Grand Tour to Morocco from Madrid with flights included.

GRAND TOUR TO MOROCCO FROM MADRID. 2019'S HOLY WEEK.

14th April 2019: MADRID - TANGIER - CHEFCHAOUEN – FES

• 08:00 AM: check-in in the Airarabia and hand the round trip ticket.
• 10:40 AM: flight departure to Tanger
• 12:15 AM: arrive in Tanger
• The local guide will be waiting for us in the airport.
• Depart to Chefchaouen located in the only intercontinental natural park, declared as a natural reserve biosphere. Chaouen is a town on a mountain, white and blue, with its wise, kind, and respectful people who offer visitors beautiful panoramas of the urban slope. Beautiful local artisan showings can be seen here as well as enjoying a certain calmness that hard to find nowadays. This place really has you wishing for a return once you leave.
• Tour through the blue city with a local guide
• We will continue to Fez, one of the first empire cities. It originated from the 8th century. It is also one of the first sacred cities of the muslim culture in Morocco. It also has the honor have having one of the most ancient universities in the world.
• Dinner at the hotel

15th of April, Monday: FEZ

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• To walk through the labyrinthine streets of Fez can transport one through the past lives where alfareros, forjadores, and artisans living with foreign visitors who does not cease to surprise themselves observing the people and taking in all the aromas and smells from the atmosphere of the city
• We will go out to begin a visit with a local tour guide from the city of Fez. We will begin with the panoramic of the city, including the Merinides tombs. Later we will visit Fez el Jedid, including the Alhuitas square which are located on the exterior of the Palacio Real and Dar el Makzen. We will continue on foot to Fez el Bali. We will visit the souk spices in Attarin and the souk in Jenna. We will arrive at the Nejjarin plaza where the founduk can be found under the same name where we will also be visiting Bounania. From there we will continue to to the Seffarin plaza to finish up the morning in the tanners neighborhoods and view the tannery.
• Mirrors, perfumes, chickens, doves, silverware, gold, slippers, sandals, tunicas, jellabah, drums, vegetables, fruits, pottery, ceramics, forges, herbs (nothing illegal), spices, photos of the king, grains, books, crystals, and anything else imaginable, it is all here. The constant rattle of the carriages pulled by donkeys holding diverse products, will transport you to an unique world.
• Lunch at the hotel.
• Free time in the afternoon. However, anyone who desires to come back with the guide in the afternoon is allowed to do it. They will visit local craftsmen, souks, and to learn the art ofprice haggling.
• Free time for dinner.

16th of April, Tuesday: FEZ – ATLAS - BOSQUES DE CEDROS - MERZOUGA SAHARA

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out
• Departure to the grand south of Morocco. Our first stage will be Azrou, that is located in the High Atlas, in the middle of a cedar forest. Some of the cedar are higher than 40 meters. Free range monkeys live in those trees.
• After going across the Atlas, we will get to El Tafilalet, that was an obliged passage for the caravans that transported salt and gold to Guinea and Sudan. Now a days, it is an important economic and military center.
• Free time for lunch
• We will continue our trip going to Er Rachidia, located in one of the most beautiful parts of Morocco.
• In the evening, we will leave our bus and we will continue with 4x4 jeeps. We will go to our lodging in Merzouga. We will sleep in tents, just next to sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, at the port of Sahara desert. We will be able to admire a star-filled sky.
• Dinner in tents.

17th of April, Wednesday: SAHARA - GARGANTAS DEL TODRA – TINERGHIR - OUARZAZATE

• Arise early in the morning in the Sahara. Its dunes extend far into the horizon and are elevated as high as 150 m.
• The experience of getting to see the first sheds of light in the Sahara is impressive. There is a mandatory wake up call in order to experience the sunrise. We will leave at nightfall to be able to see the sunrise from the dunes. As we go on we can admire the different tones the sand changes as the sun begins to rise.
• After a good breakfast, we will go and take camel rides throughout the dunes.
• Depart to Tinerghir, where we will see the “Gargantas del Todra”. There, we will admire really big palm trees that helps to stand the heat in this place.
• We will continue to Ouarzazate, former garrison of French troops, located in the meridional zone in the country. Rich with its agriculture and famous for its details in its palm trees, roses and henna that grow on its bank. It is also the mainstay of many movie directors. These attributes have caused numerous economic boosts to this zone and has created many businesses related to the audiovisual world and jobs to many of the residents.
• Dinner at the hotel

18th of April, Thursday: OUARZAZATE – AIT BEN HADDOU – TIZ´N´TICHKA - MARRAKECH

• Breakfast and check out
• We will continue to Ait Ben Haddou, one of the geological wonders of the world, which has been kept maintained throughout the millennium. Next we will visit a grand fortress which has served as a movie set several times for movies such as ¨Laurence de Arabia¨, ¨Gladiator¨, and ¨La Joya del Nilo¨. It is made from different elements, the adobe seems to mix with the dry land over what used to be a flourishing stream and has now been converted to cropland.
• After the visit we will continue to Marrakech. We will cross through the majestic mountains of the Alto Atlas and the port of Tzi´n´Tichka, the door entrance to the desert which is 2260 meter high. Here we will pause to contemplate the spectacular views.
• Marrakech is the red pearl of southern Morocco. Every night, in the Djemaa el-Fna square, there is a lovely show where jugglers, snake charmers, wizards… show their skills.
• Arrived in the hotel, we will have dinner there.

19th of April: MARRAKECH

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 09.00 hours. Afterwards we will do our guided visit in Marrakech with an exterior visit of the Koutoubia Mosque, the twin tower of the Sevillian Giralda. We will continue towards the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, the outside areas around the mosque of the Kasbah.  We will end our journey in theJmaa el Fna square.
• Lunch at the hotel
• Free time in the evening and dinner.
• We recommend you to visit de Jmaa el Fna square again in the evening, so you can see how the setting of the square changes.
• Also, we will offer you the option of going to the show of fantasy Chez Ali, which is marvelous.

20th of April, Saturday: MARRAKECH - RABAT - TÁNGER

• Breakfast at the hotel
• We will start our route to Rabat, the capital of the kingdom which is located on the Atlantic Coast next to the southern shore of Bu Regreg River which separates the neighboring city of Salé. Archaeological ruins are still conserved here which are known as Chellah.
• Free time for lunch.
• Depart to Tangier, which was founded by Anteo (atlas), Neptuno’s son. The name of Tangier comes from his wife’s name, who was called Tingo. Anteo was killed by Hercules (jupiter’s son) and his grave is located on the hills around the city.
• Although it was abandoned for a lot of years, Tangier’s situation has changed and now it is a really interesting city. It is completely renovated because the King of Morroco has bet high on the north of Morroco. Also, he has his summer residence in this place. In Tangier, almost everyone speaks spanish, as it was part of the spanish protectorate until 1956.
• We will get to the hotel and have dinner there.

21st of April, Sunday: TANGER - MADRID

• Depart to the airport of Tangier at 04.00 (without breakfast).
• 07.00 Boarding in the plane to Madrid.
• End of our services.