Desert & Mountains Of Morocco

Day 1
Arrive late in the eveniing into Marrakech.

Day 2
In the morning we have a guided tour (on foot) to some of the main sights of Marrakech and the afternoon is free for you to further explore this vibrant city. You may choose to take a caleche (horse-drawn carriage) round the old city walls, visit one of the palaces or the Saadien tombs. Haggle for some last-minute bargains in the souks or chill at the tranquil Jardin Majorelle. Finally, no trip to Marrakech is complete without a nighttime visit to the main square, the Djema el Fna.

Day 3
Today we have a long drive over the High Atlas Mountains (6 hours) for a complete contrast to the bustling city life of Marrakech. The road up to the mountains is a real switchback route but very scenic. Eventually we cross the Tizi'n'Tichka which, at 2260m, is the highest road pass in Morocco. We then continue to beautiful southern Morocco and enjoy views of unending palm groves of the Draa Valley. After our journey through pre-Saharan landscapes, we arrive into another desert landscape and our charming camp for the evening near Hamdour Village.

Day 4
After meeting our mules and muleteers this morning, we start our first walk through an impressive maze of canyons created by the rivers, remote villages and oases. As we walk through the Sahro, we are struck by a strange world of lunar landscapes and rocky plateaux and continue to enjoy the sights from our lunch spot in Berkirk Village. We continue north until we arrive at our camp for the evening in the beautiful village of Tajalacht (1450m). 6 hours walking, Alt gain 450m, Alt loss 100m

Day 5
Our destination today is the crest of Foudoud (1900m). We follow a network of trails at the foot of Jebel Tine Wayour and enjoy a picnic lunch at Ighissi Gorges (1625m) before embarking on our easy climb. We enjoy some wonderful views and absorb this inspiring landscape before arriving at our camp for the evening. 6 hours walking, Alt gain 600m, Alt loss 150m

Day 6
We have an exciting walk today up to the summit of Jebel Amlal (2500m) where we will enjoy breathtaking views of the bizarre geological formations of this area as well as the snowclad mountains of the southern High Atlas in the distance. After our gentle climb, we enjoy lunch at the summit and then descend to the grazing pastures at the bottom of the valley and our camp for the night at Almou N'Ourag (2200m). 7 hours walking, Alt gain 750m, Alt loss 550m

Day 7
Our views today are very different as they seem very similar to the Ahaggar Mountains of Algeria, (also known as Hoggar). We climb to Kouaouch Pass (2460m) for splendid views over the entire Sahro Massif and then trek down to the hamlet of Igli, which perfectly sits at the entrance to Afourer Gorges. 6 hours walking, Alt gain 260m, Alt loss 760m

Day 8
As we pass through Taghourt, we discover some wonderful volcanic terrain with strange rocky outcrops before our next stop in Tadaout n'Tiblah, one of the highlights of the trek. From here, we enjoy the best views of Bab n'Ali (1350m), an incredible tall rock pinnacle known as 'Gates of Ali'. The bizarre surrounding landscape is formed of limestone pinnacles, rocky outcrops and red black volcanic peaks. We continue to our camp for the evening through the small gorges of Ighazzoun (1250m). 6½ hours walking, Alt gain 500m, Alt loss 800m

Day 9
Today we descend through small oases and cultivated fields bordered by almond trees and return to the quaint village of Hamdour, where we meet the vehicles for our transfer (4 hours) to yet another impressive but very different landscape. 1 hour walking, Alt gain 0m, Alt loss 100m

Day 10
After meeting our camels and camel drivers, we depart for a full day trek and see small ochre coloured sand dunes scattered over an immense desert plateau. We arrive in the early afternoon at Oued Naam (600m) for some time to relax and enjoy the splendid backdrop of Jebel Bani. 5 hours walking, Alt gain 100m, Alt loss 50m

Day 11
Our camel trek continues through a stony desert and finally the Bouguern Dunes, that build up the Saharan dune landscape around Oued Laatache (550m), where we camp. 6 hours walking, Alt gain 50m, Alt loss 100m

Day 12
Our highlight today is walking amid the dunes. We pass a source, a well or some palm trees that act as a reminder of man's passage through this area. We set up camp at the foot of the highest dune, Abidliya (120m) in Erg Cheggaga. 5 hours walking, Alt gain 50m, Alt loss 50m

Day 13
We continue through the dune landscape where the dunes become more and more spread out. Today we are more likely to encounter some nomad camps, which are easily recognised from the dark brown tents made from goat or camel hair. We end our desert experience and trekking challenge as we arrive at Erg El Ghoul, known for its slightly rose tinted sand. 5 hours walking, Alt gain 200m, Alt loss 200m

Day 14
We have our longest journey today (8 hours) but an exciting adventure in 4WD across the great palm groves surrounding Foum Zguid. We continue to popular Tazenakht, known for its magnificent Berber carpets, for lunch and then on to Ouarzazate. We arrive in the mid afternoon so there is time to explore this former Foreign Legion stronghold and Kasbah Taourirt, which was once the home of the famous Glaoui family that dominated the South of Morocco for a century.

Day 15
After breakfast, we transfer to Ouarzazate Airport for our flight to London.