MAY 2025
DAY 1 – SATURDAY 24: MARHBA TO CASABLANCA…
Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival into Casablanca, clear Customs and Immigration, collect your baggage, and proceed directly to the Arrivals Hall, where you will be met Mai Journeys’ representative and *transferred to your hotel. Check into your lovely accommodation, Le Casablanca Hotel, where we will stay for the night.
Enjoy an afternoon at leisure, indulge in the spa, take a swim or catch up on some sleep after your long-haul flight then join your fellow travellers for cocktails in the bar and a Hosted Welcome Dinner this evening.
Overnight Accommodation: Le Casablanca Hotel
Included Meals: Welcome Dinner
DAY 2 – SUNDAY 25: FILM LOVERS GET INSPIRED BY THE 1942 CLASSIC ‘CASABLANCA”…
This morning after breakfast and checkout, embark a tour of The Hassan II Mosque with local guide, Ahmed. It is the second largest functioning mosque in Africa, and is the 14th largest in the world..
Before departing for Marrakech, we will stop for lunch at Rik’s Cafe. Rik’s is a romantic eatery inspired by the cafe in the 1942 film “Casablanca,” with great cocktails & a piano. When you step inside you feel like you’re going back in time to the 1940s.
We drive to the ochre‐coloured city of Marrakech and transfer to our gorgeous Riad where we will stay for the following four nights.
Settle in and then gather on the roof for sundowners before enjoying our candle-lit roof-top dinner.
Overnight Accommodation: Riad Yasmine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3 – MONDAY 26: GLORIOUS GARDENS, YSL MUSEUM AND THE HEART OF MARRAKESH…
After breakfast we will be driven to the world famous Marjorelle Gardens. This colourful garden surrounds the equally colourful villa that was once the private home of painter Jacques Majorelle. Full of cacti, bamboo and other rare and exotic plants, the gardens were lovingly restored by world famous fashion designer Yves St Laurent, whose dying wish was that his ashes be scattered adjacent to the villa, where he passed so much of his leisure time. You will have free time to wander this calming retreat. We will also visit the fascinating onsite Berber Museum. (And there will be time to shop in the stylish boutiques across the road.)
From here you will wander up the road and visit the YSL Museum – an incredible museum dedicated to the work of legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Then enjoy lunch nearby before returning to the Riad for a swim and some downtime.
Early evening, depart for a guided wander through Jemaa el-Fnaa at sunset. For a thousand years, Jemaa el-Fnaa has served as a gathering place and market at the heart of Marrakesh. In the morning, stall owners set up their stands selling orange juice, spices, traditional medicines, mint leaves, and snails. Once the sun sets, Jemaa el-Fna really comes alive. Berber musicians and Gnaoua dancers begin their nightly performances, acrobats and slapstick comedians start performing all across the square, and henna tattoo artists vie for customers.
Return to the Riad and dinner this evening can be enjoyed in the square! Just ask Ahmed for his suggestions.
Overnight Accommodation: Riad Yasmine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4 – TUESDAY 27: EXPLORE, IMMERSE AND SHOP IN THE MOST FABULOUS SOUKS IN MOROCCO…
Full day tour of the Souks! Today we enter the maze of alleyways and narrow streets that make up the souk. Here sellers offer everything from spice, sandalwood and black soap to clothing, baskets, leather goods, furniture, lanterns, fabrics, pottery and almost anything else you could wish for.
The souks of Marrakech are the largest in Morocco (over 3000 stalls) and famed throughout the world as some of the most exotic marketplaces to shop in. Prepare for all of your senses to be overwhelmed at once; the souks are the heart of the medina and have been the centre for trade in the city a thousand years. Even if you’re not into shopping, the souks are still a spectacle that is well worth experiencing.
In between exploring, you have lunch at Nomad (own account). Return to the Riad for some well-earned rest.
This evening you will dine at the luscious Limoni.
Overnight Accommodation: Riad Yasmine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5 – WEDNESDAY 28: A UNESCO SITE AND THE HOUSE OF PHOTOGRAPHY MUSEUM…
This morning head to the fabulous Maison de la Photographie (House of Photography Museum). The Maison de la Photographie invites you on a journey in time, back to the Marrakech of the 19th Century. The changing exhibitions present treasures from the early days of photography. A cool drink (to own account) can be enjoyed on the lovely roof top of the Museum.
