DAY 1: Marrakech - Telouet - Ait Benhaddou - Skoura/ Dades Gorge ( 5/6 hour drive)

As our private  tour of Morocco leaves Marrakech, the distant haze begins to resolve itself into a jagged mountain range - the High Atlas mountains, jutting abruptly from the plain. Our route follows the same one caravans used centuries ago, to bring into Marrakech slaves, gold and precious wood from the other side of the ocean of sand, the Sahara.

Beautiful scenery and small villages built in tiers succeed among oak trees, walnut groves and snow patches before arriving at the Tizi n Tichka pass, at 2260 meters high. Once over the pass a totally different picture is unveiled: the lunar landscape of the Anti Atlas. Scent of thyme from the bushes around fills the air. Just after the pass, the tour leaves the tarmac and goes off- road to then reach Telouet and former pasha's palace dominating the village, a fortified citadel that is both a microcosm of an empire and its demise. Pacha Glaoui had managed to overshadow the sultan by controlling most of nowadays Morocco and decided to erect a palace in the middle of nowhere, where his family had originated from. He had employed the most skilled artisans to build and decorate his main residence and, in its golden age, armies, stables and Christian slaves were confined within its walls while a flourishing Jewish community was managing the nearby salt mines. Of the three palaces, only one survives and throughout its large rooms, one can admire the excellence of the Moroccan craftsmanship from more than a century ago.

Leaving Telouet behind, flat top bluffs and rocky buttes that wouldn't be out of place in a western movie loom above the route. The gardens by the river bed melt into a gigantic green serpent imprisoned between the barren light brown walls of the canyon, only to escape out into the horizon. Here and there, decaying Kasbahs stand witnesses of an age soon resolute. 

Later, skirt past Tamedaght and stop to visit UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou, the postcard- like adobe citadel. A fat, red sun, only underlines the beige tones of the mud- and- straw mixture and through the covered passages and stone walls, the past filters itself into the present. In spite of the local ‘guides’, the best is to just lose yourselves in its alleyways. There is always a new way to reach its peak, from where the snowcapped Atlas Mountains framed by the denim blue sky will steal your breath away. If the climb up hadn’t already... Past Ouarzazate, our bespoke tour of Morcco reaches yet another lush area, nested between the deserted crest and the desolate plateaus: Skoura palmgrove. We can arrange for accommodation here or press onwards to Dades gorges. 

Then, our trip reaches Kelaa des Mgouna, famous for the nearby Valley of Roses and 'Rose Festival', where at the end of a 3 day celebration usually held in May, a local girl is crowned 'Rose Queen'. The most looked after product is eau- de- rose and two factories in the area distil and export the product. The process uses approximately three thousand kilograms of rose petals to extract a liter of rose oil.

Further on, Boulmane de Dades follows, the starting point to explore the spectacular Dades Gorge, a lush carpet set against the massive rocks and quite popular among those interested to trek. 

DAY 2: Skoura/ Dades - Tinerir - Todra Gorge - Rissani - Merzouga - Erg Chebbi ( 5/ 4 hour drive)

Back on the road, our first stop is Tinerhir (Tinghir), with its extensive palm grove, the ksours built into the rocky hills above it and its mysterious decaying Jewish quarter. Tinerir has been for generations a stop for nomadic Berber tribes travelling from the mountains north of it towards the desert during the winter months. A rather inconspicuos hidden gem is the 19th century adobe mosque nested within the old crumbling ksour, a heaven for photography enthusiasts. 

Todra Gorges , lie only 15 km from Tinerhir, presenting an arresting spectacle with its crystal clear river emerging from it, its huge walls changing color to magical effect as the day unfolds. Its 300 meters ( 1000 feet ) high walls are home to more than 150 bolted routes and at any time of day you can catch a glimpse of someone rock climbing his way up the gigantic walls.

