What you see and do
- See the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca on arrival day, built on a platform over the Atlantic.
- Stop in Rabat for the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas.
- Spend an evening and an early morning in the blue lanes of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains.
- Walk the Roman streets of Volubilis and pass the Bab Mansour gate in Meknes on the way to Fes.
- Take a full day in the Fes medina with a local city guide.
- Cross the Middle Atlas to Merzouga for a camel ride and sunrise in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
- Return west by Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley, Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
Day-by-day itinerary
8 days, about 1,608 km by road. Tap a day to open it.
Day 1Arrival in Casablanca
Your driver meets you at Mohammed V Airport and takes you to your hotel. Nothing is fixed for the first hours, so you can sleep off the flight or have a slow lunch.
In the afternoon there is a short drive around the city, ending at the Hassan II Mosque on the seafront. On this day the stop is for the outside of the building and the esplanade beside the ocean. Casablanca is a working port and business city more than a sightseeing one, which is why the tour gives it a single night.
Day 2Casablanca to Chefchaouen by Rabat348 km
This is the first long day, and it starts on the motorway north to Rabat, the capital, about an hour away. The stops here are close together: the Hassan Tower, a 12th-century minaret that was never finished, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V beside it, and the Kasbah of the Udayas, a walled quarter above the mouth of the Bou Regreg river.
After Rabat the coast plain gives way to low farmed hills and small market towns. In the afternoon the road climbs into the Rif Mountains and reaches Chefchaouen, a small hill town whose old quarter is painted in shades of blue.
The evening is free. The medina is compact and steep, and easy to walk without a guide. Late afternoon, once the day visitors have left, is one of the two quiet times to see it.
Day 3Chefchaouen to Fes by Volubilis and Meknes218 km
The other quiet time in Chefchaouen is early morning, so it is worth getting out with a camera before breakfast. You then drive south out of the Rif.
The main stop is Volubilis, the best-known Roman site in Morocco, on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1997. You walk among floor mosaics left in place, a triumphal arch and the columns of the basilica, with open farmland on every side. There is little shade, so bring a hat and water. Entry is paid at the gate.
A short drive on is Meknes, the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century, where the stop is the monumental Bab Mansour gate and the square in front of it. You reach Fes in the late afternoon.
Day 4Guided day in Fes
No driving today. A local city guide takes you on foot through Fes el Bali, the old walled city, a World Heritage site and one of the largest car-free urban areas anywhere. A guide matters more here than in any other stop on the route, because the lanes are narrow, unsigned and number in the thousands.
The usual walk takes in the Bou Inania and Attarine madrasas, both 14th-century colleges with carved cedar and tilework, the craft streets where metalworkers and weavers still have their workshops, and a terrace above the Chouara tanneries. The afternoon is left open to go back into the souks or rest at your riad.
Day 5Fes to Merzouga over the Middle Atlas453 km
This is the longest drive of the tour, so the start is early. The first stop is Ifrane, a hill town at about 1,650 m with pitched roofs and a climate cool enough for snow in winter. Just beyond it, in the cedar forest near Azrou, Barbary macaques often sit by the roadside.
Lunch is usually in Midelt, between the Middle and High Atlas. In the afternoon the road drops through the Ziz Valley, a long ribbon of date palms at the bottom of a dry canyon, and the land turns to stony desert.
You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, with the Erg Chebbi dunes directly behind the village. Where you sleep and when you ride depends on the level you choose: a camp in the dunes reached by camel at sunset, or a hotel at the edge of the sand with the camel ride at sunrise. We confirm which in your quote.
Day 6Merzouga to the Dades Valley by Todra Gorge254 km
Get up before dawn for sunrise on the dunes. It is the one desert morning on this tour, and the sand is at its best colour in the first half hour of light. After breakfast you leave the dunes and head west.
The stop of the day is Todra Gorge, near Tinghir, where a flat road follows a shallow river between cliffs about 300 m high. It is an easy walk and stays cool even on a hot day.
From Tinghir it is a short run to the Dades Valley, with its red rock formations and mud-brick villages, where you have dinner and spend the night.
