Morocco: Women's Expedition Tour with Alice Morrison

Welcome to Marrakech! You’ll meet your group, before heading to your riad.  

Tonight, you’ll enjoy a homecooked dinner with local woman Zineb. You’ll tuck into a beautiful beautiful traditional meal and hear how Zineb’s hard work and determination to provide for her children has led her to where she is today. You’ll also have the chance to take part in a traditional henna ceremony with a back group of traditional Moroccan Houariyates music.  

The Houariyates are a female music band, their traditional music is inspired by the original tribes of I'Houara. Their songs are often about supporting and praising women and evoke taboo subjects such as desire and sensuality.  

Throughout this trip, you’ll also be joined by Hafida Hdoubane. Hafida is a trailblazer for women in the Morocco tourism and trekking industry. She became the first certified female mountain guide in 1994 and now leads trekking tours throughout the country. She has trekked Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, too many times to count.   

Inclusions:

• Group arrival transfer  
• Welcome meeting  
• Welcome dinner with Zineb, with Houariyates and henna ceremony 

Accommodation:

• Riad Arabkech (standard room) or similar  

Meals included:

• Dinner 

This morning you’ll have a guided tour through the Medina’s bustling souks that are the lifeblood flowing through the city, and explore tranquil courtyards filled with the scent of orange blossoms. The tour will be led by a local female guide, Atika. You’ll also join in on an embroidery workshop with Al Nour, a social impact women’s project preserving craft-making traditions. 

You’ll then travel to Imlil, a small village in the Atlas Mountains, and stop in Asni to visit Education for All. Very few girls from rural communities in the High Atlas Mountains get the opportunity to continue their education beyond primary school because most secondary schools are too far away. Education for All build and run girls’ boarding houses near secondary schools, so girls from rural families can go to school and have a brighter future.  

In the late afternoon, you’ll be hosted by Alice Morrison at her house, and have tea on her terrace.   

You’ll spend the night in the Douar Samra guest house.   

Inclusions:

• Marrakech Medina guided tour  
• Bahia palace entrance 
• Embroidery workshop with Al Nour Association 
• Visit to NGO Education for All 
• Tea with Alice Morrison 

Accommodation:

• Douar Samra (standard room) or similar 

Meals: 

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner  

Today you’ll begin your trek in the Atlas Mountains. You’ll cross the floodplain of the Ait Mizane Valley, before climbing steeply in a zigzag up the mountainside. Along the way, you’ll pass the pilgrimage site of Sidi Chamarouch, home to the tomb of the local marabout (Muslim holy man). From here, you’ll climb steeply through a series of switchbacks and traverse the flank of the valley above the river. You’ll arrive at Toubkal Base Camp at Neltner (3207 metres above sea level).  

Inclusions:

• Full day trekking with Alice Morrison- about 6 hours walk.  

Accommodation:

• Camp Netler (tent) 

Meals:

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner 

It’ll be another full day trekking today with Alice through the spectacular Moroccan landscape.  

You’ll walk from the refuge camp to our next camp, which is based in one of the oldest and unique sheepfolds of the High Atlas Mountains, Azib Tamsoult.  
You’ll walk through different and diverse landscapes, up from Aguelzim Mountain pass (3600m) and down through Ighouliden waterfall to end in Azib Tamsoult, the opening door to a new valley of our trek Azzaden Valley.  
 

Inclusions:

• Full day trekking with Alice Morrison - about 5 to 6 hours walk.  

Accommodation: 

• Tamsoult Camp (tent) 

Meals:

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner 

You’ll start the day with a short two hour walk to Tizi Oussem where you will have a tea break in the village with the local women, and learn about their daily routine and experiences. 

Afterwards, you will be picked up by 4x4 for a drive to the rocky Agafay desert. You’ll then travel like the locals by camel to your camp in the middle of the desert. Tonight, you’ll be treated to an astronomy night and a sky lecture by a female astrophysicist, and then will camp under the stars.  

Inclusions:

• Half day activities with local women in Tizi oussem village 
• Agafay desert camp stay 
• Camel ride Half hour 

• Astronomy night 

Accommodation:

• Emeraude camp (standard tent and doom) or similar 

Meals:

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner 

Today you’ll say goodbye to your group and make your way home.  

There are no activities planned for the final day and you’ll be able to depart the accommodation at any time. 

Group departure Transfer to Marrakech airport or Marrakech center. 

Meals:

• Breakfast