Morocco
Day One: Welcome to Morocco
Your private driver will be waiting at the airport, ready to take to you to your Marrakech hotel for the next two nights.
Overnight in Marrakech
Meals included: None
Premium - 2ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa
Day Two: Exploring Marrakech
Time to get to know this enchanting city with your private guide. Heading to the Medina, you’ll zig zag its captivating alleys en route to the ornate Governor’s Palace and Jardin Secret. You’ll lunch on typically Moroccan dishes in the traditional courtyard of riad Dar Cherifa, before wandering the dizzying streets of the souk – Marrakech’s most famous attraction. Whilst there, you’ll visit a cooperative of disabled women who have been empowered to create traditional handicrafts. Finish in the bustle of Jemaa El-Fna square, where snake charmers and musicians jostle for business beneath a setting sun.
Overnight in Marrakech
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Premium - 2ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa
Day Three: Towards the desert
It’s a day packed with stunning scenery, as you leave Marrakech bound for the Sahara. Your private driver will take the dramatic Tizi n’Tichka Pass through the High Atlas mountains, so you can enjoy other-worldly panoramic views. Stop for lunch in the oasis town of Agdz which is surrounded by palm groves, then follow the oasis along the lush Draa Valley. Stopping in the village of Tamegroute, a religious center since the 11th century, you’ll visit its library packed with rare books that date back more than 600 years. The village is also known for its master potters, and your private guide will take you on a visit to some of these craftsmen. Then leave Tamegroute bound for a night to remember, as you overnight at Les Hommes Bleus, a private tented camp where you are the only guests. Let the attentive staff look after you, as you savour a sunset above the dunes, a delicious dinner, and a night of extra-special glamping.
Overnight at Les Hommes Bleus camp
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Premium - Dar Azawad
Day Four: Castles in the sand
Enjoy breakfast at the camp, before exploring its surroundings. You’ll visit the seven kasbahs around M’Hamid, little villages well off the tourist trail where the cool, shady buildings and traditional customs give clues to the ancient caravans that once passed through on their way across Africa. Afterwards, trek by camel through the lush scenery of the palm groves, before stopping for lunch in the relaxed surrounds of Chez Le Pacha hotel. Spend a few hours relaxing by the hotel pool before you journey onward towards Chegaga, for a night lost in the vast, silent landscape of the Sahara at Camp Aladin. Staying in a tent with en suite shower and illuminated by lamps and candles, you’ll enjoy an evening around a roaring campfire before you head to bed.
Overnight at Camp Aladin
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Premium - Dar Azawad
Day Five: Along the rally route
After breakfast at camp, you’ll follow the old Paris-Dakar Rally route, stopping to savour the empty landscape surrounding Iriki Lake, where the only residents are nomadic. Your next stop is Foum Zguid, a dusty desert town surrounded by palms. You’ll have time to lunch at Chez Naji, your charming hotel in a pretty palm grove setting, before visiting some of the town’s thriving cooperatives, which sell everything from dates and couscous to henna and rugs. Returning to the hotel, you might like to enjoy an optional hammam and massage.
Overnight in Foum Zguid
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Premium - Chez Naji
Day Six: Searching for saffron
Leave the desert bound for Marrakech today. Your route takes you to the town of Tazenahkt then 930m up to the atmospheric village of Talliouine: both lie in empty countryside backed by snow-topped mountains in the heart of Morocco’s saffron region, where the pricey spice is harvested. Visit a saffron cooperative to taste ‘red gold’, the local specialty mint tea that comes laced with the herb. Then take the dramatic Tizi-N-Test pass through the High Atlas and back to Marrakech, ready to check into your hotel. Your afternoon is free to explore the city.
Overnight in Marrakech
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Premium - 2ciels Luxury Boutique Hotels & Spa
Day Seven: Total Relaxation
It’s time to unwind after your three day desert exploration. After breakfast, make for the beautifully-decorated Riad Privilege, renowned for its hammam. After a non-alcoholic cocktail, you’ll get to experience a traditional hammam experience: enjoy a wrap with black soap and essential oils before an exfoliation scrub. You’ll then be covered with ghassoul (purifying grey clay) perfumed with orange blossom, before enjoying a moisturising treatment for hands and feet. Finish with a 45-minute massage for total relaxation. Afterwards, you’ll be served a lunch of traditional Moroccan delicacies. The afternoon is free to relax at your hotel, before an evening in the authentic atmosphere of Dar Marjana, where musicians play traditional Moroccan music on the lute and gnaoua as you enjoy a final dinner in the city.
Overnight in Marrakech
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Premium - 2ciels Luxury Boutique Hotels & Spa
Day Eight: Home time
Your private driver will take you to the airport, ready for your flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overall meals included: 6 breakfasts, 1lunch, 6 dinners
- Airport pick up and drop off
- Private transfers unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Mandatory taxes and service fees
What's not included:
- International flights to/from the start/end point of our experiences
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the holiday
- Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
BOOK ONLINE below now, or CALL 0208 432 0885 9am - 5pm Mon - Fri for assistance with booking
Please have your passport and Debit/Credit card to hand. International flights are not included.
To check other related African trips, click here.
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London to Marrakech take around three and a half hours, and cost from around £100 return.
Experience start point: Marrakech (RAK)
End point: Marrakech (RAK
All holiday departures up to 30th June 2019 are part of our Pioneers' Club promotion. Click here for more information.