Sunday, December 23 - Monday, December 31, 2018

Sunday, December 23 • FÈS The whole family feels like royalty when you check into our amazing hotel in the hills above the city. Then we’re off for a cool guided walk in the largest Medina in the western part of the Islamic world. This walled city has changed little since the ninth century. In the labyrinth of narrow alleys where donkeys have the right of way, you’ll see small workshops, craftsmen at work on copper and brass, and the tannery where leather is created and dyed as it has been for countless centuries. We’ll also see Nejjarine Square and the carpenters’ souk.

Later today, everybody has a chance to jump into the pool, or walk through the seven acres of lovely private gardens at our hotel. Tonight, we take the lantern-lit lanes to a mansion-turned-restaurant for a typical dinner. As you’ll see throughout the week, Moroccan cooking includes many simple chicken and meat dishes that are accessible to all generations—as well as more exotic North African specialties.

Overnight: Fès Meal: D

Hotel Sahrai On a hill between the Fes Medina

and the New Town, this boutique hotel has

unparalleled views. Light-flooded rooms are

decorated with a contemporary twist on

Moroccan design. Facilities include an infinity

pool, fitness center, and Givenchy spa.

________________________________________________________________________ Monday, December 24 • FÈS There is something for everyone at breakfast—from local pastries to bacon and eggs to your favorite cereals. Following breakfast, we depart for the countryside surrounding Fès to learn about Moroccan agriculture, which employs about 40 percent of the nation's workforce. We are headed to the working estate of our friends Tarik and Badria, who welcome us into their home with a long pour of mint tea. Then families have a choice. Join our guide on a 2.5-hour

walk through apple orchards and olive groves, and past ochre-colored villages. Along the way, we’re sure to meet locals carrying wood on their donkeys. Or, as a special arrangement for CTY families can choose to join Badria and her teenagers as they venture into their gardens to pick vegetables, learn about the care of their donkeys and horses, and visit the goats to learn how to milk them. Then we’ll head into the kitchen and learn how to prepare traditional Berber cuisine.

Back in Fès, we’ll go for an easy stroll to the ceramic district where artisans show us how they create fine tiles and mosaics. The kids can even get their hands dirty in a pottery making session of their own. We also visit an awesome 16th-century fortress just in time for sunset. Tonight we dine at La Maison Bleue, one of the finest restaurants in Morocco, housed in a breathtaking building with intricate floral and geometric patterns, where the specialties are centuries-old recipes prepared nowhere else in the country. Musicians gather around its beautiful mosaic fountains to provide families with a live soundtrack for dinner. Overnight: Fès Meals: B, L, D ______________________________________________________________________________ Tuesday, December 25 • MIDDLE/HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS Morocco is notable for its dramatic and varied landscapes, spanning from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara desert. This morning, our drive takes us up into the Middle Atlas Mountains, home to a number of plant and animal species unique to Africa. We may even spot Barbary apes, which are native to the Middle Atlas. We are rewarded with some of the most breathtaking scenery in Africa as we journey through cedar forests and high plateaus. You’ll see shepherds moving their sheep and goats up and down the green hillsides. We visit an alpine-style town where storks build enormous nests on almost every chimney top. As we move into the High Atlas, the scenery shifts yet again to tall peaks, deep gorges, and pre-Saharan hills and sand dunes scattered with medieval Kasbahs and clay villages. In the afternoon, another drive through the canyons of the Ziz River between Midelt and Errachidia gives us more great views. Our home for the night is an adobe Kasbah hotel surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds at the very edge of the Sahara. From a welcoming cup of mint tea to a dip in the pool, this is Moroccan hospitality at its best. Overnight: Erfoud Meals: B, L, D

Chergui Kasbah Hotel This kasbah-style hotel sits among palm groves and offers great comfort in modern rooms built in classic Moroccan style. The property boasts a beautiful swimming pool, a hammam (Arabic baths), and a

restaurant.

Wednesday, December 26 • MerzougaOur morning starts with a guided walk through the walled medieval city of Rissani. Our local guide Ali—a native Berber who also has a PhD in cultural anthropology—leads us through grasslands to this former major caravan center. The children and families working in the fields are surprised and delighted to greet us with “salaam alaykum” (“peace be with you” in Arabic) and “bonjour” (French is widely spoken as well). After lunch, we hop into Land Rovers for an exciting cross-country drive to the soaring red sand dunes of Merzouga, the highest in the world. Appearing almost out of a mirage are our camels and desert guides that will take us across the dunes to our own Berber encampment. The Berbers have inhabited North Africa from as early as 3000 B.C., and tonight we are staying in the home of the Blue Men, an ethnic group whose tribal territory stretches over a large part of the western edge of the Sahara. The camp has all the creature comforts of a fine hotel. The large nomadic tents are made of hand-woven camel and goat hair. Each luxury tent is decorated with colorful fabrics and carpets and is furnished with mattresses and linens. There’s a fully appointed dining tent as well. The area between the tents is carpeted with kilims and decorated with lanterns, creating the feeling that we’re in a magical world. From the time we enter the camp, the fires are blazing, the music is playing. Before, during and after dinner there’s time to learn traditional songs and dances, play the drums and experience an exotic night in the Sahara.

Overnight: Merzouga Meals: B, L, D

Berber Encampment

The luxury Berber encampment is situated in the

dunes of the Sahara and offers accommodations in

large nomadic tents made of hand-woven camel and

goat hair. Tents include en suite bathroom,

mattresses, colorful fabrics, Berber kilims, and

lanterns.

