MAJESTIC MOROCCO Blue-Roads | Europe Kasbahs rising out of the desert, legendary mountain passes and ancient cities spilling over with a thousand-and-one sights. This tour will take you on a magic carpet ride through magnificent Morocco, where adventurous days give way to Arabian nights. TOUR CODE: BEHMMCC-0 Thank You for Choosing Blue-Roads Thank you for choosing to travel with Back-Roads Touring. We can’t wait for you to join us on the mini-coach! About Your Tour Notes THE BLUE-ROADS DIFFERENCE Learn how to cook a traditional tagine in Aït Benhaddou These tour notes contain everything you need to know Spend the night in an authentic before your tour departs – including where to meet, Sahara Desert camp and enjoy a what to bring with you and what you can expect to do Berber feast on each day of your itinerary. You can also print this Try madfouna: a traditional Moroccan document out, use it as a checklist and bring it with you speciality on tour. TOUR CURRENCIES Please Note: We recommend that you refresh this document one week before your tour + Morocco - MAD departs to ensure you have the most up-to-date accommodation list and itinerary information available. Your Itinerary DAY 1 | CASABLANCA - RABAT - FES After meeting the group in charming Casablanca, we’ll hit the road to our first stop: Rabat, where we’ll see the marble Mausoleum of Mohammed V (and the similarly spectacular Hassan Tower). When we arrive in Fes, we’ll get to know each other better over a welcome dinner at our riad. Here’s to a fantastic trip! Accommodation: Palais Sheherazade (or similar) MEALS: Dinner DAY 2 | FES - MOULAY IDRISS - MEKNES - FES After a stop in the pretty whitewashed town of Moulay Idriss, we’ll make our way to Meknes – an enchanting UNESCO World Heritage-listed city – for a relaxing walking tour, which winds up at the stunning Bab Mansour gate. Then: we will have the chance to sample some delicious local wines before heading back to Fes for the night. Accommodation: Palais Sheherazade (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Lunch DAY 3 | FES First on the agenda today is a walking tour of Fes’ maze-like medina before we move on to a Moroccan must-see: a leather tannery. We will also visit a workshop that specialises in creating a range of local artisanal products – and gain an insight into the traditional methods used by the city’s craftsmen. You’ll be free to explore Fes for yourself this afternoon, so make the most of it before we move on to Errachidia tomorrow! Accommodation: Palais Sheherazade (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Lunch DAY 4 | FES - IFRANE - MIDELT - ERRACHIDIA Today it’s out of the city and onwards to Ifrane, located in the Middle Atlas mountains. Here we’ll venture into the cedar forest – which is famous for its sweeping views over the surrounding valleys (not to mention its resident Barbary apes). After an included lunch in Midelt, we’ll make tracks to our accommodation in the welcoming town of Errachidia. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Riad (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Lunch DAY 5 | ERRACHIDIA - RISSANI - MERZOUGA Our first stop of the day will be Rissani, where we’ll be treated to a walking tour and included lunch. The dish of the day? Madfouna, an oven-cooked local speciality which is sometimes described as a Moroccan take on pizza! Afterwards, we’ll swap the coach for some four-wheel drives and venture into the desert – where our camp in Merzouga awaits. Tonight’s dinner will come in the form of a Berber feast, complete with a traditional dance display. Accommodation: Merzouga Desert Camp MEALS: Breakfast Lunch Dinner DAY 6 | MERZOUGA - TODRA GORGE - DADES GORGE Today we’ll make the scenic journey to the dramatic Dadès Gorge, passing by the limestone canyons of Todra Gorge along the way. A delicious dinner awaits us when we reach our hotel. Accommodation: Hôtel Xaluca Dades (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Lunch Dinner DAY 7 | DADES GORGE - OUARZAZATE - AIT BEN HADDOU This morning we’ll set a course for Ouarzazate – where the film Lawrence of Arabia was famously set – but not before making a pit stop at the beautiful city of Kalaat M'Gouna. After finding out more about the city’s role on the silver screen at CLA Movie Studios, we’ll press on to the fortified village of Aït Benhaddou: a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Accommodation: Riad Ksar Ighnda (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Lunch DAY 8 | AIT BEN HADDOU We’ll begin our day learning the secret to cooking the perfect tagine at an included cooking class – and after we’ve made our own attempts at replicating the recipe, we’ll