The Imperial Route — Marrakech, Fès & the Sahara, 10 Days

On the fifth evening, a camel carries you into the Erg Chebbi dunes at dusk, and the quiet is unlike anything the photographs suggested. No amount of preparation readies you for the scale of the Sahara, or for the silence.

If you have one trip to Morocco, this is the one to take. Marrakech for its energy and its art. Fès for its medina — the largest car-free urban area in the world, unchanged in its essentials since the ninth century. And the desert, because it has to be felt. Ten days, arranged privately, with a different character of Morocco in each stage and a chauffeur who knows every road between them.

It suits first-time visitors who want the full depth of the kingdom rather than a single city, and travellers returning to do it properly.

The ten days, briefly. Days 1–3: Marrakech — the medina, the palaces, the galleries, time arranged and time left open. Day 4: south through Aït Ben Haddou and the Drâa Valley, one of the most cinematic roads in North Africa. Days 5–6: the Sahara at Merzouga — a private camp at the edge of Erg Chebbi, a camel at dusk, a night of extraordinary quiet. Days 7–8: Fès, the old city on foot with a guide who has known it all his life — tanneries, madrasas, hidden courtyards, the best address for lunch. Day 9: Chefchaouen at your discretion, or a further day in Fès. Day 10: return transfer and departure.

At a glance

• 10 days, privately arranged from arrival to departure
• Private chauffeur throughout, all transport between cities
• Carefully selected riads and a private Sahara camp
• Camel experience in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Guided medina visit in Fès
• Daily breakfast
• From $6,200 · Not included: international flights, meals outside those listed, personal expenses, optional upgrades

What can be tailored

Treat the route as a starting point. The pacing, the riads, the Chefchaouen day, an extra night in the dunes — all of it is composed around your dates and your appetite for the road.

Tell us your dates — Start a private brief.