We’ll have a slow breakfast before we venture out for some artisan shopping and a visit to the lovely Le Jardin Secret-a former 18th government palace restored to a public access garden. After lunch you can really ease in to Moroccan life with a ritual hammam scrub and relaxing massage at a local spa. After returning home, we will have an optional craft session on the terrace while we sip wine and enjoy tapas at sunset.

Breakfast and late morning photography wander. Capture the textures, light, and soul of the Medina markets through the lens of your camera or phone. You’ll be guided to follow the rhythm of your eyes to explore the Medina and take photographs you can use later for our collage work or just to enjoy the memories! We’ll continue to explore the Medina and enjoy lunch and henna sessions at the Marrakech Henna Art Café. End the day with a group dinner at Maison 28.

Studio day for creative play. Spend a day in our Hand to Hand studio with Melanie learning how to create custom stamps and printing plates that you can use along with stencils to create collage papers for artwork and decoupage. We will utilize some of these papers in our other art days to follow. Dinner together at a restaurant in the “new city” area of Gueliz.

Morning travel from Marrakech over the Tizi N’Tichka pass towards Ouarzazate. On the way, we’ll stop at the Kasbah Telouet: the former home of one of the most powerful Pashas of 20th Century Morocco, Thami El Glaoui, the “Lord of the Atlas.” Then we will continue on to explore the famous Kasbah of Aїt Benhaddou, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Dinner and overnight stay in Ouarzazate.

Our journey through the land of a thousand Kasbah’s continues after breakfast as we continue south for visit and lunch in a 16th century Kasbah in an ancient Ksar (fortified village) in the beautiful Draa Valley. We will stop to visit a silver-making atelier in the Jewish Kasbah of Amezrou before arriving at our home for 3 nights, Kasbah Aitisfoul.

After breakfast we will visit the weekly souk in the nearby village of Tagounite and then travel the short distance to the pottery making village of Tamegroute. After lunch at Aitisfoul we start our Encaustic painting studio work pulling ideas from the essence of Moroccan life, its people, designs and culture and fusing it with our captures in wax.

After breakfast and more studio time feel free to explore local life in the desert around Ait Isfoul, wandering the Palm Oasis and Kasbah or simply relaxing by the pool. The evening brings a private concert of the “desert blues” sounds of the music of Daraa Tribes while we gather under the star-filled Saharan night sky.

Today our adventure begins in 4 x 4’s, as our route passes different features of the desert. The Erg Chegaga dunes are far away from civilization, allowing you to really feel the overwhelming tranquility and expanse of the desert. Chase the light and color of the sand as you climb up the dune after our a camel trek to view a Sahara sunset. The evening will have us enjoying local desert drums under the sheltering desert sky as we fall sleep in our luxury Bivouac tents.

After a beautiful sunrise and breakfast, our track covers the desert with varying scenery – sand dunes, stony plains, and the dry lake Iriqui – as we make our way to the village of Foum Zguid, for lunch. We will continue on to Marrakech via a route through the High Atlas Mountains, enjoying a stop in the Berber carpet town of Tazenakht and astonishing views along the route. A casual dinner awaits us back at Maison 28.

We’ll have a leisurely late breakfast after our travel day. Then head out to the Medina to visit some of Melanie’s favorite souk artisans, learn about their craft, discover their stories, and possibly try a little hands-on work. Later we will head out for dinner together at a restaurant in the “new city” area of Gueliz.

After breakfast we will weave together your art techniques and travel experiences to create a mixed media collage reflective of your journey to and through Morocco. Lori Gordon will help to lead you through the process of layering her printed photographic images with your handmade papers, possibly incorporating mementos from your travels to create a special memory of your journey. Enjoy the evening free to explore dinner on your own.

After breakfast, the day is yours to plan your own adventure in Marrakech. Visit gardens, and museums, indulge in some last-minute shopping, or just relax! Come home to Maison 28 to enjoy live Gnaoua music and a buffet dinner as we celebrate our amazing time together.

Enjoy your last Maison 28 Breakfast before your private transport to the airport leaving mid-morning. It’s our wish that you depart with the knowledge that the journey itself is the ultimate destination…