MOROCCO - LOCATION GUIDE

GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY

Exceptional Tours Expertly Delivered

Our location guide offers you information on the range of visits available in . All visits are selected with your subject and the curriculum in mind, along with the most popular choices for sightseeing, culture and leisure in the area.

The information in your location guide has been provided by our partners in Iceland who have expert on the ground knowledge of the area, combined with advice from education professionals so that the visits and information recommended are the most relevant to meet your learning objectives.

Making Life Easier for You

This location guide is not a catalogue of opening times. Our Tour Experts will design your itinerary with opening times and location in mind so that you can really maximise your time on tour.

Our location guides are designed to give you the information that you really need, including what are the highlights of the visit, location, suitability and educational resources. We’ll give you top tips like when is the best time to go, dress code and extra local knowledge.

Peace of Mind

So that you don’t need to carry additional money around with you we will state in your initial quote letter, which visits are included within your inclusive tour price and if there is anything that can’t be pre-paid we will advise you of the entrance fees so that you know how much money to take along.

You also have the added reassurance that, WST is a member of the STF and our featured visits are all covered as part of our externally verified Safety Management System.

STUDY VISITS

Included: Local, English Speaking Guide Throughout One of our highly experienced guides will accompany you each day including meeting you at the airport on your first day. The guides are very knowledgeable will add a wealth of geographical, historical and cultural information to your tour.

Ourika Valley: Atlas Mountain Discovery Day Depart to the green valley of Ourika crossing the fertile plain of Haouz, well watered and rich in orchards and cultivated fields. En route your guide will point out and explain the irrigation and drainage systems in use in this region. The road will then take you through the High Atlas Mountains along the river Ourika, before you arrive in the fascinating Setti Fatma village (1500m above sea level). An official mountain guide will the immerse your group in the Berber way of life with a walk around the village and then escort you as you walk up to the first of the famous 7 cascading waterfalls (weather permitting). You’ll then enjoy a delicious Tajine lunch, before heading off to back towards Marrakech stopping at a Bio-organic garden to discover the botanical wealth of the region and the aromatic and medicinal plants of Morocco.

Agafay Desert Day & Night - in 4 x 4 jeeps Set off to see the dramatic desert landscape with your guide in your 6 seater, 4X4 jeeps to the town of Amizmiz on the edge of the desert Desert of Agafay. From here you’ll head off the main roads through small Berber villages towards ‘Lalla Takerkous’ – a beautiful manmade lake built in the 1930’s to provide and surrounding cities with water as well as irrigate the local fields. Here you will enjoy a picnic lunch, before continuing your journey towards your private nomad tented camp, where you will have free time to explore on foot or you can choose to add on a 1 hr camel ride to explore the area! You’ll enjoy a traditional dinner at your camp before spending then night under the stars, then heading back to Marrakesh the following morning in your off-road vehicles.

Marrakech Touring Day After breakfast, your guide will escort you on a day exploring this fascinating city. Firstly visit Menara Gardens. Walk through the grounds with the olive groves and orchards before stopping at the man-made lake which stores the water then used to irrigate the surrounding farm land via a series of small canals. Your guide will take you more central and escort you to the popular , the impressive and you’ll enjoy your packed lunches in the tranquil gardens of the Koutoubia

Mosque. Continue on foot to explore the Old Town and enjoy a guided walk through its enormous web of amazing souks. You’ll emerge in the famous Djemaa El Fna square as the evening’s activities are beginning to emerge including snake charmers, acrobats, monkey trainers, and fortune tellers. Return to your accommodation for your evening meal.

Essaouira Day: The Atlantic coast This cultural visit to the coast takes students across varying landscapes past differing farming methods as well as wind farms and solar power areas, to a smaller and more relaxed city than Marrakesh. Your first stop will be at an Argan Oil Co-operative, where you are likely to see goats climbing the trees to collect the fruit for the farmers. The Argan tree grows only in this region and produces oil which is now popular with locals and exported abroad as health and beauty products. Upon arrival in Essaouira known as the ‘Windy City’ students will explore with their guide. They’ll visit the ancient Mogador, a district built by the Portuguese with its blue and white buildings (now a UNESCO site), the ramparts of the Medina famous for its handicrafts, especially for woodwork, and visits a wood work factory. You’ll also visit the fishing port which has thrived thanks to the canary current bringing ocean life closer to the area. Students can also take a walk along the beach which has in recent years begun to operate water sports again thanks again to the canary current. Students enjoy spending the final part of their visit here exploring the more laid back souks, picking up cheap souvenirs to bring take home.

Evening Activities

 Moroccan Folklore Dinner and Show  Ten-pin bowling

Evening meeting rooms

 Where available you can use meeting rooms in your accommodation in an evening to gather your group. Why not use the room to re-cap the day’s events or deliver a briefing about the next day. A quiz is also a good option.

First or Last Day activities Occasionally if your flight times mean you arrive early on your first day or leave late on your last day, you may want to add in an optional visit.

 Majorelle gardens tour  Carriage ride tour of Marrakesh

Eating Options

We place our groups visiting Morocco on a Full Board basis so therefore groups eat their evening meals at their accommodation. At lunchtime, your hotel will provide ample-sized packed lunches for you as the number of suitable eating establishments each day are limited. On our Mountain Discovery Day a fresh tagine lunch is provided instead of packed lunches.