TOUR CODE:
MORO-27
TOUR CODE:
MORO-27
This updated tour will whisk travellers through the history of Andalusia and North Africa. Throughout our journey, we will explore Spain and Morocco’s complex history through a myriad of sites that delve into their shared past while also examining their more modern narratives.
Overview
Seville’s UNESCO-listed Alcazar, cathedral and General Archive of the West Indies, will illuminate the fusion of Islamic and Christian design. Meanwhile in Córdoba, the archaeological museum, situated above the remains of a Roman theatre, provides insights into the city’s history, and the Great Mosque stands as a testament to its Islamic legacy. Italica, a Roman city founded in 206 BCE, features Hadrianic buildings, small bathhouses and an impressive amphitheatre, alongside well-preserved Roman streets and mosaic floors. Cádiz, one of Western Europe's oldest cities, provides glimpses into its own Phoenician origins and subsequent Islamic expansion.
Venturing to Morocco, Tétouan's history begins with the ancient Mauri, evolving through Phoenician trade to become a Roman colony under Augustus. We will also discover Iulia Valentia Banasa and Iulia Constantia Zilil, Augustan foundations with impressive Roman remains. Furthermore, we will visit the magnificent Roman ruins of Volubilis, ancient Mauretania's capital, with its extensive 2nd and 3rd century CE remains.
In Rabat, we will encounter one of Morocco’s most beautiful ruins, Chellah, a captivating walled citadel. Meanwhile, Marrakesh will captivate us with its intricate 16th century Saadian tombs and the vast remnants of the El Badi Palace. Beyond the city, the snow-capped High Atlas will provide a stunning backdrop to our explorations.
Tour Director
Niccolò Mugnai
Niccolò, BA, MA, PhD, AFHEA, is a classical archaeologist who specialises in the architecture, art, urbanism and material culture of the Greco-Roman world, with a particular focus on North Africa.
This tour will be led by Niccolò Mugnai, BA, MA, PhD, AFHEA, a classical archaeologist who specialises in the architecture, art, urbanism and material culture of the Greco-Roman world, with a particular focus on North Africa. He has led guided visits and been involved in archaeological fieldwork at numerous sites in Italy, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya, and has published extensively on the archaeology and architecture of ancient North Africa among other subjects.
– ACE customer on tour in 2026
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
The tour involves very full days of sightseeing as well as some long and tiring coach journeys, and there are poor road conditions in places. This tour involves travelling across the border between Spain and Morocco by ferry, which, while not long, may be rough. A good level of fitness, mobility and stamina is required for this tour, as it involves a significant amount of travel and different hotel stays, as well as time spent walking and standing at historical sites, where there are not always frequent opportunities to sit down. Participants should be prepared for traversing uneven ground, steps and cobbles, step ascents, as well as dimly lit interiors. Some visits may also have more basic facilities at some sites and during certain journeys. This tour uses a selection of several different establishments, chosen to carefully balance character, location, service and comfort levels, however please note that sometimes the standards are simpler than those found at typical Western hotels. Participants should be prepared for traversing uneven ground, steps and cobbles, as well as dimly lit interiors. Please consult ACE’s minimum fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
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