Morocco

The tour starts at 10.00am on Wednesday 16 October, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Casablanca.

The tour ends after breakfast on Sunday 3 November, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Casablanca.

The tour commences at the hotel in Casablanca at 10.00am. Meet your tour leader and fellow travellers in the lobby of the hotel for an orientation tour of Casablanca before travelling to Rabat, where we’ll spend our first two nights. On arrival in Rabat, we’ll take after an orientation walk, befoe enjoying welcome drinks and dinner together. Overnight Rabat (D)

We begin the day with a visit to the archaeological site of Chellah, a Roman trading post later used as a royal burial ground by 13th and 14th-century dynastic rulers. We continue to the Archaeological Museum and its magnificent collection of Roman bronzes. After lunch we’ll see the imposing tower of the ruined 12th- century Hassan mosque alongside the grand modern mausoleum of Mohammad V. We stop at the Kasbah des Oudaïas with its 12th-century fortifications, Andalusian garden, charming whitewashed houses and view across the Bou Regreg estuary to the old walled town of Salé on the other side. Overnight Rabat (B, L)

This morning we leave Rabat to drive along the coast to Tangier. We stop to visit the picturesque though overgrown ruins of ancient Lixus, in Roman times a wealthy port famous for its salt and garum, a pungent fish sauce featured in many Roman recipes. On the way to the acropolis we’ll see the public baths and the amphitheatre that once staged wild beast shows and gladiatorial contests. After lunch at a restaurant by the sea we continue to Tangier. Overnight Tangier (B, L)

A gateway between Africa and Europe, Tangier once had a reputation for seediness, but has now polished up its allure as an international tourist spot. We’ll begin with the American Legation Museum, an historic building with an interesting art collection and a section dedicated to American composer and writer Paul Bowles, who spent most his life in the city. A walk through the medina’s streets will take us past the once-glamourous Hotel Continental and the house that belonged to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. The kasbah, at the top of the hill, houses a splendid museum in the former residence of the sultan. In the Ville Nouvelle we see the churchyard of St. Andrews Anglican Church, where several well-known expatriate Tangerinos are buried and the Café de Paris, famous rendezvous during the International Zone era. There is time to relax before enjoying dinner. Overnight Tangier (B, D)

Today we travel through the Rif to Chefchaouen, a picturesque walled town known for its blue-washed buildings with red-tiled roofs adorned with pots of flowers. We’ll tour the compact medina and kasbah before we have lunch and check into our centrally located riad. The afternoon is free for relaxation and further exploration. Overnight Chefchaouen (B, L)

After a leisurely start, a drive through the lovely countryside takes us to the ancient Imperial capital of Fes el Bali. This afternoon we will take an orientation tour visiting Borj Sud, a 16th century fortress, and the Marinid Tombs dating from the 13th to 15th centuries. Both locations also afford panoramic view over the souks of Fes el Bali. Overnight Fes (B, L, D)

Entering through the Bab Boujeloud gate in the old city walls, we begin our exploration of the Fes el Bali medina with a visit to the Medersa Bou Inania, an intricate masterpiece of Merenid architecture. We walk through the souk, with its shops and stalls selling foodstuffs, perfumes, hardware, clothing, shoes and slippers, silks, embroidery and spices, stopping to visit old fondouks, some of which are still used as warehouses and workshops by local artisans. We look around the area of the great Kairouine mosque and the fascinating tanneries that use age-old methods of treating and dyeing hides. Overnight Fes (B)

This morning we drive from Fes to the archaeological site of Volubilis. Once capital of the Roman Province of Mauretania, its ruins are picturesquely located on a high ridge above a fertile valley. We’ll walk past an industrial area, where several olive oil presses have been found, to the city centre with its forum, capitol and basilica and imposing triumphal arch. The streets beyond are lined with grand private houses, many of which still have their beautiful mosaic floors. Near the entrance is a museum with numerous finds from the site and excellent explanations. After our visit we return to Fes. Overnight Fes (B, L)

This morning we visit the Musée du Batha, a converted 19th century palace with pleasant gardens and an excellent collection of wood carving, metalwork, costumes and pottery. Stroll through the Jewish Mellah, where the old houses are distinguished by their wooden shutters and wood and wrought iron balconies. This afternoon there will be some free time before dinner. Overnight Fes (B, D)

