Grand Tour of Morocco: Cities, Sahara, Atlas & Coast

This morning you drive up the coast to Rabat, Morocco's refined and leafy capital on the Atlantic. With your guide you explore its graceful sights: the beautiful Kasbah of the Udayas, a walled quarter of narrow blue-and-white lanes and Andalusian gardens overlooking the ocean; the soaring red-stone Hassan Tower and the exquisite Mausoleum of Mohammed V with its ceremonial guards; and the atmospheric Chellah, a romantic ruined Roman and medieval necropolis draped in flowers and crowned with storks' nests. You may also stroll the pleasant medina and coastal ramparts. The elegance, history and coastal light of the capital are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Rabat. This evening, savour the calm, refined atmosphere of the capital by the sea. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Volubilis, Meknes and up into the Rif Mountains to blue Chefchaouen.

Today you journey inland and north, taking in Roman and imperial treasures on the way to the Blue City. You visit the remarkable Roman ruins near Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, wandering among triumphal arches, columns and astonishing mosaic floors on a hillside of olive groves, with storks nesting on the stones, and see the sacred whitewashed hill town of Moulay Idriss nearby. You glimpse monumental Meknes with its great Bab Mansour gateway, then wind up into the green Rif Mountains, through forested slopes and whitewashed villages, to Chefchaouen, the famous Blue City. As the day ends, you settle into your guesthouse amid the blue lanes and take a first enchanted wander at golden hour, climbing to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint for sunset over the blue town. This evening, savour a mountain dinner. Rest well in dreamlike Chefchaouen.

This morning you explore the enchanting Blue City of Chefchaouen at a relaxed pace, wandering its dreamlike lanes washed in a hundred shades of blue, where cats doze on blue steps and flowers spill from blue walls. You visit the pretty Plaza Uta el-Hammam beside the red kasbah, browse craft shops for woollen blankets and painted goods, and enjoy the mellow mountain calm, with plenty of time for photographs in the soft light. Around midday you set off south, winding down through the green Rif Mountains towards Fes, the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. As the day ends, you arrive in Fes and settle into your riad in the old city, catching a first glimpse over the medina as the call to prayer sounds. This evening, savour a Fassi dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the spellbinding medieval medina of Fes.

Today you explore the spellbinding medina of Fes with your local guide. Fes el-Bali is the world's largest car-free urban area, a breathtaking maze of some nine thousand lanes little changed in a thousand years. You plunge into hidden squares, bustling souks and medieval workshops, following the cries of muleteers and the tap of coppersmiths. You gaze from a terrace over the famous Chouara tanneries, where hides are cured in honeycombs of coloured dye pits, and see the Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 and often called the oldest continually operating university in the world. You visit the dazzling Bou Inania and Al Attarine madrasas and watch potters and weavers at work in the artisan quarters. As the day ends, you return to your riad, spellbound by this living medieval city. This evening, savour the atmosphere of ancient Fes. Rest well in the soul of Morocco.

Today you make the great journey south to the desert. You leave Fes and climb across the cedar-forested Middle Atlas near Ifrane, an elegant alpine-style town, and Azrou, where you may spot Barbary macaques in the woods, then descend into pre-Saharan country down the palm-lined Ziz Valley, with its vast oasis threading through the arid mountains. You reach Merzouga, on the edge of the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, in the late afternoon, and mount a camel to ride in a caravan into the towering dunes as the sand glows amber, climbing a high crest for a spectacular Sahara sunset. As night falls you reach your desert camp among the dunes, dining on tagine beneath countless stars, with Berber drumming around the fire. As the day ends, you settle into the magical camp. Rest well beneath the stars of the Sahara.

This morning you wake early to watch a breathtaking sunrise spill over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the sand shifting through pink, gold and amber, before riding your camel back out of the desert for breakfast. You then set off along the kasbah trail into the mountains, travelling to the towering Todra Gorge, a sheer canyon three hundred metres deep and in places just ten metres wide, where you walk beside the cool green river beneath immense pink cliffs. You continue through palm oases and rose valleys into the rose-red Dades Gorge, with its fantastic rock formations and winding roads climbing between glowing cliffs. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in the Dades Gorge amid the red rocks. This evening, savour a tagine dinner and the profound quiet of the mountains. Rest well amid the wild beauty of the south.

Today you follow the beautiful Road of a Thousand Kasbahs westward. You wind out of the Dades Valley, past the rose-growing town of Kelaat M'Gouna and the lush Skoura palm oasis with its old kasbahs, to Ouarzazate, the gateway to the desert, where you can visit the imposing Taourirt Kasbah and the famous Atlas film studios. You continue to the mighty kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful earthen citadels in the world, its towered mud-brick houses rising in tiers above a river, and climb its winding lanes to the granary at the summit for sweeping views, hearing how it has starred in countless films. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near Ait Ben Haddou, gazing at the floodlit kasbah. This evening, savour the quiet of the south. Rest well amid dramatic scenery.