Before reaching Merzouga where the tarmac ends, our 4x4 Morocco tour passes Erfoud and Rissani. In Erfoud we can stop for a visit at Musee des Oasis. Rissani used to serve as last stop on the great caravan routes south and gold and slave auctions were taking place here as late as 1800’s. Before it, the caravan trade and the most important city in Morocco was Sijilmassa, the ruins of which lie opposite Rissani. From its gates, Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus left Morocco to embark on their illustrious journeys across the Sahara into African countries, at a time when Sijilmassa was the trading hub between Europe and Africa and Arab pure bred horses from Morocco a much coveted commodity at the court of Timbuktu:

[Here ( in Timbuktu) are many shops of artificers and merchants, and especially of such as weave linnen and cotton cloth. And hither do the Barbarie merchants bring cloth of Europe... Here are verie few horses bred, and the merchants and courtiers keepe certainn little nags which they use to travel upon: but their best horses are brought out of Barbarie. And the king so soon as he heareth that any merchants are come to town with horses, he commandeth a certain number to be brought before him, and chusing the best horse for himselfe he payeth a most liberal price for him.] ( Leo Africanus - History and description of Africa)

Soon after we reach Merzouga and in the distance you glimpse the first leviathans of sand forming the Sahara: the dunes of Erg Chebbi. We'll stop for a break at a local kasbah where you can leave some luggage and/ or have a shower before being hopped onto a camel and taking the route to the camp nested in the middle of the dunes. Then, while the staff of the camp is unloading your luggage and preparing your dinner, you climb onto the highest dune you can find. Take a moment and watch the sun hide behind dunes heavily shaded, shadow turning them from golden to burnt orange. There is nowhere else you would rather be. After dinner, the camp staff turn out to be quite gifted musicians. At night, dazed by the millions of stars glittering above, the silence is so thick you feel you could cut a strip and wear it as a scarf, as you fall asleep.

DAY 3: Erg Chebbi - Erfoud - Alnif - Nkob - Skoura ( 5 hour drive)

Should you have missed the sunrise… well, try not to. Stories of Scheherezade, Ali Baba and his 40 thieves, have created a mythical Arabian landscape that reality often struggles to match. Except for moments like this one...

The road to Tazzarine sees almost no traffic, providing a scenic link between Tafilalet and Draa Valley. Aside from the landscape, fossils and prehistoric rock carvings are this region’s main attraction. The scenery grows wilder as you approach Tazzarine, set in a grassy oasis surrounded by bare mountains. Past Nkob, with its prominent old Kasbah and dense palm grove, we will enter the Djebel Saghro, a starkly beautiful jungle of volcanic peaks, quite unlike the mountains we have already encountered so far. One can only wonder whether the stark conditions of life around these parts have helped shaping the character of its inhabitants. This is where in the winter of 1933, a 2000 Ait Atta Berber army resisted a 8000- man and 44 planes strong French army as the French were looking to complete their colonization of Morocco. 

General Guillaume, one of the French army heads wrote: ''Our opponent reveals the best warrior of North Africa. He is brave to temerity. He accepts deliberately to sacrifice his possessions, his family, and even his own life, to defend his freedom... This instinctive horror proven against all coercion and domination justifies the  desperate resistance opposed to any foreign penetration. Everyone defends his territory until the end, with a fury that can surprise, but which commands admiration.''

Once on the other side, we will stop for dinner and accommodation in the palm grove of Skoura. 

DAY 4: Skoura - Ouarzazate - Fint Oasis - Marrakech ( 5 hour drive).

After breakfast, do not miss a walk in the palm grove, an amazing world of its own: date palms at the edge, terraces of olive, pomegranate, almond and fruit trees further in, with grain and vegetable crops planted in between. Here, the river is diverted and separated by man- made streams to irrigate each and every garden as everyone gets his '8 hour slot' of water. You can witness the ingenious distribution of water through kettaras and seguias and the local craftsmen shape their colorful potteries. Succulent trees ripple in a breeze that wafts down the valley as the village is softly hushed, the only sound the bleating of far- off goats. 

Back on the road, our 4 day Morocco tour leaves the palmgrove behind as the road climbs, twists and turns its way up into the mountains, before breaking through the scarp at the pass of Tizi n'Tinififft. Stopping at the pass and looking back, you catch a glimpse of the Draa valley and the oases, a green river of palms snaking up into the haze bordered by the Kasbahs, adobe guardians rising as if from the earth where the green gives way to the desert.

