From Fes to Marrakech in 6 days

We begin at the 9th-century Andalusian Mosque, with its horseshoe arches, cedarwood screens and zellij tiles. We pass Bab Boujloud, the blue-and-green 1913 gateway to Fes el-Bali, and the Chouara tanneries with their natural dye vats. We visit the Al-Attarine Madrasa (1325), with its mosaics and marble fountain, and Al-Qarawiyyin (859), the world's oldest university. The Nejjarine Museum, in an 18th-century funduq, displays cedar chests and brassware; nearby, the gates of the Royal Palace.

• Fes

We travel through Ifrane, with its alpine architecture, gardens and cool climate ("Little Switzerland"). In the Azrou cedar forest, Barbary macaques play among the trunks. The road winds through the Middle Atlas to Midelt, past terraced fields, Berber villages and springs. (205 km)

• Fes
• Ifrane
• Azrou
• Midelt

We descend into the Ziz Valley, a lush oasis framed by arid mountains, with palm groves along the river. In Erfoud, workshops display 350-million-year-old trilobite and ammonite fossils. The day ends at a kasbah-style lodge in Merzouga, at the Sahara's edge, with the sand turning gold and crimson at sunset. (263 km)

• Midelt
• Errachidia
• Erfoud
• Merzouga

Khamlia welcomes us with the rhythms of Gnawa music, passed down through generations. A short drive reaches Berber nomad camps in palm oases: mint tea, customs and stories of the Sahara. In the afternoon, a camel ride across the golden Erg Chebbi dunes to sunset; dinner at a luxury camp with traditional music and a night under the stars. (45 km)

• Merzouga
• Khamlia
• Nomads
• Erg Chebbi

A climb up a dune for sunrise, with the sand glowing pink and orange. Rissani's historic market, full of spices, dates and leather. The Todra Gorge, with cliffs over 400 metres high and a walk by the river. Through the Dades Valley, the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs," to Ouarzazate by evening. (367 km)

• Merzouga
• Rissani
• Tinghir
• Todra Gorge
• Ouarzazate

Taourirt Kasbah, its red walls telling of Glaoui rule, and Atlas Studios with their famous film sets. Ait Benhaddou (UNESCO), with its alleys, earthen towers and granaries, and panoramic views of the ksar. The Fint Oasis, a haven of palm and fig groves. Up over the Tizi n'Tichka, with views of peaks and valleys, before descending to Marrakech in the late afternoon. (255 km)

• Ouarzazate
• Ait Ben Haddou
• Fint Oasis
• Marrakech