities for photos, especially the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, where the various films took places, such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Laurence Arabia, and Jesus of Nazareth. After Ait Ben Haddou, we will drive across the peak of Tizi Ntichka and into Marrakech, arriving in the afternoon. Check-In to your Hotel or Riad and enjoy the rest of the day.

On the ninth day of our Jewish Heritage Tour, you will join one of our licensed local tour guides on a private tour and visit the gorgeous Saadian Tombs, elegant El Badi Palace, and the 12th-century Koutoubia mosque. Meander through the medina, exploring an endless procession of souqs, mosques, and madrasas. Just before sunset, visit the Djemaa el-Fna, the enormous square and atmospheric wonderland of torch-lit food stalls, snake charmers, storytellers, and acrobats.

Transfer to the Marrakech airport and board your international flight home.