Morocco cultural tour

Our bestselling Morocco holiday takes you overland from Casablanca to Marrakech, guided by locals who know all the best hangouts, staying in a mix of homestays, family-run riads and camps that support Berber culture.
Views of High Atlas Mountains Ait Benhaddou fortifications Marrakech Essaouira Fes Sultan's palace in Meknes camp in the Sahara Berber culture Todra Gorge Casablanca Hassan II Mosque Kasbahs and souks
Price
£985£769To£1210excluding flights
Duration
15 Days
Type
Small group
Reviews
CO2
503.55kg
More info
Single supplement from £270 - £310.
Offers
Up to £260 off selected dates.
Late availability on these dates: 22 Sep, 23 Sep, 25 Sep, 26 Sep, 29 Sep, 30 Sep, 03 Oct, 05 Oct, 06 Oct, 07 Oct, 09 Oct, 10 Oct, 12 Oct, 13 Oct, 16 Oct, 19 Oct, 20 Oct, 21 Oct, 23 Oct, 24 Oct, 26 Oct, 28 Oct, 31 Oct, 03 Nov, 04 Nov,...
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Description of Morocco cultural tour

This two week cultural tour in Morocco takes you overland from one of the country’s best known coastal cities, Casablanca, to one of its most legendary, Marrakech.

In between, travellers will be treated to a cultural tour of Morocco that features the medieval walled city of Fes as well as time spent in the Atlas Mountains and amongst the folds of the Sahara Desert.

This two week tour of Morocco is a real cultural eye opener with mosques and markets, kasbahs and souks, offering an array of ancient images as well as opportunities to learn more about the history of the region alongside the lifestyles of nomadic herders and Berber communities.

Map

Price information

£985£769To£1210excluding flights
Single supplement from £270 - £310.
Make enquiry

Check dates, prices & availability

Travel guides

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Holiday information

Our top tip:
Keep stocked up with water and try to get plenty of smaller notes and coins in order to tip the grateful locals. Also, evenings can get a bit chilly in the desert so pack plenty of layers.
Trip type:
Small group. Max. 16 people. Min age 15.
Activity level:
Leisurely-moderate.
Accomm:
1 night campsite, 1x gite, 2x guesthouse, 8x hotel, 2x riad.
Included:
All transport (including camels), entrance fees and guided tours.
Meals:
13 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners.
Solos:
Solos welcome. Single rooms available with surcharge.
Small group tour, ideal for solos & couples:
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modeled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, travelling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. For those with limited time, a small group tour will save valuable time in planning, and on holiday.
Indigenous communities:
This trip benefits the Berber community through the creation of new employment opportunities. Tourists can stay in Berber owned accommodation and dine at indigenous owned restaurants. Tourists can purchase indigenous made handicrafts; the revenues raised from these services provide a sustainable source of income.

Reviews

19 Reviews of Morocco cultural tour

4.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviewed on 30 Mar 2024 by

Be prepared to fall in love with Morocco!... The itinerary was great, really varied. It gave us a great insight into Morocco as a whole: just the right mix of town and rural stays! Read full review

Reviewed on 29 Feb 2024 by

Wonderful experience, led by a first rate guide. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Jan 2024 by

Loved the diversity of it! Sleeping in the mountain village cottage under few covers, while strong winds were blowing outside. Walking in Todra Gorge and having thyme tea with Berbers was very nice! Read full review

Reviewed on 06 Apr 2024 by

I would give it a 7.5 in general. Sitting listening to the camels "talking" to one another while the others were on the dune and I was sitting alone with them. Precious moment. Read full review

Reviewed on 16 Mar 2024 by

Have clothing for both warm and cold conditions and a curious heart. Read full review

Reviewed on 14 Jan 2024 by

Very good vacation and our guide was excellent! It definitely benefited local people. Learning about the history and culture of Morocco. It's fascinating. Read full review

Reviewed on 18 Nov 2023 by

Superb value. Wonderful, varied itinerary. Brilliant local guides with excellent, clear English and superb knowledge, delivered with humour and evident enjoyment. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 May 2023 by

Excellent! Our guide was outstanding, very knowledgeable and highly conscientious. Read full review

Reviewed on 16 Apr 2023 by

I loved that our guide knew the people we met personally. Family-run hotels greet her like a friend; this is very nice. Read full review

Reviewed on 05 Dec 2022 by

Excellent…and our guide was exceptionally outstanding. Read full review

Reviewed on 08 Sep 2022 by

We had a memorable holiday that made a lifetime of memories. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Sep 2021 by

It was a great trip, but important for people to be open-minded and leave their expectations at home, this is North Africa after all Read full review

Reviewed on 13 May 2019 by

The huge variety of activities we did over the two weeks was the most memorable part of our holiday; from castles, the old medinas to Roman ruins, camel riding in the desert to walking in the Atlas mountains Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Apr 2019 by

Meeting local people was the most memorable part our holiday. This holiday certainly gives you a good overview of a wonderful country. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Nov 2018 by

Awesome holiday. Our tour leader Khalad was exceptional. He was extremely patient and tried to accommodate everyone. He was very passionate and knowledgeable. Read full review

Reviewed on 14 May 2018 by

The most memorable was the desert. So different from everything I know.... It has been a fantastic trip. Very tiring but this tour allows to see the many different faces of Morocco: cities, countryside, desert. Read full review

Reviewed on 19 Dec 2017 by

Variety of landscapes, very efficient guide, nice and welcoming people. Read full review

Reviewed on 05 Nov 2017 by

Had an amazing trip, our tour guide Abdoul & driver Samira were fantastic as were all our other guides. The highlight for me was the Berber family we stayed with and meeting Abdouls family. Am grateful for the time and insight into their family lives and work loads. Met and had a fantastic time with the other people on the tour. Read full review

Reviewed on 24 Oct 2016 by

We were fortunate to have had such a great experience...Climbing up to the Kasbah at Ait Benhaddoo and watching the sunset over the Atlas Mountains followed by the moon rising from the opposite horizon Read full review

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.

Planet

Whilst using public transport is the most sustainable way of travelling, in Morocco it’s not always easy to. Aside from good train connections between the major cities, it’s often tricky to travel to more rural or remote areas by public transport. On this trip we use private transport in a few places, but wherever we can we jump on public transport. For instance, our journey from Marrakech and Essaouira uses a local bus. Not only is this a very comfortable way of travelling, but it’s also a scenic ride. As this bus is used by people living or working between Essaouira and Marrakech it offers a great opportunity to chat freely with the friendly Moroccan people. The bus also stops once or twice at local roadside restaurants where you can snack on Moroccan delicacies and enjoy a local coffee.
We also suggest that passengers use refillable water bottles, and our leaders will suggest purchasing bigger bottles of water to store in our vehicle whilst on the road.
With the help of our Moroccan suppliers, we also contract local specialists to run all our activities on this adventure. Before signing them up, we’ll always make sure that these individuals share our philosophy and stance on important environmental issues. Therefore, you can be sure that your local guide in the Atlas Mountains will never contribute to the problem of waste management. Hardly any waste collection takes place in the High Atlas, but our guides will always carry their rubbish back with them to Marrakech, something we actively encourage our passengers to do too.

People

We provide our travellers with advice on responsible travel behaviour and encourage them to share their cultures with the people they meet as a way of improving understanding of our two very different lifestyles. The trip begins with a brief language lesson to learn a few words of Arabic (or Berber, depending on the background of your leader), which will enable to you talk to locals when at shops and restaurants or exchange some words of Arabic with locals on the bus.
Our leaders are all Moroccans from a wide variety of backgrounds, and they are very proud to share their country and culture with their groups. Throughout the trip, they will share with you their favourite local restaurants and food specialties, from cous cous and tagines to berber pizza and picnic lunches with food bought from roadside markets.
Throughout this fantastic trip, there are many opportunities to really experience how Moroccan people live, eat, and travel. We stay in locally run hotels, dine in local restaurants and use public transport whenever possible. Life is always locally flavored, whether it be by drinking an avocado juice at a local bar, or trying Kefta (minced lamb mixed with spices and then grilled) at a roadside stall. The emphasis on this trip is on building and enjoying relationships within the communities we travel and throughout the trip you will stay in a variety of accommodation, all of them locally owned and run. We enjoy a homestay and home cooking in the Atlas mountains and a small family-run riad in Essaouira.
We have our breaks at local cafes selling mint tea or café au lait and if we are feeling hungry, we can snack at street stalls selling chickpeas, nuts and even snails. Souqs (markets) sell olives, preserved lemons, dates and spices and our desert safari sees us sharing a meal with the Berber people. Even when we go shopping we like to get our travellers to shop at cooperatives where the artisans receive a fair price for their wares, therefore cutting out the middle man.
This trip also supports various organisations along the way. In the Middle Atlas mountains, we visit Kasbah Myriem, an organisation run by Franciscan nuns who educate and train local women to weave and use traditional patterns for their carpets and other hand-made products. Their mission is to give unmarried woman an education and guaranteed paid employment, and have the support of the local communities since they buy all their wool and dyes from nearby farmers. Passengers learn about the project and have the opportunity to buy some of their high-quality products.
In Tinerhir, we visit our foundation's supported organisation which works with physically and mentally handicapped people who learn to read, write and work with computers at school, and learn the basic skills to function in day-to-day life. They also receive professional instruction by local artisans on weaving, ceramics, woodwork and metalwork, so that they can become useful and valuable members of society and earn an income of their own.

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