Following the ancient trades routes of Morocco, this itinerary offers a different perspective and scenic journey through this atmospheric land.
Starting in Marrakech, drive through the spectacular Atlas Mountains and Berber villages, past deserted Kasbahs where desert nomads go about their daily chores. This journey will take you to parts of the old caravan route where camel trains trod centuries before, finishing with extra time in bustling Marrakech where you can explore the maze of souks and enjoy bartering for some last minute shopping.
Marrakech – Skoura – Zagora – Merzouga – Boumalne – Dades – Skoura – Marrakech
Trip Highlights
- Visit Skoura, a classic desert fertile oasis surrounded by immense palm groves
- Drive along the Draa valley inhabited by a blend of Berber, Arab and African population
- Ride camels across the Saharan sand dunes at sunset to an authentic Bedouin camp
- As the sun rises, witness views over the valley of Dades and its amazing rock formations
Itinerary
Day 1
UK to Marrakech
This morning fly from the London Gatwick to Marrakech with British Airways.
Les Jardins de La Koutoubia
Villas des Orangers
Royal Mansour Marrakesh
Day 2
Marrakech
Today enjoy a tour of Marrakech with your local guide. Explore the vibrant and colourful Medina and visit the 12th Century Koutoubia Minaret, the beautiful Bahia Palace and the intricate carvings of the Saadian Tombs. Walk through the treasure trove of souks filled with pastel shoes, fragrant spices and patterned tajine dishes and arrive at the famous Jemaa el Fna Square. Enjoy a drink on one of the roof terrace cafes whilst watching the square come alive at sunset with its vibrant mix of performers and food stalls.
Les Jardins de La Koutoubia
Villas des Orangers
Royal Mansour Marrakesh
Day 3
Marrakech to Skoura – 300kms
The drive this morning will be along one of the most beautiful roads in Morocco across the High Atlas Mountains via the pass of Tizi n'Tichka. Enjoy breathtaking views of small local villages along green valleys all the way to the pre Saharan region. Alternatively, break your journey in the Atlas Mountains with a stay at Kasbah Tamadot or Kasbah du Toubkal.
- Breakfast,
- Dinner
Les Jardins de Skoura
Ksar El Kabbaba
Day 4
Skoura to Zagora – 200kms
Today cross the city of Ouarzazate and head south towards the Saharan mountain ranges of the Anti-Atlas. Here the scenery will differ as it gets more desert like with interesting geological formation and canyons. In Agdez you will start the drive along the Draa valley inhabited by a blend of Berber, Arab and African population.
- Breakfast,
- Dinner
Riad Lamane
Day 5
Zagora to Merzouga – 340kms
Leave Zagora across the huge and beautiful oasis of the Draa valley and start a long journey across the Reg Desert of Jebel Saghro. Along the way you will discover some of the nomadic Berber tribes as well as sedentary people living next to their oases in finely built Kasbahs. Stop for lunch in Alnif before heading to the legendary Saharan town of Rissani from where camel caravans used to start their long journeys across the Sahara desert. Stop to visit some of the historical sites before you continue to the edge of the Reg desert, in Merzouga where the Saharan sand dunes begin. Here start your adventure riding camels across the sand dunes to view the tremendous sunset and then have dinner and sleep overnight in an authentic Bedouin Tented Camp located amongst the towering sand dunes.
- Breakfast,
- Dinner
Bedouin Tented Camp in the Desert
Day 6
Merzouga to Boumalne Dades – 250kms
After breakfast, drive across the Saharan plains where the nomads herd their camels to the marvellous valley of Todgha, considered as one of the most beautiful in the South of Morocco. This is a lush green oasis running along a beautiful deep valley inhabited all along by a Berber population in Kasbahs and nicely designed villages. Take a walk along the spectacular gorges and stop for lunch. In the afternoon, continue to the valley of the Dades and the town of Boumalne.
- Breakfast,
- Dinner
Xaluca Dades Hotel
Day 7
Boumalne Dades to Skoura – 100kms
Today start by enjoying the morning light over the valley of Dades and its amazing rock formations. Drive through some of the finest scenery in Morocco and follow the ‘Kasbah Route’ back to Skoura.
- Breakfast,
- Dinner
Les Jardins de Skoura
Day 8
Skoura
A day to relax and enjoy Skoura or to explore the surrounding area with your driver.
- Breakfast,
- Dinner
Les Jardins de Skoura
Day 9
Skoura to Marrakech – 300kms
This morning visit the magnificent Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, the best preserved, and most famous, of the entire Atlas region, which has been used as a set for many films. Afterwards continue to Marrakech via the Tizi-n-Tichka pass which at 2,260 metres this is the highest pass in Morocco.
- Breakfast
Les Jardins de La Koutoubia
Villas des Orangers
Royal Mansour Marrakesh
Day 10
Marrakech
At leisure to relax and further explore the city on your own.
- Breakfast
Les Jardins de La Koutoubia
Villas des Orangers
Royal Mansour Marrakesh
Day 11
Marrakech to the UK
Today transfer to Marrakech Airport in good time for your flight back to London Gatwick with British Airways.
- Breakfast
Extending your stay...
Explore charming Essaouira which is morning’s drive east from Marrakech. Overlooking Morocco’s Atlantic Coast, explore the historic port area with its old brass cannons and stone ramparts and wander the atmospheric alleys of the white-washed UNESCO protected medina.
Historic Fes is the gateway to northern Morrocco and has a history stretching back over 1,200 years. The extraordinary ancient medina is thought to be one of the largest intact medieval cities in the world complete with labyrinthine streets, madrasas, mosques and tanneries.
