What you see and do
- A night in Essaouira, the walled port on the Atlantic that the tours of twelve days and under do not reach.
- A complete loop: you land in and fly home from Casablanca, with no long transfer on the last day.
- A free day in Chefchaouen and a guided day in the Fes medina.
- One night in the Erg Chebbi dunes, with a camel ride at sunset and sunrise over the sand.
- Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou on the way west.
- Three nights in Marrakech, with a guided city day and a day in the Ourika Valley.
- A final drive up the Atlantic coast to Casablanca.
Day-by-day itinerary
13 days, about 2,364 km by road. Tap a day to open it.
Day 1Arrival in Casablanca
Your driver meets you at Mohammed V Airport and brings you to your hotel. The day is left open for rest.
Because this tour comes back to Casablanca on day twelve, there is no need to see everything now. The Hassan II Mosque and the Corniche can wait for the last evening if you land late or tired.
Day 2Casablanca to Chefchaouen by Rabat376 km
A long first road day, among the longest of the tour. The morning stop is Rabat, where you walk the esplanade of the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, then the lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas above the sea.
The afternoon is the drive to the Rif. Chefchaouen sits at about 600 m, and the air is cooler than on the coast. You arrive in the evening with a full day here ahead of you.
Day 3Free day in Chefchaouen
Nothing is scheduled. The old town of Chefchaouen was founded in the 15th century and settled by families who left Andalusia, and its tiled roofs and small squares still look more Spanish than most Moroccan towns. The blue wash on the walls is repainted regularly.
Walk it early, before the day trippers. Later, the Ras el-Maa spring and the hillside path beyond it give a view over the roofs. It is the one fully unplanned day of the tour.
Day 4Chefchaouen to Fes by Volubilis and Meknes262 km
South through hills of olive groves to Volubilis. The Roman town covered about 40 hectares, and its main street, arch and mosaics have been cleared and partly restored. It is a World Heritage site.
In Meknes you see the great gate of Bab Mansour and the old city walls built under Moulay Ismail. Which interiors are open varies with ongoing restoration. Fes is reached in the evening.
Day 5Guided day in Fes
A local city guide meets you for the day. You begin at the gates of the Royal Palace and go on into Fes el Bali, the oldest part of the city and a World Heritage site since 1981.
Inside the walls the guide takes you past Al Quaraouiyine, to the terraces above the Chouara tanneries, and into workshops where metal, leather and cloth are still worked by hand. Expect a lot of walking on slopes and steps.
Day 6Fes to Merzouga and the dunes457 km
The landscape changes more today than on any other day. From Fes you climb to Ifrane and the cedar woods of Azrou, cross a high stony plateau, and descend through the Ziz Valley to the edge of the Sahara.
At Merzouga the camels are waiting. You ride into Erg Chebbi for sunset and spend the night in a camp among the dunes, with dinner there. This is the only desert night on the thirteen-day route, and it follows the longest drive, so it is a full day by any measure.
Day 7Merzouga to the Dades Valley by Rissani and Todra Gorge265 km
An early start for sunrise, then back to Merzouga by camel or by 4x4. The eleven, twelve and fourteen-day tours stay a second night here. This one moves on.
You stop at the market town of Rissani, then drive to Todra Gorge for a walk along the riverbed between the cliffs. The day finishes in the Dades Valley, at a hotel among the rock formations and village gardens.
Day 8Dades Valley to Marrakech by Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou325 km
West along the line of kasbahs and palm groves to Ouarzazate, a garrison town turned film base. A little beyond it is Ait Ben Haddou, where you walk up through the ksar to the viewpoint over the valley.
The road then climbs over the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass and descends to Marrakech, where you arrive in the evening for three nights.
Day 9Guided day in Marrakech
With a local city guide you start at Jemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia, then go through the souks to the Bahia Palace. The ruined Badi Palace and the Ben Youssef Madrasa complete the circuit. Entrance fees are not included.
The afternoon is free. A rooftop cafe above the medina is a good place to sit out the heat before the square comes to life in the evening.
Day 10Day trip to the Ourika Valley125 km
A short drive south into the foothills of the High Atlas. The Ourika Valley is green for most of the year, with a river, small farming villages and, at the top of the road, the waterfalls of Setti Fatma.
It is an easy day by design, placed between the long southern drives and the coast. You return to Marrakech in the late afternoon.
Day 11Marrakech to Essaouira178 km
The road runs west over a dry plain dotted with argan trees until the ocean comes into view. Essaouira is reached by midday.
