Walking in Morocco - Atlas to Atlantic

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. Stay: Hotel Ayoub (or similar) (Comfortable)

This morning, we 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 start our hike across the Assif Azaden, from where we'll walk amongst the olive groves to a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the valley, we'll see Yacoub Al Mansour Lake shimmering below us. Taking the winding path down to the village of Torort and Anraz, we'll walk through expanses of pine and juiper trees along the way; the trees have a very distinctive scent. Continuing along a mountain track, we reach the village of Marigha, where we'll have lunch in a local Berber house before heading to our hotel.

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. Stay: Ksar Shama (or similar) (Comfortable) (B/L)

Today we continue our journey through the mountains to the Oued Nfis valley, hosting the site of a 12th century mosque damaged by the earthquake in 2023. The mosque was considered the centre of the powerful Al Mohades dynasty that expanded an Islamic empire from North Africa into Spain. Our walk this morning is a circular route incorporating the village of Tgoundaft within the scenic Oued Nfis valley. The lower slopes and valley floor of the valley has olive trees, almond groves, and orchards, while higher elevations transition into pine and juniper forests, from late March to early May the valley floor is lined with wildflowers and crops.

Continuing by bus, we take a scenic drive crossing the High Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n Test pass (2,092 metres/6863 feet) to the Souss Plain. Weaving its way up into the mountains through a series of switchbacks, there are fabulous views back across to the Toubkal Massif behind us. Descending into the Souss Valley, we enter a rich agricultural plain, as we drive past orange groves to 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.

Tonight's stop is a traditional riad in a 300-year-old building in the heart of Taroudant's medina, just 100 metres from the local souks. The riad has a restaurant offering traditional Moroccan cuisine served in the outdoor terrace, there is also a interior courtyard garden and an outdoor swimming pool (note the pool is not heated and is open in the summer months only). Stay: Riad Dar Dzahra (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

Today we'll take a scenic drive north into the Western High Atlas, to the valley of Afensou around 40km / 25 miles from Taroudant. 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. 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. Stay: Riad Dar Dzahra (or similar) (Comfortable) (B/L)

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 end our hike at Plage Azrou and meet our bus to take us to Essaouira passing sleepy surf town of Sidi Kaouki.

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 7.5 kilometres/ 4.6 miles and is expected to take around 2 hours along a flat route. Stay: Riad Al Madina (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

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. Stay: Riad Al Madina (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

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.

Heading into the medina on foot, 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 along the way. Finally, we'll navigate our way out into the energetic Jemaa el-Fna Square. Stay: Hotel Ayoub (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

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). (B)