The enchanting city of Marrakech founded in 11th century by Berber tribes is Morocco’s third largest city, and undeniably one of the most colorful. With winding alleys, crowded souks and stunning mosques, there is no doubt that the word “exotic” it is the best one to describe it.
In the afternoon we meet at our hotel for an introductory talk and afterwards we will head towards the square of Jemaa el Fna, an open-air theatre full of action. When the sun it’s starting to go down the square becomes totally active and fills with dozens of food-stalls, storytellers, musicians and dancers.
Overnight in Marrakesh, Riad Star (D)
The morning begins with a fun and insightful introduction to Morocco, through a cultural workshop where you’re going to learn simple phrases, greetings, and common gestures in interactive memorable ways. Believe it or not, you’ll draw from the experience throughout your time in the country. For lunch you’ll learn how to make tajine, one of the most famous Moroccan dishes rooted in Berber culinary tradition. Named after the special pot in which it is cooked, the tagine pot produces its namesake dish: a slow-cooked stew of vegetables, meat and a variety of regional herbs and spices.
After lunch we’ll visit some of the highlights of the city during a walking tour and we will get warmed up for a week of outdoor experiences in Morocco.
Overnight in Marrakesh, Riad Star (B,L,D)
Upon departure, you will head in the direction of the High Atlas Mountains and the Tichka Pass. The scenery all through the High Atlas Mountains is stunning and the road is lined with Berber villages, goats, and small barefoot children running around chasing chickens. After Tichka Pass, you will leave the main road and travel via a small road to one of Morocco’s most impressive Kasbahs, Telouet located in a fertile valley surrounded by palm, fig and olive trees. We will explore the kasbah, have lunch and then we will continue towards Ounila Valley, a narrow valley between Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou, for our first hike. Because of its strategic location between the Sahara and Marrakech, different people such as Berber, Jewish and Haratin lived here together for many centuries.
Overnight in Ait Ben Haddou, Riad Caravane (B,L,D)
Hiking distance: 8 km / Hiking Duration: 3 hours
Driving distance:
Marrakesh to Telouet 132 km / 2 hours
Telouet to Ait Ben Haddou 50km / 1 hour
Right after breakfast in order to beat the tour buses, we will visit the fortified city of Ait-Ben-Haddou, which consists of a group of buildings built entirely of local organic material and covered by a rich red mud plaster. This UNESCO World Heritage Site owns its existence to the presence of the Trans-Saharan Trade Route which was connecting the North African coast to sub-Saharan Africa.
After that we’ll load into the 4x4s and after passing Ouarzazate we will travel via the Thousand Kasbahs Road. In southeastern Morocco the world Kasbah is usually applied to a square building with four towers at the corners, built with soil. The road will take us through Skoura Valley, famous for more than 300 kasbahs peppered throughout the valley, where we are going to visit the Amardil Kasbah.
Next, we’ll pass through the Kelaa Mgouna Valley, famous for its rose fields and little later we will enter Dades Valley where we going to hike.
Overnight in Boumalne Dades, La Perle du Dades (B,L,D)
Hiking distance: 8km / Hiking Duration: 3 hours
Driving distance:
Ait Ben Haddou to Boumalne Dades 200 km / 3 hours
Today’s hike will bring us in contact with the everyday life of the local people. We will pass through farming areas where we’ll find the Berber people harvesting small family plots of wheat and alfalfa. It’s also a very strong possibility that we’ll come across a nomad family or two who live in caves. You’ll find the people very hospitable and genuinely interested in foreigners. Depending on the amount of rain in recent weeks we may work our way above the oasis of the valley where we can see the palm groves and the crumbling Kasbahs from above.
Overnight in Boumalne Dades, La Perle du Dades (B,L,D)
Hiking distance: 10km / Hiking Duration: 5 hours
Today you will leave the curvy roads of the Dades Gorges behind you as you head toward the village of Tinghir. Here, you’ll observe the beautiful palm tree oasis and the spectacular Todgha Gorge, with its sharply-cut rocks. This area is well known for its delicious dates, as well as fossils and we can stop off and search for them in the rough if you’d like.
After a picnic lunch in the Acacia tree forest we will head to the small city of Arfoud, known as the “Gate to the Sahara Desert”, where our journey continues off-road to the impressive Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes. About an hour later, you will arrive at the meeting point where you will board your camels. They are tied together with a rope much like the camel caravans used on the historic routes and they seem to know their way into the serene environment. We will travel by camel approximately an hour out to our luxury desert camp and we will climb up to a high vantage point to watch the sunset and the continually changing colors of the sand. Afterwards dinner will be served, followed by music around the fire looking at the stars, the milky way, and the never-ending sky.
Overnight in Sahara, Azawad Luxury Desert Camp (B,L,D)
Driving distance:
Boumalne Dades to Merzouga 250 km / 3h 30 min
The next morning we will wake up early, to see the sunrise above Algeria and after a hearty breakfast, we will depart Merzouga and make our way to the town of Midelt. It lies on the high plains flanked by the Middle Atlas and the High Atlas Mountains and makes a handy break between the desert and Fes.
Along the way, we will pass through the Ziz Valley, one of the longest valleys in Morocco. Here the hidden Ziz river feeds a string of oases and brings life to what would otherwise be dirt and stone. Dotted along its greenbelt are groups of Kasbahs, built to protect the families living there through the centuries, and can be viewed from various roadside viewpoints alongside the valley.
Overnight in Midelt, Villa Pomme D’Or (B,L,D)
Driving distance:
Merzouga to Midelt 265 km / 4 hours
Upon leaving Midelt, as you crisscross the Middle Atlas Mountains you may catch a glimpse of Barbary Macaques, an Old-World Monkey species in the shadowy cedar forest. Next destination is the city of Ifrane, built by the French in the 1930s. Set high up in the mountains, Ifrane was to be a “hill station”, a cool place where colonial families could spend the hot summer months. During the winter months, it is well-known for bountiful snow and amazing skiing adventures. Nearby Ifrane, we’ll have a short hike near Lake Ifrah, haven for wildlife, especially birds, followed by a lunch at a guest house.
After lunch, our journey continues toward Fes, the oldest of Morocco’s imperial cities. The entire medina is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and It hasn’t changed for centuries, a place where ancient traditions are still in everyday practice
Overnight in Fes, Riad Laaourrsa (B,L,D)
Hiking distance: 4 km / Hiking Duration: 1h 30min
Driving distance:
Midelt to Ifrane 135 km / 2 hours
Ifrane to Fes 70 km / 1 hourin
The narrow streets and alleys of Fes, some barely an arm’s length wide are crammed with hundreds of merchants and skilled artisans, crowds of locals and tourists brave enough to find their way through the maze. Even Moroccans who didn’t grow up in Fes can easily get lost through them. So today alongside with our licensed guide we will explore the city. One of the most interesting parts of the tour was when we will followe our nose to the Tanners Quarter where barefoot workers dye skins in a kaleidoscope of little stone pools. The tannery still operates as it did a thousand years ago and It is the place where cow, sheep, goat, and camel hides are brought to be preserved, dyed, and turned into the handbags, jackets, and wallets sold in the surrounding souks.
Overnight in Fes, Riad Laaourrsa (B,L,D)
Breakfast is at your leisure at the hotel and following that, your Tripin Adventures trip in Morocco concludes. There is going to be a transfer from our accommodations in Fes to the international airport for return flights home or you can continue your explorations of this marvelous region of Morocco.
(B)
We are constantly updating our unique itineraries based on new information and experiences available. The walks, accommodations, and visits listed may be adjusted. The itineraries presented are subject to modification and change by Tripin Adventures. We reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in our judgment, conditions warrant, or if we deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participants, anything not mentioned in above program.
