2024 Malaga, Morocco & Canary Islands Cruise – Shore Excursions

Shore excursions selections closed on September 1st.

If you did not get the opportunity to select your tours in advance, you may select from remaining tours once you board the vessel through the ship’s shore excursion desk.

For those of you who did choose in advance, you may view your tour’s descriptions below:

Printable Version of Excursion Options

If you prefer to download and print the excursion options, you can do so here.

Tuesday, October 8 – Tangier, Morocco
Port Times:
Arrival 8:00 AM – Departure 6:00 PM

Tour Option A: Full day Chefchaouen: The Charming Blue City

Tour Code: MATNG303
Tour Type: Sightseeing Tour
Duration: 8.5 Hours
Minimum: 12 Guests – Maximum 60 Guests
Timing: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (subject to change)
Meals: Lunch

Activity Level: W3: Strenuous activity. This tour requires physical effort, including walking long distances over uneven or steep terrain or steps. Guests must be able to participate without discomfort or difficulty in breathing. Up to 2 km of walking is involved. Due to the terrain and steps, wheelchairs are not permitted.

Price: $165

Tour Description:

After a 2 ½ hour picturesque drive through the Moroccan countryside, arrive in unforgettable Chefchaouen. Visit the Medina’s 18th-century Kasbah, built by the legendary ruler Moulay Ismail. Although mostly unadorned, the fortress is enhanced by lovely gardens. Located within, you’ll visit the ethnographic museum, which showcases antique weapons, musical instruments, and historic photographs. Explore the blue and white-washed buildings of the Medina by foot with your guide, who will share captivating stories from Chefchaouen’s history.

In the cobbled main square, Plaza Uta el-Hammam, enjoy some free time to explore on your own and view the striking 15th-century Grand Mosque. The Mosque and its nearby buildings were built by Jewish refugees, who alongside Muslims escaped from Spanish persecution. Conclude your tour with lunch and refreshments at a venue offering lovely panoramic views of the town. 

Tour Option B: Discover Tangier

Tour Code: MATNG305
Tour Type: Sightseeing
Duration: 4 Hours
Minimum: 15 Guests – Maximum 90 Guests
Timing: 9:00AM – 1:00PM (subject to change)
Meals: Snack & Beverage

Activity Level: W3: Strenuous activity. This tour requires physical effort, including walking long distances over uneven or steep terrain or steps. Guests must be able to participate without discomfort or difficulty in breathing. Up to 2 km of walking is involved. Due to the terrain and steps, wheelchairs are not permitted.

Price: $0 – included tour

Tour Description: 

Discover exotic Tangier, a mesmerizing blend of North African, Spanish, and French cultures. Begin your exploration walking past areas largely unchanged since Roman times and reach the city’s highest point, the Kasbah, traditional residence of the sultan and his harem. Your first stop is the Kasbah Museum of Tangier, featuring a traditional courtyard, historical displays, and mosaic works of art.

Descending the hill, reach the city’s bustling souk, also known as the Grand Socco, a flurry of vivid colors. Your next stop is the American Legation, a museum that traces the history of the relationship between the United States and Morocco. Among its fascinating displays, find a letter from George Washington to Prince Moulay Abdellah.

Next, you’ll visit Saint Andrew’s Church, an 1890 Anglican Basilica decorated in the High Fassi style, with the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic over the altar. A tribute to the harmony between Christianity and Islam, this iconic church also serves as a burial site for American soldiers. Your entrancing tour wraps up with a refreshment at the 5-star Grand Hôtel Villa de France. 

Tour Option C & D: Moroccan Tea & Bread Experience

Tour Code: MATNG308
Tour Type: Sightseeing
Duration: 3 Hours
Minimum: 8 Guests – Maximum 10 Guests (each departure)

Tour Option C: Departure 1 Timing: 9:00AM – 12:00PM (subject to change)
Tour Option D: Departure 2 Timing: 12:30PM – 3:30PM (subject to change)

Meals: Snack and Beverage

Activity Level: W2: Moderate activity. Requires intermittent effort throughout, including walking medium distances over uneven surfaces and/or on steps. Not suitable for wheelchairs.

