14 Days Tour from Casablanca: Tangier, Blue City, Sahara and Essaouira

Welcome to Morocco. Your driver meets you at Casablanca airport, and the next fourteen days are ours. If your flight lands in time, we make a first stop at the Hassan II Mosque on the ocean front and walk a little of the Corniche. Then we head up the coast to Rabat, where the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the quiet lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas are waiting. Overnight in Rabat, dinner included.

After breakfast we follow the Atlantic coast north. Our first stop is Asilah, a small seaside town with a whitewashed medina, painted walls and old Portuguese ramparts that are best seen on foot. In the afternoon we reach Tangier and walk through its medina and the kasbah, the city where Morocco looks toward Europe. Overnight in Tangier, breakfast and dinner included.

We begin the morning in Tangier, with the option of driving out to Cap Spartel, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Then the road turns inland through Tetouan and climbs into the hills of the Rif. By the afternoon we reach Chefchaouen, and you have time to walk its blue lanes before dinner. Overnight in Chefchaouen, breakfast and dinner included.

We leave after an early breakfast, which gives you a last short walk through the blue streets and Uta el-Hammam Square before we go. The road runs south across farmland to Volubilis, where Roman streets and mosaics stand in the open. We make a short stop in Meknes to see the Bab Mansour gate and the old centre, and reach Fes in the evening. It is a full day, so dinner and rest come first. Overnight in Fes, breakfast and dinner included.

Today a local guide leads you into Fes el-Bali, the old medina, and shows you the corners you would not find alone. You walk through Bab Boujloud, visit the Bou Inania Madrasa, pass the area of Al Quaraouiyine and stop at the workshops of the craftsmen, and finish at the Chouara Tanneries. The rest of the afternoon is free. Overnight in Fes, breakfast and dinner included.

This is the day the landscape changes completely. We cross the Middle Atlas, stopping in Ifrane for its alpine-style houses and in the cedar forest near Azrou, where the macaques come to the roadside. After lunch in Midelt we continue south into the Ziz Valley and its palm trees, pass Erfoud and reach Merzouga as the first dunes of Erg Chebbi appear. Overnight in Merzouga, breakfast and dinner included.

The whole day is for the desert. We drive around the dunes by 4x4, then stop at Khamlia, a village known for its Gnawa music and the way of life of its people. After lunch you head for the high dunes, by camel or by 4x4, and we watch the sun go down over Erg Chebbi. At the camp you sleep in a luxury tent. Dinner, music by the fire and a sky full of stars finish the day. Overnight in a luxury tent at the Sahara camp, breakfast and dinner included.

If you are up early, climb a dune and watch the sunrise over Erg Chebbi. After breakfast we leave the sand for Rissani, an old market town, then drive west to Tinghir and the Todra Gorge. You can walk along the river between the tall cliffs before we continue to the Dades Valley, a land of kasbahs, villages and strange rock shapes. Overnight in the Dades Valley, breakfast and dinner included.

Today is a gentler drive along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. We pass through the Rose Valley and the palm grove of Skoura, then Ouarzazate, before reaching Ait Benhaddou, the earthen village that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You have time to climb through its alleys while the afternoon light turns the walls golden. Overnight in Ait Benhaddou, breakfast and dinner included.

There is no hurry this morning. After a slow breakfast we cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka road, stopping at viewpoints and in mountain villages. We reach Marrakech with the afternoon or evening free, so you can start with a mint tea and a walk. Overnight in Marrakech, breakfast and dinner included.

A local guide takes you through the Red City today: the Bahia Palace, the area of the Koutoubia Mosque, the old medina and the souks. In the afternoon you can wander alone, book a hammam or rest at your riad. Jemaa el-Fna comes alive in the evening, and it is worth going back for. Overnight in Marrakech, breakfast and dinner included.

We drive west to the Atlantic coast. Essaouira has a relaxed, breezy feel, with a historic medina, ramparts facing the sea and a working fishing port. Walk the old walls, look into the craft shops, or enjoy the beach in the afternoon. Overnight in Essaouira, breakfast and dinner included.

You have the morning to yourself in Essaouira: a last walk through the medina, some shopping, or fresh fish by the harbour. Around midday we leave and follow the coast road north to Casablanca, which takes about four to five hours with a stop on the way. In the evening, if you want a final look at the city, the Hassan II Mosque and the Corniche are close to your hotel. Overnight in Casablanca, breakfast and dinner included.

After breakfast you have free time, depending on your flight. At the agreed time our driver takes you to Mohammed V International Airport, the same airport where we met you two weeks ago. Your tour ends here, after the northern coast, the Blue City, the imperial cities, the Sahara, the kasbahs, the High Atlas and the Atlantic. Breakfast included.