Marrakech, Camels & the Sahara – Family Adventure
Marrakech, Camels & the Sahara – Family Adventure
Marrakech, Camels & the Sahara – Family Adventure
8 Days Starting and ending in Marrakech
Visiting: Morocco
Tour operator:
Tour code:
FMS
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
8 - 20
Age range:
9-16
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Vegans
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
The dune-rippled Sahara, bulky Atlas Mountains and mazy Marrakech play host to this highlight-packed family adventure. Over the week, we journey deep into Morocco to enjoy never-forgotten experiences in a spectacular landscape: riding camels in the Sahara, sleeping under the desert skies and travelling by mule through rugged mountains. We also seek a little culture, enjoying lunch with a local Amazigh family, visiting a working film studio and navigating pulsating Marrakech on a thrilling horse-drawn carriage tour.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Marrakech
The tour starts in Marrakech, an electric city with a Unesco-listed medina and plenty of landmarks to explore. If you have time after your flight, you may want to splash in the hotel pool or take a taxi to the nearby Djemaa el Fna, the busy central square where street vendors sell freshly squeezed orange juice.
The welcome briefing with your leader will either be this evening or tomorrow morning depending on flight arrivals.
Accommodation: Opera Plaza Hotel, Red Hotel (or similar)
Day 2 : Across The High Atlas Mountains To Ait Benhaddou
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
With time to explore Marrakech at the end of our journey, we leave the Red City and head into the Atlas Mountains. Partway through, we stop to embark on a fun mule ride and walk to the village of Tighza where we will have a lunch prepared by a local family to learn more about life in the mountains.
Returning to our bus by mule, we transfer over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest in Morocco at 7,235ft (2,205m), enjoying views of the rugged mountains as we go.
Tonight we stay near the Unesco-listed Ait Benhaddou, which we visit at sunset tomorrow, a mesmeric ksar (fortified village) where red-clay buildings layer a hillside. It has been used as the filming location for several Hollywood movies, including The Mummy (1999) and Gladiator (2000).
Accommodation: Ksar Ljanoub (or similar)
Drive time: Six hours
Day 3 : To Ouarzazate; Return To Ait Benhaddou
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we travel to Ouarzazate, nicknamed the door to the desert because it used to be a crossing point for African traders on their way to Europe. It is now the site of the Atlas Film Studios, the setting for the Hollywood film Disney's Aladdin (2019), and the series Game of Thrones. We take a guided tour of the studio and see filmsets in situ, including Egyptian-style statues. After lunch, we have free time before a tour of Ait Benhaddou, in which we navigate the labyrinthine streets of the ksar. We time our visit for sunset, when the buildings turn a deep ochre, which makes for great family photographs.
Accommodation: Ksar Ljanoub (or similar)
Drive time: One hour and twenty minutes
Day 4 : Ait Benhaddou To The Sahara
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Leaving Ait Benhaddou, we journey to the Sahara, heading south along the Draa Valley, admiring Amazigh villages and palm trees as we go. At the edge of the sands, we embark on what will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable experiences of the trip: a one-hour camel ride over and through the dunes. Our destination is a simple but atmospheric Bedouin camp, where we spend the night.
The accommodation is a ring of mud huts, though we’ve found many travellers prefer to sleep under the desert sky, watching shooting stars and naming the constellations.
Please note: You are requested to bring only an overnight bag and leave your remaining luggage with the vehicle.
Accommodation: Camp Chez Le Pacha or similar (full-service camping)
Drive time: Four hours and a half
Day 5 : The Sahara To Zagora
Meals Included: Breakfast
It’s fun time again as we embark on another one-hour camel trek back to our bus. We then travel to the city of Zagora, stopping at the Tamegroute village pottery works where a collection of seven families use traditional methods to create beautiful ceramics with a signature green glaze.
While there, we watch the talented artisans at work and even get to try throwing a bowl on the potter’s wheel. After, it’s to our hotel in Zagora, where we have time to unwind in the flower-filled gardens and take a dip in the hotel pool.
Accommodation: Auberge Chez Ali (or similar)
Drive time: Two hours and a half
Day 6 : Zagora To Ouarzazate
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we head back to Ouarzazate where we visit Taourirt Kasbah, once the palatial home of the powerful Glaoui family and, more recently, the backdrop for movies including Gladiator and Prince of Persia (2010). Here we tour the labyrinthine passages to visit the still-spectacular reception, dining room and private apartments. We also head to the roof to look over the palm tree oasis and river valley below.
After our visit, we enjoy free time to relax at our hotel and take a dip in the kidney bean-shaped pool.
Accommodation: Club Hanane (or similar)
Drive time: Three hours and a half
Day 7 : Ouarzazate To Marrakech
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast, we drive back to Marrakech. This afternoon, we take a tour of the city by calèche, a traditional horse-drawn carriage and a classic Marrakech experience. Our sightseeing tour, which lasts two to three hours, starts at Jemaa el-Fna and takes in the Agdal Gardens, the city walls and glimpses the old medina. We end the day back at Jemaa el-Fna, which comes alive with food stalls, and musicians in the evenings – a great place to enjoy our farewell dinner (not included) and soak up the atmosphere.
Accommodation: Opera Plaza Hotel, Red Hotel (or similar)
Drive time: Four hours and a half
Day 8 : End Marrakech
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our journey comes to an end after breakfast. Hop onto your free transfer to Marrakech Airport to catch your flight. Alternatively, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in the Red City.
What's Included
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Meals
7 breakfasts, 1 lunches, 2 dinners.
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
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Visas and vaccinations
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Single supplements
Food
All breakfasts, one lunch and two dinners are included.
Moroccan food is, generally speaking, excellent, though not particularly varied. Breakfasts usually consist of bread and jam with coffee or tea. Where meals are not included, budget for the following approximate prices:
Lunches: 60-100 dirhams (US$6-US$10)
Dinners:
In cities: 80-200 dirhams (US$8-US$19)
Small towns and villages: 60-100 dirhams (US$6-US$10)
Soft drinks in restaurants: 10-20 dirhams (US$1-US$1.90)
Alcohol:
Beer: 30-50 dirhams (US$2.85-US$5)
Wine: 150 dirhams (US$14) and more
Vegetarians can be catered for but there is a fairly limited choice of vegetarian couscous, tajine or omelettes. This is particularly the case during the more rural sections of the trip.
Please note, if you have any special dietary requirements, you should inform us prior to the trip. If you have a specific medical/dietary need (eg coeliac or vegan) you may find it helpful to bring some food with you from home.
Accommodation
We have chosen a selection of comfortable family-friendly hotels with swimming pools. We also spend one night in the Sahara, a never-forgotten experience that will likely be discussed over family meals for many years to come.
Marrakech: Opera Plaza or Red Hotel (nights 1 and 7)
We begin and end our adventure in Marrakech, where we stay at either the four-star Opera Plaza Hotel or the Red Hotel. Both are in the same complex and there's plenty to keep the family entertained, including a swimming pool area and bowling lanes.
Ait Ben Haddou: Ksar Ljanoub (nights 2 and 3)
We stay for two nights at Ksar Ljanoub, winner of Tripadvisor’s Travellers' Choice Award in 2023. Enjoy the Atlas sunshine with a dip in the pool or relax under the shade of a parasol. You can also enjoy views of the mountains and desert from the rooms or the terraces, with a chance for a beautiful sunrise or sunset.
Sahara: Camp Chez Le Pacha (night 4)
The highlight for many is our night in the Sahara, where our camp is circled by bronze dunes you can climb to watch the sun set and rise. Our accommodation is a ring of traditional mud huts, though most prefer to take their beds outside to sleep under a blanket of stars – look out for the tell-tale streak of a shooting star. In the centre of the camp is a fire, which is lit at night and typically becomes the place to share stories and bond with our guide and hosts. Distractions are few here, which allows everyone to share, what is for many, a bucket-list experience.
Zagora: Chez Ali (night 5)
In Zagora, we stay in an auberge (inn) called Chez Ali with pretty floral gardens. After our night in the desert, many head straight to the pool for a refreshing swim or to relax with a book.
Ouarzazate: Club Hanane (night 6)
Before we head back to Marrakech, we stay at Club Hanane in Ouarzazate. Here you can sit by the pool at breakfast, while the hotel also has a lounge and outside seating area.
Worth knowing
The only night without a pool is when we are camping in the Sahara
Check out our Q&As
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
The minimum age for this tour is 16 years old.
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, our local guides are English speaking.
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Who is Exodus Travels?
At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide.
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Are flights included in this tour?
International flights are not included with this tour.
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.