Morocco sets old and new side by side: the pink-walled medina of Marrakech, the high peaks of the Atlas and the whitewashed ramparts of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. We stay in small, restored riads and guest houses, with a private guide and driver who make the contrasts feel effortless.

Expect a morning in the souks with a local guide, a Berber lunch in a mountain valley and fish grilled at the harbour. Best from March to May and from September to November, when days are warm and evenings are mild.