Marrakech
Just a short flight from the UK and you find yourself completely immersed in a different culture.
Morocco
5 nights
Half Board
Nov
Dec
Tour codes: 57400
Explore the world at a slower pace...
Call us on 01707 817311
Or, email us at [email protected]
Call us on 01707 817311
Or, email us at [email protected]
Just a short flight from the UK and you find yourself completely immersed in a different culture.
Morocco
Nov
Dec
Tour codes: 57400
This holiday includes an active sightseeing programme with unchallenging walks, either city tours or strolls on relatively easy terrain in the surrounding countryside. If in a mountainous area, the walks will be amongst the hills rather than up and down them. Local guides, winery visits, traditional villages and time to pause and watch the locals going about their lives are likely to feature.
Overview
The bustling markets, towering minarets, and colourful spices all come together to create the exciting and exotic city of Marrakech. Add to this the tranquil gardens, offering shade of the north African sun, traditional Berber villages, and stunning Atlas mountain range that surrounds the city, and you have a magical holiday that touches all the senses.
At the heart of Marrakech is the Djemaa el Fna, a lively square with entertainers, acrobats, musicians, and storytellers. The square comes alive at night and is a central meeting point. In contrast the beautiful Majorelle Gardens offer a relaxing place to while away an afternoon. In Marrakech you will find contemporary restaurants sitting alongside the traditional, museums with wonderful collections and stories to tell, markets with an array of spices and fresh vegetables – all yours to discover on this magical trip. Add into the mix visits into the countryside and a traditional cookery lesson and Morocco comes to life in an exciting way!
Our hotel offers us comfort within easy reach of the main sights, which our guide will help us explore on this fascinating break.
Click the button below for a detailed Holiday Information Sheet containing all the particulars about this trip.
NOTE: Itineraries and Holiday Information Sheets can vary by a specific date chosen
Itinerary & Travel
Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the outlined itinerary and advertised programme, local conditions can change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. This may mean that routes and timings need to be amended or the order of days may change, sometimes at short notice. All local transport costs, entrance fees and tipping to local providers are included in the cost of your holiday.
Accommodation
Below is a summary of the accommodation featured on this holiday across all departure dates. Please refer to the Itinerary for more detail about each night's accommodation for each departure date.
Marrakech has always been a place where southern tribesmen and Berber villagers bring their goods, spend their money and find entertainment. It is probably the most exotic of Morocco's attractive towns with its date palms, seven miles of ramparts, sub-Saharan climate, peaceful gardens and pink ochre buildings. The old town is a maze of busy souks and alleyways, while the new town has wide avenues interspersed with orange and jacaranda trees. All this, against a backdrop of the High Atlas range, gives Marrakech an atmosphere and charm that many find irresistible. In addition to the bustling Djemaa el- Fna, there is also a more tranquil side to the city at the beautiful Majorelle Gardens, featuring many species of rare plants and the Islamic art museum, and the Menara Gardens where you’ll find several acres of olive, palm and fruit trees surrounding a large lake.
The 5-star Hivernage Hotel & Spa is ideally located just outside Marrakech's Medina walls, close to Bab Jdid (one of the old Town's gates) and a short walk to the infamous Hotel La Mamounia and the Jemaa el-Fna square. The hotel offers a spa and wellness centre, an outdoor swimming pool (not heated) and terrace, a bar, rooftop terrace, a tea room famed for its pastries and French cuisine "La Table du Marche" restaurant.
All rooms are traditional in décor, with modern conveniences, and are very comfortable with views over the inner courtyard and swimming pool or out to the city. All rooms are en suite with bathrobe and toiletries, hairdryer, TV and a balcony. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel at no extra charge.
Trip Information
All Adagio holidays are expertly designed to allow you to immerse yourself in the destination. Leisurely exploration of the must-see, as well as lesser known, highlights together with relaxed enjoyment of local food and wines is what we have in mind.
There may be days of sightseeing on foot around a spectacular city or unchallenging strolls on easy terrain in open countryside interspersed with winery visits, guided tours, boat trips, cafe stops and traditional restaurants.
