Schools trip to Morocco

country:	Morocco
location:	Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert
departures:	This trip can be tailormade for schools with departures throughout the year
price:	From £895 (8 days) including flights from the UK

Morocco holidays

School trips abroad

the amazing things you'll be doing

This exciting short tour explores a wealth of different landscapes to gain an insight into the diverse topography of southern Morocco.

We spend time trekking in the Jebel Sahro - a contorted jumble of volcanic monoliths, mesas and plateaux - then take camels into the desert through towering sand dunes.

We'll also walk in the famous Todra Gorge and drive across the mighty Atlas Mountain range.

Throughout our journey we'll also see how the people have adapted to the landscapes they inhabit and protected their fragile existence, from the tiny villages that cling to the mountain side in the Atlas and Jebel Sahro, to the famous Kasbahs and Ksours of Ait Benhaddou and the walled city of Marrakesh.

Highlights include:

Ouarzazate Desert outpost on the edge of the Atlas Mountains

Jebel Sahro Trek amongst the stunning scenery of the Jebel Sahro

Merzouga Sand Sea Saharan camel ride into Erg Chebbi sand dunes and overnight in a Berber style tent

Todra Gorge Walk in Morocco's little 'Grand Canyon' Marrakesh Enjoy this bustling city with a visit to Djemma-el-Fna Square and the Souks

Optional: Try a physical challenge with treks in the Jebel Sahro, Mgoun Massif or High Atlas. Or if it's culture you are looking for, visit the Royal Cities of Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakesh.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Fly from the UK to Ouarzazate and check-in to hotel.
Day 2:	Drive to Jebel Sahro. We start our journey driving from Ouarzazate across Tizi n'Tinififft pass to the Draa valley. At Tansikht we leave the main route which leads to the southern town of Zagora and follow the road on the southern slopes of Jebel Sarho to Nkob. We approach the Sahro range and drive on a bumpy dirt-road in the direction of Hannedour to the starting point of the trek. The trek starts not far from the village of Hannedour and we walk along the valley, along the mostly dry riverbed, passing tiny villages surrounded by small fields. We reach the valley of Taoudacht and walk up to the camp. A local guide, mule handlers and a cook support us. Main baggage will be transported so that all you need to carry is a daypack with items of a personal nature such as water, sun block, a warm layer and camera. You will be required to set up your sleeping tents. All equipment is provided whilst camping including a mess tent and toilet tent, which will be erected by the trek crew. (Approx. 3 hours walking).
Day 3:	Trek to Bab n’ Ali; drive to Tazzarine. This morning we break camp and head towards Bab n’Ali. We head to the opposite side of the valley and follow a small trail close to the Pinnacles 'Fôrets des Pitons' in order to reach Tadaout n'Tablah area. The scenery is typical of the Jebel Sahro with flattopped mesas and buttes separated by scrub plains. We will see a huge, impressive pinnacle in the distance – Bab n’ Ali, or the gates of Ali – with the mountains of Tadaout n' Tablah close by. After lunch we descend to the dirt road where driver and vehicles will wait for us. After a drive of approx. two hours we arrive at the oasis of Tazzarine. Tonight we stay in a nomadic tent.
Day 4:	Drive to Erfoud; afternoon camel trek. Today we drive north to Alnif, then eastwards to the village of Rissani from where we approach the desert and the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. We join our camels to trek out to the dunes. The word ‘erg’ is Arabic for ‘great sand dune area’ and the Erg Chebbi is an area of spectacular dunes. Although many people imagine the Sahara as an endless sea of rolling golden sand dunes, they actually cover only about one fifth of its surface. Vast rock and gravel plains cover the rest. Tonight we camp out in the desert in a traditional Berber-style tent to really appreciate the tranquillity of the desert.
Day 5:	Drive via Tinerhir to Todra Gorge. After a short walk we meet the vehicle and continue the trip. We leave the southern dunes behind and head back to Erfoud. Traversing the desert, we continue via Tinejdad to Tinerher and the foot of the High Atlas mountains before turning off into the gorge of Todra. The gorge is sometimes described as Morocco's Grand Canyon. The ochre-coloured cliffs rise vertically to leave just a narrow pass through which the track and the river struggle for right of way. Arriving in the afternoon there is time for a walk in the gorge. We walk to a viewpoint for excellent views of the Jebel Sahro, the Dades Valley and looking down into the gorge.
Day 6:	Drive via Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou. Returning to the main road we drive westwards towards the town of Ouarzazate. We drive through the Dades Valley with its fertile oasis towns and the ‘Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs’, so named as, on your approach, these mud and straw structures become more plentiful and more ornate. Just outside Ouarzazate we plan to visit a film studio. Ouarzazate is known as the Hollywood of Morocco! Later this afternoon we’ll have time to visit the fortified village of Ait Benhaddou. This small Berber settlement has been classified by UNESCO as a ‘World Heritage Site’ and is considered to be one of Morocco’s most picturesque places. Studded with crenellated towers and richly decorated, the kasbah is quite spectacular and provided an ideal location for filming scenes from 'Jesus of Nazareth' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Day 7:	Drive across Tizi n’ Tichka to Marrakesh. Our morning drive will take us back to Marrakesh. Heading north we will cross the Tizi n‘Tichka pass and we then head down into Marrakesh to arrive around lunchtime. The afternoon is spent in Marrakesh. This city has always been a meeting place for the mountain Berbers and the desert peoples of the south. There are many colourful souks and the celebrated Djemma-el-Fna Square is not to be missed where entertainers of all sorts perform. Here are storytellers, letterwriters, musicians, jugglers and water-sellers from a scene straight out of the ‘Arabian Nights’. We take a walking tour around the souks with a local guide. Like many North African towns, Marrakesh is divided into two distinct parts, the Gueliz or modern Frenchbuilt city, and the Old City. There are many buildings to admire in both parts of this fascinating city. Worth visiting are the Koutoubia mosque and tower, Saadian tombs, Ben Youssef Medersa, the Dar Si Said Palace (now the Museum of Moroccan Art) and the Menara Gardens.
Day 8:	Fly to the UK. Today we transfer to Marrakesh airport and fly from Marrakesh to the UK.

how this holiday makes a difference

Key to our ethos is to ensure that we are an economic benefit to the communities we visit. By using locally owned hotels and transport, eating in a variety of local restaurants and employing local guides, we spread the economic benefit to as wide a circle as possible and that money stays in country. It is also a great way to get closer to the local culture.

In Morocco we use local leaders who will be able to give you a unique insight into their culture, whether it be about family traditions, food, history or religion. Where possible, your leader will try to facilitate visits to villages and schools to enable you to learn more about local life.

On this tour, we visit the Association for the Disabled in Southern Morocco; one of only two in the whole of Morocco. We support this good cause by purchasing goods crafted by those who learn valuable skills by the Association.

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.