Morocco: From Casablanca to Marrakech

Our rendezvous begins in storied Casablanca, where we catch our breath before heading to Rabat’s glistening white buildings and palm-lined boulevards. Driving along the Atlantic coast, then inland, we discover Fès, full of culture and romance. We stop in Meknès, the “Versailles of Morocco,” then wander through the Roman city of Volubilis, whose mosaics still sparkle in the North African sun. We cross up and over the High Atlas, then down through the Ziz Gorge to the Erfoud oasis. Our private Berber camp is nestled in the impressive dunes of Merzouga, and we enjoy a night under the especially expressive stars one finds in high mountains and deserts.

Next we head to the classic Casbah of Ouarzazate, and en route to red-ochre-colored Marrakech, the “Pearl of the South,” we stop at Taroudant and Essaouira’s wind-washed beaches. For our finale we spend several days exploring the fabled city of Marrakech’s vast bazaar and lively souks, where we’ll follow a labyrinthine path into the three-ring circus of the city’s main square, the Djemaa el Fna.