Roman & Ottoman Istanbul

Depart on foot for an exploration of the Roman and Byzantine sights of the city. See the monuments of the Hippodrome before viewing Istanbul’s most famous sight, the Hagia Sophia, from the outside (entrance into the mosque will be in the afternoon). Walk to the impressive Yerebatan Sarayı (Underground Cistern), which was built by the Emperor Justinian’s engineers to supply the Imperial Palace with fresh water. This vast underground chamber, supported by rank upon rank of columns, many of which were salvaged from pagan temples, has been superbly restored. Continue by coach to visit the Kariye Mosque (St. Saviour in Chora) and study its exceptionally fine early 14th-century mosaics and wall-paintings.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Return by coach to the Sultanahmet area to visit the Hagia Sophia, one of the great architectural wonders of the world. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the mid-5th century AD, this vast building with its huge dome still dominates the city. After the Turks conquered Constantinople (and renamed it Istanbul) in 1453 it became a mosque and remained so until Kemal Ataturk turned it into a museum in 1933 and restored its superb mosaics. In 2020 it reverted to a mosque. Return to the hotel. Dinner under own arrangements.

Depart on foot to visit the Ottoman sights of the city. Begin with the legendary Topkapi Sarayi, the supreme achievement of the Ottoman Turkish architects, a translation of nomadic tents into delicate stone and mosaic work. This was, for over 300 years, the palace of the Ottoman Sultans and begun by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453. Wander through its many pavilions, halls, the great kitchens, courtyards and gardens, including the famous Harem, where the Sultan’s life was passed on a cloud of indolence. See unrivalled treasures from the collections of the Ottoman Sultans including dazzling jewellery and unique porcelain. Continue to the Blue Mosque, the most splendid mosque in the city, built in the early 18th century, distinguished by six slender minarets and walls covered with blue Iznik tiles.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the small but delightful Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque distinguished by the height of its dome and the vivid and intense colours of the Iznik tiles on its east wall. Continue by coach to visit to the 17th century Spice Bazaar, which sells a vast variety of goods as well as spices and visit the little Rustem Pasha Mosque, one of the hidden gems of the city, sheathed in gleaming blue and red Iznik tiles. Return to the hotel and dinner at a local restaurant.

Check-out of the hotel and depart by coach to visit the beautiful Beyazid Mosque, one of the oldest in the city and located close to the site of the Forum of Theodosius. Continue on foot to the immense Grand Bazaar, a unique covered market of over 4000 shops selling carpets, leather goods, jewellery and many other items. Although there are many tourist shops it is also still the place where the ordinary citizens of Istanbul do their general shopping.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Group transfer to the airport. Suggested flight (not included in the cost of the tour) Turkish Airlines TK 1983 departing Istanbul at 18.45 hrs arriving London Heathrow at 20.50 hrs.

Morning departure for the imperial city of Meknes which was founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement. Tour of Meknes including the UNESCO ancient medina and the imposing Bab el Mansour gate with its original green and white zellij tiles and marble columns.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Fez and check into the Palais Amani, where three nights are spent. The former home of a prominent Fez family, Palais Amani is a beautifully restored 17th century palace situated on the edge of Fes el Bali, Fez’s main medina, with an Art Deco rooftop bar and a pretty courtyard surrounded by orange trees. Dinner at the hotel.

Morning tour of medieval Fes, the true cradle of Moorish culture. Visit Karouiyine University, the world’s oldest university and first to be established by a woman. It was founded as a mosque by Fatima al-Fihri in 857–859 and subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centres of the Islamic Golden Age. Visit the Nejjarine Museum, a beautifully restored early-18th-century funduq (inn used by caravans) which now contains displays of fine woodwork from across Morocco, including doors, prayer beads and musical instruments. Continue to the Medersa Bouananie, a theological college built by the Merinid Sultan Bou Inan between 1351 and 1357. With a full mosque adjoining the college, the mihrab niche, visible across the prayer hall, has onyx columns, a style that echoes the Great Mosque of Córdoba. End the morning with a visit to the world-famous leather tanneries located in the oldest quarter of the medina.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Afternoon exploring Fez including the Old Jewish Museum and the Royal Palace, formerly the main residence of the sultan, which is still used by the King of Morocco when he is in the city of Fez. End the day at a viewpoint with impressive panoramic views over the Medina of Fez. Dinner under own arrangements.

Morning cooking experience at Fez Cooking School. Spend the morning with a local chef buying ingredients in the souk before returning to the cooking school to cook local specialities.

Enjoy lunch at the cooking school to taste what you have just cooked. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the hotel.

Drive to Moulay Idriss, a town spread over two hills at the base of Mount Zerhoun known for being the site of the tomb of Idris I, the first major Islamic ruler of Morocco and a descendent of the prophet Mohammad, making it one of the country’s most important pilgrimage sites. After visiting the mausoleum, depart for the evocative site of Volubilis, a remote outpost of the Roman Empire with a well-preserved basilica and a complete triumphal arch, along with remarkable mosaic floors dating from 25 BC. It is considered the finest archaeological site in Morocco.

Lunch at the Volubilis Inn. Enjoy a panoramic drive to the blue-wash mountain village of Chefchaouen, beautifully situated beneath the raw peaks of the Rif. Check into the Lina Ryad, a peaceful retreat in the middle of the bustling medina, where one night is spent. Visit the old medina with its mix of Moroccan and Andalucian influences with red-tiled roofs, bright blue buildings and narrow lanes. See the restored 18th century kasbah of Chefchaouen, which was built by the legendary ruler Moulay Ismail. It is fairly simple however it is surrounded by stunning gardens. Inside the Kasbah, you can visit the ethnographic museum containing antique weapons, musical instruments, and photographs of the old town. Dinner at the hotel.

Morning at leisure to shop the souks of the ‘blue pearl’ of Morocco.

Lunch under own arrangements. Depart for Tangier and check into Hotel El Minzah in the centre of Tangier, where three nights are spent. Set in exotic gardens in the heart of the city, the hotel dates from 1930 and was built in Spanish-Moorish style by the 4th Marquess of Bute. For decades it was a celebrated rendezvous for the many international ex-patriots who flocked to the city. Dinner at the hotel.

Morning walking tour of the souk and Kasbah of Tangier, a former citadel which dates from around the 10th century. Visit the American Legation, located in the medina, which formerly housed the United States diplomatic mission to Morocco. See the Grand Mosque, located in the old medina. The site of the mosque is believed to have originally been the site of a Roman temple dedicated to Hercules. The design of the current mosque dates from the Alaoite period in the early 19th century, Visit the nearby Petit Socco, a small square in the medina which is the traditional focal point of the medina.

Lunch on the terrace at Art et Gourmet Restaurant. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner under own arrangements.

Depart for Asilah, a fortified seaside town on the north-west tip of the Atlantic Coast of Morocco, for a walking tour of the ramparts and medina. Continue to Moulay Bousselham, a laidback fishing village bordered, on one side by the Atlantic façade, and on the other by the Laguna de Merja Zerga. Moulay Bousselham bears the name of his saint buried between the coast and the lagoon, and whose tomb is visited by thousands of Moroccans every year.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue to Casablanca and check into the Hotel Le Doge (or similar), a Relais & Chateaux property located in the heart of the Art Deco district. where one night is spent. Optional early evening drinks (under own arrangements) at Ricks Café, designed to recreate the bar made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the movie classic Casablanca. Dinner under own arrangements.

Morning tour of Casablanca, the largest city and major port in Morocco located on the Atlantic Coast on the Chaouia Plain. Visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest functioning mosque in Africa. Completed in 1993, the mosque was designed by Michel Pinseau under the guidance of King Hassan II and built by Moroccan artisans from all over the kingdom. Its minaret is the world’s second tallest minaret at 210 metres high and is topped by a laser, the light from which is directed towards Mecca. Continue to el Jadida, a fortified city built by the Portuguese in the 16th century which was taken over by the Moroccans in 1769. The fortification with its bastions and ramparts is an early example of Renaissance military design. El Jadida was one of the early settlements of the Portuguese explorers in West Africa on the route to India and is an outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Oualidia, the seaside town spread around a gorgeous crescent-shaped lagoon fringed with golden sands and protected from the wild surf by a rocky breakwater. Famous for its oysters, it’s a popular weekend retreat for people from Marrakech or Casablanca. Check into the Hotel L’Hippodrome, where two nights are spent. Originally founded in 1939 as a saw-mill to manufacture fishing boats, this family-run beach hotel has 21 rooms, extensive gardens and a restaurant which serves excellent fresh seafood. Dinner at the hotel.

Transfer to Marrakech Airport for suggested (not included) British Airways flight departing Marrakech at 15.35 hrs arriving London Heathrow at 19.10 hrs.