Desert conditions are rustic and there are few facilities at the overnight desert camp. Hotels in Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech are clean and comfortable but are not luxury accommodation. All three hotels have swimming pools. No real physical activity is involved; you can choose to walk alongside, instead of ride, your camel. There are opportunities for activities such as walks but none are compulsory. Any healthy child or adult should be able to take part. It's more a case of preparing mentally for Moroccan life. Seasoned travellers are unlikely to have any problem with this. Whilst it can get hot during the day in the desert it can also get cold at night and you should be equipped appropriately. Minimum age: 6 years.

We offset the carbon emissions associated with the in-country travel on all of our trips by supporting a solar stove and clean energy project in Madagascar. If you would like to make an additional contribution, Climate care offers you the opportunity to offset your carbon dioxide emissions with set amounts from £5. Please go to www.climatecare.org

Working closely with our local agent we do our best to support and encourage local schools and projects in all the areas of Morocco that you visit. We strongly discourage people from giving directly to children in the street as it encourages begging. We prefer to support local well-run organizations and projects which are of greater long term benefit to many more people.

If you would like to donate any gifts of pens, pencils or other learning materials your Group Leader will ensure that these are passed on to a suitable and worthy cause. All items will doubtless be gratefully received however small. Subject to local constraints you may be able to visit a school yourself and meet some of the children. If this is of interest please discuss the opportunities that may be available with your Group Leader; we often find it can be one of the most memorable aspects of your trip.

Since the increase in popularity of bottled water, many countries are experiencing a problem of litter especially where adequate recycling is not available. Please could you try, where possible, to use purification tablets or filters for water or buy bigger bottles of water between group members and decant into your individual water bottles.

Rooming at hotels
Family of two - All family groupings of two will be put
into a twin room.

Family of three - Wherever possible we will put you in a triple room.
Please be aware that in some places triple rooms are in short supply.
This means that, in practice, a triple room will often simply be a twin
room with a mattress on the floor or a further bed squashed in. Where it
is impossible to provide a triple room, you will have to decide which of
your party takes the single room.

Family of four or more - Wherever possible we will put you in a quadruple room.
For larger families, we will provide twin/or quadruple rooms
as standard, with a triple room if there is an odd number.
Whilst we will do our very best to ensure that families are roomed close
together (in some cases, we can arrange adjoining rooms), we can’t
guarantee this. Most family holidays occur during peak season and we
sometimes have little to no control over where you will be put. You
need to come prepared for this.

Single Accommodation
There may be instances when you specifically want a single room.
Perhaps Granny needs one or parents of a family of three or five want to
ensure they get a bit of space! You only need to pay for this if you want
to ensure a single room.

Please note: As Morocco is a Muslim country, tight, skimpy clothing should be avoided out of respect for local customs, especially in the smaller, more remote villages. Loose, knee-length shorts are usually acceptable but women should avoid tight, low-cut T-shirts and shoulders should be covered.
Below is a suggestion of what you might find useful to take on this trip. It is not an exhaustive packing list. If you need further advice, please call us or consult your nearest specialist outdoor clothing and equipment store.

• Windproof/waterproof outer shell (i.e. lightweight jacket/kagoul)
• Warm mid-layer (fleece or wool) for cool mornings and evenings
• Lightweight walking/trail boots
• Trainers/sandals for relaxing
• Swimming gear
• Sun-hat

• Sleeping bag (3/4 season)
• Torch
• Towel
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and lipsalve
• Water bottle
• Personal first aid kit
• Insect repellent
• Toilet paper
• A laundry service may be available in some hotels, but we recommend you take travel detergent so you can wash clothes as you choose

For your comfort we recommend you travel as light as possible; many airlines impose a maximum weight limit of 20kg – we advise you to take 10kg as you will be on the move a good deal! For domestic flights using light aircraft the usual weight limit is 15 kg.
One main piece (a soft bag or rucksack, not a hard suitcase).
A daypack (25-30 litres), large enough to carry what you need for the day including camera, water, etc

After your flight, you transfer to your first night’s accommodation and check in. Standing at the confluence of three valleys and on the threshold of the Sahara Desert, the town of Ouarzazate was originally a staging point for trans-Saharan caravans but was expanded during the colonial era as a garrison for the French Foreign Legion. Hotel with swimming pool and comfortable, en suite rooms - 1 night

This morning you will explore the town of Ouarzazate and visit the hundred year old Taourirt Kasbah. A potent symbol of the Glaoui clan’s power, the kasbah gives a glimpse of how these feudal lords lived. You will then have the chance to buy an essential piece of desert kit – a shesh. This is a long piece of cloth a bit like a scarf that is wrapped around the head to keep the sun off and the loose end can be pulled across the face to keep out the sand.

Leaving this outpost of civilisation behind you will drive across the Tizi-n-Tiniffift pass and through the Draa Valley following the southern slopes of the Djebel Sahro to Nkob and on to the Oasis of Tazzarine. The total driving time today is approximately three hours.
Fixed camp, Bedouin-style tents with communal shower/toilet block – 1 night (BD)

This morning you start your journey with local taxis (approx. 30 minutes), to get to Iferd where you meet your camel caravan and the camelteers who will journey with you into the desert to tend to the camels. As you set off with one camel per person and with additional animals to carry your baggage, your camping equipment and (most importantly) your water, you form a typical desert caravan. The gait of the camels soon lulls you into a strange rhythm unchanged for centuries. There is no sense of urgency, no sense of rushing to get to the destination, instead time seems to dissolve and you can enjoy being surrounded by the desert.

