Welcome to Marrakech! Before we meet this evening, take time to recover from any jet lag and adjust to this bustling city you’re about to explore. Grab a fresh orange juice from one of the vendors in the city’s bustling main square, Djemaa El Fna (pronounced jamaa lafna). It’s delightful chaos here. You’ll find storytellers, musicians, locals and tourists going about their days. It’s also the entrance to the main market, or medina. Wander the medina and explore the small shops. Don’t worry if you get lost – it’s impossible not to. Or, relax at our hotel, which has a spa and hammam on site (best to make an appointment before your arrival in Morocco).

At 6 pm you’ll meet our guide for the next nine days, and discuss what lies ahead over the next week. Then we’ll head out for our first group dinner at a hip restaurant nearby that features local producers on its menu.

Included activities: Group airport transfer from RAK airport to hotel in Marrakesh

Accommodation: Riad Mirage, spa and hammam on site

After breakfast, our guide will bring the magic of Marrakech to life. You’ll tour the old medina, wandering through the bustling souks that are the lifeblood of the city. They’ll also explain the history and evolution of riads, traditional Moroccan homes that have a unique central open-aired interior design. Afterwards, you’ll explore Bahia Palace, a landmark that dates back to the 19th century and was built for a former slave who rose through the ranks to hold one of the highest governing positions in the Ottoman Empire. You’ll likely smell orange blossom as you make your way through its tranquil courtyards, salons and chambers. The group will also stop by the Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in the city. The rest of the day is free to explore as you wish. A visit to Le Jardin Secret, a traditional medina garden with a magnificent courtyard, is a stunning example of how historical design has been modernized and how gardens can be incorporated into a dwelling. Or head back into the medina and practice your haggling skills.

Included meals: Breakfast

Included activities: Half-day walking tour of Marrakech, entrance to Bahia Palace, a glass of fresh orange juice in Djemaa El Fna

Optional activities: Evening food tour

Accommodation: Riad Mirage, spa and hammam on site

We hit the road today, with a drive into the High Atlas Mountains to the village of Imlil. On arrival, you’ll store your main luggage and load an overnight bag onto pack mules for a one-hour trek to the peaceful village of Aroumd. Perched on a rocky outcrop, this remote village offers stunning views across the mountains and a unique opportunity to experience traditional Berber (Amazigh) culture. Use the rest of the day to explore the village and the surrounding farmlands. If the group is up for it and weather permits, there will be a chance to hike to the pilgrimage shrine of Sidi Chamharouch (approximately eight kilometres/four hours return). Regardless of your fitness levels, the gentle pace of Aroumd, which is beyond the reach of the modern world, makes it a special place to explore.

We’ll spend the night in a family-run mountain cottage where, surrounded by the smell of woodstoves and bread, you will enjoy traditional hospitality and food. You will have the chance to strike up a conversation with the family about their village, the Berber community, food and traditions (our guide will assist with the language barrier)

Included meals: Breakfast, dinner

Included activities: High Atlas Mountains guided hike

Accommodation: Guesthouse Dar Tagine

This morning, the Berber family hosting us will teach you how to make Moroccan tea. There’s a tradition and technique specific to Moroccan tea and they will share their secrets – including the art of the perfect (and elaborate!) pour. While everyone is sipping the tea you make, we’ll discuss Morocco tea traditions – which date back to the end of the 17th century, when elites had exclusive access to it – and the social role it plays in everyday life of Moroccans today.

After, we’ll journey along mountain roads and over Morocco's highest pass, Tizi n'Tichka (2,260 metres), towards Ouarzazate.

On the way we will visit Kasbah Telouat, a 19th-century fortress that was once a residence of Thami Glaoui and his family, a high-ranking official of Marrakech and regions. Many drive by this kasbah in ruins, but treasures are hidden inside. A gem of intricate Moroccan architecture, the structure is the result of hundreds of craftsmen working for three years. You’ll walk on fine mosaics, touch the glittery Zellij tiles filling the walls (these hand-chiselled tiles are a main characteristic of Moroccan architecture), and look at the sophisticated plaster carvings in the ceiling. Then we head into Ouarzazarte, Morocco’s Hollywood, with films such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky and Black Hawk Down using it as a film location. In your free time today, there’s an option to visit Atlas Movie Studio.

