- Learn a colourful couscous recipe on a traditional Moroccan homestay in Moulay Idriss
- Become a Berber overnight and sleep in a luxury Sahara Desert camp
- Channel your inner Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman with dinner and drinks in Casablanca’s Rick’s Café
Tour Inclusions
- 10 nights in boutique accommodation
- Experienced Back-Roads Tour Leader & Driver
- Local guides in Fes, Meknes and Marrakech
- Premium mini-coach transportation
- Daily breakfasts (B), 6 lunches (L), 6 evening meals (D)
- Moroccan cooking class
- Traditional tea ceremony
- Berber dance show
- Visit an argan oil cooperative
- Visit a carpet cooperative
- Entrance included to: Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Kairaouine Mosque and University, Moulay Idriss, Jemaa el Fnaa, Koran School, Yves Saint Laurent Garden, Bahia Palace and Hassan II Mosque.
DAY 1 CASABLANCA – RABAT – FES
In Rabat we see the elaborate marble Mausoleum of Mohammed V and nearby Hassan Tower that’s similarly spectacular. When we arrive in Fes, we relax with a welcome dinner at our riad. (D)
Accommodation: Riad Arabesque
DAY 2 FES – MEKNES – MOULAY IDRISS – FES
Today, we make way to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Meknes, where streets zigzag from the medina. Outside, in the olive grove-dotted countryside is the town of Moulay Idriss. Here, we join a traditional cooking class, where vegetable-studded couscous is on the menu. (B,L)
Accommodation: Riad Arabesque
DAY 3 FES
Sightseeing in Fes comes courtesy of a medina walking tour including a visit to Kairaouine Mosque and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss. Another Moroccan must-see is a carpet cooperative, where Fes’ artistic heritage is woven into vivid rugs. (B,L)
Accommodation: Riad Arabesque
DAY 4 FES – MIDELT – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA
We make our way to Ifrane in the Middle Atlas mountains, driving past lakes, waterfalls and cedar forests. After lunch it’s time to cross the Atlas Mountains to Erfoud – the Gate of the Sahara Desert. We swap mini-coach for four-wheel drive, diving into the desert. Beneath a starlit sky we sample an authentic Berber feast and watch a time-honoured dance display. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Luxry Berber Tent
DAY 5 MERZOUGA – TODRA GORGE – DADES GORGE
Ever thought you’d watch the sun rise and set over desert dunes? We know the perfect spot. The first stop of today: the Todra Gorge, a towering ochre ravine in the High Atlas. After a lunchtime pit stop, we reach the equally staggering Dades Gorge. By the time dinner is served, we’ll have incredible photos to compare. (B,L,D)
DAY 6 DADES GORGE – OUARZAZATE
Taking the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs, we drive to a local village and meet a Berber family. Our road then takes us onwards to El Kelaa des Mgouna where fields are carpeted with roses. Reaching Ouarzazate, we rest for the night. (B,D)
Accommodation: Ksar Ighnda Ouarzazate
DAY 7 OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU – MARRAKECH
En route to Marrakech, we can’t help but visit the fortified village of Ait Benhaddou which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The landscape then turns tawny as we take the Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass. By early afternoon we’ll have reached the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. (B,D)
Accommodation: Palais de Princesses
DAY 8 MARRAKECH
Today we go roving in Marrakech. It’s a captivating collision of fragrant spices, rainbow-coloured wares and all things exotic. A local guide leads us on a sightseeing tour including a visit to a Koran School, Jemaa el Fnaa, the Medina and Bahia Palace, Yves Saint Laurent Gardens and a trip to the local markets. (B)
Accommodation: Palais de Princesses
DAY 9 MARRAKECH – ESSAOUIRA
Mirage-like Essaouira is a fortified port town that rises up beside the water, fringed with palms. After lunch, we meet with a local argan oil-cooperative and learn the secrets of the ‘liquid gold’. (B, L)
Accommodation: Essaouira Riad Almadina
DAY 10 ESSAOUIRA – OUALIDIA – CASABLANCA
Sticking to the water, we travel to Oualidia that’s set on a sublime stretch of coast. We linger here for a time, but we do have a very special reservation tonight – at Rick’s Café in Casablanca. Over dinner and drinks you’ll almost be able to hear the sound of Sam’s piano and the rousing lines of La Marseillaise within this lantern-lit, living film set. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Art Palace Hotel Casablanca
DAY 11 CASABLANCA
In Casablanca for one final day, we take in the enormous Hassan II Mosque, with its 200-metre high minaret. Then, we say goodbye. (B)