The nearby Fint Oasis provides a precious opportunity to witness life within an oasis set among a stone desert, albeit hundreds of miles away from the Sahara. Smaller in size than a palm grove, an oasis is an essential component of the desert, where water comes out of the ground and used to be shared equally among the caravans. A small community still inhabits the lush gardens surrounding the oasis, preserving the century-old traditions.

Then our tour crosses Ouarzazate, made famous by its film studios where scenes of  'Game of Thrones' were recently shot. We will then start our way back crossing the High Atlas. Few people know it but this route was first laid out by the French Foreign Legion back when Ouarzazate was no more than a French army outpost. Our trip serpents its way through the abrupt valleys and mountain peaks and our desert tour arrives in Marrakech later in the evening.

Day 1: Casablanca - Rabat ( 1 hour drive).*driving times don't include the various stops along the way.

Notwithstanding the Art Deco heritage, Casablanca is nowadays, in spite of its myth, mainly a large metropolis devoid of any monuments. King Hassan 2 wanted to change that and decided to erect a landmark to match the city - the second largest mosque in the world .  The last few years of its completion, 1400 craftsmen worked by day and 1000 by night. The marble, cedar wood and granite all come from Morocco while the glass chandeliers and white granite columns were brought from Murano, Italy.

Next, our custom Morocco tour takes us to the capital Rabat, recently declared UNESCO world site. With a rich history, Rabat lies suspended somewhere between Europe and the Arab world. The 12th century Kasbah des Oudayas and its Andalusian Gardens are a delight. We can dwell further into the past and visit the Merenid necropolis of Chellah, where Phoenician, Roman and Merinid traces blend. Mohamed 6 museum, opened in 2014 is also worth your attention. On display, the most representative modern Moroccan art along with regular guest exhibitions from Europe. 

But perhaps better stories are to be told about Sale, the sister city to Rabat and, centuries ago, a fearsome pirate nest. Canals used to run through its gates and its pirates were famous for rapidly attacking European ships and taking illustrous nobility as prisoners. Once inside the city, the massive doors would close and the European powers had no other choice than to give in to the exorbitant sums asked for their ransom. The shortly lived 'Republic of Sale', a state within a state, refused to pay any tax to the sultan, who decided to build a new port where he could control piracy and its generous revenues: Essaouira was born. 

Day 2: Rabat - Meknes - Volubilis - Fez ( 3 hour drive).

After breakfast, our 4x4 Morocco tour is headed towards Meknes, an imperial city that rose to prominence with the sultan Moulay Ismail ( 1672- 1727) who set the capital of Morocco to Meknes and gave it its golden age by building his imperial palace, city walls and kasbahs.

[Undaunted by the scale of his project, the sultan began laying plans for a sprawling diplomatic quarter, where his viziers and officers were to have their residences, and a vast military barracks housing 130,000 of his black troops. Most fabuluous of all was to be the Dar Al Mansur palace, which was to stand over 150 feet high and be surmounted by twenty pavillions decorated with glazed green tiles. Moulay Ismail also ordered the construction of an enormous reservoir and boating lake, while the stables were intended to house up to 12000 horses.] (Giles Milton - White Gold).

Places of interest in Meknes include Bab El Mansour gate, the masoleum of Moulay Ismail, the imperial palace and the royal granaries. Back on the road we are to reach shortly the  Roman ruins of Volubilis  with its Galem’s baths, basilica, capitol and forum and the sacred village of  Moulay Idriss . Moulay Idriss was Prophet Mohammed's great grandson and came to live at Volubilis in 8th century, converted the locals to Islam and founded the first Moroccan imperial dynasty. Our journey should reach Fez late afternoon/ evening.

Day 3: Fez - guided tour of the city ( no drive).

With the first light of dawn, you realize you have travelled in time. Four centuries? Five? If it weren’t for the satellite dishes adorning every roof, it could be more. Perhaps as much as the Kayraouine University and mosque, now 12 centuries old, the oldest still working university in the world. The heyday of the caravan trade coming from Timbuktu is long resolute. Instead, the migration of wealthy Moors and Jews from the courts of Granada and Cordoba in 15th and 16th century is more present.

