Arrive a day ahead of the tour and let Morocco come to you slowly. You'll be met at Casablanca airport with VIP fast-track assistance and transferred privately to Le Casablanca Hotel, a refined Art Deco property in the heart of the city. The afternoon and evening are yours to shake off the flight, before joining Emma for a drink at the hotel bar at 6pm. This extra night, along with the welcome and transfer, is included in your tour cost.

The tour opens with a guided visit to the Hassan II Mosque, its 210 metre minaret the tallest in Africa and its prayer hall built partly over the Atlantic, glass floor panels revealing the waves below. Lunch is at Rick's Café, a lovingly detailed recreation of cinema's most famous bar; carved arches, brass railings and a piano playing As Time Goes By. The afternoon wanders the Habous Quarter, where the olive market, hand-woven carpets and the honey-soaked cornes de gazelle at Pâtisserie Bennis, baking since 1930, reward the curious. We gather at 7.30pm for our official welcome dinner at the hotel.

We farewell Casablanca and follow the Atlantic south, pausing at the coastal town of Oualidia to stretch our legs over mint tea before a seaside seafood lunch with crisp white wine and salty air. By afternoon we reach Essaouira, a windswept town long adopted by artists, musicians and wanderers, where the day's catch shapes every menu. Our home for the next two nights is Le Palazzo, a seaside gem steeped in history with a contemporary feel and a rooftop terrace made for sunset. As the light fades over the water we'll raise a glass to the day, then settle into some local delicacies.

Breakfast here unfolds slowly; strong coffee, pastries still warm, and no reason to hurry. Our guide Leila leads a gentle morning through the medina's uncrowded cobbled streets, past silversmiths at work in small ateliers, fragrant thuja wood inlay and concept stores run by people who chose Essaouira precisely because it isn't Marrakech. The afternoon is yours: a beach walk with coffee in hand, horse riding along the sand, or one last find in the souks. This is the place to slow down and let the town set the pace.

Today we trade the coast for the lunar stillness of the Agafay, a rocky desert in quiet conversation with the High Atlas. Scarabeo Les Roches Noires Camp sits lightly on a hillside with magnificent views; the camp moves every six months and genuinely leaves no trace, its simple luxury matched by excellent food and thoughtful service. A sunset camel trek moves at the desert's own pace before we gather on a ridge, then around the campfire with live music. Dinner is a three-course desert banquet served by candlelight, beneath a glittering blanket of stars.

Three days to take the Red City at our own speed, based at Riad Nashira, a stylish and peaceful retreat amid the buzz. Highlights include a guided visit to the Majorelle Gardens and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, a traditional lamb lunch in Mechoui Alley and sunset over Jemaa el-Fnaa as the night markets stir. There's time to lose yourself in the eighteen souks spiralling out from the square, each devoted to a trade, alongside concept stores, hammams and unhurried leisure. Your guide and driver remain on hand throughout.

We leave Marrakech for the Ourika Valley, pausing for lunch with a Berber family along the way. Kasbah Bab Ourika crowns a hilltop at the valley's apex, built from rammed earth so it seems to grow from the rock, looking down to the river, olive groves and the snow-capped Atlas beyond. The villa is exclusively ours; a private base of Berber style, mid-century pieces, vintage furniture, a large pool and gardens with panoramic views. As the light shifts across the mountains we sit down to a candlelit dinner sourced from the kitchen garden and the surrounding valley.

Rise and watch the light wake the valley below, then shape the day entirely to your liking. Bab Ourika opens onto national park, with walking and trekking for every level, Berber markets and local artisans close by. If stillness calls instead, the spa awaits with traditional hammam, massages and beauty treatments. Lunch follows wherever the day takes you; dinner brings us back together on the terrace.

A short flight from Marrakech delivers us to Fes, Morocco's spiritual and intellectual capital, founded in the 9th century and home to the world's oldest continuously operating university. The medina, Fes el-Bali, is the largest car-free urban zone on earth; 9,000 alleyways connecting more than 300 mosques, countless fondouks and workshops where craftsmen still practise medieval trades. We take an afternoon overview of the city before checking into Le Jardin des Biehn, our riad home for the nights ahead. Dinner tonight is at the riad.

A full day delving into the soul of Fes, privately guided through the medieval labyrinth of the medina. We visit the tanneries, still operating with 11th century methods, centuries-old madrasas and artisan workshops devoted to weaving, ceramics and embroidery. Lunch is in the medina itself. Come evening, a local family welcomes us into their home for a home-cooked dinner; a heartfelt glimpse into daily Moroccan life.

Fes rewards a second look, and today we return to the medina with fresh eyes. There's time for the corners we passed too quickly, the workshops that deserve a longer conversation, and the pieces you've been thinking about since yesterday. The pace is gentler; wander, watch the city function as it has for a millennium, or simply retreat to the courtyard garden at Le Jardin des Biehn. The evening is ours to enjoy at the riad.