Treasures of Morocco - Premium Adventure

• Accommodation: 11 Premium nights (5 hotel, 5 riad and 1 desert camp)
• Travel by private minibus and camel
• Group normally 5 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16

There are 11 breakfasts, three lunches and eight dinners (one of which is a cooking class) included on this trip. 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 lodge in Skoura to sample their homegrown produce. In Marrakech, try 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 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 80-155 dirhams (approximately 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 cous cous, tajine or omelettes, particularly 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.

From April to June and in September, Marrakech and the north are pleasantly hot with temperatures averaging 26C (79F) in the day and 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 winter, daytime temperatures in Marrakech are around 18C-22C (64F-72F) with night temperatures of 4C-7C (39F-45F). The days should be sunny and a particularly attractive feature of winter 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).

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Journeys: Morocco is stunning but large and the cities and country areas are spread out. This means there are sometimes long journeys, but this is the only way to see all the country offers. We are not confined to our vehicle though, as there are plenty of photo stops and opportunities to stretch your legs. Approximate drive times are noted on the daily itinerary.

Climate: It is hot in summer, but we try to make the most of the coolest parts of the day for our sightseeing so expect some early starts. It can get very hot in the desert from May to September. Morocco can get cold in winter though usually daytime temperatures are mild. Pack winter clothes for November to March when nighttime temperatures can drop considerably, especially in the desert and mountains. During these months, there can also be rain throughout the country and snow in the mountains. As Morocco is generally mild to hot, it is not set up for colder temperatures, so there may not be heaters available. Please pack winter clothes and nightwear to ensure you are comfortable. You can also ask for more blankets from the hotels.