Moroccan Wanderer

Arrive into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Drive to Sbiti village, located in the heart of the Ourika Valley where you will savor your first Moroccan Berber tajine for dinner. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

After breakfast and a quick lesson in Darija, Moroccan style Arabic, you’ll begin work on our upcoming project. This project’s objective is to empower students through preschool education, a need identified by the local community to prepare them for primary school.

Depart to the 14th-century village of Ait Benhaddou and stay overnight in a mudbrick Kasbah room. Explore the area known as the “Hollywood of Morocco,” divide into teams, and let the scavenger hunt begin! Using clues, search for and collect the listed items with your team as you work on your language and bartering skills.

Stop at La Kasbah des Caids near Agdaz and learn about Jewish history and moorish, Islamic, and Amazigh architecture on your way to tinghir. Travel back to the 16th-century, when this spot was a very important trading center.

Hop on a camel for a ride through the desert and photograph the dramatic Saharan sunset as the caravan strolls along the dunes to our Bedouin camp. Sit down for tea and local cuisine while enjoying the rhythmic beats of desert musicians around a campfire.

Try your hand at sandboarding on the dunes before packing up and heading back to Merzouga. Visit local cultural sites before departing for Dades, driving through the stunning rock formations and small villages tucked between the canyon walls.

Weave your way through the final towering peaks of the High Atlas Mountains before arriving in Marrakech. Explore its bustling souqs full of fascinating wares—everything from magic boxes to ostrich eggs and whale vertebrae. Visit Ben Youssef Madrasa, Bahia Palace, and an authentic spice shop. Conclude your day with dinner in Jamaa El-Fna square and weaving through the stands to find a good seat and enjoy a warm bowl of soup, skewers, and mint tea.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.