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Magical Morocco to Douro Delights

Departed NZ on 29 May, 2024, Returned 20 June, 2024
23 Days Small Group Escorted Tour

TOUR OVERVIEW

After leaving NZ we enjoyed a 3-day stopover in Dubai to catch our breath before heading to Morocco. On one of our days in Dubai, we did a day tour to Abu Dhabi – such an interesting place.

The magic and the mystique of Morocco came to life over eight fascinating days, exploring the impressive imperial cities of North Africa’s last kingdom.

We visited the awe-inspiring cities of Casablanca, Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech. We discovered the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Volubilis and experienced the rustic charms of the market towns in the Atlas Mountains. Accommodation was in choice hotels with plenty of opportunities to savour the best in traditional Moroccan cuisine, including a spectacular dinner show in a historic palace in Marrakech. We farewelled Morocco and flew to Porto, Portugal. Porto is a fascinating eclectic mix of modern and ancient architecture and is famous for its exports of Port wines.

Here we boarded our luxurious Emerald Cruises Star-Ship and set sail for our 8-day, 7-night cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Douro Valley. This one of the hottest travel destinations right now. Along the way we enjoyed numerous local experiences – cuisine, port and wine tastings, entertainment, culture, history and more. At the end of the river cruise we travelled south along the Atlantic coast to Lisbon, stopping enroute at the enchanting town of Nazare, home to some of the largest waves in Europe.

In Lisbon we spent 3 days looking around this captivating city of white-domed cathedrals and cobblestone alleys as well as toured its surrounding areas. We departed from here to head home, with a short transit stop in Dubai, before arriving back in NZ.

Highlights

  • 2-night stopover in Dubai on our way to Morocco
  • Day tour to Abu Dhabi while in Dubai
  • Tour of UNESCO World Heritage site - Meknes – “city of a hundred minarets”
  • Explore the winding alleys in the Medina, Fez.
  • Visit a family home in Fez for a pastilla dinner and learn about how the iconic Moroccan pie is made.
  • Traditional evening show and dinner in Marrakesh (with dancers, Arabian horsemen, acrobats and belly dancers)
  • Port wine cocktail lesson and many regional wine/port tastings during the river cruise
  • Portuguese cooking demonstration
  • Guided tour of Salamanca
  • Excursion to Sintra
  • Guided tour of Lisbon including Jeronimos Monastery (UNESCO World Heritage-listed site)