6 Days Tour from Marrakech to Tangier via Ouarzazate, Desert and Chefchaouen

Pickup is in the morning in Marrakech, and the crossing of the High Atlas begins almost right away, over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres. The road switches back through Berber villages, with views that open across the whole range.

You stop at Aït Ben Haddou, the most spectacular UNESCO-listed earthen ksar in the country, and walk through the fortified village across the river. From there the road continues to Ouarzazate, Morocco's film capital and gateway to the Sahara, home to the Atlas Studios where Gladiator and Game of Thrones were shot.

You drive east through the Draa Valley, its date palm groves running for miles beside old Berber kasbahs, then continue via Tinghir, Erfoud, and Rissani to Merzouga.

You arrive in the late afternoon, and camels are waiting at the edge of the dunes to carry you into the golden Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner is Berber style around the fire, with drums and a sky thick with stars overhead, in a luxury desert camp for the night.

You wake before dawn to climb the highest dune crest for sunrise, one of the most unforgettable sights in Morocco. A Berber breakfast at camp follows, then the drive northwest through Erfoud and Tinghir brings you to the dramatic Todra Gorges, where 300 metre cliffs close in overhead.

The road continues through the Ziz Valley, a deep canyon lined with thousands of date palms, then climbs back into the Middle Atlas. You overnight in Midelt, an apple growing town set on the high plateau.

The road heads north through the Middle Atlas, with a stop in Ifrane, known as the Switzerland of Morocco for its alpine architecture, and the cedar forest at Azrou, where you may spot wild Barbary macaques in the branches.

You reach Fez by mid-afternoon and check into your traditional riad, then set out in the late afternoon with a licensed local guide for a first look at the UNESCO medina: the Chouara tanneries, the Bou Inania madrasa, and the ancient souks. Dinner is on a riad rooftop.

The road climbs north through the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, Morocco's blue-painted mountain city, and you arrive by mid-afternoon.

You can walk the blue lanes of the medina at your own pace, then climb to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint above town for sunset over the white and blue rooftops. Dinner is at a local restaurant overlooking the main square.

The drive north passes through Tetouan, known as the white dove, where you can walk the UNESCO-listed Andalusian medina, before continuing to Tangier, the point where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic and Africa meets Europe.

In Tangier you visit the Kasbah, the medina, and Cap Spartel lighthouse, with views across the Strait of Gibraltar, and there's an optional stop at the Caves of Hercules. Drop-off is at your Tangier hotel, the port for the Spain ferry, or the airport.