There are thousands of derbs, streets so narrow you could whisper in your neighbor’s ear. The numerous Islamic schools, among which the most ornate are perhaps Bou Inania and El Attarine, will wow you with their intricate stucco and cedar engravings that have so well resisted the passage of centuries. Out in the streets again, you will most likely smell the  tanneries  before you see them... Dozens of workers toil over open vats, dipping skins in to treat them before hand-dyeing them in bright yellow, red and white, stomping them under the hot sun to distribute the pigment. 

The guided tour of Fez takes us to Nejjarine Square where you can catch your breath enjoying a mint tea on the roof terrace of Nejjarine Foundouk, an 18th-century caravanserai, turned into a woodwork museum after six years of painstakingly renovation. “There is a good deal of frustration involved in the process of enjoying Fez,” wrote Paul Bowles about Fez and that still holds true nowadays. Just when the walls seem to cave in on you, a little square comes up and suddenly all menace disappears. The secrets to be found around every corner draw you into the long forgotten world of the travels of Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus. 

Day 4: Fez - Ifrane - Azrou - Mildelt - Errachidia - Merzouga ( 7 hours drive).

With Fez in the background, our Morocco itinerary serpents its way up under the shade of cedar forests. Our trip takes us first through Ifrane, the ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, a rather quiet town, except during snow season when it becomes Morocco’s prime ski resort. Prettier walks are to be had in the foothills of the next town, Azrou. Country lanes wind through pine forest and lush villages. The dense forest is also home to the Barbary macaque, almost domesticated now and the 800- year old Gouraud’s cedar. The surrounding countryside is pigmented by apricots, walnuts and plum trees and pictures of rural Berber life as we approach Midelt.

A few hours later, our trip arrives in Erfoud and the change in landscape is sharp - Sahara isn't far now. Stop in Rissani and visit a traditional adobe ksour. Arrive in Merzouga where, after the long drive, you may just want to have atay by the pool and enjoy the view on the nearby majestic desert dunes. Dinner and accommodation in a local Kasbah.

Day 5: Merzouga - Erg Chebbi ( transfer by camel or 4x4).

After the long drive the day before, you may as well have a late breakfast. Later, have tea with a nomad family and pry out fossils. Alternatively, dwell into the ancient prehistory and discover pre- Islamic burial sites, dinosaur bones or rock engravings. If you are looking for some adrenaline rush, take onto quad biking or sand dune boarding. In the afternoon, mount on your camel and reach the dunes of Erg Chebbi, some of the highest in Morocco. 

While the staff are busy unloading your luggage, try to find the highest dune and reach the top. Then take it all in. For as far as you can see, there is nothing but sand, an ocean of it as set to conquer everything that stands in its way. All worldly matters loose sense. One of the first things the Sahara does is make you aware of your own insignificance. And while the sun sets, there is nowhere else you would rather be. Dinner and accommodation in a private tent in a camp in the dunes. Here, you have the choice between a basic tent with toilets/ bathroom outside or a comfort/ luxury tent with en suite bathroom and toilets.

Day 6: Erg Chebbi - Tinejdad - Todra Gorges - Tinerir - Skoura ( 5 hour drive).

Try to wake up to catch the sunrise- there is nothing quite like it... After breakfast our custom Morocco tour takes us first to Rissani where gold and slave auctions were taking place as late as 1800’s. Centuries before, the caravan trade and the most important city in Morocco was Sijilmassa, the ruins of which lie opposite Rissani. From its gates, Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus left Morocco to embark on their illustrious journeys across the Sahara into African countries, at a time when Sijilmassa was the trading hub between Europe and Africa.