Charming Chefchaouen is famous for its distinctive blue-washed buildings. Perched in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco, Chefchaouen was founded in the 15th century and is one of the country’s prettiest towns. The atmospheric narrow lanes of the old medina are a highlight.
Discover the port-city of Tangier. An important settlement since ancient times, Tangier strategically guards the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar and has attracted writers, artists and diplomats. Explore the medina, Tangier Kasbah and American Legation Museum.
Guide to Price
11 days from £3670 - £3995 per person
What's Included
- International flights
- Private car and driver
- Sightseeing with accompanying English speaking guide
- Hotel accommodation and taxes
What's Not Included
- Visas
- Travel Insurance
- Expenses of a personal nature
- Meals unless specified
from £3670 - £3995
Travel Information
Getting There
There are regular flights between the UK and Morocco with services from all the major UK airports to Marrakech including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester and Bristol. There are also direct and indirect flights to other Moroccan cities. British Airways, Royal Air Maroc, EasyJet and Ryanair all offer non-stop services.
Flying Times From UK
Direct flights from the UK take around 3 hours. Flights with stops en-route take an hour or two longer.
Time Zone
Morocco follows GMT. During daylight saving adjustments between March and October, Morocco is +1 hour ahead of GMT.
Visa Requirements
A visa is not needed for British Citizens but the passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay. Visitors from the UK are permitted to stay in Morocco for up to three months so, if your passport is valid for less than this length of time, you may face difficulties when trying to enter the country.
Do’s & Don’ts
Do not wear very short shorts or show bare arms or shoulders.
After shaking hands with someone, touch your right hand to your heart as a sign of respect.
Use your right hand for shaking hands, eating out of a common dish and handling merchandise or money.
It is considered rude to use your left hand.
Always ask permission before taking pictures of people. In rural areas women will almost never agree and men only occasionally.
We would also recommend taking a small French or Arabic phrase book which may come in useful.
Money
The currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham and there are 100 centimes in a dirham. The best place to exchange currency is in Morocco and this can be done in hotels, banks and airports. ATMs are found throughout the country and also in some hotels although in rural towns they may be unreliable. All major credit cards are accepted in Morocco but taxis and stall holders in the souks, as a rule, are only able to accept cash.
Tipping
There is no set rule for tipping in Morocco, but 10% for good service is appreciated. In some restaurants a 10% charge may be added to your bill automatically. A guideline for tipping your drivers and guides will be advised prior to travel.
Food & Drink
The cuisine in Morocco is famous the world over and is a highlight of travelling in the country. Moroccan lamb is a popular dish, slow roasted with spices in a traditional tagine and served with couscous. Bread and pastry also form a big part of the Moroccan diet, which is heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dining. Olives, dates, grapes and pulses are grown and exported and form an integral part to most meals. Fresh mint tea is the national drink and is served with sugar and in a tall glass. Although some places are alcohol free, you will be able to find beer and wine in most restaurants in the larger cities.
Accommodation
Morocco has a wide range of accommodation on offer from elegant riads and traditional guesthouses to desert camps and luxury resorts. In particular, the medinas of Marrakech and Fes conceal a number of luxurious riads – usually located on unassuming lanes – complete with original interiors and beautifully tended courtyard gardens. The larger cities also have a number of larger modern hotels which have a greater range of facilities and tend to be located just outside of the medina. Aside from the main towns, most areas from the Atlas and Rif Mountains to the Sahara Desert and the Atlantic Coast have excellent accommodation options with the majority in an authentic Moroccan style.
Shopping
Morocco is famed for its market, bazaars and souks and there are plenty of treasures to find. Marrakech and Fes have probably the best markets in the country and it is usually possible to find almost anything here! Traditional craft items such as lamps, pottery and jewellery are always popular, leather is best in Fes and rugs can be found throughout the country. For food, dates, nuts, spices and herbs are found in abundance. Remember to haggle as this is expected.
Suggested Reading
Footprint, Rough Guides, Lonely Planet and Bradt have excellent guide books whilst Nelles Maps have up to date mapping of Morocco. ‘A Year in Marrakech’, by Peter Mayne, originally written in 1953, captures the very essence of the people and the place, ‘A House in Fez’, by Suzanna Clarke retells the restoration of a dilapidated house in the old medina of Fez, ‘Valleys of the Casbahs’ by Jeffrey Tayler is an account of the writer’s epic modern day camel journey from the Draa Valley to the Atlantic Ocean and the ‘Gardens of Marrakech’, by Angelica Gray focusses on the traditional gardens and green spaces of Marrakech. Novels set in Morocco include ‘The Sheltering Sky’, by Paul Bowles and ‘Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits’, by Laila Lalami.
Health
Your doctor is the best person to advise you on staying healthy whilst abroad but current recommended vaccinations are Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus and Diphtheria. Yellow Fever is compulsory, but only if you have visited an affected Yellow Fever area within 5 days prior to your arrival. In some instances anti-malarial tablets may also be needed. For current information on health advice you may wish to visit the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website Travel Health Pro on https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/. The Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad (MASTA) website (www.masta.org) is also a useful resource.
Travel Advice
For current information on Morocco the best resource is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) which is a comprehensive resource and updated regularly. We would also recommend visiting the Safer Tourism Foundation website (safertourism.org.uk) before you travel and will be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have.
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Our Reviews
What our clients say
Thank you for organising such an amazing trip to Morocco
CM & DR - Morocco - October 2022
I just wanted to write and thank you for organising such an amazing trip to Morocco. Both hotels were lovely, so beautiful and the staff were so helpful and made our stay relaxing. The Go Berber trip was such a humbling experience, the family were so kind and generous although they had very little. As ever you arranged a trip that was wonderful, with all of the transfers etc running so smoothly.
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