Arrival in Casablanca and first look at the city

Casablanca airport, hotel transfer, Casablanca discovery

Welcome to Morocco. Your English-speaking driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Mohammed V International Airport and takes you by private air-conditioned car to your hotel in Casablanca, usually within an hour depending on traffic. There is no queue for a taxi, no haggling over a fare and no need to work out directions after a flight.

If your flight lands early enough, we start discovering Casablanca the same day. The highlight is the Hassan II Mosque, built out over the Atlantic Ocean with a minaret that rises about 210 metres, one of the tallest in the world. From there the Corniche seafront, the Art Deco buildings around Mohammed V Square and the calm lanes of the Habous quarter show a side of Morocco that is modern, coastal and very local. If you land late, simply check in, rest and enjoy a quiet first evening. Your trip properly begins tomorrow.

• Overnight: Casablanca hotel
• Meals: none included on arrival day

Casablanca to Essaouira, the windy Atlantic port

Casablanca to Essaouira, about 4.5 hours

After breakfast you leave the big city behind and head south toward the Atlantic coast. Depending on the road your driver chooses, you can stop for a coffee break in coastal towns such as Oualidia, known for its lagoon and oysters, or Safi, known for its pottery. The landscape softens as you go, with argan trees appearing on the hills and goats sometimes standing in their branches.

Essaouira is a whitewashed, blue-shuttered port town with a UNESCO-listed medina. In the afternoon you can walk the ramparts of the Skala with its old cannons, watch the blue fishing boats in the harbour, and browse small workshops that carve thuya wood and sell argan oil. It is flat, easy to walk and relaxed, so it suits every age. Dinner is at leisure, and we are happy to suggest fresh grilled fish straight from the port.

• Overnight: riad or hotel in Essaouira
• Meals: breakfast

Essaouira to Marrakech, departure at 12:00

Essaouira to Marrakech, about 3 hours

Enjoy a slow morning in Essaouira. This is the day for a long breakfast, a stroll along the beach, last-minute shopping in the souk or an early walk through the fish market while the boats come in. There is no rush, because your private car leaves at 12:00.

The road inland crosses dry plains and argan country before Marrakech appears under a line of palm trees, with the snowy High Atlas on the horizon in winter. You reach your riad in the medina in the afternoon, and time to rest before dinner. At sunset we recommend the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, where storytellers, musicians and food stalls take over as the light fades. Your driver can drop you nearby, and we will tell you which stalls locals trust.

• Overnight: riad or hotel in Marrakech
• Meals: breakfast

Marrakech guided city tour

Full-day guided visit of the Red City

A licensed local guide leads you through the highlights of Marrakech, the imperial city founded in the 11th century. A typical day includes the Koutoubia Mosque and its 12th-century minaret, the Saadian Tombs, the grand Bahia Palace with its painted ceilings, and the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a former Islamic college covered in carved cedar, stucco and zellige tile. Your guide selects the best order and swaps sites when a monument is closed or crowded.

The medina's UNESCO-listed old town is where the day gets lively: spice stalls, leather workshops, metalworkers and carpet sellers all fill the souks. A guide makes them far easier to enjoy, and shows you where to buy without pressure. The afternoon is free for the Majorelle Garden, a traditional hammam, a cooking class or simply a rooftop mint tea. Seniors and families can pause whenever needed, and we shorten the walking on request.

• Overnight: riad or hotel in Marrakech
• Meals: breakfast
• Guide: included

Marrakech to Dades Gorges via the Tizi n'Tichka pass

Tizi n'Tichka, Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Kelaat M'Gouna, Rose Valley, Dades Gorges

This is the day the scenery changes completely. You leave early and climb into the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, which reaches about 2,260 metres. Hairpin bends, Berber villages and viewpoints where your driver can stop for photos make this one of the great mountain drives in North Africa.

Beyond the pass you reach Ait Benhaddou, a fortified mud-brick village on the old caravan route and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, familiar from many famous films. Next comes Ouarzazate, the gateway to the desert, with time for lunch (at your own cost). In the afternoon you pass Kelaat M'Gouna and the Rose Valley, where Damask roses are grown for rose water and cosmetics, and the roadside shops sell them in every form. You arrive in the Dades Gorges for sunset, with dinner and overnight in a hotel among the striking red rock formations.

• Overnight: hotel or kasbah in Dades Gorges
• Meals: breakfast and dinner
• Driving: about 7 to 8 hours with stops

Dades to Merzouga via Todgha Gorges, camel trek and a night in a luxury desert camp

Dades Gorges, Todgha Gorges, Tinghir, Merzouga, Erg Chebbi dunes

After breakfast you follow the road east to the Todgha Gorges, where limestone walls up to about 300 metres high close in around a narrow river. Walk a short stretch on the canyon floor, then continue through the palm groves of Tinghir. From here the land flattens, the colours turn ochre and orange, and the first great dunes of the Sahara appear on the horizon.

In late afternoon you arrive in Merzouga and meet your camel guides. Riding a camel across the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset is the moment many travellers remember most, and it is included in the tour. Your caravan reaches a luxury desert camp with a comfortable private tent and a proper bed. Dinner is served in camp, followed by live music around the fire and one of the clearest night skies you will ever see. Anyone who prefers not to ride a camel can ask us in advance about a 4x4 transfer to camp.

