Day 1:
Marrakech
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Welcome to Morocco! Following your transfer from the airport to our joining hotel in the heart of Marrakech, make the most of your first day and explore the souks and Djemaa El Fna (the legendary main square). Be sure to be at the hotel for the pre-departure meeting at 18.00 where you will meet your fellow travellers.
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Day 2:
Gorges du Dades
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Leaving Marrakech, we drive through the striking Dades Valley , which extends from the High Atlas to the Jebel Sahro range in the south, to reach the Gorge Du Dades. With towering red cliffs, winding streams and ancient Kasbahs, the Gorge Du Dades is incredibly beautiful and a fitting start to this adventure tour.
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Day 3:
Todra Gorge
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Explore the magnificent Todra Gorge. This dusty red canyon is just 10m wide at its narrowest point, with its cliff walls towering 300m above and a small glacier stream flowing through it. Enjoy a trek through the gorge or for the more adventurous, try some optional rock climbing! In the summer horse riding is available as an option as well.
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Day 4:
Sahara Desert
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Today we drive to Erg Chebbi where sand dunes signal the start of the awe inspiring Sahara Desert. Leaving our vehicle we take a camel trek into the vast and silent Sahara desert to a Berber camp. This evening we enjoy local food in the camp and spend an amazing night, sleeping under the Saharan stars – an experience of a lifetime.
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Day 5:
Ouarzazate
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We leave the Sahara Desert and continue our adventure through the Draa Valley along the route of 1000 Kasbahs. This area boasts a beautiful landscape dotted with untouched villages that preserve that sense of times past where you can witness villagers going about their daily routine.
We venture on to Ouarzazate, which African traders once used as a resting place on their journeys up to Europe which makes sense as it is an intersection, triangulated by the Atlas, Draa and Dades Valleys. This areas appeal is best conveyed through its use as a film set for many great films - The Last Temptation of Christ, The Living Daylights and, more recently, Gladiator.
We make it in time for a swim which leaves you refreshed and ready to explore the centre.
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Day 6:
Ait Benhaddou
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This morning, the adventure continues as we head for Aït Benhaddou, a ‘fortified city', situated along the former caravan route between the Sahara Desert and Marrakech. En route, choose from optional quad biking or a visit to the film studio. We then travel over the High Atlas mountains on our way to Marrakech. On a hill along the Ouarzazate River we find Aït Benhaddou. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it boasts great examples of Kasbahs, some of which remain inhabited.
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Day 7:
Marrakech
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Enjoy a guided tour of Marrakech this morning with free time in the afternoon to explore independently. Within the rose-coloured walls of the medina you find a reality that is not that far removed from a film set: winding streets that open onto lush gardens and dark alleyways that lead to bustling souks. The focal point is the central square, the Djemâa-el- Fna, an extraordinary gathering and market place. Full of colour, spicy aromas and traders, it is best seen in the evening, when overflowing with food stalls, dancers, acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians and henna artists.
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Day 8:
Essaouira
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Days 8 - 9: This morning we take a leisurely drive to Essaouira; a colourful fishing town situated within 15th century Portuguese fortifications, where great beaches and surf beckon. Relax on the beach or alternatively explore the UNESCO-listed medina with its various souks and woodcarving workshops. Any city gate leads to the medina, so you’re unlikely to get lost. The beach is in front of the Medina and there are plenty of cafés with terraces, both ideal for relaxing for a few hours. Blue doors and window frames abound as do the artists shops – buy a carpet or Thuya wood carving or sit on the beach sipping a mint tea as the sun sets, an antidote to the bustle of the Imperial cities. There is the opportunity to do some optional activities, such as quad biking, surfing, horse trekking and wind surfing or you can just simply sit on the beach and relax!
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Day 10:
Marrakech
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After a relaxing morning in Essaouira, we head back to Marrakech for the final night. We all go out for a group meal and celebrate the end of a successful tour!
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Day 11:
Marrakech
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Tuesday. The tour ends after breakfast, and you can spend the last few hours soaking up the rich Marrakech culture before hotel checkout at 12 noon.
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