Morocco and Brazil have been added to Tauck’s Exotics collection – bringing to 29 its exclusive portfolio of hand-crafted, guided tours and cruises exploring Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand.
Tauck’s new 10-day “Magic of Morocco” itinerary begins with an overnight stay in the capital city Rabat, where guests gain an understanding of the country’s political legacy during a visit to the mausoleum of former king Mohammed V, and at Dar al-Makzhen, Morocco’s royal palace and residence of its current king. Travelling on to Fez, guests visit the city’s traditional tanneries, attend an exclusive lecture highlighting daily life in Morocco from a woman’s perspective, and can choose one of three themed walking tours.
Guests will also experience the Roman ruins at Volubilis and, while en route to Casablanca, visit the mausoleum and palace of 17th-century sultan Moulay Ismail in the walled city of Meknes. An overnight stay in Casablanca includes visits to the imposing Hassan II Mosque and Rick’s Café, inspired by the classic Bogart-Bergman film set in the city. The journey concludes with a three-night stay in Marrakech, with visits to the city’s souks and a theological college founded in the 14th century. Guests will tour the 16th-century Saadian Tombs, visit the Gardens Majorelle, once owned by designer Yves Saint-Laurent, and travel into the desert for an afternoon and evening of Berber culture, including camel rides, tea with a local, and traditional music and entertainment in a tented setting.
Tauck’s new 12-day Brazilian itinerary, “Rhythms of Brazil: Rio to Iguacu Falls” begins in Rio de Janeiro. Guests will enjoy a three-night stay at the Belmond Copacabana Palace overlooking Copacabana Beach. They will travel to Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest in the world, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Hill, and the summit of 1,390-foot Sugarloaf Mountain, to savour incredible views of the city and surrounding area.
Guests will then fly to the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais for a two-night stay in the 18th-century gold rush town of Ouro Preto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Baroque architecture. A guided walking tour features the Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar church, two cultural museums and the city’s opera house, followed by a lunch of hearty regional specialties prepared using centuries-old techniques.
An overnight stay in the capital city of Brasilia highlights its modernist architecture and includes a tour showcasing its unique cathedral, Presidential Palace and the country’s Supreme Court. A flight to coastal Salvador and a subsequent three-night stay there explores African influences in the city’s music and Candomble religion and reveals its Portuguese colonial architecture. The journey concludes in Iguacu National Park where guests will experience its majestic waterfalls from a helicopter sightseeing flight above the falls and during a jet boat excursion to the base of the cascade.
Included in the price of both new itineraries are all lodging and ground transportation, sightseeing and admission to attractions, most meals and gratuities, airport transfers, and much more. Tauck will operate seven departures of “Magic of Morocco” in February, March, April, November and December next year and seven “Rhythms of Brazil: Rio to Iguacu Falls” departures in March, April, May, September, October and December 2017.
“Magic of Morocco” from £3,540 for 10 days
“Rhythms of Brazil: Rio to Iguacu Falls” from £3,960 plus on-tour air
