Day 1 – Arrive Marrakesh (or Casablanca)
Airport Transfer, Dinner
Welcome to Marrakesh and the beginning of your exceptional holiday. You will be driven in a private car from the airport to your guesthouse, a traditional riad in the exotic Marrakesh Medina. You will have time to explore the main square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, known as La Place locally, but goes under many names, one of which is the Place of the Dead as it was where the severed heads of criminals were set on spikes as a warning to others. Fortunately, the practice has been abandoned. The largest open-air restaurant in the world, various food and orange juice stalls line the square. If you arrive into Casablanca, note that the transfer to Marrakesh takes three hours.

Day 2 – Marrakesh Guided Visit
Private Guided Visit, Breakfast, Lunch
Having pored over the contents of our Marrakesh travel guide, you will be ready to tackle the intricate alleys of the Medina, and you will be safe in the hands of your professional private guide. Some of the more important historic venues are the Madrasa Ali Ben Youssef, the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, but what will probably stay longer and fonder in your memory is the vivid life of the souks, its cascades of colour, humorous haggling, donkey cart dodging and over-the-top ebullience – everything exotic you’ve ever imagined about an Arabian market quadrupled.The tour lasts from 9:30am until 5:30pm and includes lunch.

Day 3 – Atlas Mountains
Transport (2hrs), Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A change of pace with a guided hike into the High Atlas Mountains, with lunch enjoyed at the home of a local family. Comfortably full, you will check into a quaint mountain lodge where you can relax and enjoy the views. Dinner will be served in the lodge this evening.

Day 4 – Atlas Mountains
Transport, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The choice is yours today. Would you prefer to take another guided hike of between two and five hours, which includes a picnic lunch, or to take a driving tour of the Nfiss Valley with a visit to the Tinmel Mosque? The architectural gem of Tinmel was built in the 12th century to commemorate the founding of the Almohad Dynasty that ruled Morocco for barely one and half centuries, the last representative of the line, Idris al-Wathiq, being murdered by a slave in 1269. The Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh was modeled on Tinmel, but while the former became one of the most famous mosques in Morocco. Tinmel fell into decline for centuries and was on the point of total collapse when recent restoration saved it from complete oblivion. Little of its former grandeur survives, but from what does you can imagine just how awesome the original must have been. Lunch will be served en route and dinner will again be at the mountain lodge this evening.

Day 5 – Travel to Essaouira
Transport (4hrs), Breakfast
On your drive to Essaouira today you may like to make a slight diversion to visit an association of local women that make Argan oil, ‘liquid gold’ as it’s getting known these days because of its excellent health and beauty properties. And two common legends to ponder; yes, goats do climb argan trees to eat the fruit, although you need to be wary of those who have trained their animals to stand in trees for photo opportunities for which they will charge you, and no, the fruit doesn’t have to pass through the intestines of the goat before it can be used. The nut that comes out the opposite end to where the fruit goes in makes very inferior quality oil and would never be used in production. You can see our Essaouira travel guide to help you prepare for your visit to this unique coastal gem.

Day 6 – Essaouira
Transport (8hrs), Breakfast, Dinner
You have plenty of time to relax today so there is no need to rush. Whether you are a surfer (including kite surfing) or would like to feel a board beneath your feet for the first time, there are some world-class surfing schools to get you onto the Atlantic waves – or maybe you just want to stretch out on the sands and watch. If you are even the slightest sort of foodie, you must visit the fishing harbor as the boats come in, and watch the freshest of fish being sold from boxes of crushed ice on the quayside. Buy your own and take it to one of the tiny kitchens in the backstreets of the Medina where they will grill it for you over beat-up barbeques made from old cans, or chose from the displays at the blue and white striped stalls beside the port, where they will cook and serve it to perfection. Various locations around the ramparts were used as backgrounds for scenes in the third series of Game of Thrones.

Day 7 – Essaouira to Marrakesh
Transport (3hrs), Breakfast
If you didn’t find time to visit an argan co-operative on your way to Essaouira you could do it today on you leisurely drive back to Marrakesh. You have the afternoon and evening to catch up on your shopping, and you may even be tempted to try one of the food stalls in Jmaa el Fna, if for no other reason than to say that you did it, or you might like to take a drink on one of the terraces that look down on the sparkling jewel-box of lights glittering through the smoke from the kitchens.

Day 8 – Depart from Marrakesh (or Casablanca)
Airport Transfer
You’ll be departing Marrakesh today. You might also travel from Casablanca. We hope you enjoyed your journey!