We use a mix of privately hired vehicles, taxis, and public transport which gives us some flexibility in our itinerary. We have a wonderful programme of walking, sightseeing and visits planned to let you fully experience the area along with opportunities to relax at our wonderful hotel and enjoy your surroundings.
Holiday Budgeting
Local transport costs, entrance fees and tips to local providers are included in your holiday price. You may wish to budget for any meals and drinks not included in the holiday arrangements, non-included entrance fees and any optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally. A general guideline for lunches and drinks is £10-£20 per person per day.
Local Transport Costs
All local transport costs in conjunction with the advertised activity programme are included in the holiday cost. There may be occasions where additional visits or excursions are added to enrich your experience, these will be paid for locally by you if you choose to participate. Local transport can be a mix of private hire coaches, taxis, local buses and ferries depending on the itinerary.
Tipping
We include tips in the holiday cost and your Adagio Leader will take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers. If you feel that someone has gone out of their way to make your holiday enjoyable or help you in anyway, please feel free to give a personal tip to the person should you wish. If you are having an independent lunch or other service not included in the holiday arrangements, tipping is at your own discretion.
Group Size
We believe that the best things come in small packages, and our Adagio holidays prove just that. We limit our groups to a maximum of 18 persons, plus the Adagio Leader, so that everyone has the opportunity to mix, share their love of travel and return home with new friendships. Small groups also have less detrimental local impact, allows us to use public transport on some days, eat at small local restaurants and, we believe, offers a better experience.
Your Leader
An Adagio Leader will accompany you throughout the holiday. They are all experienced travellers with a love for exploring and will help capture the true essence of the destination with their stories, knowledge and insights. They are well-organised, pay great attention to detail and enjoy being with people. They are there to help make your holiday as enjoyable and stress free as possible.
Leaders Evening Briefing
Your Adagio Leader will discuss the programme for the following day with the group at each evening briefing. This will be your opportunity to find out more details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. Also, if you have any questions or concerns on clothing or lunch arrangements, this can be discussed then. If you wish to opt out of the organised group programme, this is fine, just let your Leader know.
Local Guides
Visiting historical sites, churches or museums are much more rewarding with a local guide. They give an insight to the local culture, language and traditions and can bring a destination alive. Many of our Adagio holidays include a knowledgeable English speaking guide on at least one of the days. Please refer to your daily itinerary to see where a guide is included.
Getting to your Holiday
We fly from London Gatwick to Marrakech and return with British Airways. The flight takes approx. 4 hours
Booking Your Own Travel Arrangements
If you wish to organise your own flights from either a non-UK or UK regional airport, or travel by rail or car to your holiday destination, 'land only' reductions are often available. If you choose to do this, before finalising any independent travel arrangements, please check with us first - especially if doing so 12 weeks or more before your intended date of travel. If you do intend to join your holiday locally please do tell us at least 14 weeks in advance.
If you are joining and leaving your holiday overseas we assume, unless you advise us otherwise, that you will join and leave the holiday at the hotel. Although airport/train station transfers are not included for those making their own independent travel arrangements, if you wish to join the group at the overseas airport/train station, depending on your flight/train arrival time, you may be able to be included on the group's transfer. Please contact us at least 5 weeks before departure for more details.
Please note that your flight/train must arrive within 30 minutes of the group flight/train to be able to join the group transfer. We also need your flight/train number, arrival time and departure point so that your Adagio Leader is able to meet up with you.
Luggage Allowance & Tickets
When booking a flight or rail inclusive holiday with us, details of your travel arrangements and baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days prior to departure.
Personal Details Check
Please ensure that the personal details we have on file for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements.
Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to accurately manage your holiday booking are correct at the time of booking (including health and dietry requirements). You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.adagio.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 386700. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.
General Passport Advice
It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the personal details pages of your passport page (with your photo on). Should you lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of replacement documents and your return to your home country. Passport and visa requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements.
General travel and destination advice for UK nationals is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel and at www.gov.uk/travelaware.
Country Passport Information
You should have at least 6 months validity left on your passport from your date of arrival.
If you renewed a 10 year passport before it expired, extra months may have been added to your passport’s expiry date. These extra months will not count, so you should ensure that your passport is not older than 9 years and 6 months from the date of issue at the time of travel.
