The truth about travelling Morocco: Ancient cities, snowy mountains and famous riads

I’ve woken up in a living labyrinth. This mediaeval city has more than 9000 streets, dating back more than 1200 years.

Despite the energetic fervour of Fes– one of the oldest cities in Morocco – I’m nested in an urban oasis. It’s called a riad, or luxury Moroccan guest house. It’s where Bono finally found what he was looking for: he wrote and recorded music in this very place for two weeks. If it’s good enough for U2, it’s good enough for me too.

I’m exploring the majesty of Morocco with Intrepid Travel, which specialises in small-group tours. And what a godsend. I’m an experienced traveller, but there is no way I would have got this level of adventure by myself.

From dining with nomadic families to finding the best hotels – quite literally amongst thousands of narrow streets where phone maps get easily confused – I would have missed the best of Morocco. And gained a few grey hairs along the way.

We’re also trying something new - Intrepid’s Premium tours. These launched in 2021, and offer extra perks such as better accommodation, the most experienced guides and more meals - to name a few.

One of the lingering questions I have about group tours is what actually happens behind the scenes? And are they really worth it? I’ll be taking you through my daily dairy of the trip to get to the bottom of this.

We'd arrived in Morocco’s busiest city after 25 hours of flying from Christchurch. Casablanca has a dynamic pulse: old-world charm beats through the veins of a cosmopolitan city. It’s exciting. And busy. That is why we were so happy to see a big red Intrepid sign amongst the thousands of people at the airport waiting for relatives. A pickup is included with all premium tours.

After settling into our hotel, we met our guide Abderrahim El Mkadem - who tells us to call him Abdoul. Our group has just eight other guests, from Australia and the United States, and we all instantly click over a welcome dinner of tagine. This traditional dish dates back centuries and has withstood the taste of time. It involves slow-simmered meats, combined with vegetables and spices all cooked in a clay pot. Our tour had only just begun, and our taste buds were already celebrating.

Our day started with a surprise. The Hassan II Mosque is one of the largest in the world; crafted by more than 6,000 artisans over six years. The meticulous work extends from intricate calligraphy right through to a towering minaret that pierces Casablanca’s skyline. It’s also the only mosque in the country open to non-Muslims.

Tens of thousands of people visit daily, but Intrepid was able to get our group an exclusive tour before it opened. Just ten of us were inside a religious marvel that’s designed for more than 20,000 worshippers. It was an ethereal experience.

We then boarded our minibus for the journey to Meknes, one of the country’s four imperial cities. There, we were given a quick tour around a treasure trove of sights including an elaborate mausoleum of the country’s most famous sultan.

The next stop: Volubilis. This stunning site is the best preserved Roman ruins in Africa, where you can walk amongst the remnants of old palatial buildings, complete with elaborate mosaics.

Our day ended in Fes, one of the best-preserved mediaeval cities in the world. There we dined with a local family in their grand home where Madame Chadia served us her age-old family recipe of pastilles. These are pastries filled with savoury meat and a sweet exterior. They sound odd, but are delicious.

After dark, we arrived in a riad made famous by Bono. Down a series of narrow streets (with no name) we were led to Riad El Yacout, our home for the next two nights.

We’ve woken in a dream - our riad looks like something out of a movie set. The centrepiece is a dramatic courtyard that covers multiple storeys, with a grand fountain in the middle of it all. Here, next to the water feature, we all gathered for a breakfast feast.

One of Intrepid’s many strengths is using great guides. Not only are we led by Abdoul, but at every major stop, we have an expert local guide join us. And here in Fes, it's crucial.

The ancient city has 9500 streets packed into a walled town - known in North Africa as a medina. That's as many streets in all the Auckland region, jammed into an enormous maze and surrounded by walls.

Our guide for the day, Aziz Marhaba, was born here but still occasionally gets lost. Aziz takes the front of the group, while Abdoul monitors the rear as we're shepherded through the mediaeval maze.

Aziz shows us the city’s bustling markets, age-old tanneries, fascinating palaces and the world’s first university amongst many other sites.

Fes is the largest medina in the world, and with donkeys instead of cars, its bustling streets feel like a human beehive. The ballet of life flows with a rhythm borne from centuries of tradition. The city’s calm chaos is a spectacle none of us would have fully appreciated without our guides.

This morning we're headed to the mountains. On the way, we stopped for lunch with a Berber family. These are the indigenous population of North Africa, some of whom still practice their centuries-old nomadic lifestyle. Amongst barren mountains, their hospitality was an oasis of warmth and kindness.

From there, our bus weaved up into the Atlas Mountains, home to North Africa’s tallest peak and one of its finest retreats. We spotted camels and monkeys along the way.

Widiane Resort is a sprawling five-star escape, with infinity pools (yes plural) overlooking an expansive lake surrounded by peaks. It’s a little like the Queenstown of Morocco - except on a much smaller scale.

The hotel has three restaurants, including one in a castle-like building - and it’s here we gathered for a fine dining dinner. The food was delicious.

We woke at dawn as the first rays of light bathed the mountains in gold. After a sumptuous buffet with panoramic views, the group boarded a boat for a leisurely tour of the lake. Lunch was served as the boat came to a stop, and drifted in splendid isolation. After a pretty intense few days of sights and sounds, unwinding with a gentle mountain breeze was a soothing balm for the senses.

By evening, we all gathered for another dinner under the setting sun overlooking the lake. Our conversation continued deep into the night as the blue sky was gradually replaced by a canvas of sparkling stars.

We boarded our minivan for another drive through the mountains - this time descending towards the crown jewel in Morocco’s kingdom: Marrakech.

Abdoul told us we were about to pass our driver, Mohamed’s, home town - when one of the group jokingly asked if we could pop by and see what a typical city house looked like.

Within 20 minutes, our bus was parked outside and an impromptu feast of snacks was flying in all directions. Mohamed explained it was an honour for his family to host overseas tourists, and we were all humbled by their hospitality.

After another pit stop at Morocco’s tallest waterfall, we reached a city that needs no introduction: Marrakech. Here we stepped foot in another ornate riad for our two-night stay.

Marrakech is an enchanting place. Under the gaze of snow-capped mountains, ancient palaces can be found next to trendy cafes. Traditional goods, crafted using age-old methods, sit next to modern boutiques. And all of this is wrapped up in a maze of bustling streets.

Our group were given a tour of the major sites, before an afternoon shopping. We gathered for a final rooftop dinner, with the skyline dominated by red sandstone. We all wanted to soak up the scenery, but knowing this was our last night together, we spent most of the time soaking up our shared memories.

After a rooftop breakfast at the riad, we all made our separate ways. I know it would have taken hundreds of hours of planning to try and put this itinerary together myself - and it wouldn't have been anywhere near as good.

Intrepid’s secret is using local guides who intimately know the people, places and landscapes of this incredible country. That left me just one thing to do: sit back and enjoy the trip of a lifetime. And make friends for life too.

Intrepid offers a multitude of Morocco itineraries from roughly $800 to more than $4000 per person. The tours range from a few days to multi-weeks.

Our tour was the eight-day Premium Morocco Highlights starting from $2547 per person, including a complimentary airport transfer, many meals, better accommodation options and tipping. Intrepid is the world's largest travel B-Corp and is a carbon-neutral business. Each tour is carbon offset. See:

Emirates, Qatar and Etihad (via Sydney) offer flights via their Middle East hubs to Casablanca.

Safe Travel has a level two or four rating for Morocco, “exercise increased caution.” You can read the latest advice here: