Community & Culture in Morocco

Wake up in Marrakech and dive into expedition life. Assign some team roles and meet the ground team to discuss your plans. You’ll also need to buy a SIM card for the team phone, so head to the market and get to grips with the local currency, the Moroccan Dirham. You’ll spend the next four days working alongside a small farming community and contributing to a local initiative. You’ll be based in a remote, oasis town between the High Atlas and Anti Atlas mountains, working with a school to find out how better infrastructure can improve education and wellbeing. Dive into community life by organising a football match, visiting a hammam (steam room) and practicing your Darija (Moroccan Arabic) with a local family, then spend time with a farmer and learn about traditional farming techniques. This is a side of Morocco that few tourists see. Rural life can be tough, and you’ll have none of the comforts you’re used to back home. Grab this opportunity to connect with the locals and learn about their lives.

Journey to the mountain village of Imi Ourhlad in the High Atlas, welcome to North Africa’s highest mountains! You’ll be trekking for four days, with mules to help carry your gear. Step forward as team leader for the crossing of the Tizi n’Techt pass (2,020m) and take care on the loose rock as you descend to your camp. Wake up early for a big climb up to 2,400 meters, with epic views over the High Atlas valleys. When you reach Agouns campsite, pitch your tent, get dinner on the go, and gaze up at a zillion stars. You’ll have to dig deep and work as a team for the final two days, which involve steep zig-zag sections reaching 2,700 metres, the highest point you’ll reach in Morocco. Your final destination is the village of Aremd. Crash out in your guesthouse, tuck into some tasty Moroccan food and celebrate your feat together.

As you travel to the beach town of Essaouira, look out the window and try to spot the tree-climbing goats. Crazy, aren’t they?! Essaouira is a magical place to unwind, with its blue fishing boats, Portuguese port and windswept sands. Walk along the ramparts, explore the medina, and watch fishermen selling their catch. This town is famous for its crafts, so visit the woodworkers’ souk and watch the artisans at work. You could use some of your spending money to join a Moroccan art or music workshop. Or why not visit an argan oil cooperative? Watch how the women crack nuts to extract the precious oil. The profits from these cooperatives are shared among the local women, helping to provide healthcare and education to the community.

Back in Marrakech, discover more of the ancient city and its incredible surroundings. Known as ‘the Red City’, Marrakech is famous for its pinky-red buildings. The Djemaa El Fna Square should be top of your list, with its storytellers, musicians and medicine men, along with belly dancers, acrobats and open-air food stalls. The souks are also a must. These exotic marketplaces sell everything from spices to carpets, and the city’s streets are a feast for the senses, with palaces, mosques, mopeds and donkey carts. To explore more, you could dip into your spending money and visit the golden Saadian Tombs, the beautiful Bahia Palace or the exotic Majorelle Gardens. For a different perspective of the city, you could go off-road biking through the palm grove, a mega oasis with tiny villages, ancient ruins and roaming camels.

After the best two weeks of your life, it’s time to travel home. Cram everything into your backpack and head to the airport. Check in, sit back and let it all sink in, you’ve just experienced something incredible. Morocco has opened your eyes and challenged you more than you ever imagined. You’ve fast-tracked your life skills and connected with the locals; you’ve led your team and made new friends for life. These experiences will shape who you are and put you on the path to becoming a true global citizen. So prepare to return home forever changed!