[Here ( in Timbuktu) are many shops of artificers and merchants, and especially of such as weave linnen and cotton cloth. And hither do the Barbarie merchants bring cloth of Europe... Here are verie few horses bred, and the merchants and courtiers keepe certainn little nags which they use to travel upon: but their best horses are brought out of Barbarie. And the king so soon as he heareth that any merchants are come to town with horses, he commandeth a certain number to be brought before him, and chusing the best horse for himselfe he payeth a most liberal price for him.] ( Leo Africanus - History and description of Africa)

On the way to Tinerir, wander through an adobe ksour and awe at the wells of light. Todra Gorges lie within a short distance from Tinerir, presenting an arresting spectacle with its crystal clear river emerging from it, its huge walls changing colour to magical effect as the day unfolds. 

Shortly after we reach Boulmane de Dades at the entrance of Dades Gorges. A drive along the gorges will bring out the carpet of almond trees, best viewed in February and the strange 'monkey fingers'. We will ultimately stop for accommodation in the palm grove of Skoura. If possible, we more than recommend adding an extra day to enjoy the many activities/ sites available around the area.

Day 7: Skoura - Ouarzazate - Ait Benhaddou - Telouet - Marrakech (  5 hour drive)

This morning, have a guided tour of the palm grove. In the shade of the palm trees, you will walk past pumpkins and figs, grapes and tomatoes, coriander, parsley and rosemary. Olives are pressed into the precious oil – dip your bread into it and try a local’s breakfast. Fire, water, earth and dye are what make most of things here. On the right day of the week, visit a village market. Outside winter, go up at 3000 meters high and trek through villages where locals still use water mills to grind the wheat. 

Back in the 4x4, we will skirt through Ouarzazate where we can stop and visit the film studios famous for scenes of Gladiator, Prince of Persia or Game of Thrones. Half an hour later, the route turns right to shortly arrive at post-card perfect UNESCO world site of Ait Benhaddou. In spite of the local ‘guides’, the best is to just lose yourselves in its alleyways. There is always a new way to reach its peak, from where the snowcapped Atlas Mountains framed by the denim blue sky will steal your breath away. If the climb up hadn’t already.

Past Tamdaght and the kasbah made famous by the slave scene from 'Gladiator', the beauty of the valley serpenting underneath the route is beyond words. Telouet is next, where the former pasha's palace dominates the village, a fortified citadel that is both a microcosm of an empire and its demise. Shortly after Telouet, the trip joins the main road again and after innumerous twists and over Tizi n Tichka pass, we descend the Atlas Mountains and reach the plain. Ahead in the night, lays dormant and sensual Marrakech, its walls and eighteen gates enveloping hundreds of foundouks once protecting the caravans and their precious cargos. 

Day 8: Marrakech - visit of the city ( no drive).

Where Fez is the bashful scholar, the ‘red city’ is the exuberant dancer. More than its opulent night life and luxurious palaces, the design boutiques or the French restaurants, it’s something in the air. The light of the south as some may call it, a certain feeling that nothing can go wrong, a certain je ne sais quoi… A good point to start your private guided tour is perhaps Maison de La Photographie, located in one of the most authentic districts of Marrakech. It accommodates one of the most interesting collection of photos in Morocco, documenting the life in Morocco from late 1800’s all the way to the 1950’s.

Crossing the souks you may want to spoil yourself with some shopping. Miles of Ali Baba closet- size caves where everything glitters will lure you in. If it is too early in the day for shopping, you can also admire the dyeing of the wool or the looming of a Berber carpet on site. Past Place des Epices and its shops stuffed with turtles, colorful spices and witchcraft accessories, we make our way into the Kasbah. Not before entering the gardens of 19th century Bahia Palace, an epitome of Islamic art of the era and residence of the grand vizier. Uncovered by chance in 1917, the nearby Saadi Tombs hold the remains of the sultans responsible for the last golden age of the city , the 16th and 17th century. The Carrara marble stands witness to the wealth of the dynasty and so does the nearby El Badi palace, albeit only a ruin nowadays. The sultan had sent a powerful army over the Sahara, led by Spanish mercenaries which conquered the gold mines of present Mali and Ghana and made him one of the wealthiest men of his time. 

