Morocco

A Journey into Morocco: Marrakech, the Agafay Desert & the High Atlas

Mountains, medinas, and camps under the stars

Morocco

A Journey into Morocco: Marrakech, the Agafay Desert & the High Atlas

At the gateway to Africa, Morocco carries the marks of its long history — Almoravid empires, the French protectorate, caravan routes and bohemian cafés. This journey takes you from Marrakech's fragrant souks to the red dunes of the Agafay desert, then up into the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas, guided at every step by those who know the country best.

When

Mar to Jun | Sep to Nov

Price

From 8 200€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

7 nights

Ideal length

Marrakech

Days 1-3

It all begins in Marrakech, the ochre city — Almoravid capital, UNESCO-listed medina, souks overflowing with spice and leather. Senegalese traders, Andalusian princes and wandering bohemians have all left their mark here. Now it's your turn.

Day 1

Arrival in the ochre city

Landing at Marrakech-Menara airport, a private driver is waiting to take you into the heart of the medina, to a 19th-century riad turned discreet address — a pool shaded by banana palms, an open-air courtyard, rooms finished in weathered tadelakt plaster. The rest of the day unfolds gently: a first hammam session in the house spa, then a candlelit dinner served on the terrace as the city settles down behind the medina walls.

Day 2

Souks and sidecars

The best way to get to grips with Marrakech is still by vintage sidecar. Your guide-driver takes you through the old city, the palm oasis of the Palmeraie, and the art-deco quarter of Gueliz, before plunging back into the medina's maze for a food tour off the tourist trail — a skewer stand here, a pastry shop run by the same family for three generations there, and the addresses only locals know.

Day 3

Cooking and scent

The morning opens at the market, alongside a traditional cook who teaches you to recognise the right spices — saffron, ras el hanout, fresh ginger. Back in a quiet riad, it's time for the workshop: preparing a tagine and a wood-fired bread, shared afterwards in a shaded courtyard. The afternoon closes at a perfumer's studio in the medina, for a scent workshop where you build, note by note, a fragrance that's entirely your own.

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The Agafay Desert

Day 4

Only 30 kilometres from Marrakech, the rocky Agafay desert unfurls its arid expanses facing the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas — an almost Martian backdrop, a playground for thrill-seekers and stargazers alike.

Day 4

Into the Agafay desert

Leaving Marrakech behind, head into the Agafay desert for a buggy excursion across remote tracks, dry riverbeds and palm-shaded oases, with a lunch stop at a camp tucked into the arid heart of the desert. Once the dust settles, a private camp awaits, just for you: tents dressed with carpets, cushions and lanterns, dinner under canvas, then an evening by the fire beneath a sky untouched by artificial light.

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The High Atlas

Days 5-6

The High Atlas unfurls its snow-capped ridges across the Maghreb, dominated by the Toubkal massif. For centuries, these mountains of iron and snow have been home to the Berber people — and to a teeming life best discovered on foot.

Day 5

Into the High Atlas

Waking at sunrise as the morning light stretches across the desert. After a breakfast taken under canvas, head for the High Atlas: limestone ridges, cultivated valleys, high plateaus, and an ecosystem sheltering Barbary macaques and centuries-old cedars. By evening, arrival at a mountain lodge where you'll spend the next three nights — spa, tennis, or simply time to breathe facing the peaks.

Day 6

Trekking toward Toubkal

Head for the foot of Morocco's highest peak: Toubkal, rising to 4,167 metres. Accompanied by a mountain guide, you weave between Berber villages and steep-sided valleys. In the small village of Tamatert, a stop is in order for a home-cooked tagine lunch, served between jagged peaks and open sky — fair reward for a hike that works up an appetite.

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A fond farewell

Days 7-8

The last days unfold at whatever pace suits you — between relaxation, artisan workshops, and the road back to Marrakech, when it's time to bid the mountains farewell.

Day 7

A mountain for a playground

This penultimate day shapes itself around you: an infinity pool facing the peaks, a cooking session with the lodge's chefs to learn a few Moroccan classics, hiking, biking, or tennis. You can also visit the workshops of a local foundation supporting the region's artisans — weaving, woodwork — preserving skills passed down through generations.

Day 8

A fond farewell

Leaving is never easy. But crossing the sunlit slopes of the High Atlas one last time on the way back to Marrakech, it's hard not to think you'll be back — and soon.