Traditionally the Bedouin living out in the desert wear blue robes. They would dye the material using indigo but unlike more modern techniques they did not fix the colour to the cloth very well and so the blue colour would soak into their skin giving it a bluish tinge. This had the side effect of protecting their skin against the sun and gave rise to their nickname – the Blue Men. Today many still wear blue robes but the colour stays on the clothes!

After setting up camp you’ll no doubt be served a refreshing glass of sweet mint tea and marvel as the scenery around you changes colour with the setting sun. After dinner, if you are lucky, your camel drivers may decide to play drums and invite you to join them for an evening of traditional songs. As the music dies down the sheer tranquillity of the desert is unmissable and above you the starry expanse of the night sky is an incredible sight.
Approximate length of camel trek: 2 hours Basic Camp (no facilities) - 1 night (BLD)

If you make the effort to be up for the dawn you will hopefully be treated to another amazing display of changing colour and light. After breakfast you have a short walk through the dunes to make the most of the views on offer. Walking through sand can be tough and it is incredible to compare how you fare with the seeming ease with which the camels tackle the same sort of terrain, bringing home how difficult it would be to survive out here without them. How far you walk will depend on the ability of the group as well as conditions. Remounting your camels you make your way slowly out of the desert back towards the hills and valleys of the Atlas. Saying farewell to your Moroccan travelling companions and camels you rejoin the vehicles and drive back to the oasis of Tazzarine (approx 1 ½ hours).
Approximate length of camel trek: 2 hours Fixed camp, Bedouin-style tents with communal shower/toilet block – 1 night (BLD)

Today you head towards Agdz through the Draa Valley. This area is very fertile and the terraced farmlands are fed by an intricate system of irrigation channels. All the houses are built in the desert wastes at the edge of the fertile land so as not to waste any of the land that can grow crops. Continuing via Ouarzazate you reach Ait Benhaddou, one of the best-preserved fortified kasbahs in the country. With its dramatic walls of red earth and slit windows, this is a magnificent example of a stronghold. The surrounding villages also deserve your attention. Ait Benhaddou itself sits upon a lofty pinnacle of rock overlooking a river. Dating from around the 15th century, its importance as a trading post gradually dwindled, and today’s inhabitants eke out a living from farming the meagre soil. However, because of its beauty, it has been used as a setting for films such as ‘Gladiator’. Indeed not far away there are the film studios of Ouarzazate which have been used for many epic films from ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Jewel of the Nile’ to more recent releases such as The Mummy’, ‘The Mummy Returns’, ‘Hidalgo’ and ‘Alexander’. It may be possible to visit the studios (optional).
Total driving time today is approximately 4 hours. Hotel with swimming pool and comfortable, en suite rooms – 1 night (B)

This morning you will cross the riverbed to visit Ait Benhaddou. You will have the chance to explore some of the ruined buildings, and climb to the top of the hill where the agadir (grain store) offers spectacular views down over the village and the surrounding countryside. You can also enter one of the houses and share a glass of mint tea with some of the residents to gain a better understanding of how they live their lives. In the afternoon you’ll drive north across the High Atlas mountains. The road, completed by the Foreign Legion in 1936, winds up over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260m) and offers stunning views of the mountains before descending past Berber villages to the plain surrounding Marrakech. Even today, the name Marrakech conjures up images of scenes from the Arabian Nights: alleyways, souks, stalls and markets. This remarkable city, dating from the 11th century, never fails to satisfy the curiosity of adventurous travellers. The graceful architecture of the renowned Koutoubia Minaret, dominates the skyline.
Total driving time today is approximately 4 hours. Hotel with swimming pool and comfortable, en suite rooms – 2 nights (B) The hotel is located just outside the city walls around the old Medina. It is about a 25 minute walk to the main square Djemaa el Fna but close to local shops and restaurants

To orientate yourselves, you start with a walking tour of the centre - which takes in the main sights - and make your way into the sprawling souk. As is usual in a souk, individual trades and crafts are concentrated in one street or area, so the shoemakers are all next to each other, as are the jewellers, the potters, weavers etc. This is the best place in Morocco to sharpen your bargaining skills, and you’re almost certain to be tempted by some of the extraordinary variety of merchandise on display - perhaps a pair of traditional Moroccan slippers, or some exotic spices. The Djemaa el-Fna provides the throbbing atmosphere of a medieval fair; it always seems full of life and continues late into the night. In this great open square at the heart of the medina, snake charmers and jugglers are among those who vie to entertain you. In the evening wonderful smells waft by as food stalls cook up their local delicacies. Each time of day seems to carry a distinct character, so do keep popping back for more!

In the afternoon you have time to wander and make your own discoveries. The tanneries around Bab Debbagh still cure leather in a way that has not changed for hundreds of years, and are extraordinarily photogenic (if a little smelly); they are normally more active in the morning. If you’d like to experience the relaxation of a traditional bath, your Group Leader will advise where to find the nearest hammam - for just a few dirhams, you’ll be steamed and scrubbed until you shine! (B)

Trip ends for Land Only clients. This morning, clients on our group flights will transfer from the hotel to the airport for the return flight to home. (B)