Porto/Marrakesh: SAMPLE Destination Options

A very colorful and historic hillside city and one of the major urban areas of the Iberian Peninsula, former capital Porto is one of the oldest European centers and second largest city in Portugal behind Lisbon.

Perfect for a cultural holiday, Porto is best known for its export of Port wine (named after the city), the magnificent Douro River which runs through the center of the city, and its maze of steep and narrow cobbled streets which are home to beautiful plazas, churches and houses with colorfully tiled façades.

Porto won the European Best Destination 2012, 2014 and 2017 awards.

Experiences:

•Discover many of the museums, concert halls, theaters, cinemas, art galleries, libraries and old bookshops.

•Enjoy Porto’s sumptuous food and wine at the local cafés and restaurants lining the historic city centre streets.

•Try the famous Port wine with a wine tasting at many of the local wine cellars.

•See the city from a different perspective with a Douro River cruise.

With temperatures in Porto averaging in the high 60's to low 70's during the September/October months, the weather is perfect for any activity!

Marrakesh (The Red City), a former imperial city in western Morocco, is a major economic center and is home to modern neighborhoods encircling traditional souks (marketplaces), and palaces, gardens, mosques, swanky hotels, and museums. The medina, or old city, is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry.

Marrakesh is laden with historical landmarks and fascinating sites such as the long-hidden tombs of the Saadian sultans, Yves St Laurent's artful Jardin Majorelle and the decorative jewel that is the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa. Most notably and a symbol of the city, visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.

Experiences:

•Enjoy traditional Moroccan cuisine with great company under the stars.

•Visit the medina, the heart of Marrakesh. A UNESCO world heritage site, this is the largest ancient market in all of North Africa. Stroll through the serpentine streets discovering ramparts, tombs, monuments, and mosques.

•Shop for Moroccan and Asian antiques or, if you’re in the market for a traditional handmade rug, visit Haj Abderrazak’s prestigious gallery in the city center.

•Book an excursion to the Ourika Valley for jaw-dropping views of the Atlas Mountains.

•Find your way to the Kasbah, where the essence of Marrakesh remains intact. With its peacefully inviting old streets and vendors, soak up the real feel of the city and admire the Royal Palace.

Situated on Africa’s northern coast, approximately 23 degrees north of the equator, average temperatures in Marrakesh range from the high 80's to low 90's during the September/October months.