Morocco Itinerary: 8 Days from Marrakech

Arrive in Marrakech, founded in 1070 and capital of three Moroccan dynasties, and settle into a riad inside the UNESCO medina. A guided afternoon walk takes in the 77m Koutoubia minaret, the Bahia Palace and the trade souks before Jemaa el-Fnaa fills with musicians, storytellers and food stalls at sunset. This first day sets the tone for a one-way journey that will carry you south over the Atlas, into the Sahara, and finally north to Fes - so you start gently, tasting the city before the long road unfolds.

Travel note · A full Marrakech day follows, so no early start needed tomorrow.

A full day to explore Marrakech beyond the surface. Begin in the cobalt-blue Majorelle Garden, created by Jacques Majorelle and saved by Yves Saint Laurent, beside the YSL Museum and Berber Museum. The afternoon turns to the 16th-century Saadian Tombs, with their carved cedar and zellij, and the ruined El Badi Palace where storks nest on the walls. Late in the day, lose yourself in the souks - lanterns, leather, carpets and spices - then unwind with a traditional hammam before tomorrow's climb into the High Atlas.

Travel note · Pack an overnight bag for the desert and agree an early 7:30 AM start tomorrow.

Leave Marrakech and climb the N9 over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260m, descending to Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO ksar (inscribed 1987) that has stood in for ancient cities in Gladiator and Game of Thrones. After exploring its earthen kasbahs and lunch, you skirt Ouarzazate and follow the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Skoura oasis to the Dades gorges, where wind-sculpted "monkey-finger" rocks rise above a green valley floor. Dinner and your first southern night are spent at a kasbah hotel beneath the cliffs.

Travel note · Cold pass, winding roads - bring a layer and motion-sickness tablets if you need them.

A short morning drive reaches the Todra Gorge near Tinghir, where the Todgha River has cut a canyon with walls up to 300m high that pinch to roughly 10m apart, beloved by climbers. The road then crosses the stony hamada and the date oases of the Tafilalt, passing Erfoud and Rissani - the historic caravan market and birthplace of the ruling Alaouite dynasty - to Merzouga at the foot of Erg Chebbi. At sunset you ride a camel caravan over the dunes to a tented camp for dinner, Berber music and a night of brilliant stars.

Travel note · Bring only an overnight bag to camp and leave your case in the 4x4. Closed shoes and a warm layer make the camel ride and night comfortable.

No long transfer today - just the desert. After sunrise over the dunes you spend the day on a 4x4 circuit of the Erg Chebbi: the black-volcanic village of Khamlia, where the Gnaoua of Sudanese descent play their hypnotic music, a seasonal nomad family for tea, the underground khettara irrigation channels, and the fossil plains and seasonal Dayet Srji lake. There is time to sandboard, swim at an auberge pool or simply rest before climbing a tall dune for sunset and a second, unhurried night beneath the Saharan sky.

Travel note · The 4x4 circuit is timed around the fierce midday sun. Carry plenty of water and shield cameras from fine sand.

Today is the great northbound crossing, around 470km from Merzouga to Fes. You follow the Ziz Valley, a ribbon of tens of thousands of date palms threading dramatic gorges, then climb through Midelt - the "apple town" between the High and Middle Atlas - and over the Col du Zad. The landscape shifts to cedar forest near Azrou, home to wild Barbary macaques, and the alpine-looking resort of Ifrane, the "Switzerland of Morocco." You descend into Fes by evening, trading the silence of the dunes for the hum of the world's oldest living medieval city.

Travel note · A long day of beautiful, varied scenery. Set off early, and watch for monkeys in the Azrou cedar forest.

A full guided day in Fes el-Bali, the world's largest car-free urban area and Morocco's spiritual and intellectual heart. You enter at the blue-tiled Bab Boujloud and visit the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas with their dazzling zellij and carved cedar, and pass Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD and recognised as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. The afternoon reaches the Chouara tanneries, where leather is still cured in stone vats of natural dye, before you weave the trade souks of metalworkers, weavers and woodcarvers.

Travel note · Fes is a true labyrinth - stay with your guide, wear comfortable shoes and carry cash for the souks.

A final, gentler morning in Fes before the journey ends. Walk the wide boulevards of the French-era Ville Nouvelle, return for a last view from the Merenid Tombs, or pick up fixed-price crafts at an artisan cooperative. Your driver then transfers you to Fès-Saïss Airport or the train station for your onward journey - perhaps a fast train to Casablanca or a flight home - closing an eight-day, one-way crossing that has linked the Red City, the High Atlas, the Sahara and the imperial soul of Fes.

Travel note · Allow 2-3 hours before international flights from Fès-Saïss. A later flight lets you enjoy a relaxed final morning.