Morocco: Land of the Kasbahs

You are met on arrival and given VIP assistance in clearing customs formalities and collecting your luggage; then travel by private vehicle to your unique vintage townhouse hotel, located in the heart of the city. Originally settled by Berbers in the seventh century, Casablanca today is a bustling, French-influenced center. This afternoon, join your guide for a tour of this port city, stopping at the formidable Hassan II Grand Mosque. Its minaret is the tallest religious structure in the world, and part of the mosque’s floor is glass, enabling worshippers to kneel directly over the sea. Enjoy dinner at Rick’s Café, housed in a 1930’s mansion and based on the café everybody came to in the famous film Casablanca.

Meet your private A&K guide, an affable local resident and an expert on Morocco’s culture and traditions, who accompanies you throughout your journey in Morocco. Board a charter flight to Er-Rachidia, and on arrival have lunch in Erfoud. Hop into a four-wheel-drive vehicle for a drive across the stunning Erg Chebbi Dunes to your exclusive A&K Desert Tented Camp in a remote area of the Sahara Desert. You are welcomed with mint tea and pastries and led to your private Moroccan caidal-styled tent that combines elements of Berber and Bedouin styles. Decorated with colorful carpets, it comfortably sleeps two, and has its own private bathroom with a shower and toilet next door. Set off on camelback in the evening and begin exploring the sand dunes. Return to your nomadic accommodations before sitting down to a Bedouin dinner served around the campfire.

The drive today takes you across the southern slopes of the High Atlas range and through the Dades Valley. Along the way, stop at some of the many date palmeries and a small, private museum that houses exhibits showcasing local art, culture and history. Travel the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” and view the amazing 17th-century Amerhidl Kasbah; its façade appears on the Moroccan 50-dirham note. After lunch, continue to your home for the next two nights — a luxurious 19th-century kasbah that was part of a sultan’s private hunting ground in the Skoura Oasis. Dar Ahlam means “house of dreams,” and the name suits it well. Enter what seems like a dreamscape, where colorful veils, lanterns and candles — and only 12 rooms — ensure complete privacy, setting the mood for romance. Sit by the fireplace, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colors; have lunch in the garden or olive grove; or dine in a secluded corner of the kasbah or even on a hidden terrace.

Not far from the desert oasis of Skoura is Ouarzazate Lake, where you take a walk and then sit down to a delightful picnic lunch on its shores. If you look across the lake you can see the mountains and desert; on a windy day, the waters toss and swell like the ocean. Afterward, return to your kasbah for a refreshing swim and maybe a massage. This evening, savor a romantic dinner in an equally romantic setting: in the gardens under the almond trees, in the palm grove or on the riverbank.

Spend some time wandering around Ouarzazate, a city originally built as a French garrison in the 1920s and now known for its pottery and carpets. Afterward, visit the Glaoui Kasbah of Taourit. One of Morocco’s most beautiful kasbahs, it consists of a network of luxury apartments, simple clay houses and crenellated towers decorated with geometric motifs. Continue to the fortified village of Ait Benhaddou, where some of the world’s most elaborate and decorative kasbahs are found. See how they seem to defy the laws of gravity as they perch upon the sleep slope. Ait Benhaddou’s charms have also reached all the way to Hollywood. Many popular movies, including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, Gladiator and The Mummy have been filmed here. After lunch in a local restaurant, continue to exotic Marrakech, the “Pearl of the South,” and your Moorish-style palace hotel.

Morocco’s most famous city, Marrakech is veiled in mystery and magic. Visit the medina, the old walled section of the city, where most of the architectural attractions are located. Begin with a stop at Koutoubia Mosque and its 12th-century minaret, which dominates the local skyline. Make your way to vibrant Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakech’s main square. Watch as fire-eaters, mime artists, snake charmers and street musicians perform at every turn. Continue walking and look for the Saadian Tombs, decorated in Granada-style carving and hidden away behind high walls. Discover how the privileged lived in the 19th century when you wander Bahia Palace to see the beautiful mosaics, fountains and courtyards. At the Museum of Moroccan Arts and Crafts, housed in the beautiful Dar Si Said palace, view stunning traditional woven carpets and Berber silver jewelry. Afterward, return to your hotel to experience a very important part of Moroccan culture and life: a hammam (steam bath). More than a steam bath, the hammam is a ritual. Soak in hot, soft water, lather up with a special penetrating black soap and exfoliate for revived skin. Follow up with a cold shower and an incredibly relaxing massage in a warm, darkened room — total bliss.

High up in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco’s tallest and most majestic range, see traditional villages clinging to the almost vertical sides of the valley. Spend your day exploring the Atlas Mountains and its flora and fauna with your private guide, and gain insight into the daily lives of the villagers. While you have lunch at Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot, admire the fabulous views of the mountains. Later this afternoon, return to your hotel for a relaxing massage. Conclude your romantic holiday with dinner for two served in a private room or under the stars in the hotel’s garden.

Privately transfer to the airport to board your departure flight.