12 Days Morocco Tour from Casablanca: Deeper Imperial Cities & Sahara

Day 1 starts at Casablanca where our English-speaking Berber driver collects you from your hotel or airport in a private, air-conditioned 4x4 or comfortable minibus. From here, the road climbs through Casablanca, Morocco's economic heart, where the colossal Hassan II Mosque rises directly above the Atlantic waves and Art Deco facades line the boulevards. You then continue toward the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, its 210-metre minaret rising directly over the Atlantic. Lunch is served en route in Corniche. The afternoon takes you to Rabat, the discreet royal capital, whose Hassan Tower, Kasbah of the Oudayas and royal Chellah necropolis combine Andalusian elegance with Atlantic light. Overnight in a carefully selected riad or kasbah hotel with traditional dinner included.

Day 2 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through Rabat, the discreet royal capital, whose Hassan Tower, Kasbah of the Oudayas and royal Chellah necropolis combine Andalusian elegance with Atlantic light. The afternoon takes you to the Hassan Tower, the unfinished 12th-century minaret of red sandstone facing the royal Mausoleum of Mohammed V. As the light softens you reach the white-and-blue Kasbah of the Oudayas, overlooking the mouth of the Bou Regreg river opposite Salé. The route winds on through the Chellah, the romantic Merinid necropolis where Roman ruins, Islamic tombs and storks' nests share the same garden. You sleep tonight in a charming guesthouse hand-picked for character, location and breakfast quality.

Day 3 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through Meknes, the fourth imperial city, with the monumental Bab Mansour gate and the colossal stables built by sultan Moulay Ismail for his 12,000 horses. The afternoon takes you to Volubilis, the wonderfully preserved Roman provincial city of the 1st-3rd centuries, with mosaics of Bacchus and Hercules still in situ under the open sky. As the light softens you reach Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, Morocco's holiest town built into the green hills around the tomb of the country's founder. The route winds on through Fes, the spiritual capital of Morocco and home to the world's oldest continuously operating university, with a medieval medina that has not changed its rhythm in nine centuries. Tonight's accommodation is a boutique riad with a courtyard pool, fresh towels and Berber breakfast at dawn.

Day 4 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through the Fes medina, the world's largest car-free urban area with 9,400 alleyways and the medieval tanneries of Chouara at its heart. The afternoon takes you to the Chouara tanneries of Fes, working since the 11th century with limestone vats, pigeon droppings and mineral dyes — a guild that has not changed its methods in 900 years. As the light softens you reach artisan quarter. Overnight in a carefully selected riad or kasbah hotel with traditional dinner included.

Day 5 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through Fes, the spiritual capital of Morocco and home to the world's oldest continuously operating university, with a medieval medina that has not changed its rhythm in nine centuries. The afternoon takes you to Ifrane, the alpine-style town nicknamed the 'Switzerland of Morocco', with chalet roofs and a stone lion guarding the central square. As the light softens you reach Azrou and its sacred cedar grove, where Barbary macaques come close enough to eat acorns from a still hand. The route winds on through Midelt, the high-plateau town between the Middle and High Atlas, famous for apple orchards and Berber tribal carpets. You sleep tonight in a charming guesthouse hand-picked for character, location and breakfast quality.

Day 6 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through Erfoud, the gateway to the Sahara and capital of black marble fossils where ancient ammonites and orthoceras are still mined from the surrounding hills. The afternoon takes you to Merzouga, the tiny Berber village on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes where the Sahara properly begins and the silence is so deep you hear the sand shift. As the light softens you reach a sunset camel trek across the dunes, riding in a slow caravan with our Berber team toward the luxury desert camp. The route winds on through luxury Sahara camp. Tonight you sleep in a private luxury Berber tent on the Erg Chebbi dunes — real beds, ensuite bathroom, candle-lit dinner and one of the darkest night skies in Morocco for stargazing.

Day 7 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through the sunrise dune walk — barefoot and silent on the cold morning sand, watching the desert blush apricot then gold. The afternoon takes you to a private visit to a nomadic Berber family living in the desert, sharing mint tea and stories of how the Sahara shapes their year. As the light softens you reach Rissani, the ancient caravan town and former capital of the Filala dynasty, with one of Morocco's most authentic Berber markets. The route winds on through the Todra Gorge with its towering red cliffs — a favourite of rock climbers and a moment of cool shade in the desert journey. Overnight in a carefully selected riad or kasbah hotel with traditional dinner included.

Day 8 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through the Todra Gorge with its towering red cliffs — a favourite of rock climbers and a moment of cool shade in the desert journey. The afternoon takes you to the dramatic Dades Valley, where ochre cliffs fold over the river and Berber kasbahs stand on every bluff. As the light softens you reach the palm grove of Skoura, an emerald oasis of 25 surviving kasbahs scattered among the date palms. The route winds on through Ouarzazate, gateway to the Sahara and home to the Atlas Film Studios where dozens of Hollywood productions are shot every year. You sleep tonight in a charming guesthouse hand-picked for character, location and breakfast quality.

Day 9 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through Ouarzazate, gateway to the Sahara and home to the Atlas Film Studios where dozens of Hollywood productions are shot every year. The afternoon takes you to the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate, the largest film studio in the world by area, where you can walk among the sets of Cleopatra, Game of Thrones and The Mummy. As the light softens you reach Ait Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed earthen kasbah whose fortified walls have starred in Gladiator, Game of Thrones and Lawrence of Arabia. The route winds on through the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres — the cinematic switchback road that connects Marrakech to the Saharan south, with hairpin views in every direction. Tonight's accommodation is a boutique riad with a courtyard pool, fresh towels and Berber breakfast at dawn.

Day 10 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through a full guided day visiting Marrakech's monuments — Koutoubia gardens, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Madrasa Ben Youssef and the souk artisans. Overnight in a carefully selected riad or kasbah hotel with traditional dinner included.

Day 11 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through Marrakech, the Red City, where palm-fringed gardens meet the dusty noise of the Jemaa el-Fnaa square and the labyrinth of the medina souks. The afternoon takes you to Essaouira, the breezy walled fishing port on the Atlantic, with its ramparts designed by a French military engineer and a thriving kitesurf scene. You sleep tonight in a charming guesthouse hand-picked for character, location and breakfast quality.

Day 12 is your return day. You travel through Essaouira, the breezy walled fishing port on the Atlantic, with its ramparts designed by a French military engineer and a thriving kitesurf scene. The afternoon takes you to Chichaoua. As the light softens you reach Casablanca, Morocco's economic heart, where the colossal Hassan II Mosque rises directly above the Atlantic waves and Art Deco facades line the boulevards. You arrive at your Casablanca hotel or airport in the late afternoon, with photo memory cards full and a head full of Berber drumming.