Day 1: Arrive in Casablanca, Morocco
Arrive in the cosmopolitan port city of Casablanca where an A&K driver will take you to your hotel. After checking in, you have the rest of the day to explore on your own. Conjure romantic images of Bergman and Bogart while strolling past Art Deco buildings, or enjoy lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants. Why not explore the city’s café society and watch the world go by, or head to the local market for the scents of fresh oranges, peaches, and herbs?
Day 2: Casablanca - Fes
Wake up early to visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco with the tallest minaret in the world. It’s also one of the most visually striking, with pale blue marble, elaborate chandeliers, and glass floors where worshippers can pray above the Atlantic sea. Amble around the palm-studded Mohammed V Square and the leafy Quartier Habous district, where you’ll see the city’s French influence. Then set off to Fes. En route, you’ll take a pit stop at the capital city, Rabat, for a look around its majestic Hassan tower. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner.
Day 3: Fes
It’s time to explore Morocco’s cultural capital, a medieval city steeped in tradition. Walk around its labyrinthian alleyways, riads, and century-old souks. Next, proceed to the intricately detailed 14th-century Karaouine, the oldest university in the world, Al-Attarine and Bou Inania, a splendid madrasa patterned with mosaics. For centuries Fes has been an artisanal hub. Experience this at the leather tanneries and also at the ceramics factory where you can see how zellij tiles are made, and finally Nejjarine Square, with the city’s best tiled fountain.
Day 4: Volubilis & Meknes
Take a trip to the excavation of Volubilis, once a 3rd-century Roman outpost that grew rich by trading olives. Today you can still see grandeur in the crumbling temples, a triumphal arch, and vast mosaic floors. Then on to the imperial city of Meknes, quieter than Fes but no less intriguing. It was the home of the Moroccan sultanate whose large fortifications, royal stables (sheltering 12,000 horses), and the magnificent Bab Mansour gateway have remained untouched since the 11th century. Head back to Fes for the night.
Day 5: Fes – Erg Chebbi
It’s a ten-hour drive from Fes to Erfoud, but the journey offers spectacular vistas. Traverse the vast Atlas Mountains where you’ll come across Tafilalt, a huge oasis known for its savoury dates and miles of palm groves. In the Sahara, which skirts the fortified village of Erfoud, you may find 400 million-year-old sharks’ teeth and ammonite fossils from Morocco’s underwater past. A 4x4 will take you through the Erg Chebbi’s rolling sand dunes to your tented camp. Take in the sunset on a camelback ride and then tuck into dinner around the campfire.
Day 6: Erg Chebbi – Ouarzazate
Travel west to the city of Ouarzazate stopping for a snapshot of the Todra Gorges, a series of rust-coloured river canyons. En route, pop into a private museum for a peek into kasbah culture. After five hours or so you’ll reach Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Sahara Desert and the setting for many a Hollywood movie. After the journey, check into Hotel Riad Kasr Ighnda; you’ll be ready for some downtime by the pool with a fresh mint tea.
Day 7: Ouarzazate
Today you can visit Taourirt Kasbah, one of the most impressive kasbahs around, with crenellated towers and a maze of chambers. The seat of the powerful Glaoui family in the 19th century, you can still see traces of delicate stucco décor and painted cedar ceilings. Continue to Morocco’s most iconic landmark, Aït Benhaddou, a fortified site unchanged since the 11th century. It’s one of the best-preserved ksars – a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls – and the most cinematic. You may recognise its clay architecture from films such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia.
Day 8: Ouarzazate – Marrakech
Drive back through the Atlas Mountains towards Marrakech. Take a photo stop at the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, the journey’s highest point at 2,260 metres. After taking in views over the Marrakech plains, weave down through red-hued Berber villages and eucalyptus trees all the way to your hotel.
Day 9: Marrakech
Explore the medina bursting with Berber carpets and spices. Lose yourself in Jemaa el-Fna, a cacophony of fire-eaters and snake charmers. Pause by the Koutoubia Mosque. Its emblematic red stone minaret rises to 77 metres, inspiring others of its kind, including the Giralda of Seville. Then visit the 19th-century Bahia Palace, which took 15 years to build, noted for its marble, stucco, and mosaic structures. Final stop is the recently opened Dar El Bacha Palace, renowned for its geometric zellige tilework and painted ceilings, some of the finest in the city.
Day 10: Marrakech
Explore the Yves Saint Laurent Museum,where the most precious YSL works are gathered. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé fell in love with the colors of Marrakech and therefore resided here for some of the most beautiful years of their lives.
The Museum, a 43,000-square-foot building, was designed by the Paris-based firm Studio KO.
Day 11: Depart Marrakech
After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the airport from where you’ll depart.
