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16-Day Exploring Morocco & Israel |
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See
beautiful vistas and walk ancient pathways of Jewish history on your trip to
Morocco and Israel. Moroccos mix of customs reflects the traditions and mores of
the different ethnic peoples that have made their home in this exotic
country. Home to a sizeable Jewish community until the 1950s,
Moroccan Jews enjoyed a rich and varied cultural life both in the cities and the
countryside. From Morocco, travel to Israel and become immersed in the modern
states history as well as its antiquities and historical reference
points.
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Tour Highlights
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- Fantasia show in Marrakesh
- Dialogue with one of the last
remaining Jewish families in Mekens.
- Guided walk through the Medina, in
the footsteps of the famous Jewish scholar Maimonides
- Experience the Djma El Fna
Square
- Israel: An Inside View of
the Unique Character of the Country, an active discussion and walking tour
with your tour educator
- Kibbutz Ideology and Israeli
Reality in the 21st Century, night walk and dialogue
- Participate in a program
focused on kabbalah through artwork
- Kabbalat Shabbat services at
a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem, followed by a dialogue with Israeli members
of the congregation
- An Inside View into the
Israeli Political Arena, dialogue with a Political Analyst
- Special tour to the Western
Wall Tunnels and the City of David
- The new Davidson Center in
Jerusalem
- The refurbished Yad Vashem
complex in Jerusalem
- Visit Masada and swim in the
Dead Sea
- Rafting on the Jordan River
(seasonal)
- Jeep tour on the Golan
Heights
- Stars of Caesarea
interactive center
Trip Includes
- 14 nights
accommodation in selected hotels
- 2 night
Casablanca
- 2 nights
Fez
- 3 night
Marrakesh
- 1 night Tel
Aviv
- 2 nights
Galilee
- 1 night
Haifa
- 3 nights
Jerusalem
- Breakfast daily and 7
dinners
- Sightseeing per itinerary in
a modern air-conditioned motor coach with panoramic windows, reclining seats
and footrests
- Services of a friendly and
professional English-speaking Expedition Educator throughout the
trip
- Entrance fees per
itinerary
- All hotel and airport portage and
tipping included
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DAY ONE:
Sunday DEPARTURE
- Depart from the U.S. to
Morocco.
Overnight: Flight
DAY TWO: Monday ARRIVAL IN
CASABLANCA
- Arrive at Casablanca
Airport.
- Welcome by our
representative and assistance with arrival formalities.
- Transfer to your hotel and
check in. Airport transfer included.
- Relax, unpack and settle
into hotel room.
- Meet your Expedition Educator and
fellow travelers for o
pening dinner and orientation.
Overnight:
Casablanca
DAY THREE:
Tuesday CASABLANCA
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Dialogue with tour educator about the Glory of
Moroccan Jewry.
- Da'at Encounter: Meet and hear
from the leaders of the Casablanca Jewish community - “Why I Still Live in
Morocco” - at the Beth El Synagogue.
- Museum of the Jews of Morocco - A Glimpse at the Past
and a Look Toward the Future. Enjoy a guided visit into the rich and colorful
world of Moroccan Jewry, a community that at one time numbered close to
250,000 Jews.
- Hasan II Mosque - After the mosques at Mecca and
Medina, it is the third-largest mosque in the world and host to the world's
tallest minaret at 689 feet.
- Dinner on your own.
- Da'at Encounter: Late night
visit to the famed Rick's Café from the movie “Casablanca.” Meet and chat with
entrepreneur and owner, Kathy Kriger.
Overnight:
Casablanca
DAY FOUR: Wednesday THE LEGACY OF MOROCCAN
JEWRY
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Depart for Rabat, capital of Morocco and home to
settlement in the area as early as the 3rd century BCE. Guided visit around
the walls of the Royal Palace and the Mausoleums of Mohammad V, who reigned
(with a short period in exile) from 1927-1961 and his son, Hassan I, who
reigned until his death in 1999. Both kings had good relationships with the
Jewish community, and Hassan I worked quietly behind the scenes, encouraging
early talks between Israel and Arab countries due in part to the sizeable
Moroccan Jewish population in Israel.
- Drive to Meknes, the ancient walled city and one-time
imperial capital.
