Leonie Norton
Day 1 - Casablanca (10 Oct 2026)
Arrive at Mohammed V International Airport, Casablanca, Morocco
Airport pickup any time night or day.
There is no programme on Arrivals Day - our guests come from all over the world.
Day 2 - Marrakech (11 Oct)
We’ll begin the day with an introductory meet-and-greet with Leonie before heading out to explore.
Heading off to Marrakech, we will drop our bags and have an afternoon wander to get our bearings.
You might like to work on a quick sketch of our beautiful Riad before we spend time having a sketch sharing session with Leonie before dinner.
Let's share dinner together and celebrate our shared adventures.
B,L,D
Day 3 - Marrakech (12 Oct)
Medina day today.
We will start with a walk through the markets to The Secret Garden - 400 years old and built in the great tradition of stately Arab-Andalusian and Moroccan palaces it has recently been renovated and open to the public for the first time in its long history.
Perfect place to sip mint tea, and sketch a traditional garden and buildings. Traditional Muslim gardens were built to mimic paradise on Earth.
Take a wander.... so much to explore.
We will set a meeting point on a rooftop café to watch the amazing event that is the set up for the World Heritage Jemaa el-Fna- a huge marketplace, empty by day, then a flurry of activity from around 4.00pm as open air restaurants are carried in and set up. By evening it is a hive of food, story tellers and performance artists.
Such fun.
B,D
Day 4 - Marrakech (13 Oct)
Look up when at the Bahia Palace, there are often storks nesting high on the ramparts.
The palace was first begun by Si Musa, grand vizier under the Alawi sultan Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, in the 1860s. It was expanded by his son Si Ba Ahmed ibn Musa, grand vizier of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, between 1894 and 1900. ​​​​
It is a beautiful series of courtyards and rooms. If you wish to sketch with Leonie, stay within view of her. She'll find a space that is inspiring, if the magic of the place calls you to wander, let us know and we can meet up later.
In the afternoon we will wander through to the to the beautifully restored Madrasa Ben Youssef and the Musee de Marrakech Art Gallery
B
Day 5 - Country Riad (14 Oct)
An early visit to YSL’S beautiful Le Jardin Majorelle and the The Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts
You can photograph in the garden, and I think a quick sketch would also be OK. No photography in the museum, so spend your time feasting your eyes.
We are heading out into the country to a Riad with a view of the High Atlas Mountains. Time to sketch and enjoy the countryside, perhaps swim or take a walk.
B,L,D
Day 6 - Country Riad (15 Oct)
Start with a session with Leonie. Take time to work and enjoy the location.
We will take a little wander and look for a local viewpoint this afternoon.
B,L,D
Day 7 - Essaouira (16 Oct)
Essaouira is a popular seaside town.
Its medina (old town) is protected by 18th-century seafront ramparts called the Skala de la Kasbah. Old brass cannons line the walls, and there are ocean views.
Strong "Alizée" trade winds make the city’s crescent beach popular for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.
It's atmospheric, you’ll find plenty of places to take your eye around here.
Let’s get settled into our hotel, take a wander to get our bearings and make a meeting point for tonight’s dinner.
B,L,D
Day 8 - Essaouira (17 Oct)
Explore town in the morning with Leonie and enjoy a group sketch along the sea wall somewhere.
The fishing boats are beautiful and you can often find fresh cooked fish when the boats come in.
B
Day 9 - Casablanca (18 Oct)
Driving to Casablanca we will pull into Safi, it has a huge Castle on the Ksar el Bahr, there will be somewhere for lunch and a sketch session.
Arriving back in Casablanca, let's share a final session with Leonie and then go out for Celebratory Dinner.
B,D
Day 10 -Departures (19 Oct 2026)
We will arrange individual drop to the airport for departures from
B
Materials List
MATERIALS LIST
➢ HB Pencil or clutch pencil 0.5mm HB
➢ Pencil sharpener
➢ Black Pigment Liners or Drafting Pens
0.05mm water resistant (Staedtler is one brand)
➢ White plastic eraser
➢ Grey kneadable eraser
➢ Waterbrushes (available at art shops)
➢ Coloured pencils, can be aquarelle but will be used dry and can be used in conjunction with paint. Optional.
SKETCHBOOKS
These are available in all shapes and sizes. Use cold pressed 300gm (smooth not rough) paper.
o 8 x 5 in is a good size.
o You can purchase an A4 pad and have it cut in halves and bound at Officeworks for an excellent sketchbook.
➢ DO NOT bring cartridge paper in your sketchbooks. This will buckle.
WATERCOLOURS
➢ Pan sets or 5ml tubes. Compact Pocket Travelling Watercolour Pan sets eg. Winsor & Newton Cotmans brand.
➢ Waterbrush Pens. Has reservoir for water and nylon brush. Available Art Shops in small, medium or large. Medium is a good all round size.
➢ Small box Tissues
USEFUL WATERCOLOURS ARE:
Various palettes will have different colours. This is not a problem.
Just bring what you have. T
here are also empty palettes you can buy and fill them with tube watercolours if you already have tube colours.
Cadmium Lemon
Cadmium Yellow
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Red
Permanent Rose
Alizarin Crimson
Winsor Violet Quinacridone Magenta
Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna
French Ultramarine
Cerulean Blue
Sepia
Naples Yellow
COLOURED PENCILS
If you would like to use coloured pencils, bring a selection of colours. It does not matter if they are water soluble or not. These can be used for sketching, or in conjunction with watercolour.
They can also be purchased individually.
Some useful green coloured pencil colours are:
Sap Green, Olive Green, Pine Green, Cedar Green, Apple Green
Fitness
Physical Fitness for Sightseeing
This adventure is designed for enthusiastic, active travellers with a good general level of health and mobility.
To make the most of your experience, you’ll need to be comfortable walking for 3 to 4 hours a day - sometimes over uneven ground, up hills, and a few flights of stairs.
Getting in and out of local transport and navigating occasional over-the-bath showers may also be part of the journey.
If you’re up for a bit of daily movement and love immersing yourself on foot, you’ll thrive on this tour.
Just a heads-up - it is not be the best match for those who like to take things very slowly or need lots of rest stops along the way.
