IMPERIAL CITIES TOUR

(peak season supplements apply)

Rabat is a charming capital city of wide spaces and fresher air, its proximity to the Atlantic has shaped Rabat’s architecture and mood and the resonances of European cities are more obvious than in other major centres in Morocco. Its relaxed atmosphere is a welcome surprise to visitors, who are left to enjoy Rabat’s considerable historic and architectural monuments.
Rabat has a 17th century medina as well as the fascinating Oudaya Kasbah, whose streets of blue and white-painted houses are bounded by castellated ramparts and entered by a stunningly beautiful decorated twelfth century gate - Bab Oudaya, possibly the most beautiful in the Arab World.

Volubilis was the Roman capital of northwestern Africa and has impressive and well-preserved Roman ruins, including approximately 20 mosaic floors dating back to 25 BC.  Built about 40 CE, probably on the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement from the 3rd century, Volubilis takes its name from ancient Latin for the oleander flower, which is common in the area.  Volubilis was the administrative center of the province in Roman Africa called Mauretania Tingitana. The fertile lands of the province produced grain and olive oil, which were exported to Rome, contributing to the province's wealth and prosperity.

The Romans evacuated most of Morocco at the end of the 3rd century, but unlike some other Roman cities Volubilis was not abandoned.  Volubilis survived until the 18th century when it was demolished, and part of the marble was taken for construction in nearby Meknes.  In 1915, archeological excavations at Volubilis was begun by the French, and extensive remains have been uncovered.

Marrakech dates back as far as the year 1070, and several monuments stand out as landmarks in the course of its history.  First of all, you will visit the Koutoubia Mosque, sister tower to Seville's Giralda, the minaret of which has become the symbol of the city.

Majorelle’s Botanical Gradens  is one of the most visited sites in Morocco. It took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) forty years of passion and dedication to create this enchanting place in the heart of the “Ochre City”, now belong to the French fashion designer Yves St Laurent - host a large variety of trees, plants and flowers from different countries of the world and a lovely small museum of Moslem Arts, with its walls in the now famous “Majorelle’s Blue” colour. 

A new museum dedicated to the life and work of French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent has opened in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. Designed by Studio KO, the building sits a short distance away from Jardin Majorelle – the home acquired by Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. With a large permanent exhibition space designed by scenographist Christophe Martin, showcasing the collections of it's namesake, the museum also features temporary exhibition spaces, a research library and archives, an auditorium, bookstore, and a terrace café.

Informed by the archives of Saint Laurent, Studio KO were "struck by curves running alongside straight lines; by the succession of delicate and bold forms." As a result, the façade of the building appears as "an intersection of cubes with a lace-like covering of bricks," forging patterns that "recall the weft and warp of fabric.

Le Paradis du Safran, located on the route de l'Ourika of Marrakech is an organic saffron farm owned by Swiss women, Christina Ferrari. Here we learn all about saffron and medicinal plants, the gardens are beautiful for long walks to discover the growing plants. This is an ideal place for those who love peace and nature.