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Beyond the Gateways of the Imperial CitiesRabat - Meknes - FesA tour along the imperial cities of Morocco: a feast for your eyes and a treat for your tastebuds. You’ll travel by train and private transfer and spend the night in cosy guesthouses and magical palaces. Wander through the narrow streets and tiny alleyways among ancient city walls, mosques, bath houses and majestic archways.All around you the colourful, glistening street stalls beckon as your nose fills with the sweet aromas of dates, incense and spices and the pungent smells of the tannery. Distant chanting from a mosque mixes with uplifting Arabic music drifting out from the small shops and the murmur of the busy streets. |
| Duration |
6 days / 5 nights |
Accommodation |
Charming hotel in Rabat and Fes. Authentic Moroccan riad hotel in Meknes. |
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Price |
£293 per person - based on 2 people sharing Special stay: £353 per person based on 2 people sharing |
Includes |
Transport between imperial cities and return transfer Volubilis (private transfer and train), 5 nights accommodation with breakfast |
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Transport |
Private transfers and train |
Excludes |
Other meals, entrance fees Volubilis (approx £2 per person) |
Day 1: Arrival Casablanca - RabatTravel time: 1.5 hours Today your tour of the imperial cities of Morocco begins!On arrival at Casablanca airport you’ll be met by our driver and transferred directly to your hotel in Rabat 1 ½ hours away. Your hotel where you’ll be staying for the next two nights is located opposite the old train station in the Ville Nouvelle, the newer part of Rabat. The small-scale hotel has a typical Moroccan atmosphere and small front terrace where you can relax with a drink and watch the world go by. Once you’ve unpacked and freshened up, head out to explore the city. Below we’ve listed some of our favourite tips and things to do in Rabat. |
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Day 2: RabatMoroccan breakfasts can be little more than a cup of coffee or tea, a piece of French bread with jam and perhaps a glass of fresh orange juice.If you need a bit more sustenance to set you up for the day, you’re welcome to buy some additional food (meats, cheese, yoghurt) at a local shop or market to supplement your hotel breakfast. Or, like the Spanish, you can start the day with a light snack, then have a more filling ‘elevenses’ at one of the small restaurants in town. You’ll be staying in a riad hotel in the imperial city of Meknes and they usually serve a more substantial breakfast. With your stomach filled, Rabat beckons, the first of the imperial cities on your Morocco itinerary. The easiest way to get around the city is by the blue ‘petit taxis’ you’ll see driving around everywhere. A taxi ride to most of the sights will set you back between 80p and £2 so make sure you agree on a price beforehand. Get the petit taxi to drop you off at the impressive Kasbah Oudaias on the edge of the old part of the city (the medina), and then continue on foot. If you want to grab a cheap bite to eat, try the Baahia restaurant built within the city ramparts a little way up, it’s a great little find. |
Day 3: Rabat - MeknesTravel time: 2.5 hoursIn the morning once you’ve checked out, simply cross the street to the train station. The train journey to Meknes takes about 2 hours, the second imperial city on your Morocco tour. The rail service is excellent; comfortable and fast. Sit back, relax as the countryside of orchards, vineyards, cacti, and (in the spring) fields full of bright yellow rapeseed glide by. Back in the 17th century, Meknes was little more than a small provincial town, but Sultan Moulay Ismail transformed it into a majestic walled city with more than 20 monumental gates (Babs) and over 50 palaces. |
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From the station, take petit taxi to your riad hotel. We’ve selected a typical Moroccan riad in the historic part of the city (see photos below). It also has one of the best restaurants in town though luckily not many people know about it. Everything is freshly prepared, so don’t expect to be handed your plate the moment you sit down, but you can order ahead for the evening. The pastilla and tajine are out of this world. For lunch, try one of the small food stalls on the Lalla Aouda square, a short walk from your riad. If you want to enjoy a fantastic view across the valley and the Ville Nouvelle as you tuck into your lunch, cross the square and follow the signs to the Collier de la Colombo. You can spend the rest of the day wandering through beautiful imperial Meknes. Most of the sights are quite close together and it’s all easy to do on foot. The staff at your riad can arrange a local guide for you (approx. £8). From the riad, follow the small street to the Place El Hedim with its grand Bab Mansour, Bab Jemaa and Nouar Gate. |
Day 4: Meknes - Volubilis - FesTravel time: approximately 2 hoursAfter a tasty breakfast you’ll be picked up at the hotel around 9.30am by our driver. Driving along winding roads, 45 minutes later you catch your first glimpse of the impressive ruins of Volubilis, the most remote city in the Roman Empire. Surrounded on all sides by green hills, Volubilis was built as an outpost from which to conquer the tribes beyond the Atlas Mountains. It never came to that, but the remnants and particularly the colossal pillars and mosaics are astonishingly well-preserved. If you want to know more about the ruins, one of the official guides waiting at the entrance will be happy to show you around for about £8-£12, plus tip.When you’re done exploring the ruins, it’s another 30 minute drive through the rolling hills and via the pilgrimage site of Moulay Idriss to what’s considered the most spectacular of the three imperial cities of Morocco: Fes. You’ll be dropped off at your cosy hotel in the Ville Nouvelle, the new part of Fes. The hotel is ideally located in a little side street of the Avenue Mohammed V where you’ll find of shops, tea and juice stalls and of course a fine array of restaurants. To get the most out of your stay in Fes, buy the travel guide Fes from Bab to Bab, available at one of the many book stalls close to your hotel for a couple of pounds. The book is an interesting read and has some great tips for thing to see and do this afternoon, like the doors of the Royal Palace and the Jewish Quarter with its pretty balconies. |
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Day 5: Stay in FesAfter breakfast, it’s easiest to take a petit taxi to the medina in the old part of the city. This is the most authentic, inhabited medieval city in the Arabic world. The medina is divided into separate quarters, each with its own bakery, mosque, fountain and hammam.Fes is journey back in time. Walking through the narrow streets, you can sense medieval Morocco coming to life as you peer into the centuries-old workshops. The tanneries in particular are well worth seeing. Don’t worry about getting lost in the maze of little streets. Most of the streets are signposted, so with a map it’s easy to find your way. Otherwise, just ask for directions. The inhabitants are extremely friendly and helpful. |
Day 6: Depart FesAfter another tasty breakfast it’s time to make your way to your next module. Many of our travellers choose to continue with our module Caravan into the desert dunes to the Erg Chebbi at Merzouga.From Fes you’ll drive along the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains and the barren plains in the south to Rissani. Gently rocking from side to side on your camel you’ll slowly head into the golden dunes and the overwhelming silence of the Sahara Desert. In the evening you’ll fall asleep under a clear starry sky and wake up at dawn to see the sunrise over the dunes. Click here for a map of Morocco. |
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Special Stay - Imperial Cities of MoroccoYou can also choose to upgrade to riad hotels in all three imperial cities during this Morocco tour. A riad is a historic merchant house with an inner courtyard and usually no more than five to ten rooms. Many of these historic houses have been bought up by wealthy Moroccans or Europeans and transformed into small hotels, either in traditional style or very modern. Moroccan is renowned for these unique little hotels. We’ve visited quite a few and selected the most atmospheric and affordable of the bunch. If you’d like to book our Special Stay for this module, just let us know on your quote request form. |
Imperial Cities of Morocco accommodation
