9-Nights Morocco: Tangier & the Blue City - Luxury Small Group Journeys from $10,995

Abercrombie & Kent: Morocco: Tangier & the Blue City

DAY 1 Casablanca, Morocco

Arrive in Casablanca, where you are met and transferred toyour hotel. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner.

Begin the day in the port city of Casablanca, Morocco’slargest metropolis and its commercial hub. Visit thestunning Hassan II Mosque, which accommodates up to25,000 worshipers; its minaret stands as the tallest religiousstructure in the world. Then, explore the Museum of Moroccan Judaism to learn about the region’s lasting Jewish legacy. Later, board a high-speed train to Tangier, thestoried city that helps define the north of Morocco and servesas a gateway to Europe. Appealing and cosmopolitan, withmixtures of Moroccan, African and European influences, Tangier is a melting pot of cultures. Contrary to popularbelief, the movie Casablanca was actually based on Tangier,due to its reputation as the city of spies, well earned duringvarious conflicts of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today your journey takes you to the kasbah, in Tangier’sold citadel, where you visit the newly renovated KasbahMuseum, built in the former Sultan’s Palace. View collectionsthat document the history of Morocco as well as pricelesstreasures such as a gilded, illuminated Koran, and don’t missthe large mosaic works on display in its open courtyard.Afterward, stroll through the Old Medina and enter thebustling Grand Socco (souk). Stop at the American Legation,a museum that traces the history of the relationship betweenthe United States and Morocco. Continue to Moshe Nahon,one of the most beautiful synagogues in Morocco, located inheart of the Medina. Finally, visit Cap Spartel, a promontory covered with rockrose and cork oaks.

Set out for Chefchaouen, where the streets and most of thebuildings in the medina (old town) are painted a brilliantsky blue. View the medina lined with cafés filled with localsand tourists alike, mingling easily and absorbing the uniqueatmosphere of Morocco’s Blue City. Then, continue to Fez,an imperial gem long considered the spiritual heart of thecountry. Fez, founded by Moulay Idris I in the eighth centuryand Morocco’s capital until 1912, became home to Arabemigrants from Spain and Tunisia, whose influence is stillfelt today. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel, a formerpalace. Tonight, gather for dinner with your fellow guests.

Step back in time to the Middle Ages as you visit Fez el-Bali(Old Fez) – the cultural heart of Morocco. Explore some ofthe 9,000 narrow lanes, alleys and souks (open air markets)that make up the labyrinth of the city’s old quarter, whichwas also a renowned center of medieval learning. View theKaraouine, one of the oldest still-functioning universities inthe world, and Nejjarine Square, with its beautiful fountain and elaborate tile mosaics. Continue to Fez el-Jadid (NewFez), where you see the Royal Palace, madrasas (Islamicschools) and mellah (Jewish quarter).

Journey overland to explore Volubilis, a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site that is home to some of the best-preservedRoman ruins in North Africa. Among its greatest treasuresare the amazing mosaic floors of former family dwellings,which still colorfully depict Orpheus charming animals with his lyre, nine dolphins signifying good luck and aportrait of Amphitrite in a seahorse-drawn chariot. Continueto Meknes, one of the imperial cities of Morocco and aUNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 17th century bythe powerful sultan Moulay Ismail, Meknes was envisionedto rival the court of his contemporary, Louis XIV of France.Proceed to a local winery for a gourmet lunch made fromlocally sourced, organic ingredients and enjoyed among theregion’s sunbathed vineyards and olive groves — a refreshingChef ’s Table experience. Afterward, continue to Rabat.

Explore Rabat, the political capital of the kingdom, observingits cultural influences and the superbly preserved relics of itsMoorish past. Visit historical sites flanked by wide avenuesand lush parks, including the 12th-century Hassan Tower, anexcellent example of Moorish architecture, and the nearbymausoleum dedicated to Mohamed V, the founder of modernMorocco and grandfather of the current king. Venture intoOudaya Kasbah, built on a bluff overlooking the AtlanticOcean. Its gate is one of the most beautiful surviving artifactsin the Moorish world. Explore a delightful AndalusianGarden, complete with a melodious fountain and sweet-smellingorange trees. Discover the national Museum ofParure, perusing its collection of Moroccan jewelry. Roundout your introduction to Rabat at the Mohamed VI Museumof Modern Contemporary Art, a wonderful repository ofMoroccan history and modern artworks. After lunch, driveto Marrakech where you enjoy a Scenic Sundowner at yourhotel, with views of the Atlas Mountains.

Unearth the secrets of Marrakech, beginning in the beguilingJardin Majorelle, a picturesque garden created by Frenchpainter Jacques Majorelle and later restored by design legendYves Saint Laurent. Stop at the Yves Saint Laurent Museumnearby for an up close look at some of the famed designer’screations. Continue your explorations in the walled medina,a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marvel at its architecturaljewels, including the soaring Koutoubia minaret. Next,explore Bahia Palace — a masterpiece of design adornedwith marble, stucco and mosaics and featuring an opencourtyard filled with fountains and plants — for insight intohow the privileged lived here during the 19th century. Then,discover Ben Youssef Madrasa, a Koranic school was builtaround 1570 that is likewise renowned for its magnificentarchitecture. Later visit Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakech’s mainsquare, to experience its heady milieu replete with vendors,acrobats, dancers, street musicians and even snake charmersperforming at every turn. You may also opt to stroll the city’sfabled, labyrinthine souks.

Today, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities:

Unearth Another Side of Morocco, viewing daily lifeamid the gorgeous Atlas Mountains.

Discover the Agafay Desert of Stone, taking in its serenered-rock splendors outside Marrakech.

Learn to Cook With Moroccan Spices during a cookingdemonstration and tasting; also visit Marrakech’s souks.

Later, gather for a special dinner featuring entertainmentby a traditional gnaoua band, savoring once more thedistinctive tastes and sounds of Morocco at its mostauthentic.

After breakfast, privately transfer to the airport for yourdeparting flight.