Chauffeur Driven Tour of Magical Morocco

This tour is exclusively for you and we wouldn’t want you to see Morocco any other way!

This holiday can start on any date you request.

Day One - Arrive Marrakesh, meet your driver and transfer to your riad for 2 nights

Marrakesh is and always has been a giant market place where tribesmen and Berber villagers come down from the mountains to sell their wares, spend their money and be entertained. The original clientele remain but have been joined by a melting pot of people from all over the world who come to witness the spectacle and have even made it their home.

After transferring and settling in to your riad in the medina your hosts can point you in the direction of a nearby local restaurant or you can enjoy dinner in your riad, on the terrace overlooking the rooftops with the sun setting over “The Red City”.

Day Two - A personal guided tour of Marrakesh

Today you will have a complete private guided tour of Marrakesh. The souk is like an exotic film set with streets filled with the most amazing array of colours, sights, smells and sounds, where craftsmen gather together in separate streets like silver street, Shoe Street and metal work street. You will also have a private visit of the Bahia Palace which was built as a replica of the Alhambra Palace in Granada and the Majorelle Gardens an enchanting place in the heart of the “ochre city”, created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle and once home to Yves Saint-Laurent.

As the day ends you will arrive to the amazing spectacle of the Jemaa el Fna square at night time before dinner. The carnival like spectacle of the great square happens each evening and the tradition has been protected by UNESCO. Each day is different and everything changes from snake charmers, acrobats, story tellers and musicians to herb doctors, foods sellers and henna artists. You can stay here and try the fantastic array of street food for dinner or visit one of the many traditional restaurants in the side streets with homemade local dishes and even belly dancers.

Day Three - Transfer through the Atlas Mountains to Ouzarzate for 1 night with lunch with a local Berber family

This morning you will head up in to the Anti-Atlas mountains behind Marrakesh through the stunning and often snow-capped Tizi n’Tichka pass that reaches 2260 metres. Here you will make a stop to visit an inspiring organization of Moroccan woman who pick, crush and make products from the Argan nut all by hand. From here you will continue on the old caravan route that linked Marrakesh and the Sahara, for a walk around the ancient Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou which sits upon a small hill above a reed fringed river. This beautifully preserved collection of mud-built Kasbahs, known as a settlement since the 6th Century, was the setting of the film Lawrence of Arabia & Gladiator. class="itin-color-3">Lunch in the home of a local Berber family

A highlight of many client’s trips is lunch today in the Atlas Mountains hosted by a local family – you cannot beat the hospitality and warmth and the food is as fresh as can be made with local produce of the community.

Day Four - Transfer to Merzouga for 1 night for the ultimate “luxury glamping” experience in the Sahara Desert

After the stark bleakness of the mountains today you will pass through the lush green palm valley of 1000 Kasbahs in the classic desert oasis. Dates are sold on the side of the road which follows the banks of the Todra river where pomegranates, olives and almonds are also grown closer to the water. As you head further South, the road will eventually become a single track and you will be aware of the approaching desert with sand encroaching upon the road and camels dotting the landscape.

Eventually the road disappears completely as you reach the edge of the immense Sahara Desert, and transfer into a 4x4 vehicle to travel across the dunes to reach your Berber camp.

The camp is a collection of comfortable huts surrounding a central marquee like tent which looks like something out of 1001 Arabian Nights; lined with large cushions, colourful fabrics, handmade carpets and pretty Moroccan lamps. Your hosts are local Berbers who prepare all the food on site and arrive to work on a camel. Your evening will consist of a traditional dinner with Berber Whiskey (mint tea), some music and singing and of course the unique experience of taking a moment slightly away from the camp to take in the complete silence and darkness, and the brilliant display of stars in the African night sky.

Day Five - Wake up in the desert and transfer to Fes for 2 nights

After waking up early in the desert you will be taken on camels over the dunes to see the Saharan sunrise before returning back to the camp for a delicious traditional breakfast cooked outside by your Berber hosts.

You will then depart the desert for the drive back through the palms and Atlas Mountains and down in to the city of Fes.

Day Six - A guided tour of the city of Fes.

Fes is the most ancient of all the Imperial capitals and the most complete medieval city in the Arab world. It is the spiritual home of Morocco and exists suspended somewhere between the middle ages and the modern world with nearly a quarter of the cities inhabitants still living in the extraordinary Medina.

This morning your guide will escort you from your riad through the bustling medina of Fes. A twisting labyrinth of over 9000 tiny streets lined with ancient mosques with towering green-glazed minarets, universities, Islamic gardens, fountains and palaces. The medina is a hive of activity where generations of artisans practice century old techniques within the busy modern market place.

This all can be overwhelming but with your guide you feel like a welcome guest as you chat with the loom ladies, take tea with the tailor and shake hands with the spice vendors.

You will be whisked like VIP’s to the back of a shop for a bird’s eye view over the ancient tanneries where dyers still wade barefoot in the mud pits dipping the animal hides into large cauldrons of pigment.  Your visit will also include a guided tour of the Madrassa El Attarine; a 14^th century Quran School – the communal areas are exquisitely decorated with cut plaster, carved cedar and mosaic tiles; a striking contrast to the austere student rooms above.

After lunch and further exploration, this afternoon you could try the Hammam bath in your hotel and later sit drinking mint tea on the stunning roof terrace with views all over the city and listen to the haunting sound of the call to prayer over the rooftops.

Day Seven - Transfer to Rabat for 1 night

On your journey from Fes to Rabat you will first come across the ruins of Volubilis which are a striking sight, visible for miles from the various bends in the approach road. This was once Rome’s' most remote base – all imperial roads stopped here. The ruins are exceptionally well maintained and are a stunning example of a complete Roman city.

Next you will make a stop at another of the Imperial capitals, Meknes. The city was the creation of Morocco’s most tyrannical ruler Sultan Moulan Ismail and was built with over 20 gates, 50 palaces and about 45km of exterior walls.

Finally arriving to Rabat; the administrative capital of Morocco and generally undiscovered as a tourist destination. However those who visit find a gem of a city with stunning colonial architecture, palm lined boulevards and a quiet medina with an authentic feel.

More laid-back and far less hustle than Fes and Marrakesh; Rabat has a more European feel with cosmopolitan restaurants, art galleries and a picturesque Kasbah with magnificent ocean views. Here you can also see the actual palace of the King of Morocco and the minaret tower of the world’s second most important and historical mosque.

Day Eight - Depart Marrakesh or Rabat and say farewell to Morocco!