Madrid to Marrakech holiday
| country: | Morocco, Portugal, Spain |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 12 Sep, 19 Sep, 26 Sep, 3 Oct, 10 Oct, 17 Oct, 24 Oct, 31 Oct, 7 Nov 2010: 24 Apr, 1 May, 8 May, 22 May, 5 Jun, 19 Jun, 3 Jul |
| price: | From £1050 (15 days) excluding flights. Local payment €400. Price includes hotels (14 nts) and 6 breakfasts. We can arrange flights from the UK. All departure dates are guaranteed |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This unique and immensely cultural itinerary will allow you to experience first-hand both Spanish and Moroccan lifestyles.
From fine cuisine to awesome shopping and breathtaking sites, this trip has been designed to present you with a journey that offers a deeply cultural perspective, so you're left wanting to know more about the places you've explored and the people you met along the way. Warning - this is a new trip for us! While we have been operating in Europe for over three years now and have had a team of researchers travelling the continent to put together this trip, it must still be remembered that this is the first year we are operating this trip. To be frank, we expect some things to go wrong! We give this warning when we head to new destinations - and usually we find there are more pleasant surprises in store than unpleasant ones. But the warning is sincere, and if it concerns you then we recommend that you wait for a year until we get any bugs ironed out.
From fine cuisine to awesome shopping and breathtaking sites, this trip has been designed to present you with a journey that offers a deeply cultural perspective, so you're left wanting to know more about the places you've explored and the people you met along the way. Warning - this is a new trip for us! While we have been operating in Europe for over three years now and have had a team of researchers travelling the continent to put together this trip, it must still be remembered that this is the first year we are operating this trip. To be frank, we expect some things to go wrong! We give this warning when we head to new destinations - and usually we find there are more pleasant surprises in store than unpleasant ones. But the warning is sincere, and if it concerns you then we recommend that you wait for a year until we get any bugs ironed out.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Madrid. Spend a free afternoon admiring the magnificent collection of paintings in the Museo del Prado, or graze on tapas at one of the city's many cafes. |
| Day 2: | Salamanca. Head up north to snappy Salamanca to spot the lucky frog and check out Casa de las Conchas with its unique facade of scallop shells. This is a real university city, so soak up the student vibe on a stroll around the town. |
| Day 3-4: | Coimbra. Cross the Spanish border into Portugal, and sample rich red wines and the deliciously spicy local fare. Some historical buildings in this city were originally built in the 12th century, displaying some of the best examples of Romanesque churches in Portugal. |
| Day 5-6: | Lisbon. Against the backdrop of deep blue skies, explore the multicultural capital starting with the towering medieval citadel. |
| Day 7-8: | The Algarve. Bask in the sun on the glorious beaches of the Algarve. |
| Day 9: | Jerez. Be dazzled by the fiery flamenco this town is famous for, while enjoying the drink - sherry - that is its namesake. |
| Day 10-11: | Chefchaouen. Load up those cameras: blue-rinsed houses, cobbled streets and a mountainous backdrop create a photogenic setting. Chefchaouen is one of Morocco's gems. |
| Day 12-13: | Fes. Step back in time to medieval Fes. Stimulate your senses amid the exotic smells, sights and sounds of the old medina. |
| Day 14-15: | Marrakesh. Find everything from snake charmers to brass ornaments to perfumes in this exotic city of souqs. Take a refreshing walk through the lush Majorelle Gardens or visit the lavishly decorated Saadian Tombs, which belonged to the rulers who made Marrakesh their capital in the 16th century |
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) Because of our small group size, we're able to guarantee departures for all of our trips. Once you have booked and paid your deposit, your trip is guaranteed to go!
how this holiday makes a difference
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Wherever we go in the world, we take a responsible attitude with us. That means travelling in a way which both respects and benefits local people, their culture and the environment. We travel with an average group size of just 10 people and mostly take public transport.
We stay and eat in small-scale locally-owned establishments. In keeping with our Responsible Travel policy you will stay in carefully selected locally-owned accommodation - we put your money into the local economy and small businesses, not state-owned companies or corporate chains. We use public transport throughout this trip, not only minimizing the environmental impact of our journey but also creating concrete opportunities to interact with the locals. You'll contribute directly to local economies and help develop cross-cultural understanding. In others words, enjoy a real life experience. We provide all our travellers with specific information about how to be a responsible traveller on this trip. Our group leaders are passionate about responsible travel. Taking these small steps, we're able to make a big difference. And that goes for the whole trip experience too. Our travellers get the chance to meet local people and really get to know their culture first hand. In Marrakesh we have the option of visiting the SPANA animal hospital which is a charitable organisation providing free health care and education for animals and their carers in the Marrakesh region. Those who wish to contribute further after their travels can do so through the our company's foundation which supports environmental and social projects, making a difference to communities around the world. In 2007 the foundation donated over £100,000 to make a difference in local communities in terms of health care, education, human rights, child welfare and in environmental and wildlife protection in all our destinations worldwide. |
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. |