You may wish to renew your passport sooner rather than later, in order to make sure you have it in time for your holiday or travel plans.
Please ensure to regularly check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for updates on passport requirements or contact us for more assistance.
The UK Government has published a website tool to check the validity of your passport under these rules which can be found at www.passport.service.gov.uk/check-a-passport.
Non British Passport holders should consult the host country’s embassy for applicable passport and visa entry requirements.
It is necessary to complete an immigration form on both arrival and departure in Morocco for presentation to the Immigration Control officer. You may be given the form on your outbound flight or can find the forms in the Arrivals Hall at Marrakech airport. You may wish to take an additional blank form from immigration with you to complete for presentation at customs on your departure flight. You will also find the forms at the entrance to passport control on your return journey. The form will ask for an address and contact information of where you are staying in Morocco, which you can find n this document
We have breakfast in our hotel each morning. Dinners are included and will be taken at a mix of local restaurants and at our hotel's own restaurant La Table Du Marche. We also include two lunches, on at a traditional Riad close to the main square and a cooking experience where you prepare your own tagine lunch.
We recommend you bring the following items with you:
As Morocco is a Muslim country, and out of respect for local customs and traditions, men may feel more comfortable wearing long trousers and women wearing trousers, capris or knee length skirts than shorts, especially outside Marrakech. To avoid unwanted attention, women should avoid low-cut or tight-fitting tops, and may feel more comfortable wearing t-shirts or blouses
Footwear
Comfortable, broken in, walking boots or shoes with a good sole are recommended for this holiday. Walking shoes or other comfortable footwear will be suitable for sightseeing days.
General Kit List
We recommend you bring the following items with you:
Water To Go
An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles.
We have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for helping the environment. Please go to their website at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH17 when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a difference in the countries you visit on our holidays.
Travel Document Checklist
To ensure your holiday gets off to a good start, please make sure that you bring the following documents and information with you:
The best map of the area is Oukaimeden and Toubkal 1:100,000.
The Lonely Planet’s Marrakech Encounter guide and DK Eyewitness Top Ten guide to Marrakech both offer lots of information about the city and the Moroccan Tourist Office website is packed full of information on the area - www.visitmorocco.com
The Map Shop
If you cannot find the maps or books locally we recommend:
The Map Shop
5 High Street
Upton upon Severn, Worcs
WR8 0HJ
England
Tel: 01684 593 146
Website: www.themapshop.co.uk
E-mail: [email protected]
If you key many of the local places mentioned in this holiday fact sheet into YouTube, you will find a vast array of spectacular footage of the area.
Further Health Advice
For further advice please visit:
You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of booking with Adagio that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the trip, including all optional activities.
Your travel insurance policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation. Please ensure your policy covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are walking at altitude please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip. Medical and repatriation insurance cover are not mandatory for UK residents who are travelling on trips within the United Kingdom.
Whoever you insure with, please ensure that you take full details, and ideally the policy itself, with you on holiday and provide our tour leader with your insurer's name, the policy number and emergency assistance contact numbers.
Please note that it is very difficult to obtain travel insurance once your holiday arrangements have started.
Looking for travel insurance cover?
If you have not already arranged cover, please visit SunWorld who offer travel insurance.
SunWorld policies include cover for COVID-19, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
EHIC Cards
Please take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you; it will help you in the event of you needing medical assistance during your holiday. Please note that the EHIC has an expiry date, so please check that your card is valid for the duration of your holiday. Please note however the EHIC should not be considered a substitute for medical or travel insurance.
For more information please visit ehic.org.uk.
Responsible Travel
We're committed to operating responsible tours in all our destinations as best we can. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.
Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust
Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel Ltd’s (inc Adagio) profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public.
In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.
Heart and Sole
We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way.
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Visas and Passports
January
Avg. Rain: 56mm
February
Avg. Rain: 57mm
March
Avg. Rain: 51mm
April
Avg. Rain: 46mm
May
Avg. Rain: 25mm
June
Avg. Rain: 9mm
July
Avg. Rain: 2mm
August
Avg. Rain: 3mm
September
Avg. Rain: 10mm
October
Avg. Rain: 34mm
November
Avg. Rain: 61mm
December
Avg. Rain: 67mm
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