- Visit the Mellah - the walled ghetto was the Jewish
Quarter of Meknes, once one of Morocco's thriving Jewish communities.
- Da'at Encounter: Dialogue with one of the last remaining
Jewish families in Meknes.
- Drive to Fez, one of the four imperial cities -
Meknes, Marrakech and Rabat are the others.
- Check in to your hotel.
- Da'at Encounter: Dinner with
members of the Fez Jewish community.
Overnight:
Fez
DAY FIVE: Thursday THE MYSTERIES OF
FEZ
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Dialogue with tour educator - Jews and Moslems:
Learning, Working and Living Together in the Imperial City of Fez.
- An analysis of Fez overlooking the Medina, Fez's
walled quarters in this ancient city - with labyrinthine alleyways to wander
and explore.
- Guided walk through the Medina, in the footsteps of
the famous Jewish scholar, Maimonides.
- En-Nejjarine Square and Fountain and the Museum of
Wooden Arts and Crafts. Housed in the beautifully restored former
caravan stop, or fondouk, one of many traditional stopping places for
merchants traveling Saharan trade routes.
- The Al Karaouine University and Mosque - founded in
859 BCE, it is the oldest, continually operating university in the world, and
played a leading role in establishing cultural and academic relations between
the Islamic world and Europe. Maimonides studied there.
- Madrassas of the Medina - Morocco's definitive style
of Islamic architecture reached new heights with the madrassas or
Islamic schools of Fez, built between 1321 and 1357.
- The Tanners' Quarter -- responsible for Fez's
wonderful leather goods, with intense aromas and fascinating traditional craft
methods.
- The Arts and Crafts and Nejjarine Souks or markets,
where carpenters still build and decorate furniture and cabinetry from
fragrant cedar wood.
- Lunch on your own.
- Guided visit through the Mellah or Fundouk al
Yahudi - the Jewish Quarter of Fez -- stopping in at a few of the former
synagogues.
- Visit the famous Fez Jewish cemetery - with sections
for children, adults, priests and people of distinction, it is where some of
Morocco's legendary rabbis are buried.
- Free time and dinner on your own.
Overnight: Fez
DAY SIX: Friday THE ATLAS
MOUNTAINS
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Check out of the hotel.
- Head for Marrakesh, Leaving Fez and driving via the
Central Atlas Mountains, through the Royal Ifrane ski resort and the Berber
town of Azrou.
- Arrive in Marrakesh and check into your hotel.
- Relax and prepare for Shabbat.
- Optional Shabbat services at the Al Azmeh Synagogue.
- Da'at Encounter: Festive
Shabbat dinner with members of the Marrakesh Jewish community.
Overnight:
Marrakesh
DAY SEVEN: Saturday THE WONDERS OF
MARRAKESH
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Optional Shabbat services.
- Guided tour of Marrakesh, including stops at The
Medina Gates, the Bahia Palace, the Dar is Said Museum and the Saadian Tombs.
- Lunch on your own.
- Free afternoon to wander through Marrakesh's enormous
marketplace.
- Dinner on your own.
Overnight:
Marrakesh
DAY EIGHT: Sunday THE EURIKA
VALLEY
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Full day tour to the Eurika Valley, a lushly green
spot high up in the Atlas Mountains. Admire waterfalls, canyons and the quiet
nature of the area.
- Dialogue with Hananiyah Elfassie, the last Berber Jew
in the area and caretaker of the grave of Rabbi Shlomo ben Hensh. One of the
Moroccan Jewish community's most revered leaders and righteous men, Rabbi Ben
Hensh died more than 500 years ago.
- Return to Marrakesh.
- Free evening and dinner on your own.
- Experience Djemaa El Fna Square, one of the most
colorful public squares in the area, replete with snake charmers, street
vendors, musicians, jugglers, fortunetellers and storytellers.
- Da'at Encounter:: Closing
dinner with members of the Marrakesh Jewish Community.
Overnight:
Marrakesh
DAY NINE: Monday ARRIVAL TO
ISRAEL
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Transfer to the airport for
flight to Israel. (Airport transfers included. Please allow a minimum of three
hours for check-in).
- Flight to Israel.
