7AM : Take a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise, with the Ciel d’Afrique agency, soaring over the wild Atlas foothills, pale-green patchwork fields and ochre-hued Amazigh villages – all with the Koutoubia Mosque in the distance.

10AM : At breakfast, drink in the colours and scents at Bacha Coffee, an elegant, nostalgic space in a palace that was once home to the last pasha of Marrakesh. Choose from a selection of grand-cru coffees and a range of sweet and savoury treats, including unforgettable pastries.

11AM : Time travel across continents through the treasures in the Monde des Arts de la Parure collections. The necklaces, bracelets, rings, diadems, ceremonial clothing and other finery all tell of rituals established to celebrate love and face death.

NOON : Search for rare finds in Mustapha Blaoui’s emporium of wonders, featuring several storeys of rugs, chandeliers, ceramics, tableware and much more. Then sip a mint tea and listen to the owner himself tell fabulous tales of his forty years in this medina lair.

1PM : Have lunch in a service station on the route to Fez. Families, regulars and lorry drivers fill the big tables on the terrace at Al Baraka, where the tagines simmer away all morning long. A modest feast served with the requisite mint tea.

2PM : Discover contemporary art from Africa at MACAAL. This museum is testament to the continent’s flourishing art scene. The luminous, airy building – at once traditional and futurist – complements the impressive exhibitions.

4PM : Score the perfect hat at André le Chapelier. The shelves in this diminutive boutique sag under handcrafted headwear of all materials, colours and shapes.

5PM : Get pampered in the serene Bains de Tarabel spa, a well-kept secret among those in the know. The hammam, massages and other treatments offered in this soothing space take self-care to the next level.

7PM : Watch the sun disappear behind the Koutoubia Mosque from the Dardar rooftop bar to the sounds of a DJ and birdsong, cocktail in hand. Then turn around to take in the Atlas peaks in the afterglow.

9PM : Treat yourself to a celebratory dinner at the Royal Mansour’s La Grande Table Marocaine. The kitchens of this temple to high-end Moroccan cuisine ­– now helmed by French chef Hélène Darroze – turn out the purest of flavours, concentrated and taken to other-worldly heights.

MIDNIGHT : Raise a glass in honour of Sir Winston Churchill in the bar that bears his name at the La Mamounia hotel. With its refined oak and tan leather decor and horseshoe-shaped black marble bar, this intimately lit space is well-suited to tête-à-têtes.

3AM : Let loose on the dance floor at Theatro amidst the colourful laser lights. The most extravagant club in Marrakesh does not look its seventy years. Resident and guest DJs, theme parties, big sound and a diverse clientele ensure la folie into the wee hours.