3 Days Marrakesh, Fez

This circuit begins in Marrakech  at the city's airport, at your hotel, or at any other agreed pick-up point. Our Spanish-speaking driver/guide will collect you and set off toward the High Atlas Mountains, an imposing natural barrier that must be crossed to reach the Sahara Desert and, by extension, the Merzouga Desert. We will make this crossing via the highest mountain pass in the range: Tizi n'Tichka, which offers the chance to take in spectacular views of the surrounding landscape and discover traditional Berber settlements along the way.

In the area around Ouarzazate, we will make our first stop: the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, a Berber adobe fortress that holds the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site  and a filming location for major productions, including Game of Thrones. We will then venture onto the 'Road of a Thousand Kasbahs', named for the remarkable number of fortresses that line the route, also passing through the Valley of the Roses and the Dadès Valley.

By the end of the day, we will arrive at Boumalne Dadès — a small town that never fails to surprise, thanks to its dramatic setting: nestled within steep, rocky gorges that lend it an almost otherworldly atmosphere. Accommodation will be at one of its charming riads, with dinner also included.

After a hearty breakfast at the riad in Boumalne Dadès, we hit the road once more. The first stop comes quickly: Tinerhir (also spelled Tinghir), which means 'city of the mountain' in Tamazight, a variant of the Berber language. The sight of the town set among rocks and palm trees is well worth a photograph.

We then continue to the Todra Gorge — these spectacular rock walls, reaching up to 200 metres in places, will make the gorges of the previous day seem modest by comparison. We will admire them from the winding road that runs through them, as well as on foot in certain sections. Next, we arrive in Rissani, with its lively and beautiful medina full of charming vignettes — including its famous donkey parking area.Shortly after, we reach our long-awaited destination: the Merzouga Desert and the Erg Chebbi dunes. To get there, we swap our mode of transport: dromedaries (or the alternative 4×4 vehicles) will carry us through this singular landscape, at the heart of which lies our Berber tent camp. In these traditional tents, we will enjoy a welcome mint tea and a well-earned dinner, and sleep in full comfort. The silence of the Merzouga Desert and the brilliance of the stars overhead will be our companions on this truly special night.

If the previous night was something special, the sunrise of the third day is no less so: as the sun begins its daily gift of light to the Merzouga Desert dunes, we will mount the dromedaries once more for the ride back to the town of Merzouga.

With no time to lose, we return to the road and continue our journey. The first stop of the day is Erfoud, renowned in the world of palaeontology for its extraordinary wealth of fossils — some of them belonging to dinosaurs. The oasis in which it sits is wonderfully photogenic and has served as a filming location for productions such as The Mummy. The main river that feeds it, the Ziz, forms a valley from here that we will follow northward.Along this stretch, we will pass through Midelt — a significant town set in the Middle Atlas — where we stop for lunch to recharge. Our route then takes us to Ifrane, a remarkable city known as 'the Switzerland of Morocco' for its altitude, its abundant rainfall (some of it snow), and its distinctive pitched-roof houses. Finally, we arrive in Fez: at the airport or at whatever location we have agreed upon, our services will end, and we will say our farewells, with every hope of meeting again soon.