Morocco Honeymoon: Riads, Desert Luxury & the Coast

Today you explore dazzling Marrakech hand in hand with your guide. You visit the exquisite Bahia Palace, a masterpiece of carved cedar and painted ceilings, and the tranquil blue Majorelle Garden once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, and wander the labyrinthine souks together, discovering carpets, lanterns, leather and spices, and sharing mint tea in a hidden garden cafe. In the afternoon you unwind together with a couples hammam and spa experience, a sensuous ritual of steam, black soap and massage that leaves you glowing. As dusk falls you plunge into the great square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, alive with storytellers, musicians and sizzling food stalls, before a candlelit dinner on a rooftop overlooking the medina. As the day ends, you return to your riad, enchanted by the Red City. Rest well, for tomorrow you cross the High Atlas towards the desert.

Today you leave the city for the dramatic south. You cross the High Atlas by the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass, with breathtaking views over Berber villages and terraced valleys, and descend to the mighty kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of towered mud-brick houses glowing gold above a river, climbing its lanes together for sweeping views. You visit nearby Ouarzazate, gateway to the desert, then wind along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through palm oases and rose valleys into the rose-red Dades Gorge, where dramatic rock formations and hairpin roads climb between glowing cliffs. As the day ends, you settle into your romantic hotel in the Dades Gorge amid the red rocks. This evening, share a candlelit tagine dinner beneath the stars in the profound quiet of the mountains. Rest well amid the cinematic beauty of the south.

Today you journey to the golden dunes for the romantic heart of your honeymoon. You travel to the towering Todra Gorge, where pink cliffs rise three hundred metres above a cool green river, and walk together beneath the immense walls. You then drive east to Merzouga, on the edge of the great dunes of Erg Chebbi. In the late afternoon the two of you ride a camel caravan into the dunes, the sand glowing amber, and climb a high crest to watch a spectacular Sahara sunset. As night falls you reach your luxurious desert camp of elegant tents with proper beds and en-suite bathrooms, sharing a candlelit dinner beneath a canopy of countless stars, with Berber music on the night air. As the day ends, you settle into the magical camp, the great dunes all around. Rest well wrapped together beneath the stars of the Sahara.

This morning you wake early and wrap up warm to watch a breathtaking sunrise spill over the dunes of Erg Chebbi together, the sand shifting through pink, gold and amber, before riding your camel back out of the desert for breakfast. You then set off on the scenic drive back towards Marrakech, retracing the kasbah trail through Ouarzazate and over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the ever-changing landscapes of palm valleys and red mountains unfolding around you. As the day ends, you arrive back in the Red City and settle into your riad for the night. This evening, relax together on a rooftop terrace with mint tea or a glass of wine, reflecting on the magical desert night you have shared. Rest well, for tomorrow you make for the Atlantic coast and the windswept charm of Essaouira.

Today you make for the Atlantic coast and the enchanting port of Essaouira. You drive west from Marrakech across the plains, passing groves of argan trees where you can stop at a women's cooperative to see the famous argan oil being made by hand. You reach Essaouira, a blue-and-white walled port of honey-coloured ramparts, breezy beaches and a bohemian, artistic soul, in time to settle into your charming seafront riad or hotel. In the late afternoon the two of you stroll the sea walls with the wind and gulls, watch the blue fishing boats in the busy port, and share a feast of freshly grilled seafood by the harbour as the sun sinks into the Atlantic. As the day ends, you savour the mellow, ocean-fresh atmosphere. Rest well by the sea in romantic Essaouira, lulled by the sound of the waves.

Today you relax together in windswept, whitewashed Essaouira at your own pace. You might wander the relaxed medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of woodcarvers, jewellers and art galleries, browsing for thuya-wood crafts and paintings, or simply linger over coffee in a sunny square. You could stroll or ride horses along the vast sweeping beach, try a kitesurfing or windsurfing lesson in the famous Atlantic breeze, or take a boat trip along the coast. Above all, this is a day to unwind together after the adventures of city and desert, savouring the mellow, artistic, ocean-fresh charm of this most romantic of Moroccan ports. As the day ends, you share a final romantic dinner of fresh seafood and Moroccan flavours overlooking the harbour. Rest well by the sea, reflecting on the magical honeymoon you have shared across Morocco.

After a final, relaxed morning by the Atlantic in Essaouira, perhaps a last stroll on the ramparts or the beach and a leisurely breakfast, you are transferred back to Marrakech Menara Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having shared the most romantic experiences of Morocco, a luxury riad in dazzling Marrakech, the mighty kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou and the dramatic gorges, a camel trek and a candlelit night at a luxurious Sahara desert camp beneath the stars, and the windswept charm of coastal Essaouira. The images stay vivid long after you land, the candlelit courtyards of the riad, the camels on the golden dunes at sunset, the countless desert stars and the blue boats of Essaouira. Morocco has given your honeymoon colour, luxury, adventure and romance in abundance, and the two of you depart already dreaming of a return to this magical country.