Morocco has attracted countless painters, writers and filmmakers, all hoping to capture its sensual and spiritual magic. But the unreal exoticism of this ancient land has an immediacy you need to live firsthand.

Start with an evening stroll on the Place Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech, among food vendors and soothsayers, henna artists and snake charmers, Gnaoua musicians and tooth pullers, street jugglers and medicine men. Nearby in the maze-like souk, choose a hand-painted tajine or bargain for a kilim with a Berber rug merchant. Or just linger at a spice trader's stall, breathing in the scents of ginger, cumin, turmeric, saffron, mint, coriander, cinnamon – and of course salt from the Sahara.

Travel east on the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, crossing the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka Pass as you follow the caravan route to Timbuktu – and catch your first glimpse of the magnificent ksar of Aït Benhaddou, whose sun-baked walls have sheltered travellers for centuries (and transported us back to earlier times in films from Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator).

Journey into the High Atlas, taking a spectacular helicopter flight over the mountains to a luxurious valley retreat. Then walk winding mule trails through fruit orchards and terraced fields, picnicking by waterfalls and stopping for tea in remote Berber villages. From the summit of Jebel Toubkal you can see the Sahara – then drink from the spring at Sidi Chamarouch (renowned for reviving tired legs) en route to Toubkal Lodge in the beautiful Azzadene Valley.

At your exclusive camp among the dunes of Erg Chegaga, awake after a night of music and feasting with the Tuareg nomads to experience the pure silence of a desert dawn. Then carry on by camel or hot-air balloon – or take a heli-flight back to your palatial kasbah to relax poolside and indulge in a hammam massage.

Walk seaside ramparts in the fabled port of Essaouira, then browse artisans' shops in the medina and dine on seafood above a harbour once frequented by Phoenician sailors. Further up the Atlantic coast, try kite surfing or search for the castles made of sand mythologized by Jimi Hendrix.

And everywhere you travel in Morocco, from the labyrinthine streets and rooftop cafés of Fes and Meknès to date-palm oases filled with magical desert light, expect a warm welcome from people who are deeply proud of their culture and have a long tradition of extending hospitality to travellers.