MOROCCO CERAMICS EXCURSION
T.B.A.

CREATIVE TRAVEL - LEARNING VACATIONS
The amazing history and culture of MOROCCO


Visit the imperial cities of Rabat,Fes and Marrakesh.

Explore the ancient Roman ruins and mosaics at Volubilis.
Wander the narrow lanes of Chefchaouen with its red tiled roofs and bright blue buildings.
Visit the women potters in the hilltop village of D'Har
Discover Berber traditional pottery,
adobe architecture,  Moroccan tile art,
and traditional crafts in Morocco.
Visit the potteries in Fes and Safi -producers of highly decorated and brightly coloured glazed wares.
Enjoy Moroccan food, music, gardens.
Learn about Moroccan history, culture, customs from our on board guide and interpreter.

Excursion highlights
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Timetable
Package Includes/Excludes
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Cancellation Policy
Itinerary
Excursion Map

Excursion Highlights
MARRAKESH 
Founded in 1062, Marrakesh was the capital of Morocco several times throughout the country’s changing history and became an important artistic and cultural centre in the Islamic world. Once drawing camel caravans from the south, the oasis was the finest city many traders had ever seen. Nowadays, Marrakesh still attracts travellers, lured by its medieval myths and mystery. The 12 km-long, time-worn ramparts seem barely to contain the teeming life of the city. At the core of the city’s red coloured old Medina lies Djemaa el-Fna, a vast, lively square and to its north the warren of lanes that constitute the souqs (bazaars). Observe the daily life of the locals and vendors from a roof café and dive in the crowd at dusk as the curtain goes up on rows of smoking, open-air food stalls, sample traditional Moroccan cuisine and wander around the square, watching jugglers, storytellers snake charmers and musicians sourrounded by jostling spectators.

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Look at traditional crafts such as pottery, leather work, Berber silver and carpets in the souqs and try for a bargain. Visit the most famous monuments such as the Koutoubia Mosque with its impressive minaret, a classic representation of Moroccan-Andalusian architecture, the Ali ben Youssef Medersa (theological college, built in 1565) as well as the Marrakesh Museum with their amazing stucco and tile decorations. Wander through the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) and visit the ancient palace Palais el-Badi (built between 1578 and 1602), watch the sunset from a roof, enjoy the view on the Atlas mountains as they get tinted in purple and listen to hundreds of muezzins calling for prayer. We overnight in a beautifully restored riad, a Moroccan town house tucked away in the narrow streets of the Medina and worlds away from the noise of the city. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the riad’s illuminated courtyard, surrounded by traditional stucco, tile and woodwork art, before starting the explorations of the day.

VOLUBILIS - Roman Ruins

  This UNESCO world heritage site, is the best preserved Roman ruin in Morocco and is an exceptional example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire. Originally settled by Carthaginian traders in the 3rd century B.C., it houses some most extraordinary floor mosaics which are preserved in situ. It is possible to get very close to these mosaics for viewing and photography. In one stunning mosaic called Diana Bathing, the goddess was glimpsed in her bath by the hunter Acteon, who she turned into a stag as punishment. The Acrobat is another extremely well preserved mosaic on the floor of a mansion.

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The capital, basilica, and 130 sq-metre forum are built on the high point of the city. Volubilis, at first glance, with some imagination, offer the opportunity to see what a traditional Roman city once looked like. We will explore this site with a well informed guide.

CHEFCHAOUEN

One of the most charming towns in Morocco, it is nestled below the peaks of the Rif mountains, and steps its way up the slopes of the valley wall below. The old medina is a mix of Moroccan and Andalucian influence with  red roof tiles, bright blue ancient buildings and narrow winding pedestrian-only streets. We will be staying in an historic traditional Riad in the middle of this picturesque setting, and there will be plenty of time to wander, imagine ancient times and stop for tea or a meal in an outside cafe.

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MoroccoAIT BEN-HADDOU and OUARZAZATE

 We will stay two nights near Aït Benhaddou, and visit one of the most exotic and best-preserved ksars (fortified villages) and admire its square towers, used as granaries, and the warren-like courtyard houses and alleys, made of adobe. In Ouarzazate, we may visit another UNESCO heritage site and fine piece of adobe architecture, the Taourirt Kasbah. Being used as the Glaoui dynasty’s official palace, it consists of courtyards, living quarters and reception rooms, some of them decorated with tiles and featuring beautiful views on the Drâa River valley. 

Kasbah, Morocco

 

DRAA VALLEY

Our journey leads us along the magical Drâa River, one of the longest rivers in Morocco. We see beautiful adobe kasbahs and Berber villages as well as palmeraies, agricultural villages shaded by tall palm trees, where greens and dates are grown.

We stay overnight in a beautiful hotel in a palmeraie near Zagora, consisting of adobe rooms and Berber tents. Enjoy the fabulous buffet breakfast under a tent roof or by the palm-fringed pool as well as the delicious Berber cuisine and Moroccan wine at the hotel restaurant. 

 Pottery Villages, Morocco

POTTERY VILLAGES

We will visit a variety of traditional family and community potteries in the Drâa Valley and in the Erfoud region. Participants will be able to observe the  forming ,decorating and firing processes. These potteries are often intergrated into the traditional community grouping of dwellings called Kasbahs. The structure of the dwellings and pottery building in themselves are a feast for the eyes as they are made from the local clay and incorporate architectual details unique to this North African region. The pots are generally for use in the daily life of the people and many are also exported to the cities and overseas, for example tajine cooking pots, vessels for water storage and  date storage. The pots are firing using a variety of combustable fuels including  palm fronts, brush, wood and sawdust. The kilns are largely wonderful updraft free-form structures built from local clay and they are often integrated into the walls of compounds and buildings. Often large water pots are incorporated into the studio walls, creating a lovely textural oddity.

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The pots are formed using a variety of types of simple human powered wheels, large adobe hump moulds, and combinations of a variety of forming methods.There is very little glaze used in this region of Morocco, however, in the villages that we will visit some pots are decorated using slips, applied elements and incised lines.The exception is the village of Tamegroute which produces a line of green and brown lead glazed earthenware.

ERG CHEBBI - Edge of the Sahara desert

We continue our journey to the amazing region of Merzouga and Erfoud. Here, we will explore the outskirts of the Sahara desert, the Erg Chebbi. img_2102_small_400

 Discover the dunes and admire the clear sky with thousands of stars at night. Optional ride on a camel and spend a night in a Berber tent in the desert, experiencing the incredible peace and quiet. Explore the nearby town of Rissani, strolling at the market, where crafts and donkeys, goats and cattle are sold. On our way to Zagora, we will drive up the pleasant Dadès Gorge, taking you past almond and fig trees, fabulous rock formations and impressive kasbah and ksars. You will have the opportunity to walk in these beautiful surroundings.

 

Casablanca, MoroccoCASABLANCA The city features a blend of French colonial and traditional Moroccan styles – known as Mauresque architecture. Join us on a walking tour to the best examples of this architecture and admire the carved friezes, the beautiful tile work and ornate wrought-iron balconies. Visit the Hassan II Mosque, the world’s third-largest mosque, a blend of up-to-date French design and the work of thousands traditional Moroccan artisans. Suggested activities for early arrivees: Stroll in the old Medina and sip a mint tea at the Café Sqala on Casablanca’s 18thcentury fortifications. Have an apéritif at the famous Rick’s Café and enjoy delicious seafood at a harbour restaurant.

 

 

Essaouira, Morocco ESSAOUIRA With its stone ramparts and turrets and its almost perfectly preserved maze-like medina, Essaouira is a very charming Atlantic coastal town. Most of its architecture was built in 1765, when Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abedallah hired a French architect, Théodore Cornut, to create a city suitable for foreign trade, such as the commercial link between Timbuktu and Europe. Stroll in a labyrinth of narrow lanes inside the town walls, look at the whitewashed houses with their blue doors and beautiful doorways, adorned with tile and stucco, enjoy the tranquil squares and visit the artisans in their tiny workshops. Walk around the snug, fortified harbour,watch the fishermen unloading their catch and hike along the long windswept beach backed by large sand dunes. We will overnight in a beautiful riad in the Medina with view on the water and the sound of waves to lull you to sleep.

Fes, Morocco FES Being the oldest of the imperial cities, Fès became the country’s religious and cultural centre, shaped by each of the great dynasties and by its populations’s roots in Muslim Spain. The Medina of Fès el-Bali (Old Fès) is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world with a maze of narrow winding alleys and covered bazaars as well as mosques and medersas, featuring tile art, stucco and woodwork.

Special visit to a pottery that produces marvellous handpainted, glazed ceramics, tiles, and hand cut zellige mosaics. Hands-on experience decorating plates
or making your own small zellige mosaic tile.


 

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Visit the Dar Batha Museum housed in a Hispano-Moorish palace, with ist superb ceramic collection dating from the 14th century to the present, end the day enjoying the special Fès cuisine and overnight in a centuries old riad, looking from your room into a exquiste tiled courtyard. 

 

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MoroccoTimetable

 dinner: Casablanca.

 morning departure from Casablanca. 

Please note that the package does not include airfare. 

