Marrakesh, the High Atlas Mountains & Essaouira

Today, your private guide takes you around the city, giving you an excellent grounding into its history and culture. The tour includes visits to the beautiful Saadian Tombs, where the bodies of sultans and their families have rested for centuries; the imposing Koutoubia Mosque; the Bahia Palace; and the 15th-century Jewish Quarter. This afternoon, you're led through the maze-like souq, visiting the many different quarters where craftsmen can be seen hard at work producing anything from leather baboucha shoes to cactus silk scarves and traditional lanterns.

Today, visit the Majorelle Gardens and Yves Saint Laurent Museum with your private guide. The gardens are a welcome contrast to the noise of the souqs. In the Pierre Bergé Museum, you can admire items once belonging to Amazigh tribes, while the Yves Saint Laurent 'Galerie Love' displays vibrant paintings created by the French fashion designer. In the evening, head to Djemaa El Fna, the city's lively main square, where street performers draw in crowds and open-air restaurants serve freshly cooked food.

This morning, travel to the coastal town of Essaouira. The landscape is fairly flat most of the way, with the Atlas Mountains rising in the distance on a clear day. As you get closer to the coast, it becomes greener and hillier, with olive groves and argan trees growing in the fields. You will stop at a women's argan oil co-operative, where the women show you how to retrieve oil from the argan seeds. Arriving at your hotel in Essaouira, spend the rest of the day exploring the town's medina, which is far quieter than Marrakesh's.

Spend today getting to know Essaouira. Head out early with your private guide to watch fishermen unloading their catch from their blue boats in the port. You'll follow this with a stroll along the historic ramparts, enjoying views of the city and sea. You can then explore more of the medina, which is very compact and features many stalls and shops selling bright rugs, decorated plates and an array of spices.

Spend another day in Essaouira, perhaps buying a few souvenirs or browsing the market. In the afternoon, you join a Moroccan pastry workshop and learn how to make sweet treats such as almond gazelle horns and orange blossom biscuits. The Place Moulay Hassan public square is a good spot to enjoy a drink or an ice cream while watching the world go by. In the evening, there are many restaurants and bars overlooking the bay where live music can be enjoyed over a tasty meal and a sundowner.

This morning your private driver picks you up for the transfer to the High Atlas Mountains. As you travel into the mountains the landscape completely changes to rolling foothills, deep, green valleys and rugged mountains, some of which may be capped with snow. Once you arrive at your hotel, you can take time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and peaceful atmosphere.

On your first full day in the Atlas Mountains, you visit a local Amazigh village with a guide, where you will make a tagine and bake bread with an Amazigh family and learn about their way of life. Afterwards, visit the Assafou Foundation, which provides free education to children living in these rural communities. Here, you can see where local women learn skills such as weaving so that they can sell their handicrafts at local markets or in Marrakesh's souqs.

Today you head out with your private, local guide who will take you on a full-day trek in the High Atlas Mountains. There are lots of routes to suit most fitness levels, and your guide can tailor the hike to you. You may hike up to 1,500m, to the Tagdale Passe, which has stunning views across the Ourika Valley and High Atlas peaks. You have lunch with a local family and have some time to relax before you continue your hike in the afternoon. Return to your hotel in the evening for a well-deserved dinner and some time to rest.

Your private driver will pick you up for the journey back to Marrakesh Airport in time for your onward flight. Make the most of the views as you travel through the mountains one last time. Your return flight will arrive the same day.