Arrive in Marrakesh (or Casablanca) on the first day.

Dinner and a ride to the airport Welcome to Marrakesh, where your amazing vacation starts. A private car will pick you up from the airport and transport you to your hotel, a traditional riad located in the picturesque Medina of Marrakesh. You will have ample time to explore the main square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, commonly referred to as La Place in the local dialect. One of them is the Place of the Dead, because criminals’ heads were hung from spikes there to scare other people away. Thankfully, they no longer use this technique. Food and orange juice stands line the square, including the world’s biggest outdoor restaurant. Keep in mind that the trip from Casablanca to Marrakesh takes three hours.

Day 2: Private visit with a guide to Marrakesh, breakfast, and lunch.

Our Marrakesh travel guide will have given you all the information you need to explore Medina’s winding streets. You will feel safe with your professional, private guide by your side. The Madrasa Ali Ben Youssef, the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs are some of the most important historic sites. But what you’ll probably remember most is the souks, with their bright colors, funny haggling, dodging donkey carts, and general excitement. It’s like every exotic idea you have about an Arabian market, but four times bigger. There is food on the tour, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Day 3: Transportation in the Atlas Mountains (2 hours), breakfast, lunch, and dinnerHiking with a guide into the High Atlas Mountains

where a local family serves lunch, offers a change of pace. When you’re full, you’ll check into a cute mountain lodge and relax while taking in the scenery. The lodge will serve dinner this evening.

Day 4: Mountains of the AtlasGetting there: breakfast, lunch, and dinnerYou have today to decide.

Would you rather go on another two- to five-hour hike with a guide that includes a picnic lunch, or would you rather drive through the Nfiss Valley and see the Tinmel Mosque? The Almohad Dynasty, which ruled Morocco for only 150 years, began with the construction of the architectural masterpiece of Tinmel in the 12th century. A slave killed Idris al-Wathiq, the last member of the line, in 1269. The Tinmel Mosque inspired the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh. The Tinmel Mosque became one of Morocco’s most well-known mosques. For hundreds of years, Tinmel was in decline and nearly destroyed before its recent restoration. Few traces of its former grandeur remain, but what you can see makes you think of how awesome the original must have been. We will serve lunch on the way and dinner at the mountain lodge tonight.

Day 5: Transportation to Essaouira (4 hours) and breakfast

You might want to take a short detour on your way to Essaouira today to visit a group of local women who make Argan oil, which is becoming known as “liquid gold” because it is so good for your health and looks. And here are two common myths to think about: Yes, goats do climb argan trees to eat the fruit, but watch out for people who have trained their animals to stand in trees for pictures and will charge you; and no, the fruit doesn’t have to go through the goat’s intestines before it can be used. The nut that comes out of the other end of the fruit is not good for making oil and would never be used in production. Our Essaouira travel guide can help you get ready for your trip to this one-of-a-kind coastal gem.

Day 6: Eight-hour trip to Essaouira, breakfast, and dinner.

Today you have a lot of time to take it easy, so don’t feel rushed. There are some world-class surfing schools that can get you on the Atlantic waves, whether you already surf (including kite surfing) or want to try it for the first time. You could also just lay out on the sand and watch. If you have any taste for food, head to the fishing harbor when the boats arrive and observe the vendors selling the freshest fish from boxes of crushed ice on the dock. You have the option to purchase your own and transport it to one of the small kitchens in Medina’s backstreets, where they will grill it on hacked-up old cans. You can also pick one out at the blue-and-white-striped stands next to the port, where they will cook and serve it perfectly. The third season of Game of Thrones filmed scenes in various locations around the walls.

Day 7: Ride from Essaouira to Marrakesh (3 hours)

breakfastAlong your way to Essaouira, you didn’t have time to stop by an argan cooperative. You could do that today as you take your time driving back to Marrakesh. You have the afternoon and evening to finish your shopping. You might even want to try a food stand in Jmaa el Fna, just to say you did it. Or you could have a drink on one of the terraces with a view of the glittering jewel box of lights shining through the smoke from the kitchens.

Day 8: Depart from the airport in Marrakesh (or Casablanca).

Today is your last day in Marrakesh. You could also leave from Casablanca. We hope your trip was good!