The town is the reason to pick this tour over the twelve-day one. Its medina, a World Heritage site since 2001, is laid out on a regular plan with white walls and blue shutters, and is small enough to walk in an afternoon. See the Skala, the sea wall with its row of cannon, and the harbour, where the fishing boats come in and the catch is grilled nearby. There are galleries and woodworkers' shops in the lanes. It is often windy.
Day 12Essaouira to Casablanca along the coast376 km
The last road day is long and has less to see than the others: the route follows the Atlantic coast north to Casablanca. If you would like to break it with a stop at El Jadida or Oualidia, ask us when you book.
You check into your hotel in the afternoon. The evening is free for the Hassan II Mosque or the Corniche if you missed them on day one.
Day 13Departure from Casablanca
Your driver takes you to Mohammed V Airport for your flight. Because you slept in Casablanca, there is no long transfer before the flight, so a morning departure is workable.
Price and what changes it
This 13-day private tour costs €3,500 to €6,400 per person. Every trip is tailored, so the final price depends on your group size, hotel and camp level, and what you add.
- Group size. Thirteen days of vehicle and driver are split between however many of you travel, so the price per person drops as the group grows. A solo traveller pays the most.
- Accommodation level. Twelve nights at standard, comfort or luxury level, across city riads, a desert camp and a coastal hotel or riad.
- The desert night. Standard or luxury camp. See desert camps in Merzouga compared.
- Changes. A second night in Essaouira or at Merzouga, a stop on the coast road, or a finish in Marrakech. Our page on what a Morocco tour costs explains how quotes are built.
Other lengths are priced on the Morocco tour cost page.
Included and not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for the thirteen days
- English- or Spanish-speaking driver
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Casablanca
- Twelve nights of accommodation at the level you choose
- Local city guides for the guided days in Fes and Marrakech
- Camel ride in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Ourika Valley day trip with your driver
- Breakfast every day, and the dinners listed in your quote
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Optional activities and local guides outside Fes and Marrakech
- Tips
- Flights
Is this the right tour for you?
It suits you if
- You want to end the trip by the sea, with fresh air and fish after the desert and the medinas.
- You have booked, or can only get, a return flight to Casablanca.
- One night in the Sahara is enough for you, and you would rather give the spare night to the coast.
- You like variety: Rif, Roman ruins, medinas, dunes, High Atlas and Atlantic in a single circuit.
Think twice if
- You want a slow day at the dunes. This route has one desert night. The 14-day Morocco tour from Casablanca is the same loop with a second night at Merzouga.
- You do not need the coast. The 12-day Morocco tour from Casablanca ends in Marrakech, has two desert nights and avoids the 376 km drive back.
- You are after beach time. Essaouira is one night in a windy town with a working harbour. Ask us about adding a second night.
- Eight driving days sounds like a lot. It is, and three of them are over 370 km.
Places on the route
What travellers say
★★★★★
“Everything was well organized, and the trip went smoothly from beginning to end.”
Questions about the 13-day Morocco tour from Casablanca
What is the difference between the 13 day and 14 day Morocco tours?
One night at Merzouga. Both follow the same loop through Chefchaouen, Fes, the desert, Marrakech, the Ourika Valley and Essaouira. The 14 day tour stays two nights at the dunes with a full desert day, and the 13 day tour stays one.
How does the 13 day tour differ from the 12 day tour?
The 13 day tour adds Essaouira and returns to Casablanca along the coast. The 12 day tour ends in Marrakech and has two desert nights. So the choice is between a night on the Atlantic and a second night in the Sahara.
Is one night in Essaouira enough?
For the medina, the ramparts and the harbour, yes: you have an afternoon and an evening. For the beach, surfing or a rest, no. A second night can be added to any quote.
Why does this tour end in Casablanca?
Because it is a loop. Returning to your arrival city lets you book a simple return flight, and you sleep near the airport before departure. The operator can also drop you at Marrakech airport if you prefer to end there.
How much driving is there in 13 days?
About 2,360 km over eight road days. Three days are over 370 km: Casablanca to Chefchaouen, Fes to Merzouga, and Essaouira to Casablanca. The shortest is the Ourika Valley day trip at about 125 km.
Can the order of the loop be reversed?
Usually yes. Every tour is private and can be customised, so the loop can run the other way or start in Marrakech. Send us your dates and airports and the team will reply with a route.
