Trip Summary
On this singular small group tour, experience a truly special land, an age-old culture, and genuinely hospitable people. A 14-day exploration of this country of dramatic contrasts takes you from seaside Rabat to the desert towns of Erfoud and Ouarzazate and through the snow-topped High Atlas. Along a journey featuring the many fascinating treasures of Fez, Marrakech, and Casablanca – and five UNESCO sites – encounter Roman ruins, an ancient caravan route, spirited souks, and fascinating medinas bustling with snake charmers and spice merchants. Dine with local people in a private home and in a family-run riad. Admire dramatic Todra Gorge and the village of Ait ben-Haddou, famed as a location for film shoots. Visit the world’s oldest continually operating university, and marvel at one of the world’s largest Islamic houses of worship – magnificent Hassan II Mosque. Riding out on camelback to the Sahara, watch the sun set over the breathtaking dunes.
Event Itinerary
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Rabat, Morocco
Day 2: Arrive in Rabat
Day 3: Rabat
- Explore Morocco’s capital, one of the country’s four imperial cities
- Visit the ancient necropolis of Chellah, built on Roman ruins
- Tour the Kasbah of the Oudaias and the Andalusian Gardens
- Discover Rabat’s UNESCO-listed medina and the Mohammed VI Museum of Contemporary Art
Day 4: Rabat | Volubilis | Fez
- Visit a vineyard in Morocco’s wine country and enjoy a tasting
- Explore the UNESCO-listed Roman ruins of Volubilis
- Arrive in Fez, Morocco’s oldest imperial city
Day 5: Fez
- Wander the labyrinthine Fez medina, one of the world’s largest living medieval cities
- Visit the Al-Attarine Madrasa and admire its intricate tilework and carvings
- See the artisans’ quarters, historic Koranic schools, and Al Karaouine University
- Explore the Dar Batha Museum, the Blue Gate, and traditional food markets
Day 6: Fez
- Tour the historic Jewish Quarter (Mellah) and its 17th-century synagogue
- Watch artisans create Fez’s renowned pottery and ceramics
- Enjoy free time to further explore the city
Day 7: Fez | Midelt | Erfoud
- Cross the scenic Middle Atlas Mountains
- Travel through fertile valleys, palm groves, and fortified villages
- Arrive in Erfoud, gateway to the Sahara Desert
Day 8: Erfoud | Rissani | Merzouga
- Explore Rissani and its historic 18th-century ksar
- Journey to the spectacular dunes of Merzouga on the edge of the Sahara
- Experience a camel ride across the desert at sunset
Day 9: Erfoud | Tinehir | Todra Gorge | Ouarzazate
- Visit the lush oasis town of Tinehir
- Explore dramatic Todra Gorge
- Travel the famed Route of a Thousand Kasbahs
- See El Kelaa des Mgouna, Morocco’s renowned Valley of Roses
Day 10: Ouarzazate | Ait Ben Haddou | Marrakech
- Visit UNESCO-listed Ait Ben Haddou, one of Morocco’s most iconic fortified villages
- Cross the High Atlas Mountains via the spectacular Tizi N'Tichka Pass
- Arrive in the imperial city of Marrakech
Day 11: Marrakech
- Ride through the city by horse-drawn carriage
- Visit the iconic Koutoubia Mosque
- Explore the vibrant Majorelle Garden and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum
- Experience the energy of UNESCO-listed Jemaa el-Fnaa square
Day 12: Marrakech
- Visit Bab Agnaou, one of Marrakech’s oldest gates
- Explore the city’s colorful souks and artisan workshops
- Meet craftspeople preserving traditional Moroccan techniques
Day 13: Marrakech | Casablanca
- Discover Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city
- Tour the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world and the only functioning mosque in Morocco open to non-Muslims
Day 14: Depart Casablanca for the U.S.
Meet Your Faculty Expert
Roberta Stewart
Roberta Stewart is Professor of Classical Studies at Dartmouth College, where she teaches Roman History, Comparative Slavery, Latin, Greek, and “War Stories” (with the Comparative Literature Program). Stewart regularly co-directs the Classics Department’s Roman Foreign Study program.
For twelve years she has led a community book group in the Upper Valley of Vermont and elsewhere for combat veterans called “From Troy to Baghdad”.
She publishes on Roman government, Numismatics, Roman religion, Roman slavery, and Latin Lexicography. Her monographs include 1998’s Public Office in Early Rome and 2012’s Plautus and Roman Slavery. Recently published work includes a paper on gender and Roman slavery titled “Seeing Fotis: Gender and Slavery in Apuleius’ Metamorphoses” and on modern receptions of Roman drama, “Roman Slavery and American Reconstruction: Plautus' Rudens in Performance at Washington University St. Louis in 1884”. Professor Stewart has been named a 2024-25 National Lecturer by the Archaeological Institute of America and has been selected to give the William E. Metcalf Lectures on Numismatics. She will deliver public lectures at academic institutions across the country.