7-daagse Grand Tour van Marrakech: woestijn, keizerlijke steden en kust

We leave Marrakech in the morning and climb into the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at 2,260 metres the highest road pass in Morocco. On the other side the road drops to Ait Ben Haddou, the old clay ksar, where we walk through the lanes and climb to the top for the view over the valley. From there we drive on into the Dades Valley, where the road runs between red rock walls and green palm groves. We spend the night in a hotel or riad in the Dades Valley, with dinner included.

After breakfast we drive to the Todra Gorge, where the road runs between high rock walls and there is time for a short walk on the valley floor. Then the road turns south through the desert towns towards Merzouga, and the first dunes of Erg Chebbi appear on the horizon. In the late afternoon we ride camels at sunset into the dunes, up to 150 metres high, to the desert camp. Dinner is served in camp, with music by the fire, and we sleep in the camp under the stars.

We watch the sunrise in the dunes and ride the camels back to the village, then drive north through the Ziz Valley, where the road follows the river between long palm groves. The route climbs into the Middle Atlas and the cedar forest near Azrou, a green change after the desert, before dropping down to Fes. In the evening we bring you to your hotel in Fes, where dinner is included.

This day belongs to Fes, the oldest of the imperial cities, and we explore the medina with a local guide. The route leads through the tanneries, where leather is still dyed by hand, the Medersa and the craft quarters, where potters, weavers and metalworkers keep old trades alive. The guide knows the lanes and the workshops, so you see the craft at work instead of only the shop fronts. We spend a second night in Fes, with dinner included.

After breakfast we leave Fes and drive north into the Rif mountains to Chefchaouen, the blue city. The road winds through the hills, and the first blue walls appear as we come into town. In the afternoon we wander the blue-painted lanes of the old town, where every corner is a photo and the pace is slow. We spend the night in Chefchaouen, with dinner included.

After breakfast we drive from Chefchaouen to Rabat, the capital, and see the Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas above the Bouregreg river. Then we continue to Casablanca and the Hassan II Mosque on the edge of the Atlantic. We spend the night in Casablanca, with dinner included.

On the last day we drive along the Atlantic coast to Essaouira, the whitewashed town with its fishing harbour and old ramparts. We walk the medina and the harbour, and there is time for lunch by the sea before we continue to Marrakech. It is a long driving day, and we arrive in Marrakech in the evening, where the tour ends.