After breakfast, drive to Tinghir along the Road of 1000 Kasbahs. Take a detour to an oasis and walk alongside the stream before reaching the Todgha Gorges. After lunch at a local cafe, proceed to Rissani — one of the holiest towns in Morocco and the origin of the ruling family — famous as the departure site for ancient caravan roads toward the Sahara and Timbuktu. Reach Merzouga after driving across rocky terrain, then meet your camel caravan for a ride over the Erg Chebbi dunes and watch the sky turn orange at sunset. Reach your Sahara desert camp, settle in, and enjoy dinner in the open air, entertained by local nomads' music.

Wake up to the sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, possibly the best moment of the Merzouga desert. After breakfast, travel to Fes via the Ziz Valley Gorge and Midelt, an impressive mountain city at 1,488 m at the foot of Jbel Ayachi (3,737 m). Continue via Azrou and the cedar forests, where a colony of monkeys will keep you amused. Drop off at your riad/hotel in the evening.

Enjoy a full day sightseeing tour in Fes, the oldest of Morocco's four imperial cities. Visit the medieval Fes El Bali ("Old Fes"), the exotic Bou Inania Medersa, the Medina and the Kairaouine Mosque and university — founded by Fatima Al Fihri in 859 and said to be the oldest university in the world. In the afternoon, visit Fes El Jdid ("New Fes") and the Museum of Moroccan Arts. Overnight in the riad.

After breakfast, drive across the Saiss Plain to the archaeological site of Volubilis, one of Morocco's richest UNESCO sites, covering 42 hectares of Roman-era urban remains with mosaics and marble and bronze statuary. From here, drive across the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, enjoying breathtaking mountain and countryside views. Dinner and overnight in your riad.

After breakfast, explore the charming narrow streets of Chefchaouen, with houses and artisan shops painted in shades of blue and white. Walk the tangled streets of the Medina, with its Andalusian-influenced architecture and street market of fine handicrafts and leather. Stroll the maze-like alleys to the busy Plaza Uta El Hammam and the Kasbah, and take a lunch break in one of the blue alleyways. Dinner and overnight in your riad.

After breakfast, hit the road to Casablanca to visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Africa (guided tour about an hour, tickets around 100 dh). Continue to Marrakech with further views of the Moroccan countryside, ending at your riad or the airport. ## Highlights - High Atlas, Ait Ben Haddou & Ouarzazate - Skoura oasis, Kasbah Amridil & Dades Canyons - Todgha Gorges & Rissani - Camel ride and overnight at Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) - Imperial city of Fes & the Roman ruins of Volubilis - The blue city of Chefchaouen - Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca ## Gallery