• Overnight: luxury desert camp
• Meals: breakfast and dinner
• Included: camel trekking

Discover Merzouga village, a Gnawa house and the dunes

Merzouga village, Gnawa house, tour on the dunes

Wake up in the desert, and if you like, climb a nearby dune to watch the sunrise. After breakfast you return to Merzouga, where you can settle in and take the day at a gentle pace. This is a full rest day from long drives.

Your day is about the people and culture of the desert edge. You explore Merzouga village, its palm oasis and traditional mud houses, and visit a Gnawa house, where musicians whose tradition came across the Sahara play drums, iron castanets and the guembri, a three-stringed bass lute. Gnawa music is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. In the afternoon you tour the dunes and enjoy the changing light on the sand. If you want extra activities such as quad biking or sandboarding, we can add them at booking. Dinner is included tonight.

• Overnight: hotel or kasbah in Merzouga
• Meals: breakfast and dinner

Merzouga to Fes via the Ziz Valley, Azrou, Mouzar and Ifrane

Ziz Valley, Azrou, Mouzar, Ifrane, Fes

Today you travel from the desert to Morocco's spiritual capital, and the landscape changes almost every hour. You start through the Ziz Valley, a long ribbon of palm oasis between rocky desert plateaus, then climb into the Middle Atlas, where green hills, cedar forest and cooler air feel a world away from the dunes.

Near Azrou you can walk among the cedar trees, where wild Barbary macaques often wait for visitors. The road continues via Mouzar to Ifrane, a mountain town of steep red roofs and tidy parks that Moroccans call Little Switzerland. It makes a perfect lunch stop. In the evening you arrive in Fes. This is the longest driving day on the tour, roughly 8 hours with stops, so we plan frequent breaks and comfortable seating. Travellers who want a shorter day can ask us to add an extra night on the way.

• Overnight: riad or hotel in Fes
• Meals: breakfast
• Driving: about 8 hours with stops

Fes guided city tour

Full-day guided visit of Fes el-Bali, the old medina

Fes was founded in the late 8th century, and its old medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world. It is also very easy to get lost in, so a local guide is essential. Your licensed guide takes you through thousands of lanes to the sights that matter.

Expect to see the carved and tiled courtyard of the Bou Inania Madrasa, the exterior of the Al-Qarawiyyin complex, one of the oldest continuously operating educational institutions in the world, and the fountains and craft souks of the medina. You also visit the Chouara tannery, where hides are still dyed by hand in stone vats, viewed from a leather-shop terrace. Pottery and weaving workshops show how Fes crafts are made. Lunch is at a local restaurant at your own cost. Your guide sets a relaxed rhythm with rest stops, and the afternoon is yours to explore or rest.

• Overnight: riad or hotel in Fes
• Meals: breakfast
• Guide: included

Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes and Volubilis

Fes, Meknes, Volubilis, Rif mountains, Chefchaouen

Your first stop is Meknes, the 17th-century imperial capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, where the monumental Bab Mansour gate is one of the finest city gates in Morocco. A short drive brings you to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in the country. Walk among mosaic floors, the remains of a basilica and a triumphal arch set in open farmland, with guidance from the on-site guides.

The afternoon drive climbs into the green Rif mountains, and then Chefchaouen appears, a town of blue-washed lanes set against a rocky mountainside. Founded in 1471, it is calm and easy to enjoy on foot. Come early evening to Outa el-Hammam square, browse the shops and enjoy the light on the blue walls. Chefchaouen is much cooler than the desert, so bring a light jacket.

• Overnight: riad or hotel in Chefchaouen
• Meals: breakfast
• Driving: about 5 to 6 hours with visits

Chefchaouen to Tangier, where Africa meets Europe

Chefchaouen to Tangier, about 2.5 hours

Start with a free morning in the blue city. Photograph the alleys when the light is soft, walk to the Ras el-Ma spring at the edge of the medina, or visit the kasbah. Active guests can walk up to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint for views over the whole town. Travellers who prefer a slower morning can simply enjoy a mint tea on the square.

Then you drive to Tangier, the northern port city that has attracted writers, artists and traders for centuries. In the afternoon you visit Cape Spartel, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea at the north-western tip of Africa, and the Caves of Hercules nearby. Back in the city, stroll through the medina and the Kasbah, and finish with mint tea at a cliffside café overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.

• Overnight: hotel in Tangier
• Meals: breakfast

Tangier to Casablanca via Rabat

Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, about 5 hours with stops

Today you head south along the Atlantic to Rabat, Morocco's capital, which is UNESCO-listed for its blend of historic and modern city planning. It is greener, calmer and more spacious than other Moroccan cities. Your stop includes the Hassan Tower, an unfinished 12th-century minaret standing among hundreds of stone columns, and the neighbouring Mausoleum of Mohammed V. You can also walk through the blue-and-white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas and see the river mouth from its Andalusian garden.

After lunch (at your own cost), you continue to Casablanca and check in for your final night. If you have energy left, this is a good moment for a farewell dinner at a seafront restaurant or a last walk on the Corniche. We can recommend places to suit your budget.

• Overnight: Casablanca hotel
• Meals: breakfast

Transfer to the airport and departure

Casablanca hotel to Mohammed V International Airport

After breakfast, your driver takes you to Mohammed V International Airport in good time for your flight, with pick-up timed to your departure. We help with luggage and make sure you are dropped at the right terminal. The tour ends here, and we hope you leave with a full camera roll, a bag of spices and a few good stories. If you would like to extend your stay in Casablanca, Marrakech or the coast, we will gladly arrange extra nights.

• Meals: breakfast
• Transfer: private car with driver