Morocco and Egypt Tour: 12 Days Cairo to Marrakech

After breakfast, a private guide leads a tour of the Giza Pyramids Complex, a site that has stood for more than 4,000 years and includes three main pyramids, six smaller pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and the Valley Temple. The Great Pyramid, commissioned by King Khufu, remains one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, while the Sphinx, built under Khafre, carries his likeness on a lion's body. The Valley Temple preserves evidence of the purification and mummification rituals performed for Egypt's kings. From there, the Grand Egyptian Museum spans nearly 490,000 square meters and holds artifacts covering more than 5,000 years of history, including the Hanging Obelisk, an 11-meter colossus of Ramses II, and the full Tutankhamun collection of more than 5,000 pieces. After lunch at a restaurant with pyramid or Nile views, the tour continues to Saqqara, where the Step Pyramid, built for Pharaoh Djoser by the architect Imhotep between 2670 and 2650 BC, stands as the world's first large-scale stone structure. A flight in the evening takes the group to Aswan for the overnight stay.

After breakfast, the tour visits the Aswan High Dam, built with UNESCO support to protect Egypt's monuments from Nile flooding and now a major source of power for the country. The Unfinished Obelisk, the largest obelisk ever attempted in ancient Egypt, remains in its original quarry after a crack halted its construction under Queen Hatshepsut. Philae Temple, relocated to Agilkia Island after the High Dam's construction, served as the principal center of worship for the goddess Isis during the Ptolemaic period.

After breakfast on board, a private guide leads a full excursion to Abu Simbel. The temple complex was carved into the cliffs around 1200 BC under Ramses II to honor the gods Amun, Ptah, and Re-Harakhty, and to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. The Great Temple is known for its Sun Festival, held each year on February 22 and October 22, when sunlight reaches the sanctuary to illuminate the statues inside. Beside it, the second temple honors Queen Nefertari.

After breakfast on the cruise, a guided visit covers Kom Ombo Temple, a double temple with twin halls dedicated to Haroeris and Sobek, known for reliefs that reflect ancient Egyptian knowledge of medicine, art, and astronomy. Edfu Temple, dedicated to Horus and built between 237 and 57 BC, ranks among the largest and best-preserved temples in Egypt, with walls that narrate the mythological battle between Horus and Set.

After breakfast and check-out, the tour visits Karnak Temple, the largest and oldest religious complex in Egypt, built over nearly two millennia across 247 acres and dedicated mainly to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu; highlights include the Great Hypostyle Hall and the Avenue of Sphinxes. The Valley of the Kings, used for roughly 500 years during the New Kingdom, holds 63 royal tombs, including those of Ramses the Great, Hatshepsut, Seti I, and Tutankhamun. After lunch, the group visits Hatshepsut Temple, built in 1479 BC and dedicated to Amun, followed by the Colossi of Memnon, two statues of Amenhotep III carved around 1350 BC. A flight returns the group to Cairo for the overnight stay.

After breakfast and check-out, a private transfer takes travelers to Cairo International Airport for the flight to Casablanca. At Mohammed V International Airport, a local team welcomes the group with a name sign, assists with arrival and visa formalities, and arranges a private transfer to a Casablanca hotel.

After breakfast, a private guide begins at Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993 above the Atlantic Ocean and designed by Michel Pinseau; its 210-meter minaret is the tallest of any mosque in the world. A panoramic tour follows along the Corniche and Ain Diab, through the Quartier Habous and Old Medina, taking in Rick's Café, Mohammed V Square, the Sacred Heart Cathedral, and the Central Market. The group then travels by private vehicle to Rabat, where Hassan Tower stands as a 44-meter unfinished minaret commissioned in the 12th century by Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur. Nearby, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, completed in 1971 and designed by Cong Vo Toan, holds the tombs of Mohammed V, Hassan II, and Prince Abdallah. After lunch in Casablanca, the tour continues to the Kasbah of the Udayas, entered through the late 12th-century Bab Oudaia gate, and the Royal Palace of Rabat, known as Dar al-Makhzen and built in 1864 as the monarchy's working residence.

After breakfast, the tour heads to Meknes, one of Morocco's four Imperial cities and a center of centralized rule since the 17th century. Bab Mansour, completed in 1732, is decorated with green and white zellij tiles and marble columns taken from Volubilis, and was designed to project imperial authority. The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, one of the few religious sites in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, holds the tomb of Sultan Moulay Ismail within finely decorated prayer halls. Heri es-Souani and the Royal Stables once stored grain and sheltered up to 12,000 horses, while Place el-Hedim serves as the city's main square, and the Dar Jamai Museum displays Moroccan woodwork, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry in a 19th-century palace. After lunch in Meknes, the group visits Volubilis, the former administrative capital of Roman Mauretania Tingitana, which flourished between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD on olive oil production and trade with Rome. Its ruins include Roman mosaics depicting Hercules, Orpheus, and Venus, a 3rd-century Basilica, the Triumphal Arch of Caracalla built in 211 AD, and the Capitoline Temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

After breakfast, a private guide leads a tour of Fez, beginning with Al-Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri and recognized as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Bou Inania Madrasa, a 14th-century monument that also served as a mosque, features carved cedar wood and elaborate muqarnas ceilings from the Marinid era. After lunch, the tour continues to the Chouara Tanneries, which have operated since medieval times using natural dyes such as saffron and indigo, and the Nejjarine Fountain, an 18th-century structure decorated with floral zellij tiles beside a former caravanserai. The day closes with a walk through Fes el-Bali, a medina of more than 9,000 narrow alleys and the largest car-free urban area in the world.

A private transfer takes travelers from Fez to Marrakech, with scenic stops along the route. On arrival, guests check in to their hotel in the Red City for a restful overnight stay.

After breakfast, a guide leads a tour of Marrakech starting at Bahia Palace, a 19th-century residence with courtyards, gardens, and rooms decorated in carved cedar, zellij tilework, and stucco. Koutoubia Mosque, built in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min, anchors the city skyline with its minaret; the interior is reserved for worshippers, but its gardens remain open to visitors. After lunch, the tour continues into the Medina and Souks of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where artisans work leather, metal, textiles, lanterns, spices, and perfumes, and to Jemaa el-Fna, which fills with food stalls, musicians, and storytellers as evening approaches. Travelers then transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport for their flight home.