Morocco Highlights: From Coast to Medina

Arriving in Marrakech, your senses will come alive as you weave through the chaotic streets in your exclusive Flash Pack transfer. You’re heading right to the heart of the action, where your central hotel is a haven of air-conditioned calm. After freshening up, it’s time to meet your group for a celebratory drink – you made it! And tonight, you’ll have your first taste of authentic Moroccan food as you venture out for a welcome meal at a traditional local restaurant.

Today, you’ll be exploring the city – Flash Pack style – on an exhilarating sidecar adventure. Taking it in turns with a fellow Flash Pack traveller, you’ll ride on the back of the vintage motorbike or in the sidecar as you wind through the spice-scented streets and graceful palm-lined avenues. Enjoy a moment of repose with a fresh mint tea before visiting the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and one of the city’s exotic gardens. There’s an appetizing evening in store with a food tour of the medina. Together with a local guide, you’ll navigate the bustling alleys to secret foodie spots. Here you’ll taste all sorts of treats, from fresh olives and honeyed pastries to roast lamb and tangia, all washed down by a spicy herbal infusion known as khoudenjal.

After breakfast, you’ll leave the city hubbub behind as you travel towards the Atlas Mountains. Your first stop will be at a Berber village where you’ll be welcomed into a local home for a rustic tajine cooking class. Gathered around the kitchen table, your host will guide you through the process using simple utensils and fresh ingredients. It’s a wonderfully communal way of cooking and you’ll learn a lot about Berber life. Stewed to perfection, you’ll sit together on Berber carpet to enjoy your delicious dish, accompanied by traditional Tafarnout bread baked in a clay oven. The menu might be simple but the mountain views are spectacular. Fully sated, you’ll make your way to an idyllic hotel hidden in the Atlas foothills to spend the rest of the day relaxing.  

Fill up at breakfast because you’ll need plenty of energy for today’s trek into the mountains. Setting off early, you’ll traverse wildflower fields, fruit orchards and crop-filled valleys as you ascend to the hilltop village of Tikhfist for a picnic. From here you’ll enjoy extensive views, looking out across the Ouirgane reservoir, a vital water source for this fertile region. Along the way you might see children playing in the village, shepherds tending their flock and locals going about their everyday lives. This afternoon, you’re off on another adventure: a quad bike ride into the desert. After a safety briefing, you’ll leave the Atlas behind in a trail of dust as you negotiate the rocky terrain. You’re travelling in style to tonight’s accommodation: a cosy Berber camp where ensuites come as standard and camel rides are optional. You’ll dine round the campfire under the stars enjoying a live local music performance.

Waking up in the desert is a magical experience so there’s no rush today to get started. In due course, you’ll meet your minibus and rejoin the road as you set off for the windswept seaside town of Essouaira. En route you’ll be stopping off for some organic wine-tasting in the fertile Argan Valley. The 52-hectare vineyard has ideal conditions for cultivating red, white and rosé wines, as well as delicious vin gris (grey wine), exclusive to Morocco. After three tastings and lunch, it’s onwards to the coast and your riad for the night. This afternoon, you’ll be free to explore at your own pace. You might want to check out the wave-lashed ramparts of the fortified medina, watch fishing boats being mended in the atmospheric port or simply find a bar with a rooftop terrace – perfect for people-watching, sundowners and soaking up the city’s bohemian vibe.

Blessed with vast swathes of golden sand and consistent Atlantic trade winds, Essaouira isn’t short of waves. Since the 60s it’s been a surf Mecca for those in the know, and today you’ll be donning a wetsuit and joining a surf pro for a private lesson with your group. As you get to grips with paddling out, popping up and no doubt falling off, you’ll cheer each other on and revel in the shared experience that will leave you tired but happy. You’re free to rest up until late afternoon when it’s back to the beach for more action. This evening’s activity will be a little more sedate, however, as you’ll be taking part in a sunset yoga flow and meditation. Allowing yourself to breathe and stretch to the sound of crashing waves, you’ll feel refreshed, energised and ready for your dinner. Tonight, you’re off to a renowned local fish restaurant for a special banquet of freshly caught seafood washed down with a cocktail or two. 

On your last full day, you’ll enjoy the ultimate Moroccan experience: a hammam. This centuries-old cleansing ritual involves steaming open your pores on hot marble seats, rinsing your skin and being scrubbed with a mitt before bathing with Moroccan black soap (a mix of olive leaves and argan oil). Feeling renewed, you’ll slip into a fluffy robe for tea and cake on the terrace. Travelling back to your Marrakech hotel, you’ll have time to glam up for tonight’s farewell dinner party at Palais Dar Soukkar. One of the city’s top venues, this glitzy restaurant and nightclub is the place to be for evening entertainment: think cabaret, belly dancing and after-dinner DJs spinning tunes into the small hours.

All good things must come to an end and it’s time to say your goodbyes. You’ve had an immense eight days together, getting a taste of the real Morocco. Your Pack Leader can help you arrange a transfer back to the airport. If you’re not ready to go home, why not extend your trip with your newfound friends on one of our other adventures?