From Sand to Sky

DAY 1 Arrive

Land on Moroccan soil in Marrakech (a direct flight from London takes about three and a half hours), the country's most iconic city. Your driver will be waiting at the airport to meet you and take you to your riad (converted Moroccan townhouse built around a courtyard) or hotel in the heart of the medina (old town). Once settled in and freshened up we have arranged for a guide to meet you and take you on a private guided tour of the souqs and medina. At the heart of the city's charm these colourful alleyways are full of smells, flavours and sounds, and as wonderful as they are, we understand that they can be a little daunting for first time visitors. However, in the capable hands of your guide you'll get under the skin of what makes the souqs thrive, sampling produce, meeting stallholders and learning about the history of city.

The tour ends in the famous Djeema el-Fna square, where you'll see snake charmers, contortionists and fortune tellers all entertaining their customers - locals as much as tourists - with fascinating displays. As dusk falls and you say goodbye to your guide we suggest you hang around the square and enjoy an authentic street food dinner from one of the market stalls which pop up come evening. We can recommend our favourite.

DAY 2 Southward Bound

Pack your bags this morning as you are heading way from the capital and towards the desert. Your next stop is in the Ouarzazate area, the gateway to the Sahara Desert and about four hour's drive from Marrakech. You'll be staying at Dar Ahlam, a restored traditional kasbah which now offers luxurious and grand accommodation in expansive grounds. The first afternoon here is yours to enjoy the surroundings; wander through the gardens and get stuck into a good book on the terrace, or dip in the pool for a gentle swim.

DAY 3 To the Atlas

Today is a busy one as you leave Dar Ahlam behind and head towards the Atlas Mountains. On route you'll stop at the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, an earthy red settlement made of buildings tightly packed together on a hill and surrounded by high walls. This UNESCO protected site is a great and well preserved example of the traditional architecture of southern Morocco but nowadays it's far more famous for featuring in Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones.

After exploring and channelling your inner Russel Crowe, it's back to the car for the remainder of the journey. It's about a four hour drive from here so you'll likely arrive with just enough time to freshen up before dinner.

DAY 4 Relax

The last day of the holiday marks a chance to look back on all that you've seen and done. And what better place for reflection than the hammam? Soak and soothe your legs after yesterday's action, then indulge in a massage or treatment and finally curl up for a nap under the shade of a tree on the terrace.

More active types might want to play a game of tennis or go for a swim in the pool (depending on where you're staying), and there are also a number of short cultural excursions available if you want to explore the mountains a little more.