The Eclipse from Morocco
Price: £TBA / $TBA
Duration: 12 Days from 31st July 2027
Highlights: Casablanca, Tangier, Eclipse (M'Diq Beach), Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Fes, Sahara Desert
(Merzouga), Todra Gorge, Ouarzazate, Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, Marrakech
Includes: See below Day 12 of itinerary for full details of all inclusions
Day 1 (31st July 2027) - Arrival in Casablanca
Arrive in Casablanca for your first overnight stay in Morocco. Casablanca is a port city and commercial hub fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The city's French colonial legacy is seen in its downtown Mauresque architecture, a blend of Moorish style and European art deco. Standing partly over the water, the enormous Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, has a 210m minaret topped with lasers directed toward Mecca.
Day 2 - Travel to M'diq via Tangier
Today journey overland via Tangier to the beach resort of M'Diq, our base for the eclipse. Guarding the Strait of Gibraltar, Tangier has for centuries been Europe's gateway to Africa and its blend of cultures and influences is unique in Morocco. M'diq (known as Rincon in Spanish) is a small village in Tétouan province. The king of Morocco has a palace at M'diq where he will sometimes spend his holidays.
Day 3 - Eclipse Day
Today is a very special eclipse day - for some a once in a lifetime experience. It will be a mid-morning eclipse and the long beach is ideal for observing the eclipse. The altitude of the sun will be about 38 degrees above the horizon and the duration will be 4 mins 50 secs.
Day 4 - Overland to Chefchaouen with optional excursions available
Today continue onwards to Chefchaouen (also known as Chaouen), a city in the Rif Mountains, known for the striking, blue-washed buildings of its old town. Leather and weaving workshops line its steep cobbled lanes. In the shady main square of Place Outa el Hammam is the red-walled Kasbah, a 15th-century fortress and dungeon, and Chefchouen Ethnographic Museum. The octagonal minaret of the Great Mosque rises nearby.
Day 5 - Onwards to Fes via the Roman ruins at Volubilis
Today travel to Fes via Volubilis. Volubilis is a partly excavated Berber city situated near the city of Meknes, commonly considered as the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauretania. Fes is often referred to as the country’s cultural capital and is primarily known for its Fes El Bali walled medina, with medieval Marinid architecture, vibrant souks and old-world atmosphere. The medina is home to religious schools such as the 14th-century Bou Inania and Al Attarine, both decorated with elaborate cedar carvings and ornate tile work.
Day 6 - Day at leisure in Fes with optional tours available
Today spend a day exploring this fascinating city. In its heyday, Fes attracted scholars and philosophers, mathematicians and lawyers, astronomers and theologians. Craftsmen built them houses and palaces, kings endowed mosques and medersas (religious schools), and merchants offered exotic wares from the silk roads and sub-Saharan trade routes. Optional excursions will be available.
Day 7 - Fes to Merzouga in the Sahara Desert
Today travel to Merzouga, a small town in the Sahara Desert, near the Algerian border. It is known as the gateway to Erg Chebbi, a huge expanse of sand dunes north of town. West of Merzouga, Dayet Srji is a seasonal salt lake that’s often dry in summer but when full, attracts a wide range of migratory and desert birds, including desert warblers, Egyptian nightjars and, occasionally, flamingos. Spend two nights in this beautiful natural location.
Day 8 - Day at leisure in Merzouga with optional excursions available
Day at leisure to explore this fascinating location. Optional excursions will be available including 4x4 dune excursions and camel riding at sunset.
Day 9 - Merzouga to Todra Gorge
Travel onwards today to Todra Gorge for an overnight stay in the area. The Todra Gorges are a series of limestone river canyons, or wadis, in the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountains, near the town of Tinerhir. Both the Todra and neighbouring Dades Rivers are responsible for carving out these deep cliff-sided canyons, on their final 40 kilometres through the mountains.
Day 10 - Todra Gorge via Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou
Spend an amazing day today travelling via Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou. Ouarzazate has the huge Taourirt Kasbah, home to a 19th-century palace, which has views over the rugged local landscape and has featured in several movies. Aït Ben Haddou is a historic ighrem or ksar along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Day 11 - Ait Ben Haddou to Marrakech
Travel the last leg of the journey to Marrakech for the last night of the tour. Marrakesh is a major economic centre and home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with maze-like alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewellery. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.
Day 12 (11th August 2027) - Join your return flight or perhaps extend your stay
Today is the last day of the tour. Join your return flight unless you have chosen to extend your stay in Marrakesh.
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN MY TOUR?
Tour Price £TBA / $TBA per person*
*Please note you can reserve a space on this tour by paying a 'Save a Space' deposit (£50/$65 per person) but all itineraries will be costed in early 2025 and prices advised
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The price is for the tour from hotel check-in on Day 1 to hotel check-out on Day 12.
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Bed and breakfast accommodation is provided in hotels throughout the tour and all transfers, transportation, flights, trains, and local excursions as outlined in the itinerary (if applicable) are included. Other meals are not included, and some excursions are offered on an optional basis closer to the tour departure date (the word 'optional' is used to describe these).
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Accommodation is provided in twin or double bed hotel rooms with a private bathroom. We are usually able to arrange shared accommodation with a person of the same gender - this is known as 'twin share' accommodation.
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A limited number of rooms for sole occupancy are available at a single room supplement of £TBA / $TBA.
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Flight packages from London and the US will be offered by our flight partner approximately 11 months in advance of the tour departure (when all fares and schedules are available) or you can arrange your own International flights if you prefer.
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Airport transfers and assistance are included on arrival and departure days if you take advantage of the International flight package offered by our flight partner. If you choose to arrange your own International flights, then the meet point is the hotel on Day 1 and the tour ends at the hotel on the final day.
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You will find further details about what to expect on the Project TSE2027 FAQ page here.