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Marrakesh & the High Atlas
Nights: 4
Day 1: take your time to experience the unique atmosphere of Marrakesh. This ancient, imperial city is exciting and endlessly intriguing, the hectic bustle of daily life providing an enthralling spectacle. To help you get your bearings, we include a half-day orientation tour which introduces you to the souks (markets) and finishes at Djemaa El Fna, the large open square that forms the heart of the city. It is here that dozens of acrobats, musicians, dancers and storytellers gather to amuse the crowds. Accommodation: one of our riads, as above.
Accommodation: Douar Samra, Tamatert. This guesthouse offers as authentic a taste of Berber life as you will ever get. Owned by Jacqueline Brandt, it was built by the villagers who have adopted this impassioned and pioneering Swiss émigré as one of their own. There are just four bedrooms (each with its own small shower room), and two lounges. Like the other village houses, the main house has no electricity – the small but comfortable standard bedrooms are warmed by open fires and lit by candles which create a cosy glow – yet the cuisine, prepared by one of the village women, is some of the best you could wish to sample in Morocco. For relaxation, you can use the hammam (steam bath – pay locally) and admire the sweeping views from the roof terrace. For your own small lounge and balcony, upgrade to a suite.
Accommodation: Douar Samra, as above. Prices & travel 2008:
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Morocco is a tapestry of colours. In Marrakesh, these range from the brilliant green, blue and white tiles of the mosques to the earthy ochre of the ramparts, and from the rich reds of the rugs to the deep pinks of the flowers in the gardens. In the High Atlas Mountains, brown slopes contrast with both the snow on the lofty peaks and the green valleys far below... Even the food is colourful, featuring courgettes, aubergines and red peppers. 
Starting point: Marrakesh, where you stay in one of several 
Day 2: today you are transferred to your second base, the Douar Samra. The huge contrast between Marrakesh and the High Atlas Mountains will become increasingly apparent during the transfer, the last part of which is by mule.
Day 3: your guide will meet you at Douar Samra in the morning armed with a picnic. The walk that we suggest is long but very rewarding. It starts by skirting the Berber town of Imlil and then follows an undulating trail that crosses the stark slopes, passing several Berber hamlets and affording excellent views of the Djebel Toubkal Massif. At the village of Aroumd, which is surrounded by ancient terraced fields of barley, corn and vegetables, there is time to explore and to marvel at how the houses are seemingly built one on top of the other before continuing to Sidi Chamharouch, another interesting village with a jumble of traditional houses. It is also an important centre of pilgrimage – the shrine (forbidden to non-Muslims) is thought to be a relic of a pre-Islamic religious cult. After lunch, you return to Douar Samra along the other side of the valley. If you would prefer a shorter day, you can opt for a walk that leads to the Tamatert Pass (2,272 metres), which you reach after ascending past wheat fields, then walnut, apple and cherry orchards, and finally woodland of pines and juniper bushes. After pausing to admire the sweeping views, you walk along the Tamatert Valley, surrounded by the high peaks of the Djebel Toubkal Massif. As you return to Douar Samra along the other side of the valley after your picnic lunch, there are great views towards peaks over 3,600 metres. (16km, 7hrs or 12km, 4hrs)