7-Day Tour from Casablanca to Zagora via Marrakech and Ouarzazate

Morning pickup from your Casablanca hotel or airport. Your first stop is the Hassan II Mosque, set right over the Atlantic and one of the largest mosques in the world, then a walk along the Casablanca corniche while the sea air clears any jet lag.

After lunch, you drive south to Marrakech, about three hours on the modern highway, and check into your traditional riad inside the medina. In the evening, walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa as it turns into Morocco's largest open-air theatre at sunset, snake charmers and storytellers gathering crowds, henna artists working by lamplight, and food stalls filling the square with smoke and spice.

You spend the full day in Marrakech with a licensed local guide. Start at the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, the city's defining landmark, then move to the Bahia Palace for its painted cedar ceilings and tiled courtyards, and finish at the Saadian Tombs.

From there you wander the artisan souks at your own pace, past the spice market, the leather quarter, and the dyers' alley where skeins of wool dry in bright rows overhead. Late afternoon brings a visit to the Majorelle Garden and Yves Saint Laurent Museum (entry not included), then the evening is free.

The day begins with the crossing of the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 metres up. The road switches back through Berber villages, and you stop for tea on a terrace with the whole range spread out below.

You stop at Aït Ben Haddou, the earthen ksar that's stood in for film sets in Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia, and cross the river on foot to walk through the fortified village. From there it's a short drive to Ouarzazate, Morocco's film capital, where an optional visit to Atlas Studios is available (entry not included).

You drive south through the Anti-Atlas to Agdez and into the Draa Valley, Morocco's longest palm oasis, 200 kilometres of date palms and mud-built kasbahs strung along the riverbed.

Along the way you stop at the Tamnougalt kasbah and the pottery village of Tamegroute, home to the Green Pottery cooperative. You reach Zagora by late afternoon, at the gateway to the deep south, where the old "52 days to Timbuktu by camel" sign still stands. An optional sunset camel ride at the nearby Tinfou dunes rounds off the day.

In the morning you have the option of an excursion to M'Hamid el-Ghizlane and the dunes of Erg Chegaga, a Sahara erg that sees far fewer visitors than Merzouga. A camel ride or an overnight bivouac can be arranged on request.

You return north through Tamegroute and the length of the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate, with a quiet evening at the hotel to end the day.

If you'd like, start the morning with a return visit to Aït Ben Haddou to catch it in different light, then begin the crossing back over the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka, with stops at viewpoints and Berber villages along the way.

You arrive in Marrakech by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free for the medina, the riad pool, a hammam, or one last pass through the souks.

The morning is free in Marrakech for any last exploring or simply relaxing before the trip ends. After lunch, you drive north to Casablanca on the modern highway, about three hours.

Drop-off is at your Casablanca hotel or Mohammed V airport, at the time agreed in advance.