Luxury Travel in Morocco: Palace Riads, Desert Camps and Slow Days

Where to stay

• Palace riads in Fez and Marrakech: restored family houses with courtyards, roof terraces and only a handful of rooms.
• Luxury camps at Erg Chebbi: private tents with real beds, en suite bathrooms, dinner under the stars and quiet at night.
• Kasbah hotels in the south, in the Dades and Skoura oases.
• Mountain lodges in the High Atlas, run with the villages around them.
• Small hotels on the coast at Essaouira and Oualidia.

What makes a trip feel luxurious

• A private guide who is also your driver, so there is no waiting.
• Early starts at the big sights, before the crowds.
• Private visits to workshops and homes, not shops.
• A slower route with two nights in each place.
• Spa and hammam time built into the days.

See our 5 Day Luxury Desert Tour and Romantic Morocco.

Luxury that respects the place

Many travelers now want comfort that also does some good. Look for camps that use solar power and employ local families, riads that heat water with the sun and cook with local produce, and village visits arranged through cooperatives, where the money stays in the community. I choose partners I know well, and I am happy to explain where your money goes.

Signature moments

• A sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Marrakech palm grove and the Atlas.
• A private hammam and argan oil massage in a palace spa.
• Dinner by candlelight in the Agafay stone desert.
• A private tour of a Fez palace or a garden opened by appointment.
• Two nights in a luxury camp at Erg Chebbi, with a private dinner on the dunes.
• A day in the High Atlas around Asni, with lunch on a terrace facing Toubkal.

Best routes

Route	Why it works
Marrakech to the Sahara and back	Kasbahs, oases and a luxury camp in 4 or 5 days
Fez, the desert and Marrakech	The classic crossing with palace riads at each end
Atlas and Berber valleys	Lodges, gentle walks and village life
Marrakech and the coast	Gardens, then sea air in Essaouira

When to go

March to May and September to November are the most comfortable. Desert camps are cold at night in winter, but the best camps have heated tents. See best time to visit Morocco.