Walking in Morocco - Atlas to Atlantic - 8 Days

Our tour of Morocco starts in the Red City. With its dusty rooftops, maze-like streets and bustling souks, Marrakech encompasses the essence of Morocco. Head to the medina and people watch while you sip a mint tea in Jemaa el-Fna (the main square) or visit the Jardin Majorelle, just a short walk from our hotel. There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), which is around a 20-minute drive from our hotel. Our Explore Leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and then an optional dinner. If you arrive later, they'll catch you up as soon as possible.

This morning, we'll leave Marrakech behind and head to the small village of Ouirgane in the High Atlas Mountains. Located in the heart of the Toubkal National Park, Ouirgane is surrounded by red earth hills and pine forests. On arrival, we'll cross to a nearby Berber village to have lunch in a local house - this is a great opportunity to try traditional home cooking and learn about Berber culture. After lunch, we'll take a short drive to the Bridge of Assiff Azdeb, from where we'll walk amongst the olive groves to the village of Tikhfist. Stopping at a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the valley, we'll see Lalla Takerskout Lake shimmering below us. Taking the path down to the villages of Torort and Anraz, we'll return to our hotel on foot, breathing in the scents of juniper and pine along the way. Our hotel for tonight is set within beautiful, landscaped gardens and backed by mountains. There's an outdoor pool to unwind in after a day of walking, too. Today's walk covers 8 kilometres/4.50 miles and is expected to take around 3 hours. It has a total ascent and descent of 250 metres/820 feet .

Today we continue our journey through the mountains, to Ouled Berhil, stopping off along the way to visit the 12th century Tinmel mosque. We take a short walk crossing the Oued Nfiss Valley to view the red brick fortress from above before entering the site. Tinmel was once considered the centre of the powerful Almohades dynasty that expanded an Islamic empire from North Africa into Spain, whilst the mosque itself is no longer in use it is possible to admire the fortified brick arches and elaborate Mihrab of the roofless building. Continuing by bus we take a breath taking drive crossing the High Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n Test pass (2,092 metres/6863 feet) to the Souss Plain. This scenic road is winding and spectacular. Weaving its way up into the mountains through a series of switchbacks, you can take in the fabulous views back across to the Toubkal Massif. Descending to the Souss Valley, across the agricultural plain, past orange groves to arrive at Ouled Berhil. For the next 2 nights we'll be staying in a traditional Moroccan house known as a riad. Riad Hida was built in 1860 and the property boasts lush gardens with fountains, palms, fruit trees and an outdoor swimming pool, you may even spot peacocks roaming the grounds. The lounge and dining rooms feature several collectors' items, with colourful mosaic adorning the walls and ceilings.

Today we'll take a scenic drive north into the Western High Atlas, to the valley of Afensou. Our first stop will be a viewpoint overlooking the valley before we walk down to Afensou village, passing by farms where we'll see locals hard at work growing and harvesting vegetables. We'll have lunch in Afensou at a family-run guesthouse, feasting on a traditional tagine accompanied by freshly baked khobz (a round bread that's a staple in the local diet). Tagine is a fragrant, slow-cooked stew, named after the clay dish it's cooked in, it's bursting with the sweet and sour flavours of dates and spices. On our way back to Ouled Berhil, we'll make a stop at Taroudante, a walled city in the Souss Valley known as 'Little Marrakech'. This thriving market town is a meeting place for Berber locals, where they come to trade food and crafts. Today's walk covers 4 kilometres/2.50 miles and is expected to take around 2 hours. It has a total descent of 100 metres/328 feet.

We'll leave the Atlas Mountains behind us this morning and head towards Agadir, driving alongside the Atlantic Ocean to Sidi Mbarek. Hugging the coast, we'll drive past small villages, banana plantations and beaches where you can spot camels and surfers. Keep an eye out along the way for the bizarre sight of goats grazing in the trees - in the southwest of Morocco, goats climb Argan trees, attracted by the fruit's pulp. This afternoon's walk takes us from the small village of Sidi Mbarek down to the beach, along the deserted sands where we'll enjoy vast ocean views. We'll arrive in the sleepy surf town of Sidi Kaouki where our bus will be waiting to take us on to Essaouira. Essaouira is a quaint fishing town, set within 15th-century Portuguese fortifications. We'll be staying at the Riad Al Madina, within the historic city walls. This former 19th-century palace has been carefully restored to retain the elegance of its original splendour. There's a central courtyard, filled with plants and fountains and a sun terrace overlooking the city's medina. Today's walk covers 12 kilometres/7.50 miles and is expected to take around 2 hours along a flat route.

This morning, we'll take a guided walking tour of Essaouira. Entering the walled medina, we'll pass through narrow streets and alleys, where craftsmen sell their wares. We'll walk along the impressive ramparts, admiring the view out to the Atlantic Ocean and the port area of the town. The bustling port is crammed with bobbing blue fishing boats and we'll observe local fishermen bringing in their nets. The rest of the day is free to explore at your own pace. Head back into the medina and shop for souvenirs or walk along the golden stretch of the beach.

After breakfast, we'll set off back to Marrakech by bus. On arrival, we'll dive straight into the heady delights of the Red City with a guided walking tour. We'll pass by the rose-coloured Koutoubia (booksellers) Mosque on the way to Bahia Palace, an open-air museum that's famous for its decorated stucco walls and marble floors. We'll fuel up on fresh pastries from a traditional bakery before continuing to the medina on foot. There, we'll be guided through the labyrinth of spice-scented souks, passing by craftsmen selling rugs, leather goods and crockery before dropping by a spice shop to sample ripe dates and almonds. Finally, we'll navigate our way out into the energetic Jemaa el-Fna Square.

Our tour of Morocco ends at our hotel in Marrakech. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer, you need to depart from Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK).