Morocco is exotic. Everything from the unfamiliar sounds and intriguing smells, the unforgettable mystique of the huge golden dunes of the Sahara desert and the grandeur of the Atlas mountains will leave you speechless.
You will feel like you have stepped back in time, to a place where age-old traditions are practiced as they have been for hundreds of years. Moroccans are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people around, and you will most likely feel as though you are just part of one big extended family.
riding a camel out into the Sahara Desert and sleeping under a million stars
hiking up into the Atlas Mountains and staying in a mud village with a berber family
exploring the souqs (markets) of Fès and Marrakech, haggling for beautiful handmade treasures!
watching everyday Moroccan life, drinking mint tea with the locals and learning about Moroccan culture
having a hammam (traditional bath), getting your hands hennaed in a traditional design by local woman
Todra Gorge, the palmeries, the Kasbahs, the ever-changing landscapes . . .
Marrakech - the Big Square: fascinating street performers, exotic smells of spices and incense, sounds of snake charmers and belly-dancers, and an exhilarating and vibrant atmosphere
Fès: a medieval city with a labyrinth of intriguing alleyways full of artisans crafting beautiful wares
Enquire here now for the trip of a lifetime!
This is arrival day - you will be picked up from the airport and taken to the hotel to recover from your flight.
You have a free afternoon to go for a stroll along the Casablanca waterfront, drink coffee on the esplanade or relax by the pool at the hotel.
Dinner together and trip briefing.
Day 2, Casablanca
This morning we visit the Hassan II mosque, the third largest mosque in the world, built to commemorate the former Kings 60th birthday. It is an impressive sight, with beautiful turquoise tile work and a retractable roof - it can hold 25,000 worshippers. We take a guided tour to learn more about Islam, which is a good introduction to the start of your trip. Lunch at a lovely local seaside restaurant. In the afternoon we go on a 4 hour city tour of Casablanca. Our local guide will give you a fascinating insight into Moroccan/Muslim life - everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask! Dinner tonight in a beautiful, traditional Moroccan restaurant.
Day 3, Casablanca to Fès
Today we head for the fascinating imperial city of Fès. Casablanca might be your first impression of Morocco, but don't be fooled, it is a stark contrast to what you are about to experience in the medieval city of Fès, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We try to get to Fès in time for a short walk in the maze-like alleyways of the souq, and to watch the sun set from a fantastic vantage point over this amazing old city.
Day 4, Fès
Today we take a fascinating guided tour of the Fès medina, visiting the tanneries, Fès potters, and other artisans.
We then take a walk through the souq (market), a maze of narrow alleyways crammed with shops selling all sorts of treasures. Fès is an interesting and exciting place - the souq bulges with beautiful handmade crafts (copper and brass stained glass lamps, carpets, colourful spices, leather bags…).
Make sure you have room in your bag for some of the great stuff you can buy here! Haggling is all part of the fun and games to get the price down too. There is time to shop along the way, because let's face it, you won't be able to resist it!
Day 5, Fès to Merzouga
After breakfast we set off for the Sahara desert, stopping along the way in Ifrane, a "Swiss-style" town built by the French in the 30s.
We pass through the dramatic Ziz Valley, and the landscape changes several times till we finally reach the edge of the Sahara. Here we stay the night in a beautiful Kasbah-style hotel made of mud, with a backdrop of huge golden dunes.
All around us is desert, and tonight you will experience a Saharan sunset and a starry African sky.
Day 6, Merzouga, Sahara Desert
This morning we have a leisurely breakfast on the edge of the Sahara desert. The pace of life is slower out here under the hot sun, and somehow the nothingness is mesmerizing. Out in the desert you feel a million miles from anywhere.
After breakfast we go to a desert village and hear some traditional music by the group Pigeons Du Sable. We then go to Maison Tuareg to learn about carpets and Tuareg artifacts, and to get turbans for our night out in the desert.
In the late afternoon, with the sun setting in the distance, we mount our camels and ride for a couple of hours out into a desert camp amongst the dunes. Our guide will prepare us a tasty tajine, and then we sleep on mattresses under a million stars. Exotic dreams are sure to be had!
Day 7, Sahara Desert to Dades Gorge
The sunrise will gently wake you - those that are keen can climb the high dune next to our camp to watch the sun rise over the endless sands. Local Berber children of the desert will come by with handmade trinkets for sale. We then get on the camels for the ride back to our mud hotel, where a hearty breakfast and showers wait for us. Next stop is Boumalne, around 4 hours drive away and gateway to the Dades Gorge. Unwind by the pool in the late afternoon as you will need energy for the excitement of the coming days.
Day 8, Dades Gorge to Ait Benhaddou
We leave our lovely hotel and take a drive through the spectacular Dades gorge, full of incredible rock formations in beautiful coloured sandstone. Our journey then takes us through the Vallee des Roses, where exotic products are made from the Damascus Rose. Maybe you still have some room in your bag for some rose water, rose oil, or some beautiful handcreams etc. We stop at Ouarzazate, (Morocco's answer to Hollywood) , where Gladiator and the Mummy, amongst others, were filmed, for lunch, perhaps in a local friends home if she is available!
We then drive on to Ait Benhaddou, one of the oldest and best preserved Kasbahs in Morocco. A Kasbah is an old mud-walled castle, with beautifully decorated mud turrets. This particular one is a UNESCO World Heritage site - our hotel tonight has a fine view of the old Kasbah, but there is also time to stroll around it and discover it's secrets.
It is a longish but very scenic mountainous drive to Marrakech, with photo and sightseeing stops along the way.
Once in Marrakech we visit the souq to buy scrubbing gloves and Moroccan soap "savon noir" for our hammam after the hike. This evening we eat together at Jamaa El Fna, otherwise known as the Big Square, amongst all the buskers and overwhelming atmosphere.
Marrakech is a vibrant city where east meets west - from the traditional old souq in the medina (old town) to the modern shops and French patisseries, you will find this place fascinating.
Jamaa El Fna is a hive of live street entertainment every evening - there are belly dancers, acrobats, storytellers, musicians and much more to keep you amused for hours.
We leave Marrakech bright and early and head up to Ourika gorge, stopping for breakfast along the way. It is a stunning drive, leaving the flat, red desert behind and entering the lush, green Atlas Mountains.
Our guides load donkeys with our overnight bags and off we go on our hike. We take our time on the hike, stopping along the way for photos and a lunch break. Tonight is a real cultural experience as we stay with a Berber family in their home up in the mountains.
This is guaranteed to be one of the many highlights of this trip as you get to see how a Berber family survives up in the mountains using age-old traditions. Conditions are rustic as we live like the locals for a night.
The next day we hike back down the valley to Setti Fatma, have lunch and head back to Marrakech. In the afternoon we head into town for a "hammam" - this is a traditional communal bath house, where using natural locally made products (olive oil soap etc) we are scrubbed till we are squeaky clean by one of the bathhouse attendants - guaranteed to come out feeling like a new born baby!
Today is your free day to do as you please - trawl the souq for exotic goodies, spend a few hours watching the buskers (snake charmers, musicians etc), take a horse and carriage ride, get a henna tattoo ... whatever you feel like!
Today we drive out to the coast, to spend some time in the white-washed town of Essaouira. Essaouira has a special, laid-back feeling and you will enjoy some time out here. After a short orientation you are free to browse around the market, visit the port, watch the world pass by in a chic café or stroll on the beach.
Eat lunch wherever you like, but we recommend a delicious fish meal at one of the fish restaurants.
Alternatively, you can spend the day in Marrakech and take part in a Moroccan cooking class. Learn how to cook delicious Moroccan food with local women! This is an optional extra and depends on space availability in the class, and must be booked when booking your Morocco trip.
Our wonderful Morocco trip finishes after breakfast. Catch a flight home from Marrakech or get a connecting flight to Casablanca and then onwards home.
Another option is also to take the 4 hour train ride from Marrakech to Casablanca, stay the night and fly out the following day from Casa - we can help you with these arrangements.
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