Price: $0 – included tour 

Tour Description:

On this enlightening tour, you’ll learn that in Morocco it’s always tea o’clock. Mint tea is the drink of choice here, as it seals deals, brings people together, and helps shape destinies, but making it just right remains a mystery to outsiders. It’s not as simple as just adding water. For Moroccans, mint tea is as essential as Earl Grey is for the British and green tea is for the Chinese.

Today, you’ll have the chance to learn the secrets of making perfect mint tea and savor it with freshly baked bread. First, head to the Grand Socco, the bustling marketplace that is the heart of Tangier, a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, street performers, fishmongers, handicrafts, and spices.

Next, you’ll proceed to Blue Door Cuisine, where a local chef will teach you how to make a delicious cup of Moroccan mint tea and bake traditional bread. You’ll receive step-by-step instructions to prepare your own batch of Moroccan bread dough. Once your dough is ready, it will be baked in a communal wood-fired oven. After it’s done, you can enjoy both your own bread and the mint tea you just made. Local condiments and handmade Moroccan cookies of the highest quality will also be available for tasting. 

Wednesday, October 9 – Casablanca (Rabat), Morocco
 Port Times:
Arrival 8:00 AM – Overnight

Tour Option A: Imperial Rabat 

Tour Code: MACAS307
Tour Type: Sightseeing/Active Tour
Duration: 9 Hours
Minimum: 15 Guests – Maximum 180 Guests
Timing: 8:45 AM – 5:45 PM (subject to change)
Meals: Lunch

Activity Level: W3: Strenuous activity. This tour requires physical effort, including walking long distances over uneven or steep terrain and steps. Guests must be able to participate without discomfort or difficulty in breathing. Up to 2 km of walking is involved. Due to the terrain and steps, wheelchairs are not permitted.

Price: $0 – Included Tour

Tour Description:

Your day starts with an approximate 1 1/2-hour drive to Rabat, the diplomatic capital of Morocco. Discover Rabat’s rich history and see its major treasures. Admire the majestic exterior of the Royal Palace, built in 1864. Explore the archaeological site of Chellah, an ancient Phoenician city. Excavations uncovered the remains of ‘Decumanus Maximus,’ its principal way, a forum, monumental fountain, triumphal arch and other important ruins. Visit the Mohamed V Mausoleum, where the father of Moroccan independence is buried. You’ll also see Hassan Tower, one of the prestigious architectural heritages of the Almohad dynasty.

After lunch at a typical Moroccan restaurant, continue on foot to the ancient medina with its colorful souks to the Kasbah of Oudaya. This is a quiet and picturesque spot with white and blue houses in the middle of bustling Rabat. Visit the beautiful Andalusian Gardens located on the site of the old palace grounds overlooking the Bou Regreg River. Back in Casablanca, you’ll have an orientation tour of the city including a photo stop at the Hassan II Mosque. 

Tour Option B: Marrakech, The Magical Pink City

Tour Code: MACAS308
Tour Type: Sightseeing
Duration: 12 Hours 30 Minutes
Minimum: 10 Guests – Maximum 150 Guests
Timing: 8:45 AM – 9:15 PM (subject to change)
Meals: Lunch

Activity Level: W3: Strenuous activity. This tour requires physical effort, including walking long distances over uneven or steep terrain or steps. Guests must be able to participate without discomfort or difficulty in breathing. Up to 2 km of walking is involved. Due to the terrain and steps, wheelchairs are not permitted.

Price: $239

Tour Description:

Marrakech was founded almost a thousand years ago, nestles at the foot of Morocco’s mighty Atlas Mountains. Set off by comfortable, air-conditioned motor coach for the 160-mile panoramic drive, with a restroom stop en route.

Once in Marrakech, we will pass by the Koutoubia Minaret — a 12th-century Moorish monument. Visit the Bahia Palace to see the rooms that once housed the Sultan’s harem.

Our next stop is the renovated Medersa Ben Youssef; one of the jewels of Marrakech – “The holy site of Medersa Ben Youssef”. The current structure of this Koranic school was built around 1570. It is the biggest medersa (school) in the whole of the Maghreb (west). Opposite the entrance to the Ben Youssef Mosque, the Qoubba Almoravides was the cleansing area for believers going to the mosque.

