Overnight flight to Madrid.
Hola España! Madrid, Spain's central capital, is cheerful and vibrant at all hours, and is famous for being an open city with all kinds of people from all over the world. It’s full of elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks such as the Buen Retiro. We’ll enjoy a city walk passing by the Plaza Mayor, Puerta Del Sol, Plaza Espana and time permitting (depending on the flight route) Reina Sofia Museum to see Picasso’s Guarnica.
Overnight Madrid.
Today we will visit Madrid’s landmarks: Calle Mayor – one of the principal streets in the city and a great way to start to get a flavour of the architecture left over from the influences of Hapsburg empire. We then make our way to Gran Vía, also known as the Spanish Broadway – this area is one of Madrid’s most important shopping areas. The Gran Vía serves as a showcase of early 20th-century revival architecture, with architectural styles ranging from Vienna Secession style, Plateresque, Neo-Mudéjar, and Art Deco, among others. Carrying on our journey, we visit the Cibeles Fountain - an 18th century neoclassical fountain depicting the goddess Cybele on a chariot pulled by 2 lions. Next on the tour is Plaza de Colón (Columbus Square), a plaza and square commemorating it’s name sake – Christopher Columbus. And finally, the Royal Palace - the largest in Western Europe and one of the largest in the world, with over 135,000 square metres and 3,418 rooms.
Overnight Madrid.
Day trip to Toledo. Toledo is an ancient city set on a hill above the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. One of the most impressive UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain, Toledo is known for the medieval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in its walled old city - a haven for any history buff. Mezquita Cristo De La Luz is located inside the ancient medina where Toledo’s wealthy Muslim families used to live, the Mezquita Cristo de la Luz was built in 999. The square-shaped mosque is still in pretty much the same state as when it was built, which is makes it quite special. Plaza Zocodover is a large open plaza that connects many of the main sites in Toledo. It has a long history of being a connection point for the city, and is a natural meeting place. The plaza also has a dark side. A ‘cage of the dead’ used to sit in the centre of the square, where the bodies of people who didn’t have family to bury them were kept and bullfights and public burnings were staged! Tonight, while we have dinner, we will delight in a Spanish cultural tradition – Flamenco!
Return to Madrid for overnight.
This morning transfer to Granada, where you should arrive around 1:00pm.
One of Spain's most frequently visited tourist centres, Granada contains many notable architectural and artistic monuments such as the Alhambra. A palace and fortress complex located in Granada, it is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture.
Enjoy a guided walking tour this afternoon.
Dinner at the hotel this evening.
Today, we travel to Morocco via early morning ferry to tangier. Once we arrive to Tangier, we will be treated to a guided sightseeing tour touching on all the local favourites - The medina, the top attraction of Tangier, is a labyrinth of alleyways both commercial and residential. The casbash, which is type of Islamic fortress, was a place for the local leader to live and as a defense when the city was under attack. Along the way, we’ll stop at Cape Spartel, which are the entryway to the Caves of Hercules. After our tour we continue to travel to Fez, located in north-central Morocco – it is often cited as the oldest city in the country. The city was founded in 789 by Idriss I, and served as the capital of Morocco for more than 500 years. The city's medieval architecture and narrow streets have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (4hr drive)
Overnight in Fez.
We start the day to explore Fez with a guided sightseeing tour. Founded in the 9th century, Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. Under the Merinids, a new town (Fez Jedid) was founded, in 1276, to the west of the ancient one (Fez El-Bali ~800AD). We’ll get to visit the Royal Palace, with famously enormous gates that are made from brass and gold ornamented with zellige tilework and carved cedar woods. The palace exterior is a truly impressive sight. You never know, you may even get a lucky glimpse inside should the gates open while you are there. Carrying on, we find Fez el Bali - the oldest walled part of Fez. Also part of the tour, we’ll check out the Karaouine Mosque, the University of Al-Karaouine, and Medersa Bou Inania.
Today we start by taking a drive to Casablanca (4 hour drive). Along the way, we will stop at the Volubilis Roman Ruins. Originally founded in the 3rd century B.C., the city became an important outpost of the Roman Empire. The ruins of Volubilis are what remains of a wealthy paradise in fertile grounds, far from the chaos of Ancient Rome. Carrying along our way to Casablanca, we’ll stop at Rabat, Morocco's capital. It's known for landmarks that speak to its Islamic and French-colonial heritage. During our stop, we’ll make sure to visit Mohamed V Mausoleum – containing the tombs of the Moroccan king Mohammed V and his two sons. We’ll visit the unfinished Hasssan Tower. The tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world, and the mosque, if completed, would have been the largest in the western Muslim world. When Mansur died in 1199, construction on the mosque stopped and was never completed.
Overnight Casablanca.
This morning we visit the Old Medina in Casablanca. A madina is the old part of a city or town in North Africa. It is typically walled, and contains narrow streets, fountains, palaces and mosques. After some time to explore and take in the traditional way of life for those who live here, we’ll travel to Marrakesh this afternoon. (3 hour drive).
Overnight Marrakesh.
On our last full day of adventure, we take a day trip to Marrakesh. As a former imperial city in western Morocco, it is a major economic center and home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque – the largest in Morocco. We will get to explore this wonder with a guide, and follow it up with a tour of Bahia Palace, with it’s endless rooms decorated with stunning stuccos, paintings and mosaics. We travel back to Cassablanca for your farewell dinner.
Fly home from Marrakesh (is there an airport) or Casablanca to Toronto.
