Gnaoua World Music Festival Tour

Fes, Oualidia, Essaouira, Oukaimeden and Marrakech
June 18-July 2, 2008
$2475.00

Itinerary

Please Note: The Gnaoua Festival has not yet announced artists and dates for specific events. We will update this page as soon as this information is available. The following itinerary provides a general description of the flow of the tour starting in Fes and ending in Marrakech.

Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca, Morocco

Thursday, June 19  
Travelers will depart on or before June 18th and arrive in Casablanca, Morocco by June 19th. Steve will be in Morocco to meet people at the Casablanca airport upon their arrival on June 19. We will travel by train from the airport to Fes, check in to Hotel Ibis, and meet for orientation. We will take a walking tour of Fes in small groups and gather for a grand group dinner in Fes el-Bali (the old city).

Day 2-3: Fes

Friday-Saturday, June 20-21
Fes is the spiritual center of Morocco. We will spend two days touring Fes el-Bali. Steve will give morning lectures on Moroccan culture and Sufism and we will learn the Sufi chant practice of zikr or remembrance. We will attend Sufi concerts and have private sessions with Moroccan Sufi shaykhs. Fes offers the adventurous traveler the chance to step back in history. Fes is a United Nations World Heritage site and the most completely preserved medieval city in the Arab world. A day-trip option is available to travel to the spa center at Moulay Yacoub, or the town of Sefrou in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains outside of Fes.

Day 4-8: Essaouria

Sunday-Thursday, June 22-25
Our caravan will depart for Essaouira late morning and should arrive in Essaouira around lunch time. Essaouira is an 18th-century fortified port city with beaches to the north and south.These four days we will be immersed in the Gnaoua Music Festival. Our experience will include one-of-a-kind encounters with musicians and spiritual teachers performing in and attending the Festival. Essaouria is where Orson Wells filmed his screen version of Othello and the city has been a favorite haunt of musicians. We will be staying at the Riad Al Madina, where Jimi Hendrix stayed while soaking up Moroccan musical influences.

Days 9-11: High Atlas Mountains and Marrakech

Thursday-Saturday, June 26-28
We journey to the High Atlas town of Oukaimeden and the Ourika Valley where we will revel in a day-long trekking experience and enjoy unique alpine accommodations. Conditions are not extreme but they are extremely beautiful, and the weather in June is cooler than in Marrakech. The Ourika Valley is famed for its prehistoric rock carvings and a series of oases and waterfalls. We will stay overnight either in Club Alpine Chalet, the Chalet Juju, or perhaps another hotel in the village. Warmer clothing and hiking shoes are necessary. We will travel to Marrakech Saturday afternoon and check into our riad in time for dinner and an evening out on the famed Djema el Fna square in the ancient Red City of Marrakech.

Days 12-14: Marrakech

Sunday-Tuesday, June 29-July 1
Our group will settle for 3 days into a riad inside the walls of old Marrakech. Marrakech is a treat. It is more laid back than Fes and the prices are less expensive than in Fes for jewelry, carpets, leather goods, and other Moroccan crafts. Nightlife is also quite lively. Enjoy personal exploration and discovery in this fabled and fascinating city.

Departure for Home

Wednesday, July 2
We depart for home from Marrakech or Casablanca airports.

Note About Booking Airline Travel:

Many travelers prefer to book their own airline travel or use frequent flyer miles. Our trips, therefore, are priced not including your air travel to and from Morocco. However, if you wish Imagine Adventures to assist you with ticketing, we can do so. There is a $75 fee for this ticketing service. We strongly recommend that you schedule travel to arrive in Casablanca on the morning of June 19th or earlier.

Your guides:

We expect 12 - 20 people on this journey. Our tour leaders aim to make our travels meaningful, uplifting and hassle-free. Each contributes unique travel experience and cultural insight that enhances our tour and facilitates our interactions with Moroccan musicians and mystics. A translator who speaks French, Arabic and English will also enrich our tour.