15 Day Berber Morocco experience - Avontuur in Zagora, Marrakech, Essaouira, Imlil, Ouarzazate, Erg Chebbi - Marokko

Beschrijving: Experience the amazing diversity of the South Morocco Berber region in our special price 15 day value package.

After your arrival in Marrakech, you should check in at your Marrakech Medina accomodation, The Heart of the Medina hostel. Located only 1 minute from the Djemaa El fna, you really are in the heart of the Medina.

The rest of the day can be spent enjoying your first experience of Marrakech.

Day 2

Staying at the Heart of the Medina hostel, you can explore the Medina and city of Marrakech.

Day 3

After breakfast at the hostel, you should meet at the starting point in the Marrakech Medina to begin your 4 day, 3 night shared desert tour.

This starting point is only 5 minutes walk from the hostel and Riad and will be at 07:00hrs.

The Hostel will store your luggage for you whilst you are on your tour.

We depart from Marrakech at 07:00hrs in either minibus or 4x4 vehicle.

The main essentials of this tour, combines the 2 individual tours to Zagora and Merzouga. It is an extended tour, providing the essentials of both regions.

Full bedding is provided at all acommodations.

Visit to the Kasbah Ait Benhaddou / Ouarzazate / the Drâa valley / Zagora ( the begnning of the desert / two hour camel ride to the desert camp / dinner and sleeping under the stars or in a Berber tent.

Day 4

Berber breakfast / Two hour camel ride at sunrise and departure from Zagora/ Trip to Merzouga via Tnsikht Tazarine / An hour trip by camel and night spent in the high dunes of the desert.

Day 5

One and a half hour camel ride and breakfast . Departure from Merzouga and visits of the Todra Gorges and the Dadés Gorge. A Moroccan dinner and evening at a lovely small hotel with beautiful views of the valley.

Day 6

Departure from the Dadés Gorges and visit to the valley of the thousand kasbahs and return to Marrakech .

You will return to Marrakech around 17:00hrs and it is just a short walk back to the hostel for the night.

Day 7

This day is free for you to spend exploring the city Medina and the gardens on the outskirts of the city.

An ideal opportunity would also be a traditional Moroccan Hammam as a great “clean up” after the desert tour.

Day 8

After a traditional breakfast, You take a short walk to the meeting point of the Cascades tour. This is the same starting point as the desert tour.

Located around 3 hours from Marrakech, in the Anti Atlas, The cascades are perfect for exploring and experiencing local life.

Whilst there are a few “touristy” shops and cafes, largely, the area is unspoilt by the tourist hoards.

You can walk around the area and view the cascades and meet the locals.

The cascades are a great way to experience local life. “entertainment” is usually provided by the local kids who can be seen swimming, climbing the rocks and then diving into the waters below – a spectacular show of acrobatics!

One of the other great attractions here are the Monkeys who freely roam around the area and live in the trees.

Grab the camera!

At the end of the day, you return to the Hostel.

During the evening, we would recommend the number one on the square for a perfectly cooked, fresh meal.

Day 9

After a great breakfast, your Atlas trekking guide will meet you at the hostel and will transfer you to Imlil. Again, the Hostel will be happy to look after your luggage whilst you are trekking.

During the Transfer, you will experience the High Atlas. It is a wonderful journey taking you from the flat level of the surrounding area, steadily rising up around winding roads through small villages to the top of the Atlas. There are some truly amazing views of the region on this transfer. There will be plenty of opportunity for photographs on the way.

Overnight at the Riad Oussagou at Imlil.

Your accommodation will be in a private, double room at the Riad. The Riad is like a home for you and half board (breakfast and evening meal) is also included in the rate.

This is a good opportunity to explore the village of Imlil.

Day 10

Trekking in the High Atlas

You will begin your high atlas 3 day trek with Houssine.

About Houssine:

Houssine our Atlas Mountain guide, originally from a Berber area, he worked as a muleteer for a long time with individuals and groups. In 2000 he graduated from the “Royal Moroccan Federation of Skiing of and Mountaineering.

In addition to his experience and knowledge in the Atlas Mountain, this diploma qualified him as a Mountain Guide, able to organize trips of all kinds around the Kingdom of Morocco for walkers & non-walkers.

Houssine aims to introduce his own Berber culture to his costumers as an old culture in the North Africa.

The large diversity of his products will satisfy travellers in spite of their different tastes and interests.holiday ways.

Walking in the High Atlas lead you to explore the wilderness of Morocco's mountains & will bring you into the close contact with the berbers.

These friendly hospitable people welcome you into their villages and we encoourage you to mix as much as possible Getting to know the local people learning their costoms and traditions.It's for many people the tour highlight, Our aim is to make you enjoy the beauty of morocco landscapes.

The Trekking

Imlil to Setti Fadma - 3 day

imlil – tizi ntamatere (2279m) – wanskra – tachdirth : from imlil , we set out along a piste for a 1 hour and 45 minuteshike towards the east up to the tizi n’tamaterte (2279m)on through fields of barley and orchards of walnuts , appel and cherry treees untill we reach the village of tamaterte. Once through the village we shall take a path wich leads us up though pine and juniper woods we stop at the tizi to admire the imlil and imnane valleys , this latter with its many berber villages tucked precariously onto the slopes stretching around us . we carry on along the upper valley slopes for another hour or so to the villages of first wanskra and then amagdoul sset amidst terraced plotsof land carved from the hard slopes where we shall stop for our field picnic on the plateau used , in summer, as a favoured bivouac site . our afternoon will be spent hiking for some 2 hours up through the valley along the mule trails untill we reach the pretty- and the

oldest-berber in the toubkal massif ( tachdirth 2291m),set amongst terraced plots clawed from the surrounding craggy slopes, where we will overnight ingite d’etape .

Day 11

tachdirth –iaabbassen – timichi : after an early breakfast we satart our 6 hours hike south-eastwards to the terraced village of timichi (1850m), at the western offshoot head of ourika valley . for 2and half hours we hike slowly up to the tizi n’tachdirth (3200m), which affords us a stunning panoramic view of jbel aksoual (3842m) and bouignouane (3882m) on one side and angour on the other , with the beginning of the luscious nature of beautiful , verdant valley streching out way below us . we shall traverse the pass and continue on down through the rocks north-eastwards for further 2 hours untill we reach the berber village of iaabbassen (2030m), where we will stop for our welcome field picnic next to spring just outside of the village. The afternoon’s 2 hours hike us up futher to the northeast down the valley to the old village of timichi , a charming terraced pisé conglomeration of homes set amongst ancient nut trees , where we will have our dinner and

overnight in a berber family’s home.

Day 12

timichi –tiwerdiwe – tadrarte – agadir n’ait boulmane -setti fadma :after breakfast we set out for a 4 to 5 hours hike eastwards down along the valley full of cornfields and walnuts grovs, with many streams flowing down from the upper slopes , passing through the villages of anfli and tadrart to arrive at the end of beautiful ourika valley proper and the renowned berber village of setti fadma ,with its ancient nut trees and waterfalls. We shall stop for our picnic just outside of the village , before hiking for another half hour to get to the vechicle .

You will then have a transfer to Marrakech Medina and the hostel.

Overnight at the Heart of the Medina hostel.

Day 13

Overnight at the Heart of the Medina.

Day 14

After a breakfast at the Hostel, you need to take a Petite taxi to the CTM bus station for your day trip to Essaouaria.

Overnight in Heart of the Medina hostel.

Day 15

Breakfast at the Riad Rahba.