Included meals: Breakfast

Included activities: Tea demonstration, entrance to Kasbah Telouat

Optional activities: Atlas Movie Studio tour, visit Kasbah Taourirt

Accommodation: Riad Tama, swimming pool on site

Today, we head south through the lush Draa Valley to the rugged and desolate Jbel Tadrart mountain ranges, through seas of sand and past the occasional desert oasis of date palms to the township of Tamegroute. Here you’ll visit with tile and pottery manufacturers, a great chance to learn these traditional arts and the techniques that make this work distinctive to the region.

Our next stop is the frontier town of M’Hamid, our entry to the Sahara. After a short camel ride through the dunes you’ll arrive at Erg Lihoudi and our desert camp for the night. There’s nothing like the tranquility of the Sahara – it’s especially photogenic, too. We’ll arrive in time for you to try the naturally healing benefits of sand bathing. Similar to a sauna, lying covered in the sand warmed by the sun can reduce inflammation and joint pain. You’ll be able to climb the dunes to witness a captivating sunset. Dinner will be in the open air, with a traditional meal and performance by drummers and singers, part of the Gnaoua community. You’ll spend an unforgettable night in your tent under the sparkling star-filled sky.

Included meals: Breakfast, dinner

Included activities: Visit to pottery and tile manufacturers, sunset camel ride

Optional activities: Sand bathing experience

Accommodation: Camp Chez Le Pacha

We spend the day on the road as we head towards Morocco’s coast – from sand to sea. A 4x4 drive takes you from the desert camp to the main road, and then we head towards Taroudant, often called “Little Marrakech” for its striking resemblance and because it was a temporary capital during Saadin period. Nestled at the foot of Souss Valley and on the edge of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, Taroudant offers multiple ways to engage with Berber culture. After the drive, you’ll have the evening to relax and enjoy a swim or visit the jacuzzi at our beautiful hotel.

Included meals: Breakfast

Included activities: 4x4 transfer from desert camp to the vehicle

Accommodation: Hotel Palais Mensour, pool, jacuzzi, hammam and gym on site

In the morning, we visit an Argan cooperative that benefits women from the local community. We will learn the process of how this oil, which has many pharmacological benefits, is extracted and refined (a traditional and tedious multistep process). After, we’ll visit the gorgeous Paradise Valley, a natural gorge lined with abundant palm trees, cascading waterfalls, crystal clear pools, all surrounded by the Anti-Atlas Mountains. There’s time for a dip in a fresh pond and to soak in the sun. Lunch can be had here, or in town in Agadir, our next stop. The city is the premier kitesurfing and windsurfing spot in the country. Beachfront eateries are plentiful. Take a walk along the beach or jump in the sea for a swim. Spend the afternoon at your leisure before we head back to Taroudant.

Included meals: Breakfast

Including activities: Argan cooperative visit

Accommodation: Hotel Palais Mensour, pool, jacuzzi, hammam and gym on site

We return to Marrakech this morning, and cap the week off with a must-do experience in Morocco: a traditional hammam, which brings together many of the wellness rituals we’ve learned over the course of the week. The hammam experience begins with a traditional ritual of glazing the body with ghassoul, a natural clay extracted from the Atlas Mountains and blended with water to rid the skin of impurities. Black soap, made with olive oil and eucalyptus leaves, softens the skin prior to a body scrub. Calming rose water, made from Atlas roses, is then applied to the skin, and finally, argan oil moisturizes the skin. Spend the rest of the back at the medina to bargain for a local keepsake, or explore the lush Marjorelle Garden at the Yves Saint Laurent Mansion. Then join the group for our final dinner together.

Meals included: Breakfast

Included activities: Entrance to hammam and massage treatment

Accommodation: Riad Mirage, spa and hammam on site

Your adventure ends after breakfast. A group transfer will take everyone to the airport for flights home. It’s been sweet, sunny and sandy, and we hope you’re returning home with some unforgettable memories.

Meals included: Breakfast

Included activities: Group transfer to airport