The morning and early afternoon is yours to spend as you wish at leisure. Perhaps you would like to take a stroll through the Park de la Ligue Arabe, with its pergolas, long palm tree vistas, and shady, inviting café terraces. Or maybe you would prefer to walk through the Quartier Habbous, past the Royal Palace and along the Boulevard de la Corniche for a splendid view of uninterrupted shoreline. Stop at one of the cafes and savor the cool sea breezes.

Arriving in the walled city of Marrakech, befezzed porters clad in traditional baggy white trousers and yellow pointed-toe slippers greet you at La Mamounia hotel. A crown jewel among Morocco’s numerous lavish hotels, it was to this establishment that Winston Churchill came every winter until 1952. (There are signed paintings by Churchill here which he created while sitting in the La Mamounia’s enchanted 32–acre garden, located within the city’s ancient ramparts.) It is also a favorite with heads of state, movie stars and other celebrities. This evening, dine à la carte in the hotel’s Le Restaurante Morocain restaurant. (B,L,D)

This morning, walk through the Djemaa el Fna square, complete with snake charmers, jugglers, acrobats, dancers, storytellers, and fortune tellers. You also visit the El Bahia Palace, the Dar Si’Sai Museum of Moroccan arts, the Saadian Tombs, and the ruins of El Badi Palace. After lunch in the garden at the Relais al-Baraka restaurant, wander through the Menara Pavilion, which includes a huge lake and views of the snow-covered Atlas Mountains in the distance.

Join your companions for an à la carte dinner with specialties such as, platters of golden couscous with fresh yellow and red peppers accompany tender lamb mechoui, and desserts sprinkled with delicate rosewater - all served to the rhythmic beat of Berber music. (B,L,D)

Today you have the entire day to explore the oasis city of Marrakech. There are numerous shops offering an array of items to bring home: paintings, tiles, clothing, lapis and coral jewelry, silver urns and teapots, lamps and lanterns, leatherwork, and beautifully hand-embroidered fabric. For instance, a French woman named Brigitte Perkins works out of her home weaving sensational linens on traditional looms, implementing vivid colors and designs.

For dinner, you travel out into the desert, where a tent village has been re-created. The various tents are used as dining rooms. After your meal, featuring typical Moroccan fare, you are entertained with a fantasia, a dazzling performance of traditional singing, acrobatics, horseracing, and rifle fusillade. (B,L,D)

Today you fly from Marrakech to Tunis, Tunisia. Upon our arrival in Tunis, you transfer to the Tunis Hilton, set on a hill overlooking the city. The hotel is just beyond the Parc du Belvedere in a quiet traffic-free location. A harmonious blend of contemporary décor and colorful local accents greets you. Tunis was occupied before Carthage was founded in 800 BC and is thus second only to Rome as the oldest city in the Mediterranean area; it is now the administrative, economic and cultural center of the country. It sits on a ridge between two bodies of water - the Lac de Tunis to the east and the Sebkha es Sedjoumi lagoon to the southwest - and two sets of hills – the Belevedere to the north and the Sidi Bel Hassen to the south.

You have time to explore the well-preserved old Arab sector along the harbor and the newer part of the city, which has distinctly European touches, with its modern shops. There are perfumes of jasmine, ceramic plates and vases, carvings of palm and olive wood as well as leather book covers, wallets, and belts. The famous Bardo National Museum is housed in a former villa which Alexandre Dumas described as a "fairytale residence". It is best known for its Roman and Byzantine mosaics but also has an extensive display of items from numerous excavated sites throughout Tunisia. This evening you dine on Tunisian specialties, a marvelous blend of Eastern and Western cuisine. (B,L,D)

Today you journey 12 miles from Tunis to the ancient ruins of historic Carthage – once the greatest city in North Africa. Founded around 800 BC by the Phoenicians, Carthage flourished for centuries. The Romans destroyed the city in 146 BC – the ruins of the temples, amphitheaters, and statues only hint at the once glorious existence its population enjoyed.

On our way back to Tunis, you stop in the whitewashed Andalusian-style village of Sidi Bou Said, built on the slopes of Cap Carthage, overlooking the sea. The area was a favorite source of material for three French painters – Klee, Macke, and Moillet – at the beginning of this century; and their work continues to be highly regarded. (Be sure not to miss the Café des Nattes at the upper end of the main square, which often shows paintings by Macke.) Protected by government statute, the town has been preserved in its original style; cars are not allowed in the village, which makes strolling past wrought iron doorways, Spanish courtyards, and Moorish coffee houses even more enjoyable. From the village’s highest point, just below the lighthouse, there are splendid views of the Gulf of Tunis, Cap Bon, and Carthage in the distance. For your à la carte dinner, you return to Tunis to eat at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Today you take a day-trip to Dougga (ancient Thugga); its name is taken from the word tukka, which means sheer rock. The ruins, considered the best preserved in Africa, lie atop a plateau, with a view of sweeping pastures and olive groves below – there is a particularly impressive view from the Capitol, which was dedicated to the Roman gods Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva as well as Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Dougga is thought to have been first settled by the Numidians in the 4^th century BC and was recorded in the 1^st century BC by the Greek historian Diodorus as a "large and handsome" city. The Romans started to settle in the surrounding area around 100 AD and enlarged the town considerably. After a break for lunch, you walk through the site; keep in mind that, unlike the orderly street plans of most Roman cities, there was a maze of pedestrian walkways here.

In its most prosperous period – around 260 AD - the town was called Colonia Licinia; the majority of its inhabitants were Roman citizens. Most of the impressive public buildings and private residences were built during this time by wealthy Roman landowners. The town started to decline when the Romans departed, although it was restored and fortified by the Byzantines, who used stone from the ancient buildings; but they subsequently abandoned it. Refugees from southern Spain settled in the area later and revived the cultivation of olives. The sight was not rediscovered until the 17^th century; excavations began in 1899 and are still in progress. You return to Tunis in time for an à la carte dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

This morning you fly from Tunis to Valletta, Malta – birthplace of Hannibal. The island’s British past is still evident in the names of local shops in Valetta, but is also has the charm of a small Italian city. There are great stone buildings, with wooden balconies richly painted in shades of green or blue, set along wide streets – some with steps leading right down to the sea.

The Meridian Phoenicia Hotel, just outside the walls of old Valletta, is a former villa constructed of carmel-colored stone and set among palm trees in a lush garden. Inside are elegant high ceilings, marble floors, arched windows, and wonderful views of multi-colored boats sitting at anchor in Valletta’s harbor. This afternoon, we tour St. John’s Cathedral in Valletta. Within its Baroque interior are two of Caravaggio’s paintings – The Beheading of St John the Baptist and St. Jerome - and an extensive collection of Flemish tapestries. This evening you make your dinner selection from the à la carte menu of the Phoenix Restaurant in our hotel. (B,LD)

Today you visit two picturesque villages. The first is Mdina, a medieval village with cobblestoned streets and little plazas, once the capital of Malta (before the arrival of the Knights of the Order of St. John). The second is Rabat, with a former Roman villa that has been transformed into a museum where you learn more about the Knights of the Order of St. John, who occupied Malta for more than 250 years, beginning in the mid-16^th century.

This afternoon we go along the picturesque cliff road to the boat landing to take one of the brightly colored motor boats to the Blue Grotto. The electric blue of the water and the purple, rose and blue-gray coloring of some of the rocks are a vivid contrast with the island’s gray cliffs. You go to Bacchus for an à la carte dinner of Mediterranean, as well as international, fare. If you like, try the Maltese bragoli (rolled beef with mincemeat, stewed in tomato sauce) or tender rabbit stew made with potatoes and vegetables in a wine sauce; locally caught prawns and swordfish are also favorites here. (B,L,D)

Today you travel to the 24-square-mile island of Gozo (where legend says the nymph Calypso held Odysseus for seven years). Here you see quaint fishing villages, Calypso’s Cave, and the Basilica of Ta’Pinu Marsalfarn. Charming shops offer splendid handmade lace and a variety of woolen goods. You lunch à la carte at the restaurant in the Ta’Cenc Hotel, a small limestone estate in an idyllic setting overlooking a turquoise inlet dotted with rocks. You descend to the shore to board a boat to explore the Azure Window – a natural rock arch - and the Fungus Rock, where legend has it that a valuable medicinal plant prized by the Knights could be found. Tonight, after our return to Valletta, horse-drawn carriages take us to the Black Pearl for a farewell cocktail party and à la carte dinner. The Pearl is a renovated 100-year-old schooner that was used in the filming of the musical "Popeye", and is said to have belonged to Errol Flynn. (B,L,D)

Your journey comes to an end today, and your tour manager escorts you to the airport for your flight home. (B)