What is the best route for 10 days in Morocco?
The best 10-day route is a one-way line from Casablanca to Marrakech through Fes and the desert. It never doubles back, it puts a rest day after each of the two longest drives, and it ends in Marrakech, which has a wide choice of flights to Europe. It is the route of our 10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca, run privately by Best Morocco Travel.
| Day | Route | Road distance | Driving time | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casablanca to Rabat | 120 km | About 1.5 hours | Rabat |
| 2 | Rabat to Chefchaouen | 252 km | About 4 to 4.5 hours | Chefchaouen |
| 3 | Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes, Fes | 245 km | About 4.5 to 5 hours plus visits | Fes |
| 4 | Fes with a local guide | On foot | None | Fes |
| 5 | Fes, Ifrane, cedar forest, Ziz Valley, Merzouga, sunset camel trek | 452 km | About 7 to 8 hours plus stops | Desert camp, Erg Chebbi |
| 6 | Merzouga desert day: sunrise, Khamlia, free afternoon | Local driving only | Short | Merzouga, camp or hotel by the dunes |
| 7 | Merzouga, Rissani, Todra Gorge, Dades Valley | 248 km | About 4.5 to 5 hours plus stops | Dades Valley |
| 8 | Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Ben Haddou, Marrakech | 335 km | About 6 to 7 hours plus stops | Marrakech |
| 9 | Marrakech with a local guide | On foot | None | Marrakech |
| 10 | Departure from Marrakech | Airport transfer | Short | None |
Distances are from the operator's itinerary and total about 1,650 km. Driving times are our estimates for a private vehicle in normal conditions, before stops.
- Driving days
- 6 of 10
- Longest day
- Day 5, Fes to Merzouga, 452 km
- Days with no long drive
- Days 4, 6, 9 and 10
- Private tour price
- €2,900 to €5,500 per person
What do you see on each part of the route?
Days 1 to 3: the Atlantic capital and the Rif
The first three days cover the north. Day 1 is short on purpose: after a long flight you drive 120 km to Rabat, with time for the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca on the way if your arrival allows. Rabat is the capital and far calmer than most visitors expect. The Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas are the main sights.
Day 2 heads into the Rif mountains to Chefchaouen, the town known for its blue-washed lanes. You arrive in the afternoon, which is when the day visitors leave. Day 3 is the fullest of the three: the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the gates and granaries of Meknes, then Fes by evening.
Day 4: Fes on foot
Day 4 is a walking day in the Fes medina with a local guide. Fes el-Bali is a car-free maze of several thousand lanes, and a guide is useful here in a way that is not true of every city. The tanneries, the madrasas and the craft quarters fill the day. Entrance fees are paid as you go.
Days 5 and 6: south to the Sahara
Day 5 is the long one, 452 km from Fes to Merzouga. The road climbs through Ifrane and the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques live, crosses the Middle Atlas and follows the palm-filled Ziz Valley down to the desert. You arrive in the late afternoon and ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes, timed to reach a desert camp around sunset.
Day 6 pays you back. After sunrise on the dunes it is a full day around Merzouga with very little driving: the village of Khamlia, known for Gnawa music, then a free afternoon. The second night is at Merzouga again, in the camp or in a hotel by the dunes. Having two nights here is the main difference between this itinerary and shorter ones.
Days 7 to 10: gorges, kasbahs and Marrakech
Day 7 runs west through the market town of Rissani to Todra Gorge and on to the Dades Valley, 248 km. Day 8 continues through Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified village on the UNESCO World Heritage list, then over the High Atlas to Marrakech, 335 km. Day 9 is a guided day in the Marrakech medina. Day 10 is your transfer to the airport.
Is the pace comfortable?
The pace is steady, not slow. You sleep in six or seven different places over nine nights, and three days involve five or more hours of driving. Most travellers find it comfortable because the hard days are spaced out.
- The long drives are followed by a day on foot. Fes comes after the Chefchaouen and Volubilis day, the Merzouga desert day comes after the 452 km drive, and Marrakech comes after the Atlas crossing.
- Leave early on day 5. The earlier you leave Fes, the more relaxed the stops are and the less of the drive is in the dark, especially from November to February when the sun sets early.
- Do not add evening plans on days 3, 5 and 8. You reach the riad or hotel tired. Keep dinner simple.
- Days 4, 6 and 9 are where the trip is made. If you want to add a day, add it next to one of these: a second day in Fes or a third night in Marrakech.
