From Tangier to Desert’s Charms

Tangier → Tetouan → Rif Mountains → Chefchaouen Whether you're arriving by ferry or plane, we will meet you upon arrival and go on a short tour to introduce you to Tangier's old medina. From there we will drive up into the valleys of the magnificent Rif Mountains, its peaks rising as high as 2456 meters at Jbel Tidirhine. After crossing the mountains we will continue across the fertile plains of Tetouan and limestone cliffs covered in cork oaks, pines, and wild olive trees before arriving in the mountain town of Chefchaouen, set like a gem between two Rif Mountain peaks. A stop by Chefchaouen a renowned city for the distinctive blue-washed facades of its houses, painted that way by Jewish refugees who lived there in the 1930s, and is an unreal and unmissable destination for any trip to Morocco. The Chefchaouen medina features a Spanish-style plaza surrounded by numerous cafes, rooftop restaurants, and crafts stores that sell items unique to the Moroccan highlands. We will explore Chefchaouen in the afternoon and settle into our hotel, from which we will be able to enjoy the relaxed environment and spectacular mountain views of this one-of-a-kind town.

Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Moulay Idriss → Meknes → Fes Whether you're arriving by ferry or plane, we will meet you upon arrival and go on a short tour to introduce you to Tangier's old medina. From there we will drive up into the valleys of the magnificent Rif Mountains, its peaks rising as high as 2456 meters at Jbel Tidirhine. After crossing the mountains we will continue across the fertile plains of Tetouan and limestone cliffs covered in cork oaks, pines, and wild olive trees before arriving in the mountain town of Chefchaouen, set like a gem between two Rif Mountain peaks. Chefchaouen is renowned for the distinctive blue-washed facades of its houses, painted that way by Jewish refugees who lived there in the 1930s, and is an unreal and unmissable destination for any trip to Morocco. The Chefchaouen medina features a Spanish-style plaza surrounded by numerous cafes, rooftop restaurants, and crafts stores that sell items unique to the Moroccan highlands. We will explore Chefchaouen in the afternoon and settle into our hotel, from which we will be able to enjoy the relaxed environment and spectacular mountain views of this one-of-a-kind town.

Explore Fes with our official local guide After breakfast at the hotel, our expert local guide will lead you on a captivating walking tour of the Fes medina. Immerse yourself in the historic charm of winding alleyways, where donkeys and mules traverse narrow streets. Indulge your senses in the vibrant market, where spices and perfumes entice, and witness age-old leather-tanning techniques in the tanneries. Our Fes exploration continues with visits to iconic landmarks, including the Karaouine Mosque, Dar al-Magana, and the Zaouia al-Tijaniyya. Explore the Ech Cherabliyine Mosque and lively souks before discovering the UNESCO-recognized Fondouk el Nejjarine and its Musée de Bois. Indulge in a traditional lunch at a palace-restaurant, followed by Musée Dar Batha and Bab el-Ftouh. The tour concludes in Fes el-Jdid, unveiling the royal palace, Moulay Abdallah Quarter, Mellah, and Ville Nouvelle. A delightful dinner at a local medina restaurant precedes a restful evening at your hotel.

Fes → Ifrane → Azrou → Midelt → Ziz Valley → Erfoud → Rissani → Merzouga Leaving Fes with its fantastic history, head to a totally different part of Morocco. We will pick you up from your hotel in Fes and embark on a picturesque journey to Ifrane, an alpine town with stylish red-roofed houses, neat streets with blooming flower, lake-studded parks, known as Switzerland of Morocco. We will include a coffee stop here for some clean air, then we will continue through hills covered in forests of cork oak and giant cedar in which a few Barbary apes still make their home. Crossing strikingly beautiful passes over both the Middle and High Atlas ranges we will catch our first glimpse of the south’s incredible architecture. After passing through a barren plain of scrub and desert on the other side of the mountains, we will stop for lunch in the town of Midelt, from which we will have a fantastic view of the dramatic peaks of the High Atlas rising behind the town. Crossing Tizi-n-Talremt (Pass of the She-Camel), we will descend into a desert plain along the Ziz Valley. We will then head south to Erfoud and Rissani, into a huge oasis containing over six million palm trees and edged by many ksours (fortified villages). Our route will continue through an immense palm oasis and a vast area of stony plain that marks the transition to the desert before reaching the tranquil desert town of Merzouga in the afternoon, from which we will mount our camels (or 4WD if you can't do the camels), and ride into the pink sands of the Erg Chebbi. We will have time to wander around the dunes before watching the sunset, and will spend the evening in a Berber camp amidst the dunes where we will have a campfire and enjoy a Moroccan feast and traditional music. After dark you can relax outside and marvel at the stars and crystal-clear Milky Way like few people have seen them.

Merzouga → Rissani → Alnif → Tazarine → N'kob → Daraa Valley → Agdz → Ouarzazate → Atlas Mountains → Marrakech At your request, our staff will wake you at the crack of dawn to witness the spectacle of the desert sunrise, the colour of the sand contrasting beautifully with the palette of shadows on the dunes. After some light breakfast and tea we will ride the camels back across the desert to the Kasbah to freshen up before our journey North back towards the Atlas Mountains. We will stop along the way at N’kob for lunch over some fantastic mountain views, and then we conalong daraa Valley towards Ouarzazate, we will head to the nearby Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, the most famous kasbah in Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the backdrop for many of Ouarzazate's films including notably "Lawrence of Arabia". After enjoying the kasbah we will continue north across the High Atlas Mountains to Telouet, a village set right in the middle of the mountains which was the former seat of the last Pasha of Marrakech, El Glaoui, who used the location to control the mountain pass. We will go through this pass on a road which was completed by the French Foreign Legion in 1936 and winds up over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, offering stunning views over the mountains before descending past Berber villages to the plains surrounding Marrakech. Enjoy the Atlas Mountains journey before resuming our journey to Marrakech. Once we arrive in Marrakech, our guide will take you directly to your riad or hotel.

Breakfast will be served at your Riad, after which a knowledgeable local guide will lead you through the labyrinth of Marrakech's winding alleyways, hidden gardens, and secret souks. You will continue to the Djemaa el Fna, the principal cultural space in Marrakech and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beside which the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque can be seen towering into the sky. In the evening this square overflows with food stalls, dancers, acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians, and henna artists. Following your tour you will have the full day to spend at your leisure, whether its pampering yourself at a local spa with massage or further exploring the souks of the medina. We will spend the night at our hotel in Marrakech.

We will make as much use of our time as possible, wandering around the souks of Marrakech and finding souvenirs or gifts for friends before we take you to Marrakech Menara airport with plenty of time to catch your departure flight.