Arrive at Ben
Gurion International Airport.
Welcome by our representative and
assistance with arrival formalities.
Transfer to Tel Aviv, known as the “city that
never sleeps” with its centers of culture and recreation such as the Habima
Theater, sprawling beaches, Dizengoff Street and Rabin Square.
Check into the hotel.
Meet your Expedition Educator and fellow
travelers and enjoy a Middle Eastern style dinner with a Yemenite touch at
Maganda, offering a varied selection of salads and grilled meats,
and located in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv.
Da'at Encounter: An Inside
View of the Unique Character of the Country. Enjoy an active discussion
and walking tour with your tour educator through the colorful re-gentrified
Neve Zedek neighborhood OR the 'White City', the collection of Tel
Aviv's magnificent Bauhaus architectural structures, now recognized as a
UNESCO World Heritage site.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY TEN: Tuesday ALONG THE
COAST
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Check out and depart the hotel.
- Begin your trip with an introduction and special visit
to Independence Hall, site of David Ben-Gurion's monumental proclamation of
the State of Israel in December 1948.
- Visit the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall, with its
restored buildings and sidewalk artists, and continue onto the colorful Carmel
Market and then to Sheinkin, one of Israel's most avant-garde streets.
- Depart Tel Aviv.
- Lunch on your own at the Caesarea Port.
- Guided visit to Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's
most important cities during the Roman Period; visit the Herodian Theater and
new excavations along the Mediterranean shore concluding with a visit to the
900-year-old Crusader city built on the same site.
- Summer programs:
- Walk through the 2,000 year old underground water tunnels at Park Alona, which once brought
water to Caesarea (water shoes recommended).
- Winter programs:
- Special visit to the Tavor Marzipan Factory and
Museum in Kfar Tavor
- All:
- Check into the Kibbutz guesthouse.
- Dinner at the
guesthouse.
Overnight: Kibbutz Guesthouse,
Upper Galilee
DAY ELEVEN: Wednesday NATURE AND
SECURITY
- Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse.
- Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the
largest tributary of the Jordan River and near the biblical settlement of Dan.
- Take a jeep tour climbing to the Golan Heights in the
footsteps of IDF soldiers and their battles in the Six Day War, to enjoy the
beautiful natural scenery and gain an insight into the strategic complexity of
the Golan, followed by a tour of the Golan Heights.
- Cross the Golan Plateau to the border with Syria and
observe the abandoned city of Kuneitra and the United Nations outpost located
nearby.
- Lunch on your own.
- Summer programs:
- Enjoy rafting or kayaking on the Jordan
River.
- Winter programs:
- Visit the Hula Nature Reserve and the Ophoria
Interactive Experience, connecting birds, water and the Zionist
endeavor.
- All:
- Return to the kibbutz for dinner at the guesthouse.
- Da'at Encounter: Optional visit with kibbutz
members.
Overnight: Kibbutz
Guesthouse, Upper Galilee
DAY TWELVE: Thursday WESTERN
GALILEE
- Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse.
- Check out and depart the kibbutz guesthouse.
- Explore Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for
hundreds of years, and a contemporary artists' colony, including:
- Guided visits to the Ari, Caro and Abuhav Synagogues
with their great stories and mystical messages.
- A stroll through the quaint art galleries and shopping
in the artists' colony.
- Da'at Encounter: Participate in a program focused on
kabbalah through artwork.
- Continue to the Western Galilee.
- Drive north to Rosh Hanikra, a rock formation at the
very northern tip of Israel. Rosh Hanikra was created when the strong
Mediterranean waters carved subterranean tunnels out of the soft limestone
rock, creating beautiful caves and formations.
- Lunch on your own.
- Visit Acre (Akko), a UNESCO Heritage Site, and a
multi-layered experience from the days of the Crusades through contemporary
Israel, including guided visits to:
- The newly renovated Crusaders' City.
- The famous British prison used in pre-state days for
Jewish and Arab prisoners and the site of the famous prison break re-enacted
in the movie Exodus.
- The Ottoman fortifications around the city.
- Continue to Haifa.
- Check into the hotel.
- Da'at Encounter:
Visit a Druse village in the Carmel Mountains for a window into the
unique world of the Israeli Druse community, with a home hospitality
dinner.
