Fly in the day before and take a taxi to our city hotel. Settle in and rest. Next morning wake refreshed and ready to launch into the tour!

Welcome to Morocco!

We’ll meet you at Casablanca Airport and whisk you to Morocco’s capital, Rabat. There you can settle into our hotel and explore at leisure.

A full day in this quiet elegant city is the perfect introduction to the country. We will participate in a stitching workshop and enjoy a demonstration or two. We’ll also fit in tours of some of the outstanding buildings in the city, from the Hassan Tower to the Kasbah des Oudaias which houses a museum showcasing Moroccan art and history.

Our journey towards Fes will take us further back in time, as we stop along the way to admire 18th and 17th century edifices and then the Roman site of Volubilis. Be prepared to get up close to ancient mosaics in the ruins of this 3rd Century BC town. Days in our riad (a large traditional house built around a central courtyard) in Fes will give us the opportunity to explore the old quarter of the city, participate in a woolly workshop, meet ladies of a button co-operative, see mosaic tile work up close and of course visit more masterpieces of Islamic architecture and craftwork. Mint tea will certainly feature too.

A day of contrasts as we drive through cedar forests, stop in a positively Alpine town on the snowline, and try to spot Barbary macaques by the roadside. As we head south through the Middle Atlas mountains we’ll visit a weaving school founded by Franciscan sisters in 1926 and now expanded to incorporate embroidery workshops as well as an orphanage and primary school.

Our mountain travels continue south, with time to stop and wander through a ksar - a fortified village built of mud bricks  - which offers an insight into Berber life and desert architecture in its museum.

The Dades Valley is famous for its deep gorges where the exposed stone changes hue as the sun travels across the sky. We’ll enjoy two nights at a quirky hotel at an altitude of 1600 meters, basking in sunshine and with a view to snowy mountains. It is furnished with African artefacts and also features a spa, pool and baths for your delight.

We’ll travel west to Marrakech, through the Valley of Roses where we can pop in to visit a sweet-smelling rosewater co-operative and, more dramatically, climb up to explore Ait Benhaddou, a huge UNESCO-listed fortified village set against the dramatic desert landscape. There may also be time to visit a rather wonderful rug weaving workshop and gallery. They ship…

In Marrakech itself the stunningly elegant Bahia Palace will call to us - stuccos, paintings, mosaics, gardens, fountains - it has them all. We will be sure to visit the famous Jardin Majorelle too; it's a huge contrast to the Palace but such a celebration of color and form.

ESSAOUIRA

We’re off to the seaside, and the charming town of Essaouira. The walled city was designed by a Frenchman and is much airier than those older examples we will have encountered in Fes and Marrakech. It’s a comfortable place to slow down and wander the wide streets after the buzz of the cities. Stroll on the beach, watch fishermen in the harbor unloading their catches, indulge in people-watching; it’s yet another side to this fascinating country.

We'll have a guided walking tour of Essaouira in the morning before we board our coach and drive up the coast all the way to Casablanca. There we’ll settle in for a final night on Moroccan soil and share our favorite memories of the tour over a meal together.

A morning coach transfer to Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport will ensure an easy start to our journeys homeward.

Lindsay, aka  “The Border Tart”, is a stitcher, a printer, a maker and a lover of words. Inspired by color and pattern and passionate about world artisans and textiles, she values most highly all things made by hand. She’s a proponent of mindful stitching and hand work of all kinds. In her words, “Making with your own hands brings pleasure, calms the heart rate and imbues each piece with love.” You’ll find her images, thoughts and adventures on Instagram at @bordertart. We’re so pleased to collaborate with this wonderful Scottish artisan and teacher.