After collecting you from your hotel or riad at 08.00am, we set off towards Ouarzazate enjoying the spectacular scenery as we climb upwards to the important Tizi-n-Tichka pass – the highest major mountain pass in North Africa - nestled at a height of 2,260m in the High Atlas Mountains.

As with the rest of the tour, your driver will stop off en route for photo opportunities of breathtaking views, ever-changing colours and the scenic beauty of the many Berber villages throughout our travels.

We take a detour from the main road to Ouarzazate to wind our way through what was formerly known as the Salt Route – salt being one of the many commodities along with gold, ivory and slaves that were brought from the Sahara to be traded at Marrakech and onward destinations.

Their journey would pass through Telouet, home of the legendary Glaoui family who ran the rule over passing traffic with taxes while keeping watch for any threatening behavior from elsewhere in the south of the country.

Outwardly, little remains of the once magnificent Kasbah Telouet, home of the self-appointed “Lord of the Atlas” – Pasha Glaoui. But once inside, as you make your way through a maze of crumbling passageways, you can truly appreciate the opulent lifestyle enjoyed by generations of this family from the 18th century to as recently as 1956.

Continuing our descent through the valley, we arrive next at the UNESCO world heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou. Dating back to the 17th Century – and another place of rest for the camel caravans - this ksar is an outstanding example of early southern Morocco architecture.

And, not only will you be stepping back in time here, you can also follow in the footsteps of film stars who have appeared in productions such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones which used this magnificent backdrop for some of their location shoots. Overnight in Ait Ben Haddou.

After breakfast, we leave the history and majesty of Aït Ben Haddou behind us we head towards Ouarzazate, now a holiday destination in its own right but more widely known as the “doorway to the Sahara Desert” and as the location for Morocco’s largest film studios.

Here, we visit another stronghold and palace of the Glaoui clan – the Kasbah of Taourirt. Although the 19th century structure is partly ruined, with the support of UNESCO, restoration work is making progress as you are guided through a maze of rooms and corridors to transport you back hundreds of years with an insight into the glorious life of the Glaoui.

From one Kasbah to the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs next as we travel through the oasis at Skoura, surrounded by palm groves, towards the Valley of the Roses, renowned as Morocco’s prime centre for rose cultivation and production of rose-based products.

During early summer, the air has a magical rose-scented aura to complement the fabulous array of colours you will see. The Berber villagers also grow and harvest Persian roses to make creams, soaps and rose water for sale throughout Morocco and for export abroad.

More photographic opportunities await as we head back into the mountains following the path of the Dadès River. Unusual and incredible rock formations – resembling the feet of monkeys – unfold in the Tamnalt Hills. After the striking red and mauve rock  and the cliff-hanging Berber villages along the twists and turns through the Dadès Gorge, we head for the neighbouring Todra Gorge.

Here you can enjoy the glorious, fresh mountain air and take a trek through some of the 300m high – and sometimes just 20m wide - canyons which are popular with both amateur and professional rock climbers. Overnight in the Todra Gorge amidst this spectacular scenery.

After breakfast – and in the shadow of the early morning sun – we head out of the Todra Gorge on our journey towards Erfoud and Rissani, the latter being an important staging post along a former caravan route and settlement of the Alouite, the early conquerors of Morocco.

By now, the scenery has changed dramatically to the wide-open plains that serve as a prelude to the desert and the Erg Chebbi dunes just beyond Merzouga that loom on the horizon during the afternoon.

On arrival at Erg Chebbi, we change our mode of transport at an auberge for a two-hour camel trek into the desert. You’ll have the opportunity to witness a fabulous Saharan sunset and take in some dramatic desert scenery as our guides escort us to their Berber camp behind an oasis in the heart of the Moroccan desert.

Here you can enjoy a traditional Berber meal and entertainment before becoming entranced by the total darkness and peace of the desert.

With your accommodation in a Nomadic-style tent and a crystal clear sky full of stars, this will be a night to remember!

The day begins early in the Berber desert camp – especially if you want to capture the magic of the Saharan sunrise. Our camels await to for the return trek to the auberge where you can freshen up and enjoy a traditional Berber breakfast.

We set off towards Fès with the first part of our route taking us to the end of the Ziz Valley where again we pass through Rissani.

With its imposing ‘bab’, the old city of Rissani – noted especially for its donkey market - is a popular market town for traders and nomads, some of whom you may see wearing bright, indigo-coloured robes, the distinctive outfit of the Saharan people.

Once more the scenery begins to change as we climb through the valleys and the mountains. En route, we pass through the French-influenced market town of Midelt, Azrou and the lush, green cedar forests of Ifran (watch out for the monkeys!).

As the evening of our fourth day approaches, we arrive in Fès where we return you to your hotel or riad.