From here, a visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa – built in the 14th century by as a religious school for Islamic studies, but it also served as a mosque and a library. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
We then enjoy a long, lazy lunch at Le Jardin.
Your afternoon is free. Return to the Souks, shop some more, or simply rest up at our gorgeous Riad.
Overnight Accommodation: Riad Yasmine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6 – THURSDAY 29: A VINTAGE SIDECAR THROUGH MARRAKECH AND DISCOVER THE HIDDEN TREASURES OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY…
This morning we pack our bags and bid farewell to Riad Yasmine.
Before departing Marrakech, you head out on a fabulous experience: on a vintage sidecar! Your Insider Guide introduces you to both the geography of the city and your tailor-made itinerary. Adjust your helmet, put on your sunglasses and hop on! In the Medina’s beautiful maze, through the ancient French neighbourhoods or in the mythical palm grove, Marrakech is full of surprises. Secret gardens behind closed doors, old art deco buildings or khettaras in the palm grove are just a few of the many hidden treasures you will be introduced to on this unusual open-air ride. There is no predefined program, this ride is made according to our desires and interests.
You will be dropped off at Plus 61 to enjoy lunch (own account), before transferring to Essaouira.
It is a three + hour transfer to your gorgeous digs for the next three nights – Villa Beldi, a former bourgeois house of the 1960s, built a few minutes away from the ancient medina of Essaouira. Check in and settle around the pool for a sundowner before dinner – at the Villa.
Overnight Accommodation: Villa Beldi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 7 – FRIDAY 30: THE LAID BACK AND STUNNING ESSAOUIRA FULL OF HISTORY, SHOPPING AND A FABULOUS MEDINA.
This morning after a lazy breakfast transfer into the walled medina ‐ a UNESCO World Heritage site of seawalls and imposing ramparts. Discover colourful local artworks (Essaouira has long held an attraction for artists) and enjoy the opportunity to sample traditional Moroccan treats in the local pastry shops.
Essaouira has the cool breeze, blue skies, and laid back atmosphere that will relax and calm you. The Medina is where all the life happens, where sipping a mint tea is a sacred moment, where the days follow each other between a hookah and the prayer of a muezzin; it is where most activities take place and where a walk in the small old streets is basically following the sounds of gnaoua music, a scent of amber and sandalwood, the smoke of a spiced couscous.
Discover silversmiths, textile artists, the Bayt Dakira Jewish Museum (which gives a great account of Jewish Moroccan history) and designer Boutique stores.
Enjoy lunch in the Medina. Before returning to the Riad, maybe drop in for a sundowner at Salut Maroc if you can brave the stairs! . Return to the Villa for rest, relaxation and (another) sundowner. Your evening is free.
Overnight Accommodation: Villa Baldi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 8 – SATURDAY 31: THE MORNING IS YOURS THEN A DIVINE LONG LUNCH…
This morning is free to do as you wish.
Return to Medina, maybe? Or swim, chill and/or relax at the Villa. Organise a hammam & spa maybe?. The hammam ceremony draws its sources from purification and beauty rituals known since antiquity. So perhaps you can abandon yourselves to hammam, embellished with treatments of which Moroccan women have held the secret for millennia.
For lunch today, travel to Le Domaine du Val d’Argan, (about a 25 minute drive), a celebrated winery dating back to 1994. One of the country’s most renowned wineries, you will have the opportunity to taste a selection of the delicious wines and eat a wonderful, long, lazy lunch.
Return to the Villa and this evening is free.
Overnight Accommodation: Villa Beldi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
JUNE 2025
DAY 9 – SUNDAY 01: A MOROCCAN WINERY, A ONCE IN A LIFETIME LUXURIOUS DESERT EXPERIENCE AND A PEACEFUL CAMEL* TREK…
Today you are transferred to our gorgeous Tented Camp in the Agafay Desert.
Scarabeo Camp is set in the Agafay Desert, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. There is some serious escapism at this striking, secluded retreat. In the distance, the Atlas Mountains stand tall while the sun rises and sets in a spectacular fashion. At night, a gazillion stars fill the sky.
This evening you can enjoy a peaceful trek with the desert’s most iconic animal. Berber guides will lead you away from the camp to enjoy breath-taking sunset views. At night the ambience of the desert comes alive as you relax to the sounds of traditional Berber musicians and enjoy the endless starry sky and peace of your desert surrounds.
