Comfort Morocco (14 days)

Our journey begins in the bustling Port city of Casablanca. Modelled after Marseille in France, Casablanca has since become much busier than its parent and is now the undisputed economic capital of the country, with one of Africa's largest ports. The architectural style of the city is curious; famous for its Art Deco French colonial buildings and Mauresque governmental institutions, an old Medina and of course the phenomenal modern day masterpiece - Hassan II Mosque.  Evening meeting with your Tour Leader.

After breakfast  we have a guided tour of the Hassan II mosque. Perched oceanside at Islam's western extremity, it was completed in 1993 after years of work by around 30,000 craftsmen. The mosque was the late King Hassan II's most ambitious project and was funded by public subscription - all $800 million of it! Only the mosques at Mecca and Medina are bigger, and its 200m-high minaret is the tallest in the world.

In the afternoon, we head by train to Meknes (approx. 3.5 hours). Meknes was the capital of Morocco's last golden age under the Alaouites. The fearsome Sultan Moulay Ismail, a contemporary of Louis XIV, aimed to build his own version of Versailles here and with an unstoppable labour force of over 25,000 slaves, he constructed walls, gates and over 50 palaces.

Severely damaged by an earthquake in 1755, relatively little of the compound remains intact today. There are however, enough surviving vestiges from Moulay Ismail's rule to keep you occupied in Meknes - from the imposing Bab Mansour, a beautiful city gate, to the Habs Qara, a huge underground dungeon in which the Sultan kept his prisoners. You can also pick up a souvenir or two from the small covered souqs in the city - prices in Meknes are among the most reasonable in Morocco.

We board our private mini bus (which will be our transport for the rest of the trip due to unreliable local transport in rural Morocco) to travel to the ruins of Volubilis (approx. 1 hour), the Roman provincial capital and UNESCO World Heritage site since December 1997. Our local guide will take us on a walk through ancient history as we explore this hilltop city, one of the Roman Empire's most remote bases, which remained affluent until the 18th century, long after the 2,000 year reign of the Romans had ended. 

We then travel onwards to Fes (approx. 2 hours). Fes is the most complete medieval city in the Arab world. The most ancient of Morocco's Imperial cities, it exists suspended in time. Tonight, we may head to the Palais Jamai for an evening drink. Watching the sun set over the huge Medina whilst a dozen prayer calls vie for attention is an experience you are likely to remember forever. We have the most amazing dinner tonight trying Moroccan specialties like Harira (chickpea soup) and chicken-stuffed Pastilla with Couscous.

In the morning, we take a guided walk of Fes. Descending into the labyrinthine alleyways of the Medina is like taking a giant step back to the Middle Ages. Preserved by the French for its historical value, this preservation also led to the decline of the city's importance, as both government and financial centres were set up elsewhere in the country. With the Jewish population moving away in 1956, and too many rural poor moving in for it to handle, this ancient centre of learning is only a shell of what it used to be. Still, it remains a fascinating living museum where getting lost is half the fun! Occupants of the city are called 'Fassis', and they fancy themselves as the most sophisticated and intellectual of all Moroccans, having their own food staples and style of dress to prove it.

In the afternoon you are free to explore Fes at your leisure. Why not round off the day in a hammam (local-style bath house) or soak up the incredible views over the Fes Medina sipping a cocktail?

We head towards the Middle Atlas Mountains and the territory made famous by the French Foreign Legion. Our route takes us through cedar forests, home to the Barbary Apes, and into the valley between the Middle and High Atlas mountain ranges. We continue to Midelt (approx. 5 hours), which is overlooked by the Djebel Ayachi, a 3,700m peak. 

We visit the Kasbah Myriam, a carpet and embroidery workshop run by Franciscan nuns with the aim of providing sustainable employment and healthcare to local Berber women. The wares they produce are beautiful and of high quality, so it's the perfect place to buy a memorable souvenir.

Here we can enjoy our first views of the mighty High Atlas Mountains from our hotel- on a clear day of course.

It's a stunning drive today (approx. 5 hours) towards the mighty Sahara Desert. We have many opportunities to stop and admire the panoramic views of the Kasbahs and palmeries (valleys lush with date palms, fields and orchards) en-route. We can pause in some of the frontier towns such as Erfoud and Rissani until we reach the end of the road and the small settlement of Merzouga.

Our visit is to the Erg Chebbi dunes, which are the most stunning in the country and an experience essential to complete any visit to Morocco. An Erg is a vast sea of shifting wind-swept sand that is formed into picturesque undulating crests and valleys, and the Erg Chebbi are one of the worlds classic landscapes of towering dunes, up to heights of over 150 meters. Located well off the end of the sealed road, and just 20 kilometres from the Algerian border this is wonderful frontier country.

In the late afternoon, we board camels for a short ride off over the dunes in time to catch the sunset from this fairytale landscape before returning to our hotel, perched at the foot of the dunes!

For the early risers the morning begins with a sunrise over the majestic dunes, before breakfast and another classic drive with dramatic changes of landscape to the stunning Todra Gorge (approx. 4 hours).

Our accommodation is in the bustling Berber market town of Tinerhir just a short drive from the Gorge itself, a spectacular canyon with sheer rock walls up to 300m high, now gaining fame as a rock-climbing destination. This afternoon is an opportunity to explore the Gorge or the beautiful surrounding Palmeries

Day 8 is a full day to enjoy the area. The option of a guided hike through the Gorge and a loop over a near-by mountain pass is highly recommended. You might even be fortunate enough to meet and join some of the local Nomadic inhabitants of the area for a glass of mint tea.

There are also options for Rockclimbing and Mountain biking (these can be easily arranged by your group leader on arrival in Todra). But for the less energetic, simply lounging by the hotel pool on the terrace with amazing views of the gorgeous Atlas and Sargho Mountain ranges enjoying a book is a great way to spend your day in wonderful Todra.

We say goodbye to the Todra Gorge and make the short drive to the equally spectacular Dades Gorge (approx. 2 hours). This valley is flanked on both sides by high limestone cliffs and bizarre rock formations with picturesque Kasbah's dotted along the course of the stunning valley of crops and palms. 

There is an option to make this journey to Dades Gorge off the beaten track along one of Morocco's classic nomadic route of rough piste by 4WD. Your Group Leader can provide more details and arrange this easily a few days in advance of your arrival to Todra.

On arrival to our luxury hotel you might consider the spa and massage treatments on offer or a cocktail while relaxing in the terrace jacuzzi with sweeping views of the valley below.

Say goodbye to the Gorge region and make our way further South towards the Kasbah country of Ait Benhaddou (approx. 3 hours). This scenic drive offers a glimpse of times gone by via the ruins of ancient Kasbahs; once colonial military desert outposts, austere mountains, wide open spaces, valleys of palm trees and irrigated fields. En-route we can pause for lunch in Ouarzazate, the film capital of Morocco, where films such as 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'The Sheltering Sky' and 'Black Hawk Down' have been filmed. Time permitting we can take a tour of the Atlas Movie Studios.

In Ouarzazate we can make a short visit to the Handicapped Project Horizon, which is an association committed to the rehabilitation of disabled people of the region. Amongst some of the amazing services they provide are: developing prosthetic limbs, custom made wheelchairs, providing physio and social therapy to sufferers of accidents and illness. There is also an Artisanal workshop training local people trades such as pottery, jewellery and metal making. This is a wonderful visit, and Intrepid are very happy to announce that Project Horizon is now a brand new member of the Intrepid Foundation, so we are looking forward to offering a long partnership of assistance and support.

After lunch we drive on (approx. 45 minutes) to our final destination, the grand Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou - one of the most beautiful in all of Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This fortified village is a fine example of clay architecture and is also famous for its role on the silver screen, featuring in numerous films such as: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Kundun (1997), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Alexander (2004).

Centuries ago, Ait Benhaddou, on the Mellah River, was an important stop for the caravans passing through as they carried salt across the Sahara, returning with gold, ivory and slaves. Today, it is inhabited only by a handful of families and we can explore the maze of its streets at our leisure, or soak up the atmosphere poolside from our hotel terrace while watching the sun set over this magnificent site.

This evening, we join in on a simple cooking demonstration of Moroccos most famous cuisine: Cous Cous and Tajine. The ladies of the kitchen will prepare some fabulous traditional meals and we will eat well tonight.

On the morning of day 11, we journey over the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2260m) to the scenic Toubkal National Park (approx. 5 hours). The route is an epic journey as we farewell the landscape of the Kasbah's and Sahara, passing over the desolate high altitudes of the Tichka, before traversing some stunning lush valleys and winding our way to the end of the road at Imlil and our mountain hotel. 

From our hotel terrace we have breathtaking views over the valley below which is so impressive that film director Martin Scorsese chose the area as one of the locations for 'Kundun', temporarily transforming Imlil into Tibet!

Regardless of your level of fitness the gentle pace of Imlil and the Berber world are open to you. It is a special place beyond the reach of the modern world - and an opportunity not to be missed.

Leaving the Atlas Mountains behind we travel to the majestic city of Marrakech (approx. 2 hours) and Morocco's most alluring city. 

After settling in to our hotel we can join the thronging crowds and enjoy dinner at the ultimate el fresco experience of the infamous Djemaa el Fna. This is undoubtedly an unforgettable introduction to bustling Marrakech where we can wander around the singers, drummers, dancers, snake charmers, fortune tellers, tooth pullers, storytellers, jugglers and even old medicine men, altogether who make up what has been dubbed the greatest spectacle on earth.

On Day 13 we take a morning guided tour of the Medina and its mosaic of souq's, each devoted to a separate trade: pottery, woodwork, copper, leather, carpets and spices - a wander among them is a sensory delight.

The afternoon is free to seek out some of the the numerous monuments of Marrakech, such as the well-known Koutoubia Mosque and its superb minaret - famous throughout the Islamic world and the 'sister' to the Giralda in far-away Seville, to the lesser-known tropical gardens of the French Painter Jacques Majorelle (now owned by Yves Saint Laurent). There is the Palais Bahia, a superb example of Muslim architecture, and the ruins of the Palais Badi, reputedly one of the most beautiful palaces in the world in its time. The Saadian tombs are a recently uncovered gem of the Medina. All of the above can be a challenge to locate, but that is all a part of the experience of exploring the phenomenal Medina's of Morocco!

On the evening of Day 13, our final dinner and sadly our farewells await.

Departure day and we say 'Ma'Salama Shukran Bizzaf' for memories that will last a lifetime. There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.