Arrival in Fès. Easy city walk

You gather in the morning for an introductory meeting at your opulent hotel, an authentic princely palace bordering the medina (old city), Fès El-Bali. You depart on foot from the hotel for a fascinating glimpse into one of the most complete medieval cities in the world.

The country’s third largest city, Fès remains the most important intellectual, cultural, and religious center. Its university is one of the world’s oldest, its handicrafts the finest, and its monuments are among the most impressive. Highlights of your walking tour this morning include the Kairaouine Mosque and Medersa el-Attarine (one of several ornate medieval theological colleges). You also pass the shrine of Moulay Idriss II en route to the brass founder (or Seffarine) square, where craftsmen hammer metal into urns and pots. A visit to the dyers’ quarter offers a bird’s-eye view of the tanneries. You will have an opportunity to shop the souks for crafts such as jewelry, pottery, and djellabas (the traditional dress). You lunch in the heart of the medina on traditional Moroccan fare, and continue through the Jewish quarter (or mellah), and to the Royal Palace.

Returning to the hotel late afternoon, you have time to relax, swim in the pool, or stroll the gardens before you depart for a welcome dinner at an exquisite private home (or riad) turned restaurant. The evening features a meal of authentic cuisine accompanied by traditional Moroccan trance (Gnawa) music.

Moulay Abdessalam to Ifrane; 5-8 miles, easy to moderate. Transfer to Ifrane

Bidding farewell to Fès this morning after breakfast, you trade city shoes for hiking boots as you depart by minibus for the Middle Atlas. Moulay Abdessalam is a 90-minute drive from Fès, and the first hills encountered as you travel south appear strangely un-Moroccan. Covered in forests of cork oak and giant cedar, the Middle Atlas is beautiful, tranquil, and surprisingly untouristed.

The walk begins from the village and continues through a forest of cork oak along shepherds’ paths. The initial portion involves a gentle climb, followed by rewarding views of the Atlas mountains. You make your way to one of many waterfalls that dot the area and then continue past farms and homes; farmers in this area continue to use traditional methods to cultivate a variety of crops from turnips to lentils.

Upon reaching the King’s reservoir, picnic lunches are unpacked as views open up on the Middle Atlas range. Afterward, there is an option to transfer directly to the hotel with the driver; upon check-in there is time to stroll the distinctly French-influenced alpine village built during colonial rule. An additional 2-hour walk leads directly into the town of Ifrane and the hotel, a recently-restored luxury property with spa and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There is time to unwind with a Moroccan beer or a glass of mint tea before gathering for dinner in the hotel’s elegant dining room.

Travel day to Erfoud via Midelt and Er Rachidia

After breakfast you embark on a picturesque journey, crossing passes over both the Middle and High Atlas ranges to catch a first glimpse of the south’s incredible pisé (mud and straw) architecture. After 2½ hours you reach Midelt, approached through a bleak plain of scrub and desert. The dramatic peaks of the High Atlas (12,000-foot peak of Jebel Ayachi), rising behind the town, provide a spectacular backdrop. A brief stop allows you to stretch your legs and use the facilities. After, you depart Midelt (most famous for its high quality Berber carpets) and continue south along a striking route that marks the transition to the desert. This area was notorious for raids upon caravans and travelers carried out by the Aït Haddidou, a nomadic Berber tribe, fear of whom led the main spring along this route to be known as Ain Khrob ou Hrob (drink and flee).

After crossing one of the lower mountain passes, the Tizi n’Talrhmeht (Pass of the She-Camel), you descend into a desert plain, beyond which you encounter the first of many ksar (fortified strongholds) that dot the landscape along the Oued Ziz (Gazelle River). Lunch is in Er Rachidia, named for the 17th-century Alaouite leader Moulay Rachid. It is late afternoon by the time you reach your final destination of Erfoud, an administrative and garrison town built by the French to maintain control over the Tafilalt tribes of this oasis region. Your hotel is fashioned after the local kasbahs. Upon check-in, there is time to relax or swim in the outdoor pool before dinner.

Rissani; 4 miles, easy, and 1½-hour camel trek to the dunes of Merzouga

This morning you explore the ksour and Kasbahs of Rissani. The first capital of the Tafilalt and the last stop on the caravan routes south, Rissani has a special place in Moroccan lore. It was here that the ruling Alaouite dynasty (from whom Morocco’s current ruler, Mohammed VI, is a descendant) launched its bid for power before triumphing finally in Fès and Marrakesh.

Passing through the town’s famous gates, you come into contact with schoolchildren, who enthusiastically greet every tourist, and pass women dressed in the traditional black haik (robe) carrying freshly baked bread atop their heads. The walk takes you to a number of surprisingly ornate mud-and-straw structures, including the 19th-century royal Ksar d’Akbar, the Ksar Oualed Abd el-Helim, and Zaouiet El Maati. Today, a quarter of Rissani’s population still inhabit a large 17th-century ksar in the center of town.

Following lunch, you depart on a one-hour drive, trading the minibus for Land Rovers, as you travel to Merzouga. The Erg Chebbi (literally, veins of Chebbi) are one of the greatest sights of Morocco. This is a magical landscape, with huge drifting expanses of sand dunes reaching heights of more than 150 feet. Their color shifts from pink to gold to red to white depending on the time of day.

After a sunset camel trek, you are treated to a delicious meal accompanied by traditional musical entertainment. Before retiring to your desert tent, you may wish to linger under the mesmerizing star-filled sky.

Sunrise camel trek; 1½ hours. Transfer to Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge

You rise early in the crisp desert air to find your camels saddled and ready for a sunrise trek. Guided by the Tuareg nomads or “blue-men” (descendants of the Berbers named for the indigo-dyed taguelmoust, or scarf, they wear), you traverse gently sloping dunes, dismount, and hike up to watch the sunrise. From seemingly out of nowhere, a magical ball of fire quickly peeks over the horizon before stretching itself out against an intense blue sky. Descending from this perch, you remount your camel and return for a breakfast of steaming hot coffee, freshly baked bread, and fruit.

The road west to Ouarzazate, today’s final destination, is marked by one of the harshest and most desolate of the southern valleys, The Dadès. Along much of its length, the river is barely visible above ground, and the road and plain are hemmed in between the parallel ranges of the High Atlas and the Djebel Sarhro, broken, black-red volcanic rock and limestone pinnacles. This makes the oases, when they appear, all the more impressive. After a two-hour transfer by minibus, you reach the bustling town of Tinerhir and the spectacular Todra Gorge. En route to the gorge proper, the road climbs along the Todra palmery (a last fertile shaft of land with date palms, terraces of olive, pomegranate, almond and fruit trees, with grain and vegetable crops planted beneath), narrowing at points to a ribbon of palms between the cliffs. There are more or less continuous villages, all of them the pink-grey color of the local rock, and the ruins of kasbahs and ksour dotting the surrounding area. The narrowest point is also the most dramatic, with canyon walls rising over 900 feet on both sides. Time permitting, you may stop to explore the gorge briefly before lunch.

The route continues past the town of El Kelaâ M’Gouna, renowned for the cultivation of pink Persian roses, which according to legend were brought from Persepolis by the Phoenicians. You arrive in the early evening at your hotel, modeled after the famous kasbahs and ksour that adorn this region, with all the amenities of a luxury hotel.

Tasslmant to Kasbah of Aït Benhaddou; 6-8 miles, easy to moderate

Ouarzazate is another garrison and administrative center built by the French. As the gateway to the south, its biggest draw is the kasbahs that lie outside of town. After a copious buffet breakfast, you embark on a 30-minute drive to the village of Tasslmant to undertake a four-hour walk along the Ounila river to the magnificent kasbah of Aït Benhaddou. Piled upon a dark shaft of rock, its collection of kasbahs are among the most elaborately decorated and best preserved. Restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices.

You eat lunch in a restaurant overlooking this famous kasbah and return to Ouarzazate where there are several afternoon options. You may choose to join a two-hour walk to the Kasbah Tifltout. Others may wish to visit the Kasbah of Taorirt, a ten-minute walk from the hotel, and a former Glaoui dynasty stronghold that was once the largest of all Moroccan kasbahs. Ouarzazate also offers good shopping opportunities with outdoor souks as well as small boutiques.

This evening all reunite for a buffet dinner served on the outdoor terrace of the hotel.

Transfer to Ouirgane with a walk en route; 5 miles, easy to moderate

This morning you travel to the High Atlas, and an area known for breathtaking views of Jbel Toubkal (the highest peak in North Africa at 13,650 feet). The drive goes over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, at approximately 7,230 feet, the country’s highest mountain pass. At the summit, a remarkable scene unveils; the lunar landscape of the Anti-Atlas and desert to the south give way to green fields and dense woods. The landscape continues to be a source of awe and inspiration as you travel through country marked by steep-sided valleys adorned with flat-topped Berber villages clinging to the hillsides. Green-stepped terraces are interspersed throughout, cultivated by Berbers whose traditions have changed little over the centuries.

A stop for a scenic picnic lunch is followed by a three-hour walk. Today’s walk follows an easy dirt path along dry river beds into a landscape that is reminiscent of the American Southwest. You pass dramatic pinkish red sandstone formations, traversing villages that take their names from the salt mines dotting this valley to your charming retreat. Roses adorn the grounds of your hotel, which also features a pool, hammam (Turkish bath), and horseback riding. There is time to relax before dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, famous for its cuisine, which incorporates fresh produce grown on the property.

Ouirgane Valley: Agni to Anghaz; 7 miles, easy to moderate (1,000-ft elevation gain)

After a leisurely breakfast, you depart on foot from the hotel for the neighboring village of Agni. Crossing pine tree forest, the trail climbs gradually, reaching an area with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. You are welcomed for lunch in a local Berber home, followed by a visit to the local Jewish synagogue before returning on foot to your hotel, through a landscape thick with olive, walnut, and plum trees. Some may choose to spend the remainder of the afternoon relaxing, while others may opt for a horseback ride. The hotel’s spa beckons to those seeking a massage or the unique experience of the hammam. This evening you gather for another sampling of the hotel restaurant’s renowned specialties.

Ouirgane Valley and  Tin Mal Mosque; 4 miles, easy to moderate. Transfer to Marrakesh

Following a poolside buffet breakfast, you drive 45 minutes to Ijoukak, the starting point for today’s walk. It is an easy four-mile walk along the river (Oued Nfiss) to the isolated village of Tin Mal. Here stunning views of the surrounding valley and the High Atlas accompany your exploration of one of the most secluded historic sites in Morocco, the Tin Mal Mosque. This impressive structure, the spiritual home of Morocco’s third dynasty, was built in 1156 by the Berber Almohads in honor of their founding father. It was from this area that the Almohads worked to place Morocco and Spain under their control late in the 12th century.

You return to the hotel for a poolside lunch, following which a (1½-hour) transfer transports you to the red-earthed walls and palm-lined streets of Marrakesh. After checking into your hotel, a deluxe property in the heart of the medina, your guide(s) take you to experience the city’s pulse. The square Djemaa El Fna (literally, Assembly of the Dead) is perhaps the greatest open-air theater in the world, where snake charmers, storytellers, and acrobats all compete for attention. Dinner is on your own this evening, and whether your preference is to dine at a simple café or experience a refined dinner at one of the many luxurious palace restaurants, your guide(s) will offer recommendations.

Marrakesh city tour

After breakfast, a guided tour provides a wonderful overview of this vibrant city, unmistakably African in feel, and very different from its northern counterparts. You begin with a visit to some of the major attractions, including the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, the Palais de la Bahia, and the Maison Tiskiwin, home to a fine collection of items related to Moroccan rural culture and society. You take a break for lunch at a popular local restaurant. After lunch, you stroll through the Majorelle Gardens, a peaceful haven in an otherwise bustling city, and then venture back to the Place Djemaa El Fna, where you are free to continue your exploration of the souks or take in some of the activities from a balcony seat at one of the upstairs cafés. Some may prefer to relax poolside at the hotel before a farewell feast at a special restaurant tucked away in the medina.

Departure from Marrakesh

This morning you wake to the call of the muezzin, by now both familiar and soothing. After breakfast, you are free to continue your exploration of Marrakesh or depart at your leisure for your next destination.