Morocco

Marrakesh, Meknes, Rabat, and Fez — each imperial city is steeped in Moorish history and alive with vibrant culture. Fez, the oldest, was founded over 1,200 years ago. Their medinas and souks are a swirling mix of colour, scent, sound, and trade — places of wonder and centuries-old tradition.

In the Middle Atlas, ancient cedar forests offer a cool, green contrast to the desert. Some trees are over 400 years old. Tracks wind beneath the shaded canopy, where you might encounter Barbary macaques, North African boar, and birdlife like the cedar waxwing — all thriving in this high-altitude refuge.

At 1,100 km, the Draa is Morocco’s longest river, crossing the Sahara on its journey to the sea. We follow sand and rock tracks along its course, through wide, empty spaces where fossil beds reveal creatures from 500 million years ago — when this desert was an ancient ocean.

Stretching from the Algerian border to the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlas Mountains form the rugged backbone of Morocco. Tracks like the Tizi-n-Tazazert pass climb steeply into high country where Berber villages cling to cliff faces. Each valley speaks its own dialect and lives its own way of life. The scenery is raw and breathtaking — and the driving, unforgettable.

Here in Morocco, the Sahara reaches its northern edge — a breathtaking expanse of sand seas, rocky plateaus, dry riverbeds, and jagged mountains. After rare rains in the Atlas, flash floods can surge through these ancient channels. Wildlife is returning: Cuvier’s gazelles roam here, and with luck, you might spot the elusive Arabian oryx. We stay in luxurious desert-edge hotels and remote tented camps among the dunes of Chegaga.