Tagines , Marrakesh
AFRICA
Marrakesh medina Bedouin home , Erfoud
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U . S . Depart today on an overnight flight to Casablanca .
DAY 2 • Casablanca , Morocco • Rabat An O . A . T . representative meets us at the airport in Casablanca and assists with the transfer to our hotel in Rabat . Later , we meet our fellow travelers who took the optional pre-trip extension to Northern Morocco : Chefchaouen , Tangier & the Berbers of the Rif .
Meals : D | Le Diwan Hotel or similar
DAY 3 • Rabat After breakfast this morning , we have a brief introduction to the Arabic language before heading out on a guided tour of Rabat . Highlights of our tour include Rabat ’ s Royal Palace and its impressive Bab ar-Rouah ( Gate of the Winds ), and the Kasbah Oudeya , a citadel originally built in the twelfth century .
Meals : B , D | Le Diwan Hotel or similar
DAY 4 • Fez Today we leave the coast and Rabat behind , and set off for Fez . Upon arrival , we ’ ll walk to the medina — a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Vendors fill market stalls with colorful handcrafted goods , and on either side of us , donkey carts and motorbikes zip past as we carefully traverse the narrow , maze-like lanes of the ancient walled city . Then we ’ ll check into our riad — a Moroccan home that has been refurbished into a hotel .
Meals : B , L | Hotel Riad Salam
DAY 5 • Fez • Home-Hosted Dinner Set out for a day of exploration in Fez . First , go to the traditional Jewish quarter , the mellah , to visit a 17th-century synagogue . Afterwards , stroll through the souks ( marketplaces ) of the Old City — the medina . Later , enjoy an exclusive Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family .
Meals : B , L , D | Hotel Riad Salam or similar
DAY 6 • Fez • Optional Volubilis & Meknes tour The day is free for you to make your own discoveries in Fez . Or , you may choose to join a full-day optional tour of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites , Volubilis and Meknes .
Meals : B , D | Hotel Riad Salam or similar
DAY 7 • The Middle & High Atlas Mountains • Erfoud
Our journey into the Sahara begins today , as we drive approximately 300 miles across the Middle Atlas mountain range , winding through beautiful pine groves and giant cedar forests . In the late afternoon we descend into Erfoud , a small trading village that is the gateway to the vast Sahara Desert . Along the way , meet with a semi-nomadic family ( when possible ) and delve into their way of life .
Meals : B , L , D | Kasbah Hotel Chergui or similar
DAY 8 • Meet local family • Off-road Sahara adventure • Sahara Desert camp
Enjoy an O . A . T . -exclusive visit with members of a local desert community . Afterwards , board 4x4 vehicles and head through the desert to our private tented campsite . You may join your Trip Experience Leader on
an optional sunset dune hike . Later , take in a traditional Moroccan cooking demonstration .
Meals : B , L , D | Private tented camp
DAY 9 • Sahara Desert walk • Farm visit • Meet nomadic families in Khamlia
Wake up early to watch the sunrise in the Saharan dunes followed by a guided walk . Next , explore the desert by camelback ( weather permitting ). Then , journey by 4x4 vehicle to a local farm , followed by a visit to the remote village of Khamlia for a lively Gnawa musical performance . Later , enjoy a cup of tea with nomadic women , and learn about Islam from our Trip Experience Leader .
Meals : B , L , D | Private tented camp
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Days 8 and 9 , spend two nights in a private tented camp in the Sahara Desert , ride a camel across the sand dunes , and gather by the campfire under the African stars
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www . oattravel . com / mso 31