____________________________________________________________________________________________ Thursday, December 27 • TineghirIn the morning, you’ll be amazed all over again at how deep in the desert our camp seems to be. Sleep in if you’d like, or join our guide for a second camel ride to see the sunrise over the dunes. After an open-air breakfast, we return to paved roads for an hour-long scenic drive along the mountainous edge of the desert to Tineghir where our morning walk leads us past fields of barley and mint in the shade of palm and almond trees. Along the way, our guide shares stories and anecdotes of the people and cultures that have lived in the area. We finish the afternoon with a drive to Ouarzazate, where our hotel is designed as a ksar, a typical walled Moroccan village. The rooms are scattered throughout the beautifully manicured gardens, hammam, and an outdoor swimming pool.

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Where stunning light shines on a setting of natural

beauty, Riad Ksar Ighnda opens its doors onto the Atlas

Mountains.

Overnight: Ouarzazate Meals: B, L

______________________________________________________________________________ Friday, December 28 • Ouarzazate/Ait Ben HaddouThis morning, everybody has the option of either hopping on a mountain bike or walking through the nearby oasis, full of palm and almond trees. Along the way, our guide shares stories and anecdotes of local people and cultures. We'll share our paths with farmers and their donkeys, laden with colorful blankets and baskets of wheat or flowers.

Late morning, we will ride donkeys across a shallow river on our way to Ait Ben Haddou, one of the most exotic and best-preserved Kasbahs in the Atlas region.

If this Kasbah looks familiar, that’s because it’s appeared in almost 20 movies, including Gladiator, Romancing the Stone, and Lawrence of Arabia. The fortress was also a rest area for the caravans that traveled from Marrakesh to Timbuktu. After lunch in the Kasbah, we return to our hotel with time to take a swim, visit the hammam, or arrange a massage.

Overnight: Ouarzazate Meals: B, L, D _____________________________________________________________________________ Saturday, December 29 • Ourika Valley/Marrakesh En route to Marrakesh, we cross over scenic Tizi n’ Tichka, the highest mountain pass in Morocco while riding mules. In a meadow with poplars, weeping willows and perched clay villages in the background, we’ll stop for a memorable picnic. And when we arrive in the Ourika Valley for a 2.5-hour walk, the mules are saddled up and waiting. Families are surrounded by the Atlas Mountains and waterfalls that cascade from the higher elevations. The locals offer a constant stream of greetings, and we all get a chance to try out the Arabic and French greetings we’ve picked up during our time together. The Berber hamlet of Tamzenddirt is where we begin our walk on a winding hillside path surrounded by terraces fields. And we’ve saved one of our favorite and most authentic experiences for last. Our local guide will arrange for us to visit a countryside school while class is in session.

Our final drive takes us to our hotel located right in in the middle of the Medina, steps from Diemaa el-Fna Square. After quiet days in the countryside, it’s fun to be back in the city.

Les Jardins De La Koutoubia - an elegant and

authentic property with Moroccan style. Most rooms

face an inner patio that contains a gorgeous pool. The

hotel also boasts a serene Clarins spa.

Overnight: Marrakesh Meals: B, L, D

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Sunday, December 30 • Marrakesh

Marrakesh has long been a center of African Islamic civilization, a wealthy city with an abundance of amazing architecture and public gardens. After breakfast, our visits include a stroll along the Djemaa el-Fna square. The square is the heart of Marrakesh, a sort of non-stop carnival of snake charmers, monkey tamers, storytellers, magicians, acrobats, and other performers. The remainder of the day will be spent on a guided tour of the souks. You will also have a chance to shop for mementos, Berber carpets, tribal jewelry, or other Moroccan crafts. And we couldn’t head home without one last, amazing feast. Tonight, we wind through narrow alleys to a lantern-bearer standing outside a simple wooden door. He grants us entrance for our farewell dinner in a private mansion featured in Moroccan Interiors, a book that profiles the best interior design in Morocco.

Overnight: Marrakesh Meals: B, L, D _____________________________________________________________________________Monday, December 31 • Marrakesh/Departure We end our exploration of Morocco as we provide transportation to the airport.

Meal: B

Program In brief

Country Morocco

Program Begins Our formal exploration begins December 23, 2018 in Fès at 2pm in the lobby of Hotel Sahrai.

Program Ends Marrakesh airport after breakfast with airport transfer

Terrain Easy to moderate

Program Length 9 days and 8 nights

Program Dates December 23-31, 2018

Program Price Program prices are per person, double occupancy. Single supplement is only applicable if you have a room to yourself.

Early Bird-BEFORE or on August 21, 2018: After August 21, 2018:

Adults: $5,495 Students age 16 and under: $5,195 Single Supplement: $995

Adults: $5,695 Students age 16 and under: $5,395 Single Supplement: $995

What’s Included Your trip price includes the following:

• 8 nights accommodations at properties in Fès, Erfoud, Ouarzazate, and Marrakesh,as well as one night at a Saharan Desert encampment

• 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 7 dinners• Full-time experienced guides• All land transportation during the trip• All activities in the itinerary, including admission to tastings, historic sites, and other scheduled

events• Gratuities for hotels, meals and baggage• Trip literature

Please note: The above itinerary is a sample of how we plan to spend our visit. The nature of adventure travel means that occasionally we adjust itineraries based on a number of factors, including weather, changes to hotels, and accessibility to sites. In the event a change to an itinerary is necessary, we make every effort to keep changes to a minimum.

Cancellation and Refunds Notification of cancellation must be made in writing to CTY. At the time we receive the cancellation, all fees paid will be refunded less the cancellation charges (below).

Days Prior to Trip Start Date Cancellation Fee Per Person

Cancel by September 21, 2018 $500

46-92 days 50% of total cost

30-45 days 65% of total cost

0-29 days 100% of total cost