Oulad Hassoune

Day Trips

You will arrive at the local guesthouse nestled among palm groves and Kasbah ruins, greeted with mint tea and homemade pastries. The warm sunrise bathes the red mud-brick walls in golden light, setting a tranquil tone. Your guide will introduce you to the rhythms of village life and outline the week ahead.

Enjoy a leisurely walk through the oasis, spotting palm trees, irrigation channels and native birds. You’ll visit an ancient Kasbah foundation and learn about its defensive architecture. Later, relax in a shaded courtyard while sampling fresh dates and local yogurt.

Savor a traditional Moroccan dinner by candlelight under the courtyard archways. Elders from the village share stories of the region’s history and folklore. Top off the night with star-gazing and the soft strumming of a guembri.

Set out before sunrise on foot to explore the nearby Kasbah ruins perched on a rocky hilltop. Your guide will point out the intricate mud-brick techniques used by ancient builders. You will feel the history come alive as morning light reveals hidden carvings and crumbling turrets.

Descend into the palm-lined oasis for a picnic of warm khobz (bread), olives and local goat cheese. Wade through clear irrigation channels and learn how Berber farmers harness the desert’s scarce water. Watch local women skillfully sort and dry date clusters for sale.

Return to the guesthouse for a soothing hammam ritual followed by a massage using argan oil. Share dinner with fellow travelers around a low table laden with tagine and couscous. The evening culminates with a drum circle by torchlight in the courtyard.

Spend the morning in a nearby Berber household learning to grind flour and bake traditional flatbread in a wood-fired oven. Engage in friendly conversation over steaming cups of sweet mint tea. Observe how the family structures daily chores around the rhythms of sun and shade.

Join local artisans in weaving colorful rugs on a ground loom, selecting vibrant wool dyed with natural pigments. Hear tales of ancestral patterns and their symbolic meanings passed down through generations. Enjoy a simple lunch of green lentil soup cooked over coals.

Gather around a communal table for a festive Berber feast featuring lamb tagine with preserved lemons. Guests perform traditional folk songs and dances, inviting you to join in. Later, retire to a rooftop terrace for a final look at the star-studded desert sky.

Embark on a guided tour of the extensive date palm groves surrounding the village. Learn about pollination techniques and the harvest calendar that sustains the local economy. Sample several date varieties, noting their distinct textures and flavors.

Volunteer in the groves to help prune fronds and collect ripe fruit, gaining hands-on experience with sustainable farming practices. Share a rustic lunch of vegetable tagine beneath a canopy of leafy palms. Capture photographs of the intricate irrigation system known as khettara.

Return to the guesthouse to clean up and relax in a breezy courtyard. Participate in a tasting of date-based sweets, such as ma’amoul and date paste. Conclude the day with quiet reflection by lamplight, journaling your experiences.

Mount a camel caravan at dawn and trek across shifting sands toward the desert horizon. Feel the gentle sway of your camel as you navigate ochre dunes and scattered acacia trees. Pause for a mid-ride mint tea break while observing desert wildlife tracks.

Arrive at a remote oasis camp for a shaded picnic of flatbread, olives and grilled vegetables. Rest in simple Bedouin-style tents and exchange stories with local guides about nomadic traditions. As the sun lowers, climb a small dune to watch the desert’s colors deepen.

Share a Bedouin-inspired dinner around a crackling fire beneath the stars. Listen to the rhythmic beat of a derbouka drum as traditional musicians perform. Sleep under the open sky in a felt-lined tent, lulled by the desert’s nighttime hush.

Rise before dawn to hike a high dune and witness a breathtaking sunrise over the desert sands. Watch the sky transform from deep indigo to pastel pink and fiery orange. Capture the moment in photographs and savor fresh coffee brewed on coals.

Return to the oasis camp for a late breakfast of eggs cooked in clay and warm flatbread. Enjoy free time for reading or sketching the landscape. Participate in a sandboarding session down gentle dunes for a thrill-packed afternoon.

Ride back to the village on camel before dusk. Clean up at the guesthouse and refresh with a pottery workshop teaching traditional earthenware techniques. End the day with a quiet rooftop dinner under lantern glow.

Spend the morning with local craftsmen learning clay pottery techniques at a village workshop. Shape your own tagine dish or water jug under expert guidance. Dry and fire your creation in a small, wood-fired kiln.

Head to a leather atelier to learn about tanning and tooling methods used for centuries. Carve simple motifs onto a leather belt and hear about the artisanal process from goathide to finished product. Enjoy a light lunch of spiced vegetable stew.

Return to the guesthouse for a henna painting session, adorning hands and feet with intricate Berber designs. Share stories over a multi-course dinner featuring seasonal vegetables and slow-cooked meat. Later, gather around a lantern-lit courtyard for quiet stargazing.

Venture into the nearby souk to explore stalls brimming with spices, textiles and handmade goods. Learn to bargain in Darija as you select ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Discover rare ingredients like wild thyme and saffron threads.

Return to the guesthouse kitchen to prepare a multi-course Moroccan feast with your host chef. Chop, stir and season tagine, prepare fresh salads and knead dough for khobz. Taste as you cook and refine each dish with authentic spices.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor at a candlelit dinner beneath an open-air pergola. Reflect on the flavors and techniques you’ve learned through conversation with fellow participants. End the evening with sweet mint tea and almond pastries.

Depart early for a guided excursion to the ancient city of Sijilmassa, once a thriving trans-Saharan trade hub. Wander among sandstone walls and excavated foundations while learning about its rise and fall. Marvel at the stark desert landscape that once hosted camel caravans of gold and salt.

Enjoy a picnic lunch amidst date palms near the ruins, spotting ruins of caravanserais and watchtowers. Return via a scenic desert route, stopping at viewpoints overlooking vast sand plains. Capture panoramic photos as the sun begins its descent.

Back at the guesthouse, relax with a foot bath and herbal infusion. Share your day’s photographs and stories during dinner with the household. Drift off to the soft murmur of night breezes through palm fronds.

Spend a relaxed morning packing and strolling through the village one last time. Visit favorite spots in the oasis or greet neighbors you’ve grown fond of. Enjoy a final breakfast of date pancakes and fresh fruit.

Take part in a closing ceremony where you present your pottery and leather crafts to the hosts. Exchange contacts and heartfelt goodbyes with guides, artisans and fellow travelers. Savor a light lunch of chilled cucumber soup and olive tapenade.

Gather in the courtyard for a farewell feast featuring signature dishes from your week’s adventures. Enjoy live music and storytelling as the desert night unfolds. Depart with memories of golden sands, warm hospitality and starlit skies.