15 Day Morocco Tour from Marrakech: Coast, Imperial Cities and the Sahara

Overview

Highlights

• Two nights each in Marrakech, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Fes and Merzouga
• Guided visits of Marrakech and Fes with licensed local guides
• Atlantic coast: Essaouira, El Jadida and Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque
• Roman Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes
• Camel trek, desert camp and a free day in the Sahara
• Todra and Dades gorges, Skoura oasis and a night at Aït Benhaddou

Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 Arrival in Marrakech

   Welcome to Morocco. Make your way to your hotel or riad in Marrakech, or ask us to arrange a transfer from Menara airport. Depending on your flight, take a first walk to the Koutoubia mosque and into the souks, and be at Jemaa el-Fna as the sun goes down, when the square fills with food stalls, musicians and storytellers. In the evening you meet your driver and fellow travelers over dinner and go through the two weeks ahead. Take it easy tonight: jet lag from the Americas is real, and tomorrow starts the exploring.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Marrakech Meals: Dinner

2. 2

   Day 2 Marrakech guided visit

   After breakfast, a licensed local guide introduces you to the Red City. Typical visits include the Bahia Palace and its painted cedar ceilings, the Saadian Tombs, the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, and the area around the Ben Youssef madrasa, ending in the souks where your guide explains how to haggle with a smile. Entrance fees are not included. The afternoon is free: visit the Jardin Majorelle, book a hammam and massage, or take a cooking class. Dinner and second night in Marrakech.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

3. 3

   Day 3 Marrakech – Essaouira

   Drive west across the plains toward the Atlantic, about three hours with stops. On the way you pass argan forests, where goats famously climb the trees, and stop at a women's cooperative to see how argan oil is made by hand. Arrive in Essaouira around lunchtime (not included) and settle into the relaxed rhythm of the coast. Walk the Skala ramparts with their old cannons, explore the white and blue medina, listed by UNESCO, and watch the fishing boats come in at the port. Dinner and overnight in Essaouira.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Essaouira Meals: Breakfast, dinner

4. 4

   Day 4 Essaouira at leisure

   A free day by the sea. Essaouira is known for its steady trade winds, which make it a favorite for kitesurfing and windsurfing; lessons can be booked locally. If you prefer dry land, browse the thuya-wood workshops and art galleries, walk the long sandy beach toward the ruins of Borj El Berod, or take an optional horse or camel ride along the shore. For lunch, pick your own fish at the grill stalls by the port. In June the town hosts the Gnaoua World Music Festival, so check the dates if you travel then.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Essaouira Meals: Breakfast, dinner

5. 5

   Day 5 Essaouira – El Jadida – Casablanca

   After breakfast, follow the Atlantic coast north through farmland and seaside villages. Stop in El Jadida, whose Portuguese City of Mazagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk along the ramparts and step into the vaulted Portuguese cistern, where light from a single opening reflects on a thin layer of water (entrance not included). After lunch (not included), continue to Casablanca, Morocco's largest city and business capital. Take an evening stroll along the Corniche of Aïn Diab before dinner at your hotel.

   Overnight: Hotel in Casablanca Meals: Breakfast, dinner

6. 6

   Day 6 Casablanca Hassan II Mosque – Rabat – Chefchaouen

   Begin with the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the ocean, with one of the tallest minarets in the world; join a guided interior visit at the set times (ticket not included). Then drive about an hour to Rabat, the capital, to see the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas above the river mouth. After lunch (not included), head inland to the Rif mountains, around four hours, and arrive in Chefchaouen in the early evening. Dinner and the first of two nights in the blue town.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Breakfast, dinner

7. 7

   Day 7 Chefchaouen at leisure

   A free day to enjoy Chefchaouen at its own pace. Get up early to photograph the blue alleys before the crowds, then visit the kasbah and its small museum on Outa el-Hammam square. Walk to the Ras El Ma spring and follow the path up to the Spanish Mosque, or hike into the hills of Talassemtane National Park with a local guide (optional). The medina is also a good place to buy woven blankets, goat cheese and wool clothing. End the day with sunset over the rooftops and dinner at your hotel.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Breakfast, dinner

8. 8

   Day 8 Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

   Drive south through olive-covered hills to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman city in Morocco and a UNESCO site, with its triumphal arch, basilica and floor mosaics (entrance and site guide not included). Continue to Meknes, the imperial capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, to admire the monumental Bab Mansour gate, the El Hedim square and the old granaries and stables. In the late afternoon, drive the last hour to Fes and check in to your hotel or riad for two nights. Fes is the place to try pastilla, the sweet and savory pie, so ask your driver for a good spot.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