Day 7Dades Valley to Marrakech by Ait Ben Haddou335 km
The morning follows the kasbah road west through Kelaat M'Gouna and Skoura to Ouarzazate. Shortly after it you reach Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified earth village on the UNESCO list since 1987 and a familiar film location. You cross the riverbed and climb through the lanes to the top of the hill.
After lunch the road climbs over the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 m, in a long series of bends. It is slow, and anyone prone to car sickness should sit in front.
You arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon or early evening. This itinerary has no guided day in Marrakech, so the evening is your one chance to walk to Jemaa el-Fna square unless you add a day.
Day 8Departure from Marrakech or Casablanca
After breakfast your driver takes you to Marrakech Menara Airport, or back to Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca if your return flight leaves from there. The Casablanca transfer is roughly two and a half to three hours by motorway, so book an afternoon or evening flight in that case.
Price and what changes it
This 8-day private tour costs €2,200 to €4,500 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. The vehicle and driver cost the same whether two or six people travel, so the price per person falls as the group grows. A solo traveller pays the most.
- Accommodation level. Standard, comfort or luxury riads and hotels across seven nights make the biggest difference on a tour of this length.
- The desert night. A dune-side hotel, a standard camp and a luxury camp are priced differently. See desert camps in Merzouga compared.
- Where you fly home from. A final transfer back to Casablanca is a longer drive than the Marrakech airport run. For how the ranges work, see what a Morocco tour costs.
Other lengths are priced on the Morocco tour cost page.
Included and not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for the eight days
- English- or Spanish-speaking driver
- Airport pickup in Casablanca and departure transfer
- Seven nights of accommodation at the level you choose
- Local city guide for the guided day in Fes
- Camel ride in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Breakfast every day, and dinners on the nights confirmed in your quote
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Tips
- Flights
Is this the right tour for you?
It suits you if
- You have one week plus a day and want the north, Fes, the desert and Marrakech in a single trip.
- You can fly into Casablanca and out of Marrakech, so no day is spent driving back to the start.
- You are comfortable with a new bed almost every night in exchange for seeing a lot of the country.
Think twice if
- You want time in Marrakech. This route arrives in the evening and leaves the next morning. The 10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca adds a guided day there and a second night in the desert.
- You dislike long drives. Five days in a row involve the road, and day five is about 450 km. If the Rif is not a priority, the 7-day Morocco tour from Marrakech is a different shape of week.
- You want a slow desert stay. There is one night at Merzouga here, with an arrival late in the day. Read our 10-day Morocco itinerary to see what two more days change.
Places on the route
What travellers say
★★★★★
“The itinerary was well planned, the accommodations were in great locations, and our driver Ismail made everything comfortable and fun.”
Questions about the 8-day Morocco tour from Casablanca
Is 8 days enough for Morocco?
Eight days is enough to see Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara dunes and Marrakech once each, as long as you accept five driving days. It is not enough for rest days. If you want two nights in any one place besides Fes, look at ten days or more.
How much driving is there on this 8 day Morocco tour?
About 1,600 km over five driving days: 348 km, 218 km, 453 km, 254 km and 335 km. The longest is Fes to Merzouga on day five, about eight hours on the road before stops.
Do we sleep in the desert on this tour?
You spend one night at Merzouga, beside the Erg Chebbi dunes. Depending on the level you choose it is either a camp in the dunes or a hotel at the edge of the sand, and the camel ride is timed to match. Tell us which you prefer when you enquire.
Can I fly out of Casablanca instead of Marrakech?
Yes. On the last day your driver can take you to Marrakech Menara Airport or back to Casablanca airport. For Casablanca, choose a flight that leaves in the afternoon or later.
Is a guide included in Fes?
Yes. A local city guide leads the walking day in the Fes medina. For the rest of the trip you travel with your driver, who speaks English or Spanish, and entrance fees at monuments are paid by you on the spot.
Can the route be changed or shortened?
Yes, every tour is private and can be reshaped. Common changes are dropping Chefchaouen to gain a day in Marrakech, or adding a second desert night. Contact us with your dates and we will send a route and an exact price.
