Sahara desert tours, Cairo to Casablanca
| country: | Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia |
| location: | Sahara Desert |
| departures: | 2010: 24 Oct, 14 Nov |
| price: | From £5595 (5 weeks) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Let us take you on a truly unique and epic adventure as you cross North Africa from coast to coast - from Cairo to Casablanca. Follow in the footsteps of great rulers and their mighty civilisations as you forge through Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Discover the rich cultures, dramatic histories and awe-inspiring natural beauty of these five fascinating countries, from modern Arab cities through the majestic Atlas and Hoggar mountain ranges and the immense and desolate Sahara. Enjoy visits to Berber and Tuareg settlements and explore ancient ruins. If you've a bold spirit, this captivating continent awaits the adventure of a lifetime.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Cairo. Admire the Pyramids and mighty Sphinx. |
| Day 2: | Alexandria. Explore the catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa and the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina. |
| Day 3: | Marsa Matruh. Visit the El Alamein war cemeteries. |
| Days 4-5: | Apollonia. Exploring the moving Knightsbridge Cemetery. |
| Day 6: | Benghazi. Shop in Souq al-Jreed. |
| Days 7-8: | Tripoli. Stroll through the Old City and bustling medina. |
| Day 9: | Gharyan. Visit unique 'troglodyte' dwellings. |
| Days 10-11: | Ghadames. Explore a Berber grain castle, then enjoy a traditional lunch in an oasis city. |
| Day 12: | Sabratha. Discover a more intimate Roman ruin. |
| Days 13-14: | Jerba. Seek out Ali Baba's treasure cave. |
| Day 15: | Desert Safari. Travel across towering dunes to feast with Berber locals. |
| Day 16: | Matmata. Stay in an underground house. |
| Day 17: | Mahdia. Scale a Roman colosseum. |
| Day 18: | Kairouan. Explore one of Islam's seven holy cities. |
| Days 19-21: | Tunis. Wander glamorous Tunis. |
| Day 22: | Ain Draham. Unwind in this hilltop spa village. |
| Day 23: | Le Kef. Discover this hidden Tunisian treasure. |
| Days 24-25: | Tozeur. Explore fascinating Berber settlements. |
| Day 26: | El-Oued. Inspect this oasis town's famous carpets. |
| Days 27-28: | Ghardaia. Shop in the colourful souq. |
| Day 29: | Djanet. Relax in this desert oasis. |
| Day 30: | Tadent. Get a taste of Tuareg village life. |
| Day 31: | Tin Agoula. In seemingly barren terrain, spot camels and gazelles. |
| Day 32: | Youfihakit. Camp amid ancient rock engravings and surreal mushroom-shaped boulders. |
| Day 33: | Tamekrest. Sleep by a waterfall cascading over pink and purple granite. |
| Day 34: | Hoggar Mts. See where a French priest built his chapel in a forbidding volcanic landscape. |
| Day 35: | Tamanrasset. This red mud-brick city hums with blue-robed Tuareg herders. |
| Days 36-37: | Algiers. Explore Turkish palaces, cool medieval courtyards and the kasbah's winding alleys. |
| Days 38-39: | Casablanca. Celebrate the journey in cosmopolitan Casablanca. |
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) how this holiday makes a difference
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We believe strongly in low impact or rather positive impact tourism. Broadly speaking this means that we try to minimise the negative aspects of tourism on the local cultures and environments that we visit and highlight the positive aspects. During this trip we will use local transport where possible to help minimise our impacts.
We stay in small-scale locally owned accommodation and homestays, for example in Matmata we spend the night in a berber camp watching a desert sunset and feasting on local delicacies. Where possible we will visit local restaurants and markets during this trip for dining, retaining revenue in local communities. During this trip we visit Gharyan, famous for its pottery, and we should be able to see some pottery-making and perhaps even some carpet-weaving demonstrations. We also visit the local market in Tamanrasset, where you can visit one of the many restaurants you can try local food, like roast meat and couscous with a vegetable sauce. In the centre of the town you will find many artists shops that sell all kinds of Tuareg artisan work. These activities help us to support the communities we visit. |
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. |