Moorish Spain to Marrakech by rail
| country: | Morocco, Spain |
| departures: | 2010: 26 Feb, 12 Mar, 26 Mar, 9 Apr, 17 Sep, 1 Oct, 15 Oct, 29 Oct, 17 Dec 2011: 4 Mar, 18 Mar, 1 Apr, 15 Apr |
| price: | From £865 - £935 (10 days) including flights from the UK, from £605 - £645 excluding flights. Optional single supplement £65 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 3 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
On this new and unusual voyage of discovery by rail, we visit Andalucian hill villages shaped by the Moors and the fabulous ancient Royal Cities of Morocco: Rabat, Fes and Marrakech.
From our carriage windows we watch the changing landscapes; from whitewashed villages to minarets and medinas.
We'll drink Malaga wine and mint tea, eat tapas and cous-cous, bargain in exotic souks, and simply enjoy soaking up the magic of Andalucia and Morocco.
Beginning in Malaga, we leave Spain's most famous costa behind and depart aboard the Andalucia Express through the spectacular 'El Chorro' gorge to emerge in a world of sleepy whitewashed villages. We pause in Ronda, perched dramatically on a cliff top. As well as exploring Ronda, home to Spain's oldest bullring and an impressive Roman bridge, we include an excursion around the famous 'pueblos blancos', including picturesque Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema, nestled in a lush National Park.
Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar on the Algeciras to Tangier ferry, we arrive in a land that is very different yet shares a common history. After a tour of Tangier we take the train to Fes. Two days are spent in this exotic town, where we can while away happy hours haggling in the souks and crowded alleyways of the Medina, exploring the ancient sites. Those who wish can take a real Moroccan hammam. A free day allows for an optional visit to Meknes, Roman Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay Idriss. Then it's on to Rabat, the Imperial capital, where we take a stroll around the Kasbah des Oudaias, and visit the Royal Palace, Mohamed V Mausoleum, Chellah and Hassan Tower.
For us the 'end of the line' is Marrakech. Here we spend two fabulous days in what is surely one of the world's most evocative cities. The permanently animated Djemma-el-Fna Square is the 'Heart of Morocco', the focal point where Berbers and Arabs come to exchange news, haggle and trade in jelabahs, carpets and spices. Our guided walking tour will include all of the highlights but simply to stroll around the square at night - among the snake charmers, mouth-watering food stalls and entertainers - is one of life's great travel experiences.
From our carriage windows we watch the changing landscapes; from whitewashed villages to minarets and medinas.
We'll drink Malaga wine and mint tea, eat tapas and cous-cous, bargain in exotic souks, and simply enjoy soaking up the magic of Andalucia and Morocco.
Beginning in Malaga, we leave Spain's most famous costa behind and depart aboard the Andalucia Express through the spectacular 'El Chorro' gorge to emerge in a world of sleepy whitewashed villages. We pause in Ronda, perched dramatically on a cliff top. As well as exploring Ronda, home to Spain's oldest bullring and an impressive Roman bridge, we include an excursion around the famous 'pueblos blancos', including picturesque Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema, nestled in a lush National Park.
Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar on the Algeciras to Tangier ferry, we arrive in a land that is very different yet shares a common history. After a tour of Tangier we take the train to Fes. Two days are spent in this exotic town, where we can while away happy hours haggling in the souks and crowded alleyways of the Medina, exploring the ancient sites. Those who wish can take a real Moroccan hammam. A free day allows for an optional visit to Meknes, Roman Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay Idriss. Then it's on to Rabat, the Imperial capital, where we take a stroll around the Kasbah des Oudaias, and visit the Royal Palace, Mohamed V Mausoleum, Chellah and Hassan Tower.
For us the 'end of the line' is Marrakech. Here we spend two fabulous days in what is surely one of the world's most evocative cities. The permanently animated Djemma-el-Fna Square is the 'Heart of Morocco', the focal point where Berbers and Arabs come to exchange news, haggle and trade in jelabahs, carpets and spices. Our guided walking tour will include all of the highlights but simply to stroll around the square at night - among the snake charmers, mouth-watering food stalls and entertainers - is one of life's great travel experiences.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Malaga |
| Day 2: | Train to Ronda and visit |
| Day 3: | In Ronda; 'white villages' excursion |
| Day 4: | Train to Algeciras; ferry to Tangier; guided tour |
| Day 5: | Train to Fes; guided tour of old town; optional hammam |
| Day 6: | Free day in Fes; optional tour to Meknes, Moulay Idriss and Volubilis |
| Day 7: | Train to Rabat; guided tour |
| Day 8: | Train to Marrakech; guided walking tour |
| Day 9: | Free day in Marrakech |
| Day 10: | Fly London |
travellers' tales
Most memorable was seeing the different places and cultures. The optional trips to volubilis and high Atlas Mountains were very good. (more)
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This is one of our rail journeys, where most of the travelling undertaken is by train. This means we are able to interact with the local people and by using the local trains, we can also provide income for the local communities.
In Morocco, we use the local guides in the medinas of the cities that we stay in. These local guides provide us with intimate local knowledge about their culture and lifestyles otherwise unnoticed unless pointed out. This gives us the chance to really see and we use locally owned hotels and have lots of contact with the local people. We use local guides at all sites and can help the local economy by purchasing items made by the local people at markets and shops. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |