Morocco
Boutique North, Sahara & South
September - 2 October 2027 | 18 days / 17 nights
Negombo • Anuradhapura • Jaffna • Sigiriya • Kandy • Gal Oya • Nuwara Eliya • Ella • Galle • Colombo
SMALL-GROUP MOROCCO - CULTURE, LANDSCAPES, LOCAL EXPERIENCES & TIME TO EXPLORE
NZD $10,445 per person twin share
Solo pricing available • Deposit $500 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 Sri Lanka | Negombo
We begin in Rabat, where whitewashed walls, palm-lined boulevards and the Atlantic give Morocco's capital an unexpectedly relaxed elegance. After our private transfer and check-in, there is nothing to rush into. Take that first walk, order your first glass of sweet mint tea, listen as the city changes pace towards evening and enjoy the lovely feeling that the journey has finallybegun.
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 Rabathowever 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
There's something quite extraordinary about standing at Cap Spartel with Africa beneath your feet and Spain across the water. This is where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and it helps explain why Tangier has always felt like a place between worlds. We'll follow the coast to the wave-carved Hercules Caves before returning to the old city, where the mood changes completely - tiled courtyards, tiny workshops, carved doorways and steep lanes climbing through the Kasbah. Afterwards, linger over lunch, revisit somewhere that caught your eye or find a terrace and watch Tangier go by.
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
Chefchaouen rewards people who have time. This morning we'll explore some of its quieter corners with our guide, where everyday life continues behind those famous blue walls and small artisan shops spill into the lanes. There'll be time for photographs and coffee, and those who feel like a walk can head towards the Spanish Mosque for a sweeping view across the blue rooftops and Rif Mountains. Then the day is yours. No agenda required - this is exactly the kind ofplace where getting slightly lostis part of the pleasure.
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
Today we slow down and look at the skill behind what we've been seeing. At a pottery and zellige workshop we'll watch artisans shape clay, paint ceramics and cut tiny pieces of tile by hand before fitting them into those intricate geometric patterns Morocco is famous for. We'll continue through artisan areas, the historic Mellah and the great brass doors of the Royal Palace. Then Fes becomes yours. Go back into the medina with a little more confidence, book a traditional hammam, find a rooftop for lunch or retreat to the pool and let the city hum away in the distance.
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
We leave Erg Chebbi behind and travel west through a landscape of rocky plains, valleys and distant mountains. After the vast openness of the Sahara, the arrival into Skoura feels almost miraculous. Thousands of date palms rise from the dry earth, hiding gardens, small farms, earthen villages and old kasbahs beneath their canopy. We'll settle into our home in the oasis and let the pace drop. After the desert road, the green shade and quiet of Skoura feel wonderfully restorative.
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 enjoying a more personal food, cooking or artisan experience - another chance to connect with the creativity and flavours that have run through our journey. The afternoon is yours for one last rooftop lunch, a final expedition into the souks or simply a quiet few hours before we dress for our farewell dinner at La Maison Arabe. Tonight is for good food, stories, laughter and raising a glass to Morocco.
Day 18 • Saturday 2 October — Until next time
One final Moroccan breakfast and perhaps one last look across the rooftops before our private transfer to Marrakech Airport. After 18 days of blue mountain towns, ancient medinas, desert nights, palm oases and unforgettable roads, Morocco will probably feel very different from the country you imagined before you arrived. Fly home from here or keep travelling - I can tailor your flights and any pre- or post-tour plans around wherever you'd like to go next.
What's included
17 nights' accommodation in selected hotels and luxury desert camp
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.
Can you picture yourself here?
Wandering through Chefchaouen's blue lanes. Following a local guide into the extraordinary maze of Fes. Watching the Sahara turn gold as the sun drops behind the dunes. Waking beneath a huge desert sky. Slowing down among the palms of Skoura. Finishing in Marrakech with the souks, gardens, rooftops and one last wonderful dinner together.
That's the Morocco I've designed this journey to give you - rich in experiences and local connection, beautifully paced, and with enough freedom to have moments and discoveries that are entirely your own.
15 SEPTEMBER - 2 OCTOBER 2027
NZD $10,445 per person twin share
Solo pricing available • Deposit $500 per person • International flights additional
To reserve your place, contact me and I'll talk you through the next steps and arrange your booking. Your holiday can begin before Morocco or continue afterwards too. I can tailor your international flights and any preor post-tour travel around exactly what you'd like to do.
Rebecca “Becks” MacFadyen
Travel With Becks
Contact me today to start planning your next unforgettable group tour!