Morocco - Marrakech holidays

Things to do

Explore your destination

Here’s a little taste of what’s on offer, but for more excursion ideas, just speak to your Holiday Advisor.

Marrakech Express
Let this imperial city’s charm win you over. On the tour, you’ll explore the winding labyrinth of the souks and take in the mad-cap action of its main square, Djemaa el-Fna where trained monkeys, orange juice-sellers and carpet sellers try to catch your eye.

4x4 Atlas Adventure
This is a day out that’ll appeal to wannabe Charley Boorman’s. The trip begins on the coastal road at the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains and continues through the palm-lined gorge, Paradise Valley. The drive includes a stop at the tiny mountain village of Immouzzer.

Fantasia Night Out
Take it from us, the locals know how to party. So why not take a step back in time and get swept up in the excitement of Scheherazade’s Fantasia. Tuck into some local foods and watch a display of Arabian warrior horsemanship and see acrobats and belly dancers in action.

Jbel Toubkal
Hire a guide, pull on your hiking boots, and head for North Africa’s highest mountain, Jbel Toubkal. It's tallest peak is a whopping 4,167m, so the Toubkal ascent is usually done in two days with an overnight stop at 3,207m. But if that all sounds too much like hard work, the mountain's at the centre of a string of Berber villages and a beautiful national park.

Food and drink

Morocco’s got loads of international restaurants, a scattering of Western fast food outlets and delicious local menus. Be sure to taste the country’s speciality – a tajine. This stew is slow cooked in a traditional fluted pot and popular combos include chicken, olives, lemon and dates. Another must-do are the light filo pastry bites filled with mince, chicken, fish or cheese or topped with sweet orange blossom. Local beers, like Flag Spéciale, are well worth a sip and dinner is rounded off nicely with a honey-soaked pastry, Pastilla, and super-sweet mint tea.

Evening Flavour

Marrakech awakens at night, with Djemaa el-Fna’s colourful bustle and traditional entertainment, La Palmeraie’s sunset skies, the city’s chic bars and Chez Ali’s exciting horse show. Restaurants and bars line Agadir’s lively beachfront, while many of its hotels offer bars and clubs, like Papagayo.

Shopping

Haggle for unique souvenirs in Marrakech’s medina and open-air markets. Here, you'll find slippers, spices, thuya wood, plates, glassware and tasty pastry treats. Plus, you've got souks selling stuff like leather, perfume and wool. Or, for local life at its most colourful, don’t miss the daily auctions. Until 1912, La Criee Berbere was where slaves were auctioned. Nowadays it's a lot more humane, with carpets sold to the highest bidder.

For the Family

• Explore the hidden treasures of bazaars full to bursting with sparkly slippers, colourful spices and tasty pastries.
  
• Dive into the dusky magic of Djemaa el-Fna where you’ll find snake charmers, jugglers and storytellers aplenty.
  
• Chill out with a picnic at the Menara Gardens – a quiet spot at the foot of the Atlas Mountains.
  
• Hop onto a mule and ramble through Berber villages on an organised trek in the Atlas Mountains

Information

Language: Arabic and French. Currency: Moroccan Dirham. Standard GMT: +0 hrs. Moroccan Tourist Office: 250 Regent Street, London W1B 4HB. Tel: 020 7437 0073. www.tourism-in-morocco.com

Travel foundation

Saving water in Morocco

When you book a holiday with us we’ll ask you to make a small donation to the World Care Fund. Your donations are helping 50 hotels and 50 riads, which are traditional guesthouses, in Marrakech to save water. Using simple and cost-effective techniques, this new project will help hotels to trim down their water consumption.

Our World Care Fund project partner, The Travel Foundation, is an independent sustainable tourism charity that works in close partnership with the UK travel industry to fund these projects.