Day 1 Fly to Marrakech
We fly to Marrakech and are transferred to our Riad within the walls of this ancient and beautiful city.
Marrakech is a vibrant and busy place; at its heart is the UNESCO world heritage market square, Djemaa al-Fna. Here we can watch as Southern tribesmen and Berber villagers bring their goods to buy and sell. Just off the square, a maze of alleyways leads into the traditional Berber souks and stalls piled high with goods. We may have time to explore before dinner and our first taste of authentic Moroccan cuisine.
As we navigate the narrow alleys and lanes, the 800-year old Koutoubia Minaret- the most perfect Islamic monument in North Africa- towers above us and in the far distance the peaks of the High Atlas Mountains are just visible.
Day 2 High Atlas Mountains
Today will be an early start as we travel into the mountains. We head off the beaten track to the little-visited village of Tighza, where we will gain an insight into the fascinating Berber culture. We will enter a local home to talk to a family and discover how they have adapted to life in the mountains.
We take a short trek in the local area to explore farming methods, look at irrigation, village culture and flood mitigation strategies. We’ll stay overnight in a local gite.
Day 3 Ouarzazate & Dades Valley
We wind our way down from the Atlas Mountains, and onwards to Ouarzazate. The town started as a convenient stop for African traders and their goods that were bound for Europe. Ouarzazate has now grown into a buzzing and steadily expanding modern town.
One of the fascinating industries in Ouarzazate is the film industry; many ‘big screen’ movies are filmed here, taking advantage of the dramatic scenery and African culture – we will visit one of the studios to see the amazing film sets! Gladiator and more recently the Game of Thrones series have both been filmed here.
We continue our journey eastwards to the dramatic Dades Valley. We will have time for a short walk to explore this vast mountain gorge; it contains huge fortified ksours, bigger versions of mud built Kasbahs typical to this southern desert region. These fortified dwellings were built to protect the valuable fertile fields along the river.
As we explore the area we are almost certain to meet some of the friendly Berber people who live in the valley. We will also have time to visit the higher section of Dades Valley where it becomes a narrow gorge. Here it will be fascinating to look at and consider how the gorge was formed and the erosion processes that have taken place over thousands of years.
Days 4-5 Sahara Desert Trek
This morning we drive to the region of Merzouga, we are now in the Sahara desert! Here there is a huge section of sand dunes known as Erg Chebbi. To prepare for the trek, our first task is to help load up the camels with our kit. We trek for approximately 2 hours until we reach the spot where we will wild camp for the night.
Over the next day and a half, we will trek at the speed of our camels, traversing the dunes. We’ll have a chance to learn about this stunning environment from our local desert team. They show us how Tamarisk trees and other plants survive in this harsh environment and if we are lucky we will see some of the desert wildlife or perhaps the footprints they leave behind in the sand.
We experience the immense solitude of the desert, and as the day draws to a close we will hope to witness the spectacular changes of colour in the landscape as the sun moves lower on the Sahara sand.
Day 6 Ait Benhaddou
Early in the morning, we trek out of the desert and bid farewell to our camel team before we transfer to our destination for the night - the UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou: a collection of dark red pisé Kasbahs that stand out against the almond, olive trees and date palms. This site is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture.
Aït Benhaddou is surrounded by stunning desert scenery so it’s clear to see why this beautiful location has often been used as a setting for films such as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Gladiator’. In the afternoon we will have the chance to explore the Kasbahs on foot and learn about these traditional fortified dwellings that were originally built around the 17th century on the old trade routes which crisscrossed Africa.
Day 7 Marrakech
Today we will return to vibrant Marrakech and having transferred to our Riad we have the rest of the day free to explore.
In Djemaa al-Fna Square at the centre of the Medina, we can watch the long-established rituals where groups of acrobats, drummers, pipe musicians, dancers, storytellers and snake charmers entertain the crowds. As the sun sets, the square becomes a hive of activity as food stalls are set out for the evening trade where locals and tourists rub shoulders at crowded tables.
There will be a chance to visit the amazing souks selling everything from beautiful handcrafted jewelry and handmade leather shoes, to perfumes and spices. Bartering is a way of life in the souks and we can perfect our skills as we shop for family presents and souvenirs. We will end the day by celebrating our Moroccan adventure with a delicious meal at a Marrakech restaurant.
Day 8 Return to London
Today we’ll transfer to the airport for our flight home. We finish with a camera full of epic photos, and the memories of a once in a lifetime experience!