Lunch is served in a stunning Riad in the heart of the Medina before you head to Jemaa al-Fnaa Square to mingle with soothsayers, acrobats, snake charmers and water-sellers.

If time permits, you will have free time to explore and stroll on your own at the Marrakech souk (market) before the return journey to Casablanca.

Thursday, October 10 – Casablanca, Morocco
Port Times:
Overnight – Departure 9:00 PM

Tour Option A: Casablanca & Hassan II Mosque

Tour Code: MACAS302
Tour Type: Sightseeing Tour
Duration: 5 Hours
Minimum: 15 Guests – Maximum 200 Guests
Timing: 8:45 AM – 1:45 PM (subject to change)
Meals: Snack and Beverage

Activity Level: W2: Moderate activity. Requires intermittent effort throughout, including walking medium distances over uneven surfaces and/or on steps. Approx. – 500 m to 1 km – over moderate, paved terrain, few steps. When visiting the mosque, guests should cover their shoulders and legs up to the knees.

Price: $0 – included tour

Tour Description:

We begin with a short drive to one of the most important squares in the city, Mohammed V Square, where you will enjoy a photo opportunity. We will see the magnificent architecture of the new Theatre.

Our next stop is Hassan II Mosque (the Great Mosque), completed in 1993. This is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world, and its construction was such a massive financial undertaking that it had a marked effect on Morocco’s economy for many years.

Return to the coach and set out along the coastal road, passing the golden beaches of the Ain Diab Resort while enjoying a refreshing beverage.

Continuing with the visit of Casablanca we proceed to the New Medina or Habous Quarter, a modern development in a traditional style where we will view the outside of the magnificent Royal Palace and the Regional Law Courts. On the way, we will briefly visit the Notre Dame de Lourdes Church.

Re-board the coach to return to the ship.

Friday, October 11 – Safi, Morocco
Port Times:
Arrival 8:30 AM – Departure 8:00 PM

Tour Option A: Safi Highlights

Tour Code: MASFI303
Tour Type: Sightseeing Tour
Duration: 4 Hours
Minimum: 15 Guests – Maximum 150 Guests
Timing: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM (subject to change)
Meals: None

Activity Level: W3: Strenuous activity. Tour requires physical effort, walking long distances over uneven or steep terrain or on steps. Guests must be able to participate without discomfort or difficulty in breathing. Not suitable for wheelchairs.

Price: $0 – included tour

Tour Description:

Discover the fascinating history of Safi, one of the oldest cities in Morocco. Little is known about when it was founded, but it has been inhabited by Carthaginians, Romans, Goths, and Muslims. Founded by the Almohad dynasty in the 12th century, the city became an important religious and cultural center. Safi remains the largest of Morocco’s five historic Atlantic ports, and its history is inextricably linked to the sea.

Begin with a visit to the Corniche Sidi Bou Said, where you can take in breathtaking views of the ocean, port, and city. Drive along the city’s main avenues to the Ceramic Museum, where you’ll learn about Safi’s rich pottery tradition. Explore the heart of the Medina and visit The Safi Museum to learn more about the city’s intriguing history, and discover Safi’s pride and joy, Potters’ Hill, where a variety of exquisite ceramic handicrafts are on display. Conclude your exploration by enjoying a refreshing cup of mint tea.

Tour Option B:  The Medina of Safi (Safi Walking Tour of the Medina)
Tour Code: MASFI304

Tour Type: Sightseeing
Duration: 4 Hours
Minimum: 20 Guests – Maximum 150 Guests
Timing: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Meal: None

Activity Level: W3: Strenuous activity. Tour requires physical effort, walking long distances over uneven or steep terrain or on steps. Guests must be able to participate without discomfort or difficulty in breathing. This tour involves a lot of walking and is not suitable for guests in wheelchairs or those who have walking difficulties.

Price: $129

Tour Description:

Set off on an exploration of Safi, a city wrapped in enigma, with roots that stretch into the mists of time. Once a stage for the Carthaginians, Romans, and Goths, Safi found its stride under the Muslim rule, particularly when the Almohad dynasty laid its foundations in the 12th century, elevating it to a hub of spiritual and cultural significance.

