Morocco Itinerary 10 Days: What to See

Ten days is a very good length for a first visit. It gives you enough time for the imperial cities, the blue town of Chefchaouen, the Sahara desert and Marrakech, without driving too much every day. This Morocco itinerary 10 days long is based on the route our drivers know best. It starts and ends in Casablanca, which is the main international airport.

Overview of the route

• Days 1–2: Casablanca, Rabat and Chefchaouen
• Days 3–4: Volubilis, Meknes and Fez
• Days 5–6: Ifrane, Midelt and the Sahara in Merzouga
• Days 7–8: Todra Gorges, Dades Valley, Aït Ben Haddou and Marrakech
• Days 9–10: Marrakech and return to Casablanca

Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca

Your driver meets you at the airport. In the afternoon, visit the Hassan II Mosque, built over the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors on guided tours, when visits are running. End the day with a walk on the Corniche, the seaside promenade.

Day 2: Rabat and Chefchaouen

Drive to Rabat, the calm capital. See the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the white and blue Kasbah of the Oudayas. Then continue north into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. In the evening, walk in the blue lanes of the old town when the day visitors have left.

Day 3: Volubilis, Meknes and Fez

In the morning, enjoy Chefchaouen once more. Then drive south to Volubilis, a Roman city with beautiful floor mosaics, listed by UNESCO. Continue to Meknes to see the great gate of Bab Mansour, and arrive in Fez in the late afternoon.

Day 4: Fez with a local guide

Fez el-Bali is one of the largest car-free old towns in the world. With a licensed local guide, you will walk through narrow streets, see the Bou Inania madrasa, look at the Al Quaraouiyine from the outside and visit the famous Chouara tannery. You will also meet craftsmen working with copper, wood and leather.

Day 5: Across the Middle Atlas to the Sahara

This is a long but beautiful driving day. You pass Ifrane, a clean mountain town with cedar forests where Barbary macaques live. After lunch in Midelt, the road follows the Ziz Valley with its palm trees. In the late afternoon you reach Merzouga, where camels take you into the Erg Chebbi dunes for the night in a desert camp.

Day 6: A full day in Merzouga

Wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes. This itinerary includes a second night in the desert, so you have time to relax. You can visit Khamlia, the village