 

 

 

   Package Includes: 

 Accommodation in Casablanca: 2 nights, breakfasts, 1 dinner.
 Accommodation in Rabat:1 night, dinner, breakfast.
 Accommodation in Chefchaouen:2 nights,1 dinner, breakfasts.
 Accommodation in Fes, 3 nights, breakfasts,1 dinner.
 Accommodation in Erfoud: 1 night, breakfast, dinner.
 Accommodation in Mersouga or desert tent:1 night, breakfast dinner.
 Accommodation in Dades: 2 nights, beakfasts, 2 dinners.
 Accommodation in Ait Benhaddou: 2 nights, breakfasts, 2 dinners.
 Accommodation in Zagora: 2nights, 2 dinners.
 Accommodation in Marrakesh: 3 nights, breakfasts, 1 dinner. 
 Accommodation in Essaouira: 2 nights, breakfasts.
 13 Dinners.
 All breakfasts.
 A special lunch in the D'har pottery. 
 Transfer from airport to hotel,(April 22) and hotel to airport in Casablanca(May 13 )
 Maximum group size of 14 persons.
 Transport in first-class minivan.
 Interpretation, history and culture by local guide throughout the entire excursion. 
 On-board professional ceramic artist and tour leader. 
 Special guided tours to sights in Fes, Volubilis, Marrakesh, Essaouira and others.
 Visits to potteries representing a wide variety of ceramic styles, firing, and decoration.
 Hands on experience  trying ceramics decoration or Zellige mosaic tile.
 Optional  sunset camel ride in the desert.
 Museum and site entrance fees.
 Tips for driver, guide and baggage handling.

Package does NOT include:

Airfare to Morocco.
Tips for meals not included in tour price.
Medical, trip interruption or cancellation insurance.
Expenses that you may incur due to illness enroute. i.e. medical, diagnostic,
lost rooms or additional rooms, transportation to rejoin group.
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 Cancellation Policy:

If you must cancel, the following cancellation fees will apply:

 

      Applicable Dates                                     Cancellation Fees

                                                                  

 

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There is no refund for arriving late or leaving the trip early.

Discovery Art Travel reserves the right to cancel the trip due to low enrolment, or if we feel that the quality of the trip or the safety of travelers would be compromised. In such a case, we will refund all payments received to date, which constitutes full settlement.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Casablanca, welcoming dinner, overnight at hotel Val D'Anfa

Day 2 - Morning visit to Hassan II Mosque, special
lunch, drive to the Imperial city of Rabat, dinner
and overnight at the
Riad Kalaa   

Day 3 - Drive to Chefchaouen, lunch, free afternoon, Wander the narrow lanes of Chefchaouen with its red tiled roofs and bright blue buildings. Overnight at the Riad Cherifa.

4 - Visit to womens pottery in mountain village of Dhar, demos, lunch, Free afternoon in Chefchaouen. Overnight in Chefchaouen.

Day 5  Visit the Roman mosaics at Volubilis,  lunch in the hilltop town of Idriss Zerhoun - overnight in Fes at the Riad Myra
Day 6 -  F
es  pottery visitations, hands on and free time. 
Day 7 -
Fes  guided tour of special sights.
Day 8  
Drive to Erfoud with dinner and overnight at Kasbah Hotel Xaluca 

Day 9 - Visit an amazing fossil place. Guided visit through historic Kasabah.Drive to Merzouga, where you will take 4x4’s to your desert auberge. Enjoy a sunset  camel ride in the dunes and dinner and room at the  Kasbah Dunes D’or, or enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner, stay in a berber tent under the stars.   

Day 10 -  Travel to the beautiful Dadès Gorge region.  Finish off the day with a delicious meal at the suberb  Kasbah Xalaca  Dades restaurant . Overnight at the 4 star Kasbah Xaluca Dades.

Day 11 - Gorge visit, walks, lunch, overnight at the Xaluca Dades.
Morocco

Day 12 - Travel to Zagora, Overnight and dinner at Riad Lamane  our beautiful hotel located in a palmeraie.

Day 13 - Astour large jar pottery visitation, palmeraie walking tour, overnight and dinner at Riad Lamane  .

Day 14 - Drive to Ait Benhaddou. Visit pottery family and studio in Agdz.  Dinner and overnight at Hotel Riad Ksar Ighanda.

Day 15 -Morning walking visit to Ait Benhaddou (a UNESCO heritage site). Visit to Ouarzazate. Dinner and overnight at Ksar Ighanda. 
Day 16 -Drive to the  port city of Essaouira, fish dinner, overnight in charming Riad Mimouna
Day 17 - Historical tour of Essaouira with emphasis on Portuguese tile art.

Day 18 -
Travel to Marrakech. Dinner and overnight at the beautiful Riad Chergui
Day 19- First exploration of Marrakesh. Try your hand at bargaining in the souq (market) and enjoy a glass of mint tea in one of the terrace cafes. Overnight at Riad Chergui
Day 20 - Guided tour to some of the most fascinating sites of Marrakesh, such as the Ali ben Youssef Medersa and other examples of Moroccan-Andalusian architecture. Free afternoon. Dinner at a restaurant in Marrakesh or on the Djemaa el-Fna square. Overnight at Riad Cherqui. 
Day 21 - Drive to Casablanca, and Safi pottery visitation with overnight in Casablanca at the hotel Val D'Anfa.
Day 22- Breakfast, individual departures

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Excursion Map
map_2_smaller_jpeg_777_01Morocco Essouira IMG_8440

 Payment Information

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For More Information: Ph/Fax (250) 537- 4906 • E-mail: Denys James.