Exploring the Great Moorish Culture
Explore two countries forever linked to the great Moorish culture that ruled from the 8th to the 15th centuries, discovering how the Moors shaped the region’s epochal architecture and incredible cuisine. This luxury journey features privately chartered flights between destinations, several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a stay at an Exclusive Desert Tented Camp, and a private flamenco performance in Seville. The very best of Spain and Morocco!
- Explore the best of Spain and Morocco on a
spectacular journey that reveals the Moors’ enduring influence on the entire region.
- Enjoy an early morning visit to the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fine example of Islamic architecture.
- Experience the Sahara in style at an Exclusive Desert Tented Camp amid the stunning Erg Chebbi dunes.
- Enjoy the time-saving convenience of private charter flights throughout your journey.
- Discover medieval Meknes and awe-inspiring Volubilis, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- Visit Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, a garden created by an artist and later restored by design legend Yves Saint Laurent, and then stop by his newly opened museum nearby.
- Privately enter Seville’s monumental Royal Alcazar Palace on a special after-hours visit, followed by a tapas dinner.
- Roam the medieval streets of Córdoba's Jewish Quarter, visiting an ancient synagogue.
ITINERARY:
DAY 1 - Arrive Granada, Spain 
Arrive in Granada, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, join your Resident Tour Director for a cocktail, followed by dinner at your hotel.
Alhambra Palace Hotel - Meals: Dinner
DAY 2 - Granada | The Incomparable Alhambra
Early this morning, explore the Alhambra, a medieval Muslim palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside a top local guide. See the delicate beauty of the Nazaries Palace, the Court of Myrtles with its reflecting pool, and the intricately decorated Court of the Lions. Then, discover the gardens of the Generalife, a palace from the days of Granada’s last Arab kings.
Alhambra Palace Hotel - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3 - Fez, Morocco | Land of Rich Heitage
Board your privately chartered flight to Morocco, landing in Fez. Transfer to your hotel, a refurbished former palace, where you enjoy lunch. This afternoon, tour Fez el-Jedid (modern Fez). See the Royal Palace, madrasas (school-mosques), the city wall and the mellah (Jewish quarter). Tonight at your hotel, enjoy a special cocktail reception followed by a welcome dinner, joined by a guest speaker who reveals fascinating aspects of Moroccan culture.
Palais Faraj Suites & Spa - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4 - Fez | Timeless Medieval City
Today, explore Fez el-Bali (Old Fez), an imperial capital founded in the 8th century by Moulay Idriss I, and the cultural heart of Morocco. Stroll the labyrinthine old quarter with its 9,000 narrow lanes, alleys and souks for a market experience of exceeding authenticity. Enter the intricately detailed 14th-century Karaouine - one of the oldest universities in the world, and then visit Nejjarine Square.
Palais Faraj Suites & Spa - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5 - Volubilis & Meknes | Roman Ruins & Mausoleums
Journey overland to explore the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site brimming with iconic architecture and mosaics depicting mythical scenes, such as Orpheus charming animals with his lyre. Proceed to Meknes, another UNESCO World Heritage Site that recalls the splendor of a fortified city, built by sultan Moulay Ismail to rival the court of his contemporary, Louis XIV of France. See the monumental Bab Mansour gateway, the Granaries and the massive Royal Stables, before returning to Fez.
Palais Faraj Suites & Spa - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6 - Erfoud | Camel Ride to your Desert Camp 
Fly to Er-Rachidia Moulay Ali Cherif and transfer to Erfoud, absorbing everyday Moroccan life as you pass Berber villages, endless date palm plantations and the majestic Atlas Mountains. Enjoy lunch before rolling out into the Sahara Desert, between the towering red sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, in a 4x4 vehicle. Change modes of transport, mounting a camel to complete your journey to exclusive nomadic tented camp, where a reception with mint tea and pastries awaits you. As the sun sets over the dunes, toast your desert sojourn with a Scenic Sundowner. Later, enjoy some distinctively Moroccan entertainment beside your campfire, before adjourning to a nearby tent for a dinner of regional dishes with wine. Slumber tonight in comfort, as the silence of the Sahara lulls you to sleep.
Exclusive Desert Tented Camp - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7 - Marrakech | Arabian Horses & Moroccan Cuisine 
Fly by private charter to Marrakech, taking in vistas of the Atlas Mountains and saving hours of over-the-road travel time. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch and a horse show featuring stunning Arabian stallions before transferring to your hotel — and your elegant riad room. Tonight, gather for a traditional Moroccan dinner prepared by an award-winning chef at the hotel’s restaurant.
Royal Mansour Marrakech - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8 - Marrakech | Exploring the Red City
Explore Marrakech, dubbed the Red City for the sandstone and tile used in its buildings. Start at the 16th-century Saadian Tombs to admire their beautiful decorations incorporating cedar wood, gilded plasterwork and Carrara marble. Continue to the Bahia Palace, an exemplary specimen of privileged life in the 19th century. Then, visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa, an Islamic college adorned with marvelous carvings and colorful tiles. Afterward, savor lunch in the lively medina, with the remainder of the day at your leisure.
Royal Mansour Marrakech - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 9 - Marrakech | Historic Gardens
Ride by horse-drawn carriage to Jardin Majorelle, a picturesque garden created by French painter Jacques Majorelle and later restored by design legend Yves Saint Laurent. Also tour the on-site Berber Museum to view its treasure trove of rare and authentic Berber artifacts as well as the newly opened Yves Saint Laurent Museum nearby, for an up-close look at some of the famed designer’s creations. This evening, gather for a special farewell dinner with entertainment by a local gnaoua band.
Royal Mansour Marrakech - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10 - Seville, Spain | After-Hours at the Royal Alcaza-
Spend the morning at leisure, and then board your privately chartered flight to Seville, Spain. After checking in to your hotel, transfer to the Royal Alcazar - a monumental palace - for a special after-hours visit. End the evening with a tapas dinner at a local restaurant.
Hotel Alfonso XIII - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11 - Cordoba & Seville | Flamenco Performance
Venture by train to Córdoba, in Spain’s Andalusia region, for a walking tour of the whitewashed medieval streets of this Moorish city. Stroll to its heart: the old Jewish quarter, where you visit an ancient synagogue. Then, discover the magnificent Mezquita, viewing its 10th-century splendors, and continuing to Medina Azahara, one of the main archaeological sites in Spain, before returning to Seville. Later this evening, ride by horse-drawn carriage to a palace for a private reception and dinner, followed by a performance of flamenco dancing and singing - a fitting coda to your amazing Moorish adventure.
Hotel Alfonso XIII - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 12 - Depart Seville 
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.
Meals: Breakfast
WINGS OVER THE WORLD: by Abercrombie & Kent
CALL FOR DETAILS: 800-757-6422
DEPARTURES:
MAR 02 - 14, 2020
OCT 05 - 17, 2020
MAR 08 - 20, 2021
OCT 04 - 16, 2021
