March 24th - Elizabeth & Leonard – Airport pickup for Elizabeth & Leonard. The driver will drop you off at the hotel. You will be staying at Riad Samsli.  Dinner is not included as there are so many wonderful restaurants close by within walking distance.  This gives you the freedom to walk around and choose a restaurant of your liking.  No meals included http://www.riadsamsli.com/

UPDATE: Elizabeth & Leonard arrive at 1:30pm on Luftansa flight 1332

March 25th – Elizabeth, Anne, Gwyn - Airport arrival for Gwyn & Anne.  Transfer to Palais Khum. Book 2 rooms at Palais Khum (1 for Elizabeth, 1 for Gwyn & Anne) Lunch and Dinner are not included as you can explore Marrakech on your own. If you would like to have a professional guide show you the souks/market then it can easily be arranged and can be paid for in person. The cost is usually around $60 (same if its 1 person or a group). Breakfast included

March 26th – Elizabeth, Anne, Gwyn – Explore on your own the souk/market or we can have a professional guide give you a tour.  You can choose.  Lunch and dinner are on your own as you can choose the restaurant.  There are hundreds of options all within walking distance.  Breakfast included for Elizabeth. http://palaiskhum.com/

March 27th – Elizabeth, Anne, Gwyn – depart Marrakech mid-morning and drive 1.5-2 hrs to the village Imlil located in the High Atlas Mountains.  You will have an English speaking tour guide as your driver.  We suggest staying at Kasbah Toubkal.  It is an absolute amazing experience staying here!!!  It is about a 15 min walk from where the car parks to the hotel.  Donkeys will transport your luggage.  Lunch will be on your own (your guide driver can help with suggestions). Dinner is included at Kasbah Toubkal.  You will have time this afternoon to walk around the town and possibly take a walk to have tea at a riverside café, visit an argan cooperative and learn how they make the oil, or visit the many shops in town.  Breakfast & Dinner are included. http://kasbahtoubkal.com/en/

March 28th - Elizabeth, Anne, Gwyn – depart Imlil and drive to Taroudaunt via the highway (no Tizi n Test). Lunch on your own en route.  This town is often referred to as “little Marrakech”.  Here your guide will show around the walled city.  You will have time to shop and explore the market.  We propose you stay at Dar Zitoune.  Breakfast and dinner is included.http://www.darzitoune.com/

March 29th - Elizabeth, Anne, Gwyn – After a relaxed breakfast you will drive to Essaouira.  This is one of my favorite places in Morocco.  The fortified city sits on the coast and is surrounded by stone walls complete with cannons.  There is a fishing port within a 10 min walk that makes for some incredible photos.  The port is one of the most photographed areas in all of Morocco.  There are hundreds of small blue wooden fishing boats where fisherman actively prepare nets, bait, repair boats, etc.  The alleys around Essaouira are traffic free and present a very relaxed atmosphere compared to Marrakech.  The shopping is excellent and I think the quality of arts/crafts is better than that of Marrakech.  We recommend you stay at Casa Lila.  Breakfast & dinner included. http://www.casalila-riad.com/

March 30th -  

Gwyn – Enjoy the day in Essaouira wondering around on your own.  If you would like the guide/driver could take you for a short drive 30 min away to a small surfing beach called Sidi Kauki.  Maybe you can have lunch here. Maybe you prefer to stay in Essaouira and relax.  In the late afternoon another driver will take Gwyn by private transfer to Casablanca (about 4-41/2 hr).  I suggest allowing plenty of time to have dinner along the way and be at the airport 2-3 hrs early.  You can arrange the exact times with your guide/driver. Breakfast and dinner are included.

Elizabeth,Anne -  depart early from Essaouira, passing Marrakech, cross the High Atlas mountains at Tizi n Tichka, and on to Ait Ben Haddou (roughly 6hrs driving in total). There will be plenty of tea/coffee/bathroom/lunch stops.  This is a restored Kasbah that has served as the location for many movies.  Your guide will take you on a walking tour through the Kasbah and up to the lookout tower where guards used to look out for passing caravans crossing from the Sahara desert to Marrakech.  We recommend a nearly hotel called Ksar Ighnda.  Breakfast and dinner included. http://www.ksar.ighnda.net/en/

March 31st – Elizabeth, Anne – drive through the Draa Valley through Agdaz and Zagora all the way to the town of Mhamid where the pavement ends.  Along the way you can stop at a pottery cooperative and see first-hand how the clay is prepared, shaped, cured in the ovens.  There is a shop also where you can purchase pottery at the cooperative. You will drive across the desert to a private camp owned by Hamid’s family in the big dunes of Erg Chigaga.  These are the biggest dunes in all of Morocco.  You can enjoy a sunset camel ride through the dunes.  At the camp you will stay in traditional nomad tents complete with full size bed, Moroccan rugs, solar lights, hot shower by candlelight, and western toilets.  There will be a crew to prepare dinner and breakfast for you.  Breakfast & dinner included.

April 1st – Elizabeth, Anne – After a leisurely breakfast and possible dune hike you will continue driving across the desert with a picnic lunch (included) along the way.  You will drive across the old lake bed of Lake Iriki and experience the desert mirages.  There are some great areas to see fossils of creatures proving this whole area used to be covered by the ocean.  You will drive toward the town of Foum Zguid which sits on the edge of the desert.  We suggest staying at Bab Rimal where you can enjoy the bar and nice swimming pool. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.http://www.maroc-desert.com/hotel/

April 2nd – Elizabeth, Anne – Depart Foum Zguid after breakfast and head back towards Marrakech (about 5 ½ hrs). You can stop at a carpet cooperative along the way where you can see how the famous Moroccan rugs are made.  Continue back to Marrakech arriving in the early evening.  We suggest staying at Palais Khum. Breakfast included.

April 3rd – Elizabeth, Leonard, Anne – Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and depending on your return flights you will have some time for last minute souvenirs in Marrakech.  Your driver will transfer Anne to the airport. Elizabeth will meet up with Leonard as he finishes up with hiking Jebel Toubkal.  Breakfast included.

April 4th - Elizabeth, Leonard - Hotel & breakfast at Palais Khum.  No driver

April 5th - Elizabeth, Leonard - Breakfast and airport transfer.

Pricing includes, hotels listed, meals as indicated, transportation in air conditioned 4x4, english speaking driver/guide, airport transfers, camel ride, credit card fees, taxes. 

Pricing excludes drinks (coffee/tea/juice provided at breakfast), meals not indicated, tips.

Elizabeth - $3,180 - 12 nights private room except when sharing with Leonard. 

Anne – $2,375 - nights shared room, 4 nights private room

Gwyn – $1,575 - 5 nights hotel shared room, private transfer (driver r/t, fuel, car, tolls) to Casablanca airport

*Room Notes: Elizabeth has her own room for the duration of the trip except for the 24, 3, 4 when Leonard will share.  Anne & Gwyn will share a room on 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.  Anne will have her own room on 30, 31, 1, 2.

** Meal Notes: All breakfasts are included.  1 lunch is included on the day you picnic in the desert, dinners in Marrakech are NOT included. All other dinners outside of Marrakech are included.  The thought here is that you have flexibility in Marrakech to explore on your own and eat at whatever restaurant you choose.  There are many many options within walking distance of your Marrakech hotels.

*** Driver/guide – you will have an English speaking guide who is also your driver.  He is licensed and insured to operate tourism in Morocco.