Overnight: Haifa
DAY THIRTEEN: Friday HEAVENLY
AND EARTHLY JERUSALEM
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Check out and depart the hotel.
- Drive to Jerusalem via the Trans-Israel Highway for a
close up view of the ‘Security Barrier' along the seam zone between Israel and
the Palestinian Territories.
- Stop at Mount Scopus to say the traditional
“shehechiyanu” blessing, recited upon entering Jerusalem, followed by an
introduction to the city.
- Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old
City of Jerusalem, for guided visits to some of the sites excavated over the
past 30 years, including:
- The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the oldest
shopping arcade in the world.
- The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish
Quarter.
- Guided visit through the 2,000-year old Herodian
Mansions in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City OR Guided visit to
the Davidson Archaeological Park with a special visit to the Davidson
Center, followed by a guided visit to the Southern Wall
Excavations.
- Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground
continuation of the Western Wall alongside the Temple Mount.
- Experience the sites, smells, and tastes of Jerusalem
while walking through the Machaneh Yehuda market with lunch on your own.
- Check into the hotel.
- Da'at Encounter: Kabbalat Shabbat services at a Reform
synagogue in Jerusalem, followed by a dialogue with Israeli members of the
congregation.
- Festive Shabbat Dinner.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY FOURTEEN: Saturday SHABBAT
IN JERUSALEM
Option 1
- Optional day visit to Masada,
Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea, with lunch on own.
Option 2
- Optional Shabbat
services.
Lunch on your own.
Free afternoon
All:
- Enjoy dinner on your own in
Jerusalem, at a choosing from a wide array of
restaurants.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY FIFTEEN: Sunday THE LAYERS OF
JERUSALEM
- Early breakfast at the hotel.
- Depart the hotel.
- Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem
complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jews who perished in
the Holocaust, including: the new Historical Museum, and the Children's
Memorial, with a memorial service (children under 10 will have a separate
program).
- Lunch on own.
- Guided visit through the City of David's new
excavations, which have redefined the origins of Jerusalem; and possibly wade through the 2,600 year-old-Hezekiah's Water
Tunnel in the Kidron Valley (weather permitting, water shoes
recommended).
- Return to the hotel.
- Enjoy dinner at Olive & Fish, a meat and fish
restaurant, located across from the Liberty Bell Gardens.
Adults
- Da'at Encounter: An Inside View into the Israeli
Political Arena, dialogue with a political analyst.
Youth
- Da'at Encounter: Special Mifgash with the Israeli youth
movement, including a falafel dinner.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY SIXTEEN: Monday RETURN TO THE
U.S
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Check out of the hotel.
- Transfer to the airport for flight
home. (Hotel transfers included. Please allow a minimum of three hours for
check-in).
- Flight back to the U.S. (Arrival
on the same day).
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Need to Know
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- Tour prices are per person in U.S.
dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, special
dinners, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling and the services of local
guides, drivers, and the Expedition Educator are included.
- Hotel Accommodations: The
tour price includes all hotel accommodations, in hotel rooms with private
baths. Our standard is to provide the best available hotels while considering
value. Although the level of the accommodations may differ slightly from hotel
to hotel, we are committed to your comfort. Two-bed rooms are reserved in most
hotels. Triples are two-bed rooms with a rollaway cot where available and are
not recommended when considering the comfort of those in the room. King-size
beds are not available in most hotels; what is considered king-size usually
consists of two single beds pushed together and made up separately, but with
one headboard. Some two-bed rooms may have two twin - not full- or queen-size
- beds.
- Meals are included as
specified in the itinerary.
- Expedition Educator: All
trips are conducted by our Expedition Educators or local guides who remain
with the group throughout the tour.
- Gratuities Included: All
gratuities for restaurant and hotel staff.
- Luggage Responsibility: All tour
packages allow one piece of luggage per person and one carry-on bag. Excess
luggage will be subject to charge of up to $100 per piece. The Travel Agent
and/or Tour Operator shall not be held responsible for any damage to or loss
of luggage/personal items. All damage/loss must be reported at time of
incident and documented in writing by local authorities for submission to your
insurance company.