9. 9

   Day 9 Fes guided visit

   A licensed local guide leads the group through Fes el-Bali, a medieval medina of thousands of lanes where donkeys and handcarts still carry the goods. Visit a madrasa such as Bou Inania or Al-Attarine, the Nejjarine fountain, the exterior of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, and the Chouara tannery seen from a terrace above the dye pits. Stop in workshops of weavers, coppersmiths and potters. In the afternoon, rest, shop or visit the gates of the Royal Palace and the Mellah in Fes el-Jdid.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

10. 10

    Day 10 Fes – Merzouga, desert camp

    An early start for a long drive south, around 8 hours with stops. Cross the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forest near Azrou, home to Barbary macaques, and the plateau to Midelt for lunch (not included). Descend into the Ziz Valley, a canyon of palm trees, and continue through Errachidia and Erfoud to Merzouga. At the edge of Erg Chebbi, mount your camel and ride about an hour into the dunes for sunset. Dinner, drums around the fire and a night under the stars at a Berber camp.

    Overnight: Desert camp in Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) Meals: Breakfast, dinner

11. 11

    Day 11 Merzouga full day

    Watch the sunrise from the dunes, then ride back to Merzouga for breakfast. Today is a full day in the desert with no long drives. Visit Khamlia, a village of Gnawa musicians, for drums, iron castanets and mint tea, and explore Rissani, the old caravan town of the Tafilalet, with its souk and its date stalls. The afternoon is free: swim, nap, try sandboarding or book an optional quad or 4x4 ride. Walk back up a dune for your second Sahara sunset before dinner.

    Overnight: Hotel or camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

12. 12

    Day 12 Merzouga – Todra – Dades

    After breakfast, drive west through Erfoud and Tinejdad, past the khettara, centuries-old underground canals that water the oases. In Tinghir, follow the long palm grove into the Todra Gorge and walk between cliffs up to 300 m high. After lunch (not included), continue to Boumalne and climb into the Dades Gorge past the Monkey Fingers rock formations to the famous hairpin bends. If there is light left, walk down to the river and through the small Berber villages below the cliffs. Dinner and overnight in a hotel with views of the canyon.

    Overnight: Hotel in the Dades Gorge Meals: Breakfast, dinner

13. 13

    Day 13 Dades – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Aït Benhaddou

    A gentle day along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. Pass Kelaat M'Gouna, the town of roses, and stop in the palm oasis of Skoura, where you can visit the restored Amridil kasbah (entrance not included). Continue to Ouarzazate for lunch (not included) and an optional visit to a film studio or the Taourirt kasbah. In the afternoon, drive to Aït Benhaddou and spend the night right beside the ksar. Explore it once the day visitors have left and watch the earthen towers glow at sunset.

    Overnight: Hotel or guesthouse in Aït Benhaddou Meals: Breakfast, dinner

14. 14

    Day 14 Aït Benhaddou – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

    Take an early walk through Aït Benhaddou in the soft morning light, then have breakfast and set off across the High Atlas. The road climbs through Berber villages and terraced valleys to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, with stops at viewpoints and a village or two on the way down. Arrive in Marrakech in the early afternoon, with free time for last-minute shopping in the souks or a final mint tea on a rooftop. Your last evening in Morocco includes dinner and a night in Marrakech.

    Overnight: Hotel or riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

15. 15

    Day 15 Departure, end of tour

    Enjoy a final breakfast in Marrakech and, depending on your flight time, one more walk through the medina or the gardens of the Menara or Agdal. Check out of your hotel by midday; we can keep your luggage safe if your flight is later. If you have booked an airport transfer with us, your driver takes you to Menara airport or the train station in good time. Most flights to the US connect through Casablanca, so allow plenty of time for the connection. Thank you for traveling with us, and safe travels home.

    Overnight: — (tour ends in Marrakech) Meals: Breakfast

Prices

J$ 230,730 (€1,290) per person

Fixed price per person in a small group (max 17 people).

Prices in euros per person. The amount in your currency is an estimate; payment is processed in USD. Some peak-season dates carry a supplement; you will see it when you pick a date.

Included

What our travelers say

See all reviews (9) →

Frequently asked questions