sample the fruits of our labour over lunch! This evening, we’ll take some time to relax back at the riad. Accommodation: Riad Ksar Ighnda (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Lunch DAY 9 | AIT BEN HADDOU - MARRAKESH After stopping off at Aït Benhaddou Castle for a photo opportunity, we’ll move onwards to Marrakech via the breathtaking Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass. Then: what better way to toast the end of our adventure than with a farewell dinner? Accommodation: Hivernage Hôtel & Spa (or similar) MEALS: Breakfast Dinner DAY 10 | MARRAKESH There’s still plenty of time for a sightseeing tour of Marrakech this morning before we say goodbye. MEALS: Breakfast Tour Information Meals Blue-Roads Travel App INCLUDED MEALS Breakfast (B) is included daily. Why not check in for your tour using the Back- Some of your lunches and dinners are also Roads app? included, either in hotels or local restaurants. This handy tool allows you to view your These are indicated by (L) and (D) in the bookings, check your itinerary, see tour maps itinerary. and more – making it the perfect travel Please note that drinks will not always be companion for your Back-Roads trip. included. How to Download the Back-Roads app We will do our best to accommodate any specific dietary requirements you may have. 1. Launch the App Store or Google Play on Please ensure to make these clear to us your device before your tour begins so we can 2. Search ‘Back-Roads’ and click ‘OK’ communicate them to our hotels, restaurants 3. Select the Back-Roads app in the search and suppliers. results 4. Click the download/install button 5. The app should be installed in your device’s applications page Other Information Finances CHANGING MONEY SPENDING MONEY CASH: Foreign money can be changed at Naturally, everyone’s spending varies. Many of banks, airports, railway and tube stations, and your meals are included in the price of your at major hotels (though at a less favourable tour, so this just leaves a few meals and your rate) personal spending to budget for. CREDIT CARDS: Visa and MasterCard are widely Tips for the Tour Leader and Driver are not accepted. American Express is only accepted in included. Tipping is entirely at your some larger establishments discretion; however, if you feel you have CASH MACHINES: ATMS are widely available received exceptional service, it is recommended that you tip £1-2/€ per day for Drivers and £4-5/€ per day for Tour Leaders. Insurance Passports and Visas You will need to take out full travel insurance We advise you either to carry a photocopy of before travelling with Back-Roads Touring. your passport (and visa, if applicable) with you Please ensure that you have adequate medical, while abroad, or to ensure that you leave a personal effects and cancellation cover. copy with relatives back at home. We recommend that you carry your insurance This will enable the local embassy or high details with you at all times. You may be asked commission to arrange a replacement if the to provide details of your medical insurance or original should be lost or stolen. a payment guarantee in some countries before If you do take copies with you on your trip, medical assistance can be provided. please ensure that you keep these separate Your insurance company may not assist you from your original documents. with your claim if the instructions given in the It is your responsibility to obtain any visas policy have not been followed. necessary to enable you to travel in Europe or Asia. Contact your local consular office for more information. Transport We travel in premium mini-coaches equipped with comfortable seats, air conditioning and large windows for enjoying the view. With far more flexibility than a standard-size coach, we’re able to take the scenic route – winding through beautiful countryside to the heart of tiny villages and coastal towns. What to Bring Suggested Packing List Wondering what to take with you on tour? Our packing list can be used as a guide. Please Note: What you pack will depend on the countries you’re visiting and the time of year you plan to travel. The following is a suggested clothing list only, based on our experience: Sun hat Sunglasses Shorts/skirts Long-sleeved tops Short-sleeved tops Trousers Light jacket Waterproof jacket and Warm jacket umbrella Walking shoes/comfortable shoes Smart casual evening Sleepwear Swimwear and towel wear Other things to pack: Multi-use travel adapter Camera Batteries Phone Personal medication Sunscreen Paracetamol or aspirin OPTIONALS TO CONSIDER: Motion sickness tablets Anti-diarrhoea tablets Sewing kit Lip balm That's it! We look forward to seeing you on tour..