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MOROCCO | 8DAYS / 7NIGHTS Route: Round-trip from and to Marrakech Type of tour: Culture Departure days: Sunday

Tour designer: Fatima Lahricha Telephone: +00 212 5 28 829 000 Email: lahricha@destinationservices.com

4x4 kasbahs and fairytales.

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TOUR OVERVIEW

Explore the fairy-tale kasbahs of magical Morocco with this dramatic and exhilarating adventure in a 4x4 vehicle. Travel across the barren highlands Atlas Mountains and the dramatic landscapes of the Draa Valley and visit the most legendary kasbahs and oases in the country. Hop on a camel and make the trek to the desert to spend a night in a tented camp in the heartland of Berber culture. This unforgettable tour ends on a high with three days in majestic Marrakech, the city whose very name conjures the mystery and mystique of North Africa’s last kingdom.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Ouarzazate: Discover the Kasbahs at Telouet and Ait Benhaddou en route to this bustling town, which is itself home to the Taourirt kasbah

Zagora: Explore the Draa Valley and tour Tamegroute town during the day before heading out on a camel to spend a night in a tented camp in the desert just outside this bustling Berber market town

Oulad Berhil: Cross the desert and visit the remote oasis towns of Foum Zguid and Taliouine before spending the night in a restored riad palace

Marrakech: Enjoy three free days to explore the city at your own pace or avail of some of our optional activities

DON'T MISS

Mark of Marrakech: Devour a delicious kefta sandwich while having a henna tattoo drawn on your hand or foot at the city’s legendary Henna Café

Ceramic scene: Tameroute is famed for its green pottery, which can be picked up – after some haggling, of course – in many shops in the town

Scented infusion: The remote oasis of Taliouine is renowned for its speciality of mint tea with saffron, the ‘red gold’ which is its most famous product

DAY BY DAY

DAY 1 | ARRIVAL MARRAKECH

Check-in at hotel on arrival followed by dinner and lodging. Overnight in hotel in Marrakech. Dinner included.

DAY 2 | MARRAKECH – TELOUET – AIT BENHADDOU – OUARZAZATE (250km – 4 hrs)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before hopping into the 4x4 vehicle and climbing into the Atlas Mountains, passing through the barren Badlands of the Tizi N’tichka pass (2,260 metres above sea level) en route to Telouet. This remote highland town was the bastion of a powerful pasha, who ruled from his imposing kasbah, which now lies in semi-ruin – a haunting reminder of the Telouet’s former glories. Visit the crumbling Kasbah and admire faded grandeur of this vast fortress overlooking the town. Most rooms have lost even their ceilings and are at the mercies of the elements but the reception rooms have remarkably survived in a more-or-less intact form and give an indication of the stunning stuccos and tiles with which the

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kasbah was decorated. Enjoy lunch in Telouet before taking to the road again, following an ancient caravan route, with extraordinary vistas, and which passes through Berber villages before arriving at Ait Benhaddou, which is home to one of the most famous Kasbahs of all and has been used as a location for of dozens of Hollywood movies. For centuries, this oasis on the banks of the River Oued Ounila was a hub on the trans-Saharan trade route and that legacy is writ large on the weather-beaten walls of the Kasbah, which is crowned by the ruins of a fortified granary. Wander through this beguiling UNESCO World Heritage Site before continuing to Ouarzazate for check-in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight in hotel in Ouarzazate on a half-board basis. Lunch included.

DAY 3 | OUARZAZATE – DRAA VALLEY – ZAGORA (200km – 4 hrs)

Depart Ouarzazate after breakfast at the hotel, heading in a south-easterly direction the Tizi-n-Tinififft pass towards the town of Agdz. Divert at Tamnougalt and take the track from here through the oases, villages and rugged scenery of the Draa Valley before arriving in Zagora. Enjoy lunch in this oasis town in the shadows of the ruins of a Kasbah and surrounded by palm groves before an afternoon excursion to Tamegroute. This historic town is home to a collection of priceless Koranic manuscripts (visit if open) and a number of ceramic workshops. Return to Zagora and enjoy a camel riding experience through the desert before reaching the tented camp that will be your overnight base. Dinner is in the camp. In winter, warm clothing is recommended for the stay in the camp. Overnight in camp in Zagora on a half-board basis. Lunch included.

DAY 4 | ZAGORA – FOUM ZGUID – TALIOUINE – OULAD BERHIL (390km – 5 hrs)

Bid farewell to the camp after breakfast, heading via a desert track to Foum Zguid, a remote Berber oasis, stopping for lunch here. In the afternoon, continue to Taliouine, a busy oasis town dominated by the semi-ruined Glaoui Kasbah. Taliouine is renowned throughout Morocco for its saffron, the world’s most expensive spice by weight. Continue to Oulad Berhil for check-in and dinner at the hotel, which is located in a wonderfully restored and beautifully decorated hotel. Overnight in hotel in Oulad Berhil or similar on a half-board basis. Lunch included.

DAY 5 | OULAD BERHIL – IMLIL – MARRAKECH (210km – 4 hrs)

Take to the road after breakfast the hotel, heading for Marrakech via the Tizi-n-Test pass (the route may change in winter due to weather conditions) at more than 2,000 metres above sea level and by the village of Asni. Arrive at Imlil, a hamlet nestling in the High Atlas, where you can relax on arrival with a mint tea. After lunch, departure for a trekking excursion (either by foot or by mule) in the Imlil area. Continue to Marrakech with check-in and dinner at the hotel on arrival. Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a half-board basis.

DAY 6 | MARRAKECH

Full day free at leisure after breakfast at the hotel. Optional excursions are available. In the evening, there is the option of a dinner in an old palace in the medina with a feast of Moroccan dishes being complemented by a spectacular show. Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a bed-and-breakfast basis.

DAY 7 | MARRAKECH

Full day free at leisure after breakfast at the hotel. There is the option of joining the Marrakech Discovery tour, which includes lunch. In the evening, enjoy the option of a fantasy dinner show at Chez Ali, which features performances of local folkloric traditions such as belly dancing and a ‘tbourida’ equestrian show. Overnight in hotel in Marrakech on a bed-and-breakfast basis. Lunch included.

DAY 8 | MARRAKECH

Check out after breakfast at the hotel or opt for a longer stay by selecting one of our extensions. Airport transfer on request.

END OF SERVICES

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INCLUDED

TOUR GUIDE: Operated with English and French-speaking guide during the actual tour (from day 1 to day 5) and with English and

French speaking local guides in Ait Benhaddou, Taourit Kasbah in Ouarzazate and Tamegroute

ACCOMMODATION: Four nights’ accommodation on a half-board basis and three nights on a bed-and-breakfast basis

MEALS: 07 breakfasts, 04 lunches and 05 dinners included

TRANSPORT: Transfers in a 4x4 air-conditioned vehicle

ENTRANCE FEES AND ACTIVITIES: Admission to all museums and monuments mentioned in the itinerary

OTHER: Tips in hotels and restaurants from day one to day five

NOT INCLUDED

Visas and international flights, and airport taxes (clients pay direct) Driver-guide gratuities Personal travel, baggage and medical insurance Telephone bill, laundry and any items of a personal nature such as drinks Transfers from airport to hotel and vice versa

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

A wide range of optional excursions and pre and post-programme extensions are available on request. Please ask tour designer Fatima Lahricha for rates and conditions.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting religious or official buildings in Morocco. Shoes should be removed before entering a mosque or private house. Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay. In winter, warm and comfortable clothes for desert camp are recommended.