Morocco
Rock the Kasbah
Medinas, Mountains & the Sahara
27 September - 14 October 2027 | 18 days / 17 nights
Rabat • Tangier • Chefchaouen • Fes • Midelt • Sahara Desert • Skoura • Ben Haddou • Marrakech
SMALL-GROUP MOROCCO - CULTURE, LANDSCAPES, LOCAL EXPERIENCES & TIME TO EXPLORE
NZD $10,445 per person twin share
Maximum 16 travellers • Solo pricing available
$500 deposit per person • International flights additional
Morocco gets under your skin
There are places you visit, and places you feel. Morocco is most definitely the latter. The first call to prayer drifting over the rooftops, the smell of warm bread and spices in a medina, a flash of brilliant blue in Chefchaouen, craftsmen at work in Fes, the road opening towards the Sahara and that first sight of the dunes - this is a country that keeps surprising you.
Over 18 days we'll travel from Morocco's Atlantic and Mediterranean north through the Rif and Atlas Mountains to the Sahara, then on through the palm oasis of Skoura to Marrakech. I've built in time to experience each place properly, with local guides and special experiences where they add something meaningful, and space to wander, eat, shop, relax and make discoveries of your own.
The Travel With Becks way
The best travel happens when you feel part of a place rather than simply passing through it. That's why this journey has longer stays in the places that deserve them: two nights in Chefchaouen, three in Fes, two beneath the Sahara sky, two in Skoura and three in Marrakech.
We'll explore with people who know these places intimately, then have time to follow our own curiosity. You might find yourself drinking mint tea in a tiny square, choosing ceramics directly from an artisan, heading back into the Fes medina for another wander, lingering over lunch on a rooftop or spending a quiet afternoon beside the pool.
I'll be travelling with you throughout, taking care of the details and making sure the journey flows, while our local team brings Morocco's history, culture and traditions to life. You get the ease and companionship of travelling together, with plenty of room for the holiday to still feel like yours.
A SMALLER GROUP • A SLOWER RHYTHM • MORE LOCAL CONNECTION • MORE TIME TO REALLY BE THERE
Rabat & Tangier
Day 1 — Arrive Morocco | Rabat
Our journey begins in Rabat, Morocco's elegant capital, where whitewashed buildings, palm-lined boulevards and Atlantic views make a lovely introduction to the country. Settle into your accommodation, enjoy your first Moroccan mint tea and ease into the adventure ahead.
Day 2 • Thursday 16 September — Rabat's layers of history
Rabat reveals itself gently. With our local guide we'll stand beneath the great unfinished Hassan Tower and visit the beautifully detailed Mausoleum of Mohammed V, then cross into the Kasbah of the Udayas. Behind its fortress walls are blue-and-white lanes, carved doors and viewpoints over the river and Atlantic. Later, Chellah feels almost secretive - Roman ruins and medieval tombs softened by gardens, birdsong and storks nesting high above the old walls. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy Rabat however you please.
Day 3 • Friday 17 September — North to Tangier
As we travel north, Morocco begins to tilt towards the Mediterranean. Tangier has always been a meeting place - Africa facing Europe across the Strait, with generations of writers, artists and travellers drawn to its slightly mysterious, cosmopolitan character. We'll wander through the Grand Socco and Petit Socco and climb into the old Kasbah, where lanes twist between weathered walls and glimpses of the sea appear between buildings. Tonight, step out and enjoy Tangier after dark.
Day 4 • Saturday 18 September — Where two seas meet
Stand at Cap Spartel, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and Spain lies across the water. We'll visit the extraordinary Hercules Caves before returning to Tangier's old city, with its winding lanes, colourful courtyards and lively cafés. The afternoon is yours to explore.
Chefchaouen & Fes
Day 5 • Sunday 19 September — Into the blue | Chefchaouen
The road winds higher into the Rif Mountains and then, almost impossibly, the town turns blue. Chefchaouen tumbles down the hillside in every shade from powder blue to deep indigo, with cats asleep on steps, geraniums against painted walls and little doorways disappearing into narrow lanes. We'll explore the Medina, Plaza Uta el-Hammam and Kasbah together, then the best thing to do is simply wander. Follow a lane because it looks beautiful, stop for tea because a cafe feels inviting and watch the colours soften as evening settles over the mountains.
Day 6 • Monday 20 September — A day to savour Chefchaouen
Enjoy a relaxed morning discovering Chefchaouen's quieter corners with our guide. Wander through blue-painted lanes, meet local artisans and perhaps walk towards the Spanish Mosque for sweeping mountain views. The afternoon is yours to enjoy this beautiful town at your own pace.
Day 7 • Tuesday 21 September — Volubilis and the road to Fes
We leave the blue mountains behind and travel through rolling countryside to Volubilis. Here, Roman columns rise above olive groves and remarkably detailed mosaics still lie beneath the Moroccan sun - a wonderful reminder of just how many civilisations have shaped this country. From here we continue to Fes. Its walls and minarets appear ahead, hiding one of the most extraordinary old cities in the world. We'll be here for three nights, giving us time to do far more than scratch the surface.
Day 8 • Wednesday 22 September — Into the extraordinary Fes medina
Stepping through Bab Boujloud into Fes el-Bali is like entering another world. The lanes narrow until cars are impossible; donkeys and handcarts move goods through the crowds, the scent of cedar and spices drifts from tiny shops and somewhere nearby you can hear metal being hammered by hand. With our local guide we'll find exquisite madrasas, tiled fountains, food stalls, artisan quarters and the famous Chouara Tanneries, their stone vats filled with extraordinary colour. Around Al Quaraouiyine the medina seems to fold in on itself - noisy, intricate, ancient and completely alive. This is the Fes I want you to experience.
Day 9 • Thursday 23 September — Meet the makers of Fes
Discover the artistry behind Morocco's famous ceramics and intricate zellige tiles as we visit traditional workshops and watch skilled craftspeople at work. We'll also explore the historic Mellah and Royal Palace gates before enjoying a free afternoon to revisit the medina, relax or indulge in a traditional hammam.
Across the Atlas to the Sahara
Day10 • Friday 24 September—Cedar forests &mountain roads
Today the scenery begins to do the talking. We climb away from Fes into the Middle Atlas, where cedar forests, mountain towns and wide valleys replace the intensity of the medina. The road itself is part of the experience, with stops whenever the landscape deserves one. By the time we reach Midelt, tucked between the Middle and High Atlas, Morocco feels completely different again. We'll settle in, share dinner and enjoy a quieter evening before tomorrow's journey towards the desert.
Day 11 • Saturday 25 September — That first sight of the Sahara
This is one of those travel days where anticipation builds with every kilometre. The mountains fall behind us, rocky plateaus stretch towards the horizon and the landscape becomes drier and more elemental. Then, in the distance, the dunes of Erg Chebbi appear - a great sweep of gold rising from the desert. We'll transfer into 4WDs for the final approach to our camp, and later climb onto camels as the sun drops and the dunes turn from gold to amber and rose. Back at camp, we'll settle into our private ensuite tents, eat beneath the desert sky and gather around the fire. Far from the lights of the cities, the stars can be extraordinary.
Day 12 • Sunday 26 September — The Sahara beyond the postcard
Waking in the Sahara is special in itself: cool morning air, soft light on the dunes and an almost unbelievable sense of space. Today our 4WDs take us beyond the familiar desert images to meet some of the people who call this landscape home. In Khamlia we'll spend time with Gnawa musicians and hear the hypnotic rhythms that carry the story of their community, then share a traditional lunch. Back at camp, the afternoon belongs to the desert. Walk barefoot in the sand, find a quiet place to read, watch the shadows move across the dunes or simply enjoy having nowhere else to be.
Skoura & the High Atlas
Day 13 • Monday 27 September—From desert gold to palm green
Leaving the Sahara behind, we'll travel through dramatic desert landscapes towards the lush palm oasis of Skoura. Hidden among thousands of date palms are traditional villages, gardens and ancient kasbahs. Settle into our peaceful accommodation and enjoy a slower afternoon after the desert journey.
Day 14 • Tuesday 28 September — Life beneath the palms
This morning we'll step into the Skoura most travellers simply drive past. Beneath the palms are narrow paths, orchards, small plots of land and mud-brick homes connected by an ingenious network of traditional irrigation channels. At Kasbah Amridil we'll see how families once lived within these great earthen walls and learn how water has sustained the oasis for generations. Then the afternoon is beautifully open: perhaps the pool, a book in the garden, a long lunch or a wander among the palms. Sometimes the luxury oft ravel is simply having time.
Day 15 • Wednesday 29 September — Ait Ben Haddou & over the High Atlas
The road to Marrakech is spectacular. First comes Ait Ben Haddou, rising from the ochre earth like a fortress from another age. We'll cross into the ksar and wander its narrow passages between earthen towers, climbing higher for views across the valley and surrounding desert landscape. Then the road begins its dramatic climb into the High Atlas, curling through rugged mountains and Berber villages. Hours later the peaks begin to fall behind us and Marrakech appears ahead - warmer, busier, greener and buzzing with life.
Marrakech
Day 16 • Thursday 30 September — Marrakech comes alive
Marrakech is intoxicating in the best possible way. The Koutoubia minaret rises above the rooftops, Bahia Palace hides rooms of carved cedar and intricate tilework behind plain walls, and the souks seem to contain every colour and texture imaginable - pyramids of spices, leather slippers, woven rugs, hammered lamps and ceramics stacked to the ceiling. With our guide we'll make our way through this maze to Jemaa el-Fna. Come back again towards dusk if you wish, when smoke rises from the food stalls, musicians gather, lights flicker on and the great square becomes a theatreof Marrakech life.
Day 17 • Friday 1 October — Colour, design & our final evening
After the earthy tones of the medina, Majorelle Garden is a glorious shock of cobalt blue, emerald green and tropical planting. We'll visit the garden and Yves Saint Laurent Museum before the afternoon becomes yours for one last rooftop lunch, a final expedition into the souks or simply a quiet few hours before our farewell dinner.
Day 18 • Saturday 2 October — Until next time
Enjoy one final Moroccan breakfast before your private transfer to Marrakech Airport. After 18 days of extraordinary landscapes, fascinating cultures, wonderful food and unforgettable experiences, it's time to say goodbye to Morocco.
Of course, your travels don't have to end here. I can arrange international flights and tailor any additional travel around your plans.
What's included
17 nights' accommodation in selected hotels and luxury desert camp
Two nights in a luxury Sahara camp with private ensuite tents
Daily breakfast, plus selected lunches and dinners as specified
Private air-conditioned transport with professional driver throughout the Morocco programme
Private guided sightseeing and local expertise as specified
Monument and entrance fees included in the programme
Fes pottery and zellige experience
Sahara 4WD excursion, sunset camel ride and Khamlia visit with traditional lunch
Two nights in a luxury Sahara camp with private ensuite tents
Ait Ben Haddou and Skoura Oasis experiences
Majorelle Garden and Yves Saint Laurent Museum
Special farewell dinner at La Maison Arabe in Marrakech
Travel With Becks hosting, care and support throughout
International flights, travel insurance, meals not specified, drinks, personal expenses, tips, optional activities, porterage, laundry and minibar are additional.
Booking Terms & Conditions: https://travelmanagers.co.nz/terms
Ready to discover Morocco with me?
From Chefchaouen's blue mountain lanes to the extraordinary medinas of Fes, unforgettable nights beneath the Sahara stars and the colourful souks of Marrakech, this is Morocco at its most fascinating.
With just 16 travellers, thoughtfully planned experiences and time to explore, I'd love you to join me.
27 SEPTEMBER - 14 OCTOBER 2027
NZD $10,445 per person twin share
Solo pricing available | $500 deposit per person
International flights additional
ENQUIRE ABOUT THIS JOURNEY
You can also extend your holiday before or after Morocco. I'll happily arrange your international flights and any additional travel.
Have questions about this journey?
I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch to find out more or secure your place.