*Note: We are a Responsible Tour provider and if we ever see suggestive wounds or the owners being abusive towards the animal, we refuse to ride. And it is completely up to you as to whether you would like to ride or not.
Overnight Accommodation: Scarabeo Camp
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10 – MONDAY 02 : THE BREATH-TAKING ATLAS MOUNTAINS AND THE BEST SUNSET IN MOROCCO…
This morning, you will travel to the Ourika Valley in the Atlas Mountains. First, a stop at the gorgeous Beldi Country Club for lunch (own account) and a spot of boutique shopping.
Surrounded by olives trees, Kasbah Bab Ourika perches majestically on a hilltop at the apex of the Ourika Valley, offering a bird’s eye view of the Atlas Mountains, traditional Berber villages and of the lush river valley below. It guards the gateway to the snow-capped Mountains with awe inspiring 360-degree panoramic views and the best viewpoint to enjoy a Moroccan sunset. The setting is simply stunning, and the location makes it perfect for hiking and trekking.
The Kasbah is an authentic mountain retreat constructed in the traditional Berber tradition with rammed mud walls. It is probably Morocco’s most environmentally friendly hotel – something to revel in while we are enjoying the spectacular surroundings, exquisite cuisine and eco chic décor. Delicious Berber, Arabic and international meals are served in the shady gardens or colonnaded restaurant.
On arrival, your late afternoon is free to take in the surroundings and simply relax.
Tonight, enjoy a Hosted meal in the Kasbah.
Overnight Accommodation: Kasbah Bar Ourika
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 11 – TUESDAY 03: A GUIDED VISIT TO HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, FEMALE ARTISANS & A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
This morning you have an opportunity to visit female artisans in the High Atlas Mountains with your guide to assist with language and explanations. (This immersive excursion will be confirmed closer to departure.)
You then have a guided visit to a Berber Village, including lunch with a Berber family. After lunch, visit the village of Tafza and its pottery manufacturing and of course, a stop at a favourite carpet supplier.
Then return to the Kasbah and your evening is free.
Overnight Accommodation: Kasbah Bar Ourika
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (if on experience)
DAY 12 – WEDNESDAY 04: A FREE DAY TO ENJOY THE TRANQUIL ATLAS MOUNTAINS IN THE POOL, MAYBE THE SPA OR A HIKE IS MORE UP YOUR ALLEY…
Today can be spent simply enjoying your tranquil surrounds or choose an optional activity that appeals.
Days disappear easily at the Kasbah, spent either idling around the pool, reading in the garden or unwinding in the hammam. The spa is a space dedicated to wellbeing, relaxation and beauty. There is a selection of treatments on offer: massages, hammam, facial treatments and oriental manicure. The spa uses aromatherapy oils created by Nectarome, an organic garden neighbouring Kasbah Bab Ourika.
For the more energetic there is hiking, trekking, biking, rafting, and riding from the Kasbah.
Tonight we dine at the Kasbah.
Overnight Accommodation: Kasbah Bar Ourika
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 13 – THURSDAY 05: TO EL JADIDA WE GO FOR OUR FINAL NIGHT…
After breakfast this morning, we transfer to El Jadida for our final night.
The Portuguese fortification of Mazagan, now part of the city of El Jadida, was built as a fortified colony on the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century. It was taken over by the Moroccans in 1769. The surviving Portuguese buildings include the cistern and the Church of the Assumption, built in the Manueline style of late Gothic architecture. Mazagan is an outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures.
Once we check into our lovely accommodation, L’Iglesia, we will take a walk around the ramparts and see the see the Portuguese Cistern. Located inside a restored Catholic church, L’Iglesia is a boutique hotel positioned right beside the ramparts of the old city. L’Iglesia’s design is a mix of Portuguese and Moroccan traditions: smooth blue and white tile and elegant chandeliers, alongside rich colour and pattern, carved wooden lattices, arched doorways, and stucco walls. Most guest rooms are located inside the old convent, but a handful are in a newer annex that once housed the American consulate.
Tonight, we enjoy our magical farewell meal at L’Iglesia’s restaurant, where a range of North African cuisines are served in a charmingly old-world setting filled with antique mirrors and heavy porcelain dishes in wooden cabinets.
Overnight Accommodation: L’Iglesia
Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
DAY 14 – FRIDAY 06: TIME TO SAY FARWELL…
This morning our tour ends. Group transfer to Casablanca Airport for your onward flights. Farewell!
Included Meals: Breakfast
