Discover North Morocco & Chefchaouen - Total Eclipse

Begin your adventure in the port city of Casablanca, the economic hub of Morocco. Around 6pm, say salam alaikum to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Moroccan welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want more time in Casablanca or Marrakech? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Join our tour leader for a walking tour of Casablanca. The highlight will undoubtedly be our exploration of the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world. It has a soaring 655ft (200m) minaret and a sliding ceiling to enable the sea breeze to cool the building. Please note: knees and upper arms must be covered. After, we bid farewell to Casablanca and transfer (three hours) to Tangier, stopping at a supermarket en route so you can purchase lunch. We enjoy our food at Perdicaris Park with views over the sea and, on clear days, to the island of Gibraltar. Arriving in Tangier, the rest of the day is free to explore. You may wish to visit the nearby Caves of Hercules on the Atlantic Coast, where the ancient Greek hero is said to have slept before completing his 11th labour, followed by a relax on the beach.

This morning has been left free, allowing you to relax or choose your own adventure. Options include visiting the American Legation Museum, the only US National Historic Landmark in a foreign country, or the Caves of Hercules if you didn’t go yesterday. At midday, we transfer (three hours) to Chefchaouen, in the foothills of the Rif Mountains. After arrival, there’s free time to explore the unique, blue-washed streets or visit the hillside Spanish mosque for sunset. It’s a popular stop for many, but the views over the cerulean town are worth it.

Today centres on a rare natural event as we join a professional astronomer to observe what has been dubbed the Eclipse of the Century. Shortly before 9.45am, the moon passes fully across the sun, creating a total solar eclipse lasting more than four minutes. Our astronomer explains what we’re seeing in real time, from the science behind the eclipse to why this one is considered so exceptional, adding clarity and depth to an already memorable moment. After this unforgettable experience, we head to the community-minded Café Clock, where the staff are given opportunities to travel and train across the country, and provided access to the American Language Centre in Fez to improve their English. Here, we enjoy an interactive cookery class, learning how to create Moroccan breads and patisseries and visiting the local ferran (communal bread oven). We feast on our creations at the end, accompanied by Moroccan mint tea, fresh butter, olive oil, and jam.

Discover the natural beauty of the region, driving (one hour) to Akchour in Talassemtane National Park, where scenic landscapes are home to barbary macaques, Bonelli’s eagles and Atlas flycatchers. Here, we walk (30-45 minutes) to a peaceful waterfall, where we can relax on the viewing platform and gaze over the cascade. We can also visit an impressive rock arch known as God’s Bridge, which you can traverse if you like. After lunch, we journey deeper into the park, heading into the Rif Mountains to stay in a remote refuge. Our home for the night is simple but spectacularly located with views over the rugged valley – a night to remember!

Bid farewell to our mountain home, as we transfer (four hours) to the largest and best-kept Roman ruins in Morocco: Volubilis, once a large Roman town and now a World Heritage site. Wander through the streets, discovering the remains of townhouses with mosaic floors and see baths, oil presses, aqueducts and shops, all of which reveal the daily lives of the inhabitants. After exploring this site with a local guide, we continue our drive (approximately two hours) to the ancient city of Fez, the intellectual and religious centre of Morocco. Here, we get another taste of Moroccan hospitality, staying in a traditional local riad.

Join a local guide this morning for a walking tour, which takes us into the car-free medina; it’s the largest medina in the world, an immense warren of souks, home to thousands of craftsfolk with tiny shops opening onto the narrow alleyways. We also visit the Chouara Tannery for a striking view of the vivid dye vats and end at the ninth-century al-Karaouine University, a cornerstone of Islamic learning and the oldest university in the world. We have a late lunch today, around 3pm-4pm, and free time after for independent exploration.