Today, standing proud as the largest among Morocco’s quintet of historic Atlantic harbors, Safi’s saga is a testament to the tides that shaped it. Begin with a visit to the bustling fishing port, renowned for its sardines and a remarkable grain silo built in 1956. Stroll along the Corniche Sidi Bou Said and admire the sea castle, Ksar el Bhar, an impressive waterfront structure built in the 16th century. Immerse yourself in the Medina, where you’ll explore The Safi Museum, a small private museum showcasing a selection of old handcrafted items, jewelry, and clothing. Walk along the Rue du Souq, teeming with food and craft stalls, and head to Bab Ecchaaba to witness the skill of the city’s potters. Savor a refreshing mint tea at a local café before returning to your yacht, enriched with memories of Safi’s history and culture.

Sunday, October 13 – Arrecife (Lanzarote), Canary Islands
Port Times:
Arrival 7:00 AM – Departure 6:00 PM

Tour Option A:  Cesar Manrique´s Island
Tour Code: ESACE301

Tour Type: Sightseeing
Duration: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
Minimum: 20 Guests – Maximum 80 Guests
Timing: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM (subject to change)
Meals: None

Activity Level: W2: Moderate activity. Requires intermittent effort throughout, including walking medium distances over uneven surfaces and/or on steps. Wheelchairs are not suitable for this tour.

Price: $0 – included tour

Tour Description:

Begin your tour at the Cactus Garden, a unique botanical garden designed by Manrique himself. Here, you’ll find over 1,000 species of cacti from all over the world, arranged in a natural setting within a circular structure made up of terraced walls. Continue to Los Jameos del Agua, a massive open-air cavern formed from a four-mile-long volcanic tunnel created by molten lava after the eruption of the La Corona volcano 3,000 years ago. Manrique saw the potential in the openings in the solidified lava and transformed them into a tropical garden, a pool, a bar, and a 600seat auditorium.

Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a huge lobster sculpture at the entrance. Descend the stone staircase into the first cave, Jameo Chic, and continue along a pathway that crosses a lake filled with tiny albino crabs. Make your way to Jameo Grande, a huge open-air cave lined with tropical plants and a vibrant turquoise pool. Finally, head back to Arrecife for a visit to the Castle of San José and its Museum of Contemporary Art. Located in the castle’s ancient cellar, this spacious and elegant gallery houses a fine collection of abstract works. After a short tour of the museum and free time, we’ll drive back to the ship. 

Tour Option B:  Volcanic World
Tour Code: ESACE305

Tour Type: Sightseeing
Duration: 4 Hours
Minimum: 10 Guests – Maximum 100 Guests
Timing: 10:45 AM – 2:45 PM (subject to change)
Meals: Wine

Activity Level: W2: Moderate activity. Requires intermittent effort throughout, including walking medium distances over uneven surfaces and/or on steps. No wheelchairs due to terrain, stairs and bus entrance/exit.

Price: $0 – included tour

Tour Description:

Travel to the island’s south, passing by the picturesque villages of Macher and Uga. You’ll cross a massive black lava stream before reaching the Timanfaya National Park, a natural museum of unparalleled beauty. Bizarre craters, streams of lava, and fields of ash are mixed in a nearly lunar landscape, all formed during the last eruption in the 18th century. At the hill of Islote de Hilario, the heat is so strong that water fountains gush up, dry weed catches fire within seconds, and a natural grill works with the heat of the Earth below. After some free time to explore the area, enjoy an approximately 40-minute ride on the Lunar Route, inside the heart of the National Park. Here, you’ll learn about the history of volcanic eruptions and see how slowly life conquers the inhospitable landscape with rare plants.

On the southwest coast of the island, you’ll make a stop at a small green lake called El Golfo, formed by natural filtrations from the ocean. Continue to the El Golfo village, where you’ll have the opportunity to take some pictures and cherish this unforgettable moment. Near Yaiza, one of the most beautiful villages on the island, you’ll visit the valley of La Geria, where famed Malvasia wine grapes are cultivated, with a stop at a winery to observe the unique style of cultivation.