Welcome to Marrakech on Day 1! (nicknamed the “Red City” for its red sandstone walls and buildings). Marrakech is still a fascinating former imperial city and was once a significant trading hub for tribes in the Atlas Mountains. The busiest square in Africa, Jemaa el-Fna, is located in Marrakech, an important economic hub. Start your exploration of the Koutoubia Mosque and Gardens in Marrakech’s historic medina. The mosque’s 253-foot (77-meter) minaret and 12th-century foundations are worth seeing even though non-Muslims are not permitted inside. View the pools and fountains in the adjacent garden. Enjoy your senses as you navigate the intricate maze of souks (markets) hidden behind regular restaurants and stores. For a selection of spices, furniture, and babouche, visit Souk el Attarin, Souk Chouari, and Souk Smita (traditional Moroccan slippers). Visit Souk des Teinturiers (the dyers’ souk) to see how yarn and clothing are colored using conventional techniques. Then, please look at the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a fine example of Moroccan Islamic architecture from the 16th century, and pay attention to the ornate details of its interior, including the carved cedar ceilings, sculpted plaster, and zellij tiling. As dusk falls, make your way back to Jemaa el-Fna to take in the show as the square comes to life with musicians, dancers, and snake charmers. To find something to eat, peruse the numerous stalls and vendors.

Depart the hectic city and travel east toward the desert while climbing the High Atlas mountains. Find Mount Toubkal, the highest peak at 13,671 feet, if you can (4,167 m). You will pass a lot of Berber villages along the way, which are made of the country’s typical mud-brick structures. After lunch, tour the local Argan Oil Cooperative in Taddert to learn how the women there extract valuable oil from the argan nut to produce an oil used in the food, cosmetics, and health sectors. Take the winding road to the Tizi n’Tichka pass and pause to take the expansive view. The desert center and filming location, Ouarzazate, is further east. Take a studio tour to find out which of your favorite movies was shot in the nearby desert areas. Visitors to the Musée du Cinema might find it interesting. As you approach Boumalne Dades, follow the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. View traditional farming practices as you pass through several small towns. While traveling through the fragrant Kela’a M’gouna, the “Valley of the Roses,” keep an eye out for nomads caring for their livestock. Eventually, you’ll get to Boumalne Dades, a sizable city that spans the Dades River.

Today, you’ll continue your journey east to the sand sea of Erg Chebbi outside of Merzouga. Stop in Tinerhir to admire the river oasis that flanks the town on both sides. Impressive buttes, mesas, and plateaus can be seen in the desert landscape. The Todra Gorge, a 984-foot (300-meter) deep ravine carved out by the Todra River, is close by, and you will have the chance to explore it. Proceed to the town of Erfoud in the desert. Visit a craft shop in this region, also known for its figs and fossils, to learn how the rocks’ skillful transformation into functional and decorative items is accomplished. Stop in the market town of Rissani while you are close to Merzouga, the settlement most comparable to the Sahara, and check out the livestock auction and the “donkey parking lot.” As you depart Rissani, the vast sand sea of Erg Chebbi will begin to become visible in the distance. When you get to Merzouga, change to your camel and start riding over the sands to your Bedouin-style camp. Before enjoying a hot meal by the fire and listening to folk music, hike to the top of a nearby dune to observe the sun setting.

Get up early to take in a desert sunrise and explore the Sahara more. You can rent a sandboard, go on an Erg Chebbi tour of the dunes or an ATV tour, or relax by a pool close to Merzouga. To the south, go to the Saharan village of Khemliya. Before strolling around the town and its sand-based farming plots, you can take in the local music, dancing, and drumming. A second opportunity will present you to visit Maison Tuareg in Rissani, a shop that stocks traditional arts and crafts like carpets, jewelry, and leather products. Before arriving in Alnif for lunch, continue past acacia forests with their umbrella-shaped trees. Follow the road through the Draa Valley, covered in date palmeries, and where you can buy a box of dates for the trip. Continue west until you reach ancient At Benhaddou. The most well-known kasbah in Morocco is at At Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When trade routes across the Sahara connected Marrakech, Ouarzazate, and the southern desert, it once had a significant position along those routes. Wander the deserted alleys at night after the daytime crowds have left the old town. Pay a small entrance fee to enter a few kasbahs, then climb to the rooftop for views of the nearby sours (single kasbahs) and Ouarzazate Valley.

Discover the winding lanes and alleys before the crowds arrive at the old kasbah to get a true sense of this 11th-century fortified city. Leave At Benhaddou behind and make your way back to Marrakech via the Tizi n’Tichka pass and another trip up and over the High Atlas mountains. You’ll soon be back in the bustling city of Marrakech after exploring Morocco’s quiet desert towns and various deserts. Depending on how energetic you are, you should visit a few locations south of Jemaa el-Fna when you first get to the Red City. The 500-year-old Saadian Tombs, the expansive courtyard and sunken gardens of the 17th-century El Badi Palace, or the elaborate woodwork and painted ceilings of the 19th-century Bahia Palace are a few options to consider. Return to Jemaa el-Fna and take a break in one of the many cafés above the square to enjoy a meal while people-watching before retiring to your riad for the evening.

Spend the morning finishing any last-minute souvenir and gift shopping. Depending on the specifics of your departure, you should also visit the Majorelle Gardens in Ville Nouvelle. These lush, vast gardens are the ideal place to escape the afternoon heat and noise while still being close to the bustle of the medina. Bring your memories with you as you travel home and leave the peace behind.