Combined Tour of Morocco
The Combined Tour is one of the best treks in Morocco. Starting out in Marrakech, you’ll travel to the coast, through the Atlas mountain range, on to the beautiful ait Benhaddou and finally to the Sahara Desert before finishing in the Imperial City of Fes.
Private treks
A minimum of 2 adults is required for all private treks. Children under 10 years old can join private treks for 50% of the Adult price.
Shared treks (see the date picker above)
A shared Combined Tour enables you to join an existing group. A minimum of 2 people are required for a shared Combined Tour to operate on each date. If more people book the shared trek for the same date, then you will receive a discount. We operate the shared treks on set days each month. If you don’t find the date that you require, you can ask us to start a new shared trek for a date that suits you. Get in touch here if you’d like to know more. The prices will depend upon how many people also book the same date.
The booking system is secure and we never get to see your card or payment details. You complete your reservation via our online booking partner. Our online booking partner operates the booking system securely and is available to help you with your planning for your trek and any questions that you may have.
Overview
One of the best treks in Morocco (and one of the most diverse), The Combined Tour will take you all over Morocco’s stunning countryside and introduce you to its ancient and vibrant culture.
Itinerary
Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira.
3 hours drive to Riad Zahra, a very comfortable guest house in Essaouira. Essaouira is picturesque port town on the Atlantic coast and features an artist community and lots of local culture.
Today we’ll be exploring the souks and culture of Essaouira’s old town before spending a relaxing evening exploring its streets and restaurants.
We will stay the night at Riad Zahra again.
Early in the morning we’ll head out from Essaouira and drive to Imi Oughlad.
There we’ll meet our team, which includes guides, mules, muleteers and a cook.
Today we will be starting out with an acclimatization trek that will get us to Imsker (a Berber village) where will spend the night.
The terrain here is gentler with copper green soil and juniper trees.
Approximately 4-5 hrs walking time.
Today, we will head from Imsker to Ouanskra, and then on to Tachdirth.
From Imsker , we’ll set out along a piste for 3 hours hike and on towards the east. Eventually, we will climb up to the valley and on through fields of barley and orchards of walnuts , apple and cherry trees until we reach the village of Tamaterte.
After Tamaterte, we’ll carry on along the upper valley slopes for another hour or so to the village of Ouanskra and then to Amagdoul, which is set amidst terraced plots of land carved from the hard slopes. We will stop here for a picnic on the plateau (which is sometimes used in summer, as a bivouac site).
After lunch, our afternoon will be spent hiking for some 2 hours up through the valley along the mule trails until we reach the pretty (and oldest!) Berber village in the Toubkal massif, Tachdirth (2291m).
Tachdirth feels ancient and looks picturesque: it is set amongst terraced plots dug from the surrounding stony slopes.
We will stay the night here in a local gite.
After an early breakfast, we start our 6 hours hike south-eastwards to the terraced village of Timichi (1850m), a western offshoot at the head of Ourika valley.
For 2.5 hours we hike slowly up to 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 luscious, verdant valley stretching out way below us we shall traverse the pass and continue on down through the rocky slopes and head north-eastwards for a further 2 hours until we reach the Berber village of Iaabbassen (2030m), where we will stop for our welcome field picnic next to a spring just outside of the village.
After lunch we’ll enjoy another 2 hour hike up to the northeast and then down the valley to the old village of Timichi, a charming terraced piste and conglomeration of homes set amongst ancient nut trees , where we will have our dinner.
We will stay overnight in a Berber family home.
After breakfast we will set out for a 4 to 5 hour hike eastwards down along the valley. Our route will be full of cornfields and walnuts groves, with many streams flowing down from the upper slopes. We pass 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 heading to our gite in Setti Fadma for the night.
You will be picked up from your accommodation in Ourika at 9.00am.
From there we will head out over the Atlas mountains and across the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. Leaving the pass, we will continue toward the World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou, a spectacular fortified village (also known as a Ksar).
We will stay the night in Ait Benhaddou.
Today, we will have the option to visit the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. The list of famous films and TV shows filmed in this area is huge – see if you recognise anything as you travel through!
We can then continue to the Dades Gorge via Skoura and Rose Valley (Kelaa Mgouna) where, in spring, Berber children line the route selling garlands of fragrant roses. We’ll leave the main route at Boumalne Dades to drive past ruined hilltop kasbahs, valley-floor gardens and the strange rock formations of the Tamnalt Hills.
We’ll spend the night in the Rose Valley.
In the morning, we’ll transfer to Merzouga via the Todra Gorge, the highest gorge in Morocco. The gorge is just 20m wide and over 200m high.
We’ll arrive at the edge of the dunes with the option of an overnight stay at a hotel or to take the chance to go camel trekking in Erg Chebbi, with a desert guide, and sleep in a nomad tent at a desert camp. You will eat and sleep under the desert stars.
After an early sunrise, we’ll ride our camels back into Merzouga. After we have had a shower and a wash, we’ll start the final leg of our tour by heading out to Fes.
We can stop on the road to enjoy some tea with a nomadic family before passing through the High Atlas mountains again. We’ll stop by a town called Midelt where we’ll have lunch. This town is a very impressive mountain town at 1488m of altitude and well situated lower down the Jbel Ayachi (3737m).
In the afternoon we’ll continue to the legendary Imperial City of Fes. Our arrival in Fes will herald the ed of our trip.
Around 7 hours of driving.
Includes
- During the Mountains trek: - Pick up from Marrakech to the starting point of the trek - Qualified mountain guide, muleteers and cook - Accommodation in Guesthouse, Gites, Mountain hut, Berber homes & Bivouac - Mules for luggage
- During Desert Tour: - Transport from High Atlas & Desert to Marrakech - English speaking driver - Qualified Guide - Two nights at the hotels - One night in a berber tent - Two hours camel riding to see the sunset & sunrise - Riad Zahra on BB - Transfer from Merzouga to Fes
Doesn't include
- Drinks • Sleeping Bags • Lunches during the desert tour (3 days) • Entrance fees • Dinners and lunchs in Essaouira
Included:
Guides, porters and muleteers
Airport transfers in Marrakech
Accommodation
Food & water
Specialist equipment
Excluded:
International flights
Tips
Any visa fees (not needed for UK citizens)
Personal travel/rescue insurance
on the first day of your trip. Alternatively, if you have arrived early, we recommend you spend a few hours exploring Marrakech city. You can be picked up from the main Medina, in the city center (Jemaa el-Fnaa) at 9am
.You can also be dropped in Marrakech city center if you would like to stay on.
The summit day can be 6 – 8 hours (with lots of breaks) so you do need a good level of fitness. We recommend training with jogging or sport 1-2 times a week, in the run-up to your trip.
The minimum age for this trip is 18, or 13 with a parent/guardian.
For Atlas Trekking you need to prepare as you would for walking in any mountain region; it can be warm and sunny during the day but the weather in the mountains can quickly change from sunshine to snow and cold winds (autumn through late spring). Here is the equipment and clothing we suggest.
Clothing & Equipment:
-Good walking boots and –socks
-season sleeping bag
-Comfortable shoes/slippers for camp/guesthouse
-Walking stick
-Trekking pants
-Day sack/backpack
-Lightweight waterproof -over-trousers / rain-pants
-Headtorch / headlamp
-Underwear
-Basic First Aid Kit – refer to trip dossier for details
-Ice axe and crampons (winter)
-T-shirts
-Water bottle or camel back (recommended)
-Fleece jacket or warm jumper
-Penknife (useful)
-Lightweight windproof/waterproof jacket
-Hat
-Goggles (winter) and sunglasses (summer)
-Lightweight thermal or fleece gloves
Other:
-Personal items (e.g. towel, sunscreen, wipes, toilet tissues, antibacterial handwash)
-Small First Aid Kit including insect repellent, plasters, meds
-Small rubbish bag to carry out what you carry in
-Matches e.g. burn toilet paper
-Trail snacks
-Zip-Up bags for camera
-Repair kit (eg. needle, thread, duct tape)
Yes, you can leave anything you don’t need.
The local guides use mules to carry your main bag. You just need to carry a small bag with water, sun cream and waterproofs whilst trekking.
On the first and last nights, you’ll stay in a comfortable Riad called “Dar Ouassagou” in the village of Imlil. A variety of rooms are available, but usually, you will be sharing with one other person from the team. During the middle nights, you’ll stay in a mountain refuge which is very basic, with dormitory-style accommodation.
Wi-Fi is available in the Riad on the first night, however, it can be unreliable given the remote location. There is no internet available in the mountain refuge, and phone signal can be poor.
Each group is typically 12 people, with a maximum of 20.
Are you craving a fun-filled vacation to a place full of bustle and charm? If so, then Morocco has a lot to offer to enthusiastic travellers such as you. Trek In Morocco offers you a huge range of travel packages to choose from. From gleaming deserts to lively cities, our heritage tours of Morocco cover them all.
About Morocco
Morocco is situated in the west of North Africa and is highlighted by its imperial cities and the Sahara desert.
For travellers who want to experience everything from bustling cities to soothing countryside and endless streams of desert sand, Morocco is the right choice. The country is home to some of the most iconic mosques and culturally important sites, a dreamland.
Morocco Tour Packages
While a trip to Morocco is an amazing experience on its own, we highly recommend tour packages for first-time visitors.
Tour packages not only save you considerable money but also provide you with various intangible benefits such as:
- Great local support
- Flexible packages to maximize the fun
- Amazing details to hidden gems and intricacies
Heritage Tours of Morocco
Morocco is a large place to visit. We have condensed our packages, making sure that you get a taste of all of what Morocco has to offer.
Get the taste of the cultural air of Marrakech, enjoy the coast, travel through the mountain range of Atlas, witness the grandeur of the Sahara desert and cap it off with the imperial city of Fes. All in one package.
We leave no stones unturned. And to make sure that your trip is comfortable, we provide unmatched assistance and flexibility that would want you to come back for more.
Key Features of Our Tour Packages
We have designed our tour packages with a great amount of care and attention to detail. With us, you get one of the best travelling experiences that you can get in all of Morocco. Our heritage tours of Morocco provide:
1) A Wonderful Itinerary
To cover a culturally rich country like Morocco, a well-planned itinerary is a must. We have put together an itinerary that is very balanced and which ensures that you get all of Morocco.
Our travel package has been spaced out to give space for enough rest and individual sightseeing to maximize the fun.
2) Comfortable Accommodation
A highlight of our heritage tours of Morocco is the amount of care given to accommodate our guests.
We provide high-quality accommodation at all parts of the trip. During treks, we provide logistic support such as mules to carry your luggage, unique places such as mountain huts and guest houses to stay in and a qualified guide.
3) Pricing
We have tried to keep our prices as worthwhile as possible. We are travel enthusiasts who want to share our passion for our country with other people. To do so, we have kept our prices the best in our line of business.
Enjoy the joy of Morocco without the worries of exorbitant prices.
Morocco is a fun-filled treasure of a country. Enjoy it with your friends and family on your next trip and indulge in a land full of mystique and wonder.