Today you cross the great spine of Morocco to the Red City. You wind up the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest road in Morocco, in dizzying hairpins past traditional Berber villages of flat-roofed earthen houses, terraced fields and dramatic peaks, with breathtaking viewpoints along the way. Descending the far side, you arrive in dazzling Marrakech, a swirl of colour, scent and sound beneath the snow-capped Atlas, and settle into your riad in the medina. In the late afternoon you might take a first stroll into the souks or towards the great square. As the day ends, you soak up the energy of the Red City after the wild landscapes of the south. This evening, enjoy a Moroccan feast and perhaps a rooftop view over the medina. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the souks, palaces and great square of Marrakech.

Today you explore dazzling Marrakech with your local guide. You visit the exquisite Bahia Palace, a masterpiece of carved cedar and painted ceilings, and the serene Koutoubia Mosque with its landmark minaret, and lose yourself in the labyrinthine souks, a treasure house of carpets, lanterns, leather, brass and spices, learning the art of the friendly haggle over mint tea. You visit the beautiful blue Majorelle Garden, once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, and perhaps the Saadian Tombs or Ben Youssef Madrasa. As dusk falls you plunge into the great square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, a UNESCO-listed spectacle of storytellers, musicians, snake charmers and sizzling food stalls. As the day ends, you return to your riad, dazzled by the colour and energy of the Red City. This evening, savour the buzz of Marrakech. Rest well, for tomorrow you enjoy the city at leisure.

Today you enjoy a flexible day in dazzling Marrakech at your own pace. You might return to the souks for treasures, relax in a traditional hammam and spa, take a Moroccan cooking class, or visit sights you have not yet seen, perhaps the Yves Saint Laurent Museum beside the Majorelle Garden, the beautiful Ben Youssef Madrasa or the peaceful Menara gardens. Alternatively, you could take a day trip into the High Atlas foothills of the Ourika Valley, with its Berber villages, river and waterfalls, or to the palm groves on the edge of the city for a camel ride. This flexible day lets you savour the Red City and reflect on the grand tour you have made across Morocco. As the day ends, you gather your impressions. This evening, enjoy a final Marrakech dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you make for the Atlantic coast.

Today you make for the Atlantic coast and the enchanting port of Essaouira. You drive west from Marrakech across the plains, passing groves of argan trees where you can stop at a women's cooperative to see the famous oil made by hand. You reach Essaouira, a blue-and-white walled port of honey-coloured ramparts, breezy beaches and a bohemian, artistic soul, and settle into your seafront riad or hotel. In the afternoon you stroll the dramatic sea walls with the wind and gulls, wander the relaxed medina of woodcarvers, jewellers and art galleries, and watch the blue fishing boats crowd the busy harbour. As the day ends, you share a feast of fresh grilled seafood by the port as the sun sinks into the Atlantic. Rest well by the sea in mellow Essaouira, lulled by the waves, a refreshing coda to your grand tour.

Today you relax by the sea in windswept, whitewashed Essaouira at your own pace, a mellow finale to your journey across Morocco. You might wander the relaxed medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, browsing art galleries, thuya-wood crafts and jewellery, or linger over coffee in a sunny square. You could take long walks on the vast sweeping beach, ride camels or horses along the sand, try windsurfing or kitesurfing in the famous Atlantic breeze, take a coastal boat trip, or simply unwind at your seafront hotel with the sound of the ocean. Above all, this is a day to reflect on the extraordinary grand tour you have made, from imperial cities and blue mountains to the Sahara, the kasbahs and the coast. As the day ends, you savour a final seafood dinner overlooking the harbour. Rest well by the Atlantic, carrying warm memories of all of Morocco.

After a final, relaxed morning by the Atlantic in Essaouira, perhaps a last walk on the ramparts and a leisurely breakfast, you are transferred back to Marrakech Menara Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the whole of Morocco on the definitive grand tour, the Hassan II Mosque of Casablanca and elegant Rabat, the Roman ruins near Volubilis and monumental Meknes, dreamlike blue Chefchaouen, the spellbinding medina of Fes, the golden dunes of the Sahara at Erg Chebbi, the Todra and Dades gorges and the kasbah trail, the mighty kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, dazzling Marrakech and the windswept coast at Essaouira. The images stay vivid long after you land, the blue lanes of Chefchaouen, the tanneries of Fes, the camels on the golden dunes, the ancient kasbahs and the Atlantic ramparts. Morocco has offered its every treasure in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this magical country.