[ Al Mansur's personal extravagance was chiefly concentrated on building a vast and splendid palace in Marrakech on which he employed thousands of Christians. Many ship- loads of the most precious materials of the East were imported from India for its decoration. Italy and Ireland supplied the marble for its thousands of columns. ] ( E.W.Bovill - The Golden Trade of the Moors)

As the sun sets and the shades of its towers lose their contour, the fumes start rising on the nearby Jemaa El Fna square. Musicians, acrobats, snake charmers, witch doctors and food stalls all come alive as if they had never left the place. This is the city at its most essential, a place where people from everywhere mingle, perform and people- watch, half way between a tableau vivant and a circus show. Try to catch one of the story tellers in action, a tradition perpetuated for centuries and likely to disappear soon. A different way to discover Marrakech is by taking a cooking class with spice shopping and an introduction to the food circuit inside the medina. 

Day 9: Marrakech - visit of the city/ relaxing day. 

The popularity of Marrakech is with foreigners and Moroccans alike. Its gardens are a magnet to people living in traffic jammed Casablanca or conservatory Fez. Ali Ben Youssef, the Spain- educated son of the founder of the city, brought with him the refinement of Spain with its elegant houses built around an inside garden back in the 11th century. The Almohads then built the Kasbah and the vast manicured gardens still in use today.  Agdal Gardens and Menara Gardens are examples of the garden culture permeating the 12th and 13th century. Majorelle Gardens were subsequently acquired by Yves Saint Laurent and then made available to the general public ( 2018 has seen the opening of Yves Saint Laurent museum adjacent to the gardens). They are best visited early in the morning before they become too crowded. Our favorite gardens must be those of La Mamounia hotel, where for the price of a coffee at the bar, you are free to roam around the afternoon. 

If gardens are not your things, worry not. Cooking classes, babouche making, Arab caligraphy, a tour of the modern art galleries, a tasting tour, hot air balloon, are but some of the activities you can choose from. 

Day 10: Marrakech - Essaouira ( 2 hours and a half drive). 

After breakfast, our Moroccan itinerary leaves Marrakech behind and, for a couple of hours , there is not much to see, except the occasional argan oil cooperative. Later, the deserted landscape around us softens while the panorama changes from arid beige to vivid green. Goats go up in trees feeding on the argan fruit. In the distance, still some way off, a blue stripe rises above the argan groves on the horizon: the Atlantic.

Essaouira was for centuries a working port and that is what makes for its rugged charm. The Romans came here for the precious purple dye which they used to stain their imperial togas, but it was the Portuguese who put this place on the map, as a market place for gold and ivory, slaves and spices. Sightseeing visitors sip cool drinks in the cobbled square where slaves were sold after their long march across the Sahara. This was their last sight of Africa before the grim voyage to the New World. The black slaves left their music behind and its streets still resonate with the hypnotic rhythms of Gnawa. After the Portuguese left, Essaouira became a free port in the 18th century - Morocco's window on the world. Orson Welles filmed his 'Othello' on these robust walls more than half a century ago and scenes from 'Alexander', 'Kingdom of Heaven' and more recently 'Game of Thrones' ( where Khaleesi purchases her army of Unsullied) were shot here. Tall towers festooned with cannons still define the borders of the old town. Beyond these battlements, the new town, the ville nouvelle, peters out into countryside.

DAY 11: Essaouira - Oualidia - Casablanca ( 5 hour drive).

Thanks to its magnificent fortifications and overall bohemian ambiance, Essaouira is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But it is still a market town and in spite of last few years buzz, rural Berbers still come to hawk their wares to the artisans who live and work here and fishermen and boat builders get on with their daily activities as they have done for centuries. 

Or, if you are not mad about European military architecture, go on and lose yourself in the art gallery- packed streets, a world away from the hustle in the souks of Marrakech or explore the wild beaches that lie just south of it. Back in the 4x4, stop by the lagoon in Oualidia and enjoy the turquoise waters and the best oysters and sea food in Morocco. Later, arrive in sleepy El Jadida, another UNESCO world site and dwell into its Portuguese past and water cistern. Ultimately, reach Casablanca and get dropped off at the airport. 

One or two days can always be added to or subtracted from the trip if your flight schedule requires it.