Tour Overview
Although close to home, Morocco is a world away! Marrakech, with its colourful souks, palaces and mosques, comes alive at night with snake charmers, travelling musicians, acrobats and storytellers. The magnificent Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou has been the perfect backdrop for many Hollywood films, including Gladiator. Nestled in the Atlas Mountains near the ruined fortress of Telouet, is the village of Tijzha, where we spend the night and have chance to visit the school. There may even be time for a game of football with the local children! A Saharan camel safari and sleeping in a Bedouin-style camp (or under the stars � your choice!) are also highlights for the whole family.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1Start Ouarzazate late evening.
Day 2
In the morning we visit the Atlas Studios where many famous films have been made, including Gladiator, and it remains the largest film studio in the world. Some of the sets still remain for our exploration but please note that we are not allowed to visit when there is a film in production. Then we head south along the Draa Valley, a huge palmery containing over four million palm trees, edged by many ksours (fortified villages.) At one point we stop to take a guided walk around one of the palmeries before making our way to our permanent Bedouin camp near Tazzarine.
Day 3
We get up early for an exciting four-hour camel trip through the desert. Riding a camel is a fun and truly memorable experience although it can be a bit bumpy and sore after a while! After our camel safari, we head to an incredible converted kasbah at N'kob, which has a swimming pool – a deserved break after our adventure on the ships of the desert. We will stay in the communal tents around the kasbah and be served traditional Bedouin food.
Day 4
After sunrise we head back up through the beautiful palm oases of the Draa Valley, until we reach the desert town of Ouarzazate. The afternoon is free for you to explore the town and do some souvenir shopping in what used to be the crossing point for African traders or you could simply relax by the hotel pool. Alternatively, you could visit the impressive Kasbah of Taourirt – home to the feudal warlord Thami El Glaoui who is better known as the Lord of the Atlas by English-speaking countries.
Day 5
Leaving the desert behind us, we drive to the well-preserved Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, one of the most spectacular sights of the Atlas and made famous as the location of several Hollywood films, including ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. We continue our journey into the High Atlas Mountains, branching east along a mountain valley which brings us to the amazing fortress/palace of Telouet. Once, the mountains were controlled by feudal clans, including the most powerful Glaoui clans and their power stretched across Morocco into Europe and they even toppled a French Premier in the early 20thCentury. Now Telouet stands abandoned and crumbling, and we can only take a look at this labyrinthine, fairy-tale structure from the outside. A short drive later we leave our bus and take a 1.5 hour picturesque walk on a gentle gradient to our gîte, where we spend the night (our bags will be transported separately to the gîte for us).
Day 6
In the morning we enjoy an optional 3-4 hour walk through the villages of the Tijhza Valley, passing fields cultivated by the Berber women with the peaks of the High Atlas as a fitting backdrop. There is also the opportunity to visit the school that Exodus has been supporting for many years. We leave the gîte in the afternoon, walking back to our bus, and then have a scenic drive over the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The main pass, the Tizi’n’Tichka, which at 2260m is the highest road pass in Morocco, is spectacular and there are some wonderful views of the mountains (journey time approximately 4 hours). This evening, we can visit the Djemma el Fna, the open-air central square around which Marrakech revolves. The name literally means ‘place of death’ as it was the place where the Sultans used to display the heads of their enemies. Now, with the foodstalls, snake charmers, water-sellers, travelling musicians and acrobats, the square is a place of entertainment for both Moroccan and overseas visitors.
Day 7
This morning we go on a guided tour (on foot) of the ‘Pink City’ of Marrakech when we can soak up the atmosphere of this bustling and vibrant city with its maze of bazaars, palaces and mosques. In the afternoon there is free time to simply potter around the souks, visit the more peaceful Jardin Majorelle, take a hammam (steam bath) or maybe enjoy a ‘caleche’ ride (horse-drawn carriage).
Day 8
Trip ends after breakfast in Marrakech.
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