Not Included
- Airfare to the tour
departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be
purchased from us for travel originating in the United States. Please see
Flights tab in the right-side toolbar.
- Personal Expenses: All
personal expenses such as: laundry, valet service, cables, telephone calls and
postage are not included.
- Guide and Driver
Gratuities:
- 4 seater -
$70 (i.e. 2 pax) - per day
- 7 seater - $90
(i.e. 3-5 pax) - per day
- 10 seater - $110
(i.e. 5-7 pax) - per day
- 10-19
passengers: Guide $10, driver $5 - per participant per day
- 20 passengers
and more: Guide $8, driver $4 - per participant per
day
Additional Information
- Airline Security Measures:
In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the
time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your
passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket
or you may be denied boarding.
- If you are traveling from an
airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what
travel documentation and identification is required for that particular
airport.
- Due to heightened security
regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette
lighter or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be
permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to
departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and
recommended airport check-in times. You may also wish to visit the
Transportation Security Administration website at www.tsa.gov to obtain more
information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage
items.
- Holidays and Museum Closures
- Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen
circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed
in the destinations being visited.
- Photography During Tours: We will
occasionally use photographs taken by fellow guests or your trip director for
promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any
marketing activities, please notify us at the start of your
tour.
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| 16 Day Morocco - Gold |
| 2010 | | Land Only | | Status | | |
| Oct 3 | | $4945 | | On Sale | |
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| Oct 31 | | $5070 | | On Sale | |
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Important to Know
- Land-only price does not include arrival/departure transfers unless otherwise indicated.
- By paying a deposit upon registration, you are agreeing to ARZA World terms.
- We highly recommend carefully reviewing those terms for full details about conditions and penalties.
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View Map
Accommodations
- 16 Day Morocco - Gold
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Day 2 - 3: Hyatt Regency
Casablanca
The Hyatt Regency Casablanca is an
urban oasis in Morocco's most vibrant metropolis, located in the center of the
legendary city of Casablanca. For comfort and elegance and a location that is
just a brief stroll from the seafront promenade, the Hyatt Regency Casablanca is
the ideal location from which to tour this urban
legend.
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Day 4 - 5: Sofitel Palais Jamai
Fez
Built as a Moorish palace in 1879
for the Grand Vizir of Jamai, the Sofitel Palais Jami is surrounded by superb
gardens. It is an elegant architectural gem that towers above the Fez Medina,
one of the many unique sites to see in this city.
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Day 6 - 8: Jardins De La Koutoubia
Marrakesh
Considered by Conde Nast Traveler
to be one of the 100 best hotels in the world, the Jardins de la Koutoubia is a
peaceful haven of greenery away from the colorful hustle and bustle of Medina.
Just a short walk from the city center, the hotel offers refined calm, elegance
and charm, making it a unique stop in the imperial
city.
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Day 9: Carlton
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv's Carlton Hotel is for tourists who want to fully experience the
dynamic city of Tel Aviv. Centrally located in the heart of the city, and a
short walk from the city's expansive Mediterranean beaches, many of its
guestrooms offer a gorgeous view of the sea.
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Day 10 - 11: Pastoral Guesthouse
Kibbutz Kfar Blum
Kfar Blum's Pastoral Guesthouse is a comfortable, tranquil
hotel located in the Upper
Galilee and close to the sites of Mount Hermon, the Golan Heights, the nature reserves of the
Hula Valley and other
attractions of the north.
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Day 12: Dan Carmel
Haifa
The Dan
Carmel Hotel is perched on Mount Carmel with breathtaking views of Haifa Bay and the Mediterranean coastline. The hotel is situated on Haifa's beautiful
hilltop promenade, just a short walk from the
many entertainment venues of the Carmel
neighborhood.
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Day 13 - 15: Inbal
Jerusalem
The deluxe Inbal Jerusalem Hotel provides its
guests with the most luxurious facilities,
pampering services and discerning cuisine.
Overlooking Jerusalem's Liberty Bell Park, on the corner of King David Street, the Inbal's 283 rooms and suites
are within easy walking distance of the city's
main cultural venues and the Old City.
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Dates & Prices
Program
The AW Added Value
AW Flights
Reading List
Need to Know
Peace of Mind
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