- Chefchaouen gets one night. That is enough for the town itself. Walkers who want the hills around it need two.
Alternative 1: start and finish in Marrakech
If your flights go in and out of Marrakech, run the desert section the other way and finish with the coast. This version has no Chefchaouen and no Rabat, and it ends by the sea.
| Day | Plan | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Marrakech | Marrakech |
| 2 | Marrakech with a local guide | Marrakech |
| 3 | Tizi n'Tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Dades Valley | Dades Valley |
| 4 | Todra Gorge, Merzouga, camel trek | Desert camp |
| 5 | Merzouga desert day | Merzouga |
| 6 | Nkob, Draa Valley, Ouarzazate | Ouarzazate |
| 7 | High Atlas, Marrakech | Marrakech |
| 8 | Marrakech to Essaouira (about 180 to 190 km) | Essaouira |
| 9 | Essaouira, return to Marrakech | Marrakech |
| 10 | Departure | None |
Days 1 to 7 are the 7-day tour from Marrakech. The last three days are an outline that Best Morocco Travel builds on request: ask us.
A second option from Marrakech is to finish in Fes: Marrakech, the desert, then north through the Ziz Valley to Fes for two or three nights, with Meknes and Volubilis as a day out. Choose it if you can fly home from Fes. If you are unsure which city deserves more time, see Fes vs Marrakech.
Alternative 2: skip Chefchaouen
Leaving out Chefchaouen removes the biggest detour and frees a day for somewhere else. From Rabat, Fes is about 200 km by motorway, with Meknes and Volubilis on the way. Chefchaouen adds roughly 300 km of mostly slower mountain road to that.
What you gain
- A shorter, easier day 2 and day 3
- A spare day: a second day in Fes, a third night at Merzouga, or Essaouira at the end
- Less time on winding roads, which helps anyone prone to car sickness
What you lose
- The blue town itself, which many travellers rank among their favourite stops
- The Rif mountains: the rest of the route has no scenery like them
- A quiet small-town night between the capital and Fes
The other way to reach the same result is the 8-day tour from Casablanca. It keeps Chefchaouen but trims the trip to one desert night and no guided day in Marrakech. It suits travellers with a fixed week and a weekend.
What does a 10-day private tour cost?
A 10-day private tour costs €2,900 to €5,500 per person, all year. Group size and hotel level decide where you fall in the range: the vehicle and driver are shared across the group, so four travellers pay much less per person than two. The price includes a private air-conditioned vehicle, an English- or Spanish-speaking driver, accommodation, breakfasts and some dinners, the camel ride and local guides on the guided days in Fes and Marrakech. Lunches, drinks, entrance fees, tips and flights are not included. See the Morocco tour cost page for every tour length.
Tours on this route
10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca
Casablanca to Marrakech with shorter drives in the north, guided days in both Fes and Marrakech, and two nights at the Merzouga dunes with a full desert day.
From €2,900 per person
8-day Morocco tour from Casablanca
The fastest full loop of the country: Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, a guided day in Fes, the Merzouga dunes and the kasbah road to Marrakech in eight days.
From €2,200 per person
Questions people ask
Is 10 days enough to see Morocco?
Ten days is enough for the main first-visit route: Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech. It does not leave room for the Atlantic coast as well. For Essaouira and a slower pace, look at 12 to 14 days.
How many km is a 10-day Morocco tour?
The Casablanca to Marrakech route on this page is about 1,650 km by road, spread over six driving days. The longest single day is 452 km from Fes to Merzouga.
Should a 10-day trip start in Casablanca or Marrakech?
Start in Casablanca and end in Marrakech if you can book an open-jaw flight, because the route then runs one way with no backtracking. If you must fly in and out of Marrakech, use the Marrakech loop with Essaouira or a finish in Fes.
How many days should I spend in Fes and Marrakech?
Two nights in each is the minimum for one full guided day. If you add a day anywhere on this route, a third night in Marrakech is the one we would suggest first.
Can I do this itinerary by train and bus instead?
Trains link Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech well. Chefchaouen and Merzouga are reached by bus or car only, and public transport to the desert takes considerably longer than a private vehicle.
Is the 10-day route suitable in summer?
The northern half is fine in summer. Merzouga is very hot from June to August, often above 40°C by day, so in those months consider shortening the desert stay or travelling in spring or autumn instead.