We depart for the long drive to Marrakesh, stopping en route to have lunch and see examples of local carpet weaving. Overnight Marrakesh (B, L, D)

Our Marrakesh exploration begins at the 16th-century Sultan Ahmed el Mansour’s marble and gilt Saadian tombs, and the Badi Palace with its sunken gardens and pavilion housing the original wooden minbar from the Koutoubia Mosque, a masterpiece of 12th-century Moorish art. Past the Jewish Mellah, we come to the Bahia palace, built in the 19th-century by a black slave who became grand vizier. A stroll through narrow streets and alleys brings us to the lively main square, overlooked by the Koutoubia minaret, one of the symbols of the city. After an independent lunch we explore the colourful souks north of the square and visit the Ben Youssef Medersa, an exquisite 14th-century Koranic school. We end our day at Le Jardin Secret, a restored 19th-century palace and garden. Overnight Marrakesh (B)

This morning we travel a short distance outside Marrakesh to visit the modern sculpture exhibits of the Anima Garden, established by Viennese multi-media artist André Heller. Upon return we see the lovely Jardin Majorelle, designed by artists in the 1940s and bought by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. We’ll visit a small museum of Yves Saint Laurent’s artwork and a Berber museum in Jacques Majorelle’s former cubist painting studio. The afternoon is free for relaxation or further exploration. Overnight Marrakesh (B, D)

Today we enjoy spectacular scenery as we cross the High Atlas Mountains over the winding Tiz n’Tichka pass. We stop for lunch at Ait Benhaddou, where Gladiator starring Russell Crowe was filmed. The ksar or fortified old town, now largely abandoned but protected as a heritage site, is a striking example of southern Moroccan mudbrick architecture. We continue to Ouarzazate and the splendid Taourirt Kasbah, former residence of the pasha of Marrakesh, Thami el Glaoui, before checking into our hotel. Overnight Ouarzazate (B, L, D)

We spend a full day driving south along the Drâa Valley, part of the ancient trade route across the Sahara. The Drâa Valley is a long fertile strip dotted with date palm oases and fortified towns and villages. We will have time to stop and enjoy the scenery of green palmeries against the desert landscape. Our excursion will end at the village of Zagora, the traditional jumping-off point for caravans heading to Timbuktu. Overnight Ouarzazate (B, L)

Today we make the beautiful drive to Taroudant, stopping for a late lunch at the Riad Hida in Ouled Berhil. On arrival in Taroudant, we’ll stroll around the elegant little town with its circuit of warm reddish-brown walls, stopping at the Arab Souk for some shopping. Overnight Taroudant (B, L)

Today we drive to the Atlantic coast and the harbour town of Essaouira with lunch en route. After checking into our hotel there is time to relax before we gather in the beachfront bar to watch the sun set into the Atlantic. Overnight Essaouira (B, L, D)

Our visit to Essaouira, an 18th-century town surrounded by impressive ramparts, begins at the harbour, where every morning the fishing boats bring in the catch to be sold at the nearby market. We walk along the ramparts by the Skala bastion for views across the ocean and stroll through the medina with its whitewashed houses, woodworkers’ and jewellers’ souks and former Jewish Mellah. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Essaouira (B)

We depart Essaouira this morning via the scenic coastal road, stopping for lunch at El Jadida and its old Portuguese medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After lunch we walk along the ramparts and through the streets to see the Church of the Assumption and the minaret of the Grand Mosque, which once acted as a lighthouse. We continue to Casablanca where we gather in the evening for a farewell dinner. Overnight Casablanca (B, L, D)

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. Please consult your individual travel documents for your outbound journey. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location.

• Rabat, Le Diwan Rabat-MGallery (2 nights)

• Tangier, Royal Tulip City Center (2 nights)

• Chefchaouen, Casa Hassan (1 night)

• Fes, Barceló Fès Medina (4 nights)

• Marrakesh, Radisson Blu Hotel (3 nights)

• Ouarzazate, Riad Dar Chamaa (2 nights)

• Taroudant, Dar Zitoune (1 night)

• Essaouira, Riad Mimouna (2 nights)

• Casablanca, Hyatt Regency (1 night)