Morocco Itinerary 6 Days: Marrakech, Atlas, Sahara & Essaouira

Day 1 starts at Marrakech 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 the Marrakech medina — Jemaa el-Fnaa square, the maze of souks, Bahia Palace, Saadian tombs and the Koutoubia minaret rising above the date palms. You then continue toward the 12th-century Koutoubia minaret, the prototype of the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Lunch is served en route in the Bahia Palace, the 19th-century vizier's residence with painted cedar ceilings, zellige tile courtyards and orange-tree gardens. The afternoon takes you to the labyrinthine souks of Marrakech — leather, brass, spices, lanterns and carpets sold from doorless workshops the way they have been for nine centuries. Overnight in a carefully selected riad or kasbah hotel with traditional dinner included.

Day 2 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 Tichka pass. 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 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 3 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 rose-pink Dades Valley with its cliffs sculpted by erosion into the Monkey Fingers and a string of fortified kasbahs. As the light softens you reach the Todra Gorge with its towering red cliffs — a favourite of rock climbers and a moment of cool shade in the desert journey. The route winds on 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. 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 4 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through 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. The afternoon takes you to luxury Sahara camp. As the light softens you reach the sunrise dune walk — barefoot and silent on the cold morning sand, watching the desert blush apricot then gold. Overnight in a carefully selected riad or kasbah hotel with traditional dinner included.

Day 5 continues the journey deeper into Morocco. You travel through 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. The afternoon takes you to Tinghir, the green palm oasis at the foot of the Todra gorges with its old Jewish quarter and tile-roofed kasbah. As the light softens you reach return via Tichka. The route winds on 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. 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 6 is your return day. 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. As the light softens you reach 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. You arrive at your Marrakech hotel or airport in the late afternoon, with photo memory cards full and a head full of Berber drumming.