Deserts & Empires
Day 2 Includes:
- Breakfast on trans-Atlantic flight
- Flight from Casablanca to Fez
- All transfers
- Tour of Meknes with admissions
- Tour Volubilis with admissions
- Standard Accommodations: Riad El Yacout standard rooms
- Luxury Accommodations: Riad El Yacout junior suite
"Most memorable trip of our lives"
"I wanted to thank you for planning the most memorable trip of our lives. I must admit that I was a teeny bit skeptical that all the plans could possibly work out the way they were presented, but there was not one hitch in our itinerary. After all, it was you and your associate who introduced us the TIA (this is Africa)."
-Kimberly W
Day 2: Meknes & Volubilis
The sun beings to rise as you're still in the air
over the Atlantic, having breakfast, and approaching the coast of Africa. It's not much longer now before the water gives way to land and you cross onto the coast of Morocco where you'll be landing at Casablanca's Airport Mohammed V. It's a comparatively small airport by international standards and perpetually under construction, but easy to get around. Follow the "Transit/Correspondence" signs for your flight to Fez.
It's a short hop from Casablanca to Fez where you'll go through passport control and customs at the Fez airport. With a long history and heavy dependence on tourism, the usual formalities are quick and surprisingly pleasant. As soon as you exit the customs area you'll see your guide
waiting for you holding a sign with your name and/or SaharaTrek on it. You'll be driven to your accommodations where you'll quickly drop-off your luggage and then get started on your Morocco tour.
An hour drive from Fez, your first tour in Morocco begins in the imperial city of Meknes. Founded in the 11th century, the city is home to sights such as the tomb of Moulay Ismail, Bab (gate) El Mansour, Bab Jemaâ En Nouar, Place El Hedim, Bab El Khamiss, the Mellah, Heri es-Souani granaries, and the Agdal basin.
Not far from Meknes, the next stop is a tour of the Roman ruins of Volubilis. A thriving settlement until the 4th century, its fine mosaics and remnants of the city's architectural splendor still survive. Oddly enough, while you were touring Meknes you were seeing many of the columns and much of the marble that was once Volubilis, until it was looted and "relocated" to Meknes.
Practically across the road from Volubilis lies the holy city of Moulay Idriss, harboring the sanctuary of the founder of the Idrissid royal dynasty and is now the destination of a yearly religious pilgrimage. A glimpse from afar is all you'll need as none of the sites are open to non-Muslims.
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