Marrakech & the Sahara

The tour starts at our Marrakech hotel this afternoon. Stay: Akabar Hotel (or similar).

With time to explore Marrakech at the end of our journey, we leave the Red City behind and head into the Atlas Mountains. Our destination for the day is the well-preserved ksar of Ait Benhaddou. This Unesco World Heritage site is one of the most spectacular landmarks in the Atlas and the filming location for several Hollywood movies, including Gladiator (2000). The route takes us over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest in Morocco, arriving mid-afternoon. We take a tour through the ksar and then return to our hotel for dinner. Stay: Rose du Sable (or similar) Drive time: Four hours (B/D).

We travel through 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 many Hollywood films and Game of Thrones. It's also home to the impressive Kasbah Taourirt, a grand fort largely constructed from rammed earth and mud-brick. We then head south with a 4hr 30min drive along the Draa Valley, which contains more than 4m palm trees and is bordered by many ksours (fortified villages).

Here we embark on a one and a half hour camel trek and venture further into the Sahara, where we spend the night at a simple Bedouin camp for spectacular stargazing. Surrounded by silence and millions of stars, we can appreciate the immensity of the desert. Stay: Camp Chez Le Pacha (full-service camping) Drive time: 5hr 30min Please note: As we venture into the desert, you are requested to only bring an overnight bag and leave all your remaining luggage with the vehicle. Please pack your overnight bag ready for today (B/D).

We wake in the desert silence, then take a return camel ride and a short drive to Zagora. There's time to rest, have a shower and enjoy the pool.

Later in the afternoon, we can take an optional walk into the valley and around this famous desert outpost. Stay: Hotel Chez le Pacha (or similar) Drive time: Two hours (B).

We travel west through the Draa Valley to join the Ounila Valley in the High Atlas Mountains. We start our walk from Animeter on a track with short steep inclines passing through small villages. After about 1hr 30min, we arrive at our gite in Tighza where we spend the night. Tighza is a rural village set in the Atlas mountains. From the terrace of our Gite you can look down into the valley and enjoy the sunset over the surrounding mountains. It is a peaceful retreat and provides the opportunity to meet local villagers and share their way of life.

In the evening, we visit the village hammam, built with money raised by Exodus clients. This is a truly authentic experience. It is very much a traditional hammam and you are likely to get the opportunity to mix with the villagers, which further adds to the experience. Please don't expect a spa treatment. A standard treatment is included, but you will need to purchase a scrubber and soap for 20 Moroccan dirham (US$2) and pay a customary tip of 20 dirham. Refreshed, we return to the gite for our dinner in the mountains. Stay: Tighza gite (or similar) Drive time: 4hr 30min (B/D).

This morning there is time to relax on the terrace, which has wonderful views across the fertile Tijhza Valley. Alternatively, we offer an optional three hour trek through the villages of this remote area, passing fields cultivated by the Amazigh women, with the peaks of the High Atlas as a fitting backdrop. We leave the gite after lunch, making the scenic drive over the High Atlas Mountains back to Marrakech, with some stunning scenery along the way. Once again, we cross Tizi n'Tichka.

Back in Marrakech, we check into our hotel. In the evening, we visit Djemma el Fna, the open-air central square around which Marrakech revolves. The name literally means place of death, as the sultans once displayed the heads of their enemies here. Now, with the food stalls, snake charmers, juice-sellers and acrobats, it is a place of night-time entertainment. Stay: Akabar Hotel (or similar) Drive time: 5hr 30min (B).

Today, we have a guided walking tour to see the spectacular sites of Marrakech. Our city guide will lead us to the Bahia Palace and the Saadian tombs, which date to the 16th century. We see the outside of the largest mosque in Marrakech the Koutoubia. We continue through the labyrinthine of souks where you can barter for souvenirs.

We can then have lunch together in a restaurant overlooking the square. Alternatively, you may prefer to head off on your own today and take a calèche ride (horse-drawn carriage) to the peaceful Majorelle gardens, owned by Yves St Laurent and decorated throughout in indigo blue or simply enjoy another hammam. Stay: Akabar Hotel (or similar) (B).

Our journey comes to an end after breakfast. Hop into your free transfer to Marrakech Airport to catch your flight. Alternatively, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in the Red City (B).