Family Atlas Mountain and Sahara Adventure

Our tour of Morocco starts in the Red City. With its dusty rooftops, maze-like streets and bustling souks, Marrakech encompasses the essence of Morocco. Head to the medina and people watch while you sip a mint tea in Jemaa el-Fna (the main square) or visit the Jardin Majorelle, just a short walk from our hotel. There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time and explore the city or relax by the hotel pool. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), which is around a 20-minute drive from our hotel. Our Explore Leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and then an optional dinner. If you arrive later, they'll catch you up as soon as possible.

We'll depart Marrakech after breakfast and head south, crossing the Tizi n'Tichka Pass and winding our way up the peaks of the Atlas Mountains. The High Atlas is North Africa's greatest mountain range and has been a barrier between the northern plains and the pre-Sahara for centuries. Up here in their mountain stronghold, the fiercely independent Berbers - the Lords of the Atlas - live by their own traditions. The Berber way of life is unique and lost to most of North Africa - here, music, dance, language, and religion are far removed from the rest of the Arab world. We'll pass by the ruined kasbah of Telouat where we break for lunch at a local restaurant and the fortified village of Anmiter, continuing to our night stop of Tighza. On arrival, after settling in, we will take a gentle circular walk around the village covering a distance of 2.8 km (1.7 miles), with a total ascent and descent of 90 meters (295 feet). We will take a relaxed pace, following the winding tracks high above the valley. Our base for tonight is a family-owned village house on the outskirts of Tighza. Feel free to unwind on the terrace, with panoramic views of the High Atlas, or enjoy Berber cuisine in the small tearoom - dishes are made using fruit and vegetables grown in the family garden.

After breakfast, we'll head out on a hike through the valley. Walking along cultivated fields, we'll learn about the channels built to divert the waters from the melting snow into the terraces and mud-built villages. Heading down the southern slopes of the High Atlas, we'll reach the trailhead in Anmiter where our bus will be waiting. The hike is expected to take two to three hours in total, covering a distance of 4.5 km (2.8 miles) with an ascent of 23 meters (75 feet) and a descent of 170 meters (560 feet). At the end of the walk we'll enjoy lunch in a local house, in the village of Tizgui. Our journey continues driving along the Ounila Valley where the barren slopes contrast the green valley floor, before we reach our hotel opposite the famous kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. This afternoon is free to spend as you wish. You can relax by the swimming pool or take a guided tour of Ait Ben Haddou. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Morocco's most famous locations and was once an important stop in the trading routes between Marrakech and the Sahara.

This morning, we'll take to the saddle and cycle from Ait Ben Haddou down towards the Draa Valley and the town of Ouarzazate. The total duration of our ride is 21km and a support vehicle will drive alongside us for non-cyclists. Note that helmets are supplied in two sizes, or you can bring your own for a better fit. During the summer months, we'll set off early to avoid the midday heat. Known as the 'Doorway to the Desert', Ouarzazate is in the south of the High Atlas, sandwiched between the high mountains and the expanses of the Sahara. It's home to the Atlas Film Studios, one of the largest studios in the world, where scenes from films including The Mummy, Gladiator, Babel, Kingdom of Heaven and Lawrence of Arabia were shot. We'll pay a visit to the studios and tour the famous film sets after which we head to a hotel in Ouarzazate for lunch followed by a dip in the pool; continuing on through the Draa Valley after lunch. Our drive will take us across a landscape lined with palm groves, kasbahs and traditional ksours (villages), as we make our way to Tamnougalt, once the capital of this remote desert region. The village's name translates to 'meeting point' and even today it hosts an annual festival in October, when people from the surrounding villages gather to celebrate the traditions of the region's old ruling quaids (masters). Tonight, we'll stay in a kasbah-style hotel in the middle of the Draa Valley, which has a swimming pool and access to valley walks.

Turning south today, we'll follow the course of the Draa River, spending the morning driving through the changing scenery towards the oasis of Zagora, 'The Gate of the Desert'. Once a major outpost along the caravan route, it apparently takes 52 days by camel from here to Timbuktu. We break for lunch in Zagora before continuing onto Ouled Driss, on the fringes of the sand dunes, giving us a taste of the grand expanse of the Sahara. From here, we'll hop off our bus and onto camels, creating our own caravan as we head into the Oued Ben Akki dunes. We'll stop to enjoy the quiet desolation of desert life before we reach our overnight camp in time for a late afternoon bread-making session. Finally, we'll tuck into a hearty Berber dinner under the star-strewn sky of the Sahara. Our desert camp has a combination of two-person and three-to-four-person family tents with a central communal tent for meals.

Retracing our steps, this morning we'll head back north on camelback. Meeting our bus on the road, we'll journey on to Tamegroute, where we'll stop to visit the 17th-century zaouia (a multi-functional space of worship and learning). This was once the base of the Naciri Brotherhood, the holy leaders of Tamegroute and arbitrators of desert disputes. We'll also pay a visit to the local potters' cooperative before continuing back to Ouarzazate later in the afternoon.

Today we drive back to the Red City and dive straight into the heady delights of Marrakech with a guided tour. We'll pass by the rose-coloured Koutoubia (booksellers) Mosque on the way to Bahia Palace, an open-air museum that's famous for its decorated stucco walls and marble floors. We'll fuel up on fresh pastries from a traditional bakery before continuing to the medina on foot. There, we'll be guided through the labyrinth of spice-scented souks, passing by craftsmen selling rugs, leather goods and crockery before dropping by a spice shop to sample ripe dates and almonds. Finally, we'll navigate our way out into the energetic Jemaa el-Fna Square.

Our tour of Morocco ends at our hotel in Marrakech. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to depart from Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK).