Treasures of Morocco - Premium Adventure

Discover the many wonders of this enchanting north African kingdom

Few places on earth match the cultural diversity of Morocco. Join this Premium Adventure to discover the best of it all, while staying in a carefully selected accommodation portfolio, which includes traditional riads, an award winning ecolodge and a luxury desert camp. We'll tour diverse cities, including seaside Casablanca, the imperial powerhouse of Fez, and beloved Marrakech. And we'll journey into the Sahara, where we'll navigate dunes on camelback and stargaze around a campfire. Village visits, kasbah tours, lunch with a Berber family and a relaxing hammam session complete a perfectly balanced adventure that captures the best of Morocco in style.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips which improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
• The hotels we stay in are dedicated to hiring local staff, this helps to benefit the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities and income alternatives where they may be otherwise hard to come by.
• This trip stays one night in the Sahara Desert where all camps are run by locals. This not only provides a source of income for their families but is a wonderful opportunity for our guests to interact with local people and share aspects of their traditions.
• This tour encourages guests to visit local cafes and restaurants and use markets to purchase traditional crafts.
• In the desert we hire cameleers and Gnaoua musicians which supports the local economy.
• We include a lunch with a local family which encourages intercultural communications while providing them with a source of income.
• Visiting the Moroccan Hammam in the village of Imlil directly assists the local economy.
• We stop at a women's cooperative argon oil farm, where you can see the trees growing and see a demonstration of the production process.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• On this trip we visit national heritage sites and the entrance fees included generates income which is used for the upkeep and development of these important monuments and nature parks.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• In Skoura, we stay at an ecolodge where they have a wide range of sustainable practises including solar water heaters, no use of pesticides or fertilizers, waste sorting and supporting the local culture and community.
• Our local partners have reached B Corp Certification which requires that they demonstrate high levels of social and environmental performance.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.

• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.

Visa

Morocco

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Morocco. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/morocco
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/morocco
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Morocco.html

Vaccination

Morocco

Eating and Drinking

11  breakfasts, three lunches and seven dinners (one of which is a cooking class)

There's a welcome dinner at our riad in Fez, and home-cooked lunches when we stay in the Sahara and the High Atlas. We also have an included dinner at our ecolodge in Skoura to sample their organic home-grown produce.  In Marrakech try your hand at creating local delicacies in a master cooking class and then enjoy the results.

Moroccan food is, generally speaking, excellent though not particularly varied. Breakfasts usually consist of bread and jam with coffee or tea. Meals eaten out are reasonably priced - kebab and bread cost is approximately 72 Moroccan dirhams (US$7). In main towns, it is possible to find very good French and Moroccan restaurants where a meal and French wine will cost anything from 310 dirhams (US$30) upwards. Generally, dinner is likely to cost between 82-154 dirhams (approx. US$8-US$15) not including drinks. Local beer, wine and soft drinks are reasonably priced, but you can pay more for imported alcohol. Your leader will recommend restaurants for each evening.

Vegetarians can be catered for but there is a fairly limited choice of vegetarian couscous, tajine or omelettes. This is particularly the case during the more rural sections of the trip. If you have any special dietary requirements inform your sales representative in plenty of time before the trip.  If you have a specific medical/dietary need (ie coeliac or vegan) you may find it helpful to bring some food items with you from home.

Weather

From April to June, and in September, Marrakech and the north are pleasantly hot, with temperatures averaging 26C (79F) in the day and falling to 16C (61F) at night. It is unusual for there to be much humidity so it is quite pleasant except at midday when the sun is very strong. Desert temperatures are similar to those in Marrakech, with the nights usually a little cooler and the days a little hotter. Mountain temperatures are cooler than in Marrakech.

In the winter months, the daytime temperatures in Marrakech are around 18C - 22C (64F-72F) with night temperatures falling to 4C - 7C (39F-45F). The days should be sunny and a particularly attractive feature of the winter months is the clear views of the snow-covered Atlas mountains. The temperatures in the south are generally a little higher than those north of the mountains. There is a small chance of rain and it has even been known to snow very infrequently in January and sometimes February on the higher desert plateau (in which case it is cold at night and early in the morning on the southern side of the Atlas).

Is this trip for you?

This trip provides an insight into the enormous variety that Morocco has to offer, including cities, history, architecture, desert and mountain scenery. We spend quality time in the places that matter, the pace is not rushed but a couple of the journeys are long, one unavoidably eight-10 hours. We are not confined to our vehicle though, as there are plenty of photo stops and opportunities to stretch your legs.

Please note, the temperatures in the cities will be hot in summer but we try to make the most of the coolest parts of the day for our sightseeing where possible. It can cool down quite substantially in the desert and the mountains so it is a good idea to bring long-sleeved garments.

Please note, Ramadan is expected to run from 10 March 2024 to 10 April 2024.Ramadan is a special time to visit Morocco as it is one of the most important times on the Muslim calendar. Each evening the streets empty while people return home to break the fast and then there is an air of festivity every evening. Our leaders and drivers choose to work at this time so we continue to run trips however please be aware their energy levels may be slightly lower. Tourist sites are still open although closing times may be earlier than usual. Your leader will know how the timings for each day need to be adapted to still experience all the inclusions on this trip. Restaurants may close during the day and this is also accounted for in planning meal arrangements for your group. Shops are usually open though their hours may vary and they will definitely be closed during the breaking of the fast. To fully enjoy your holiday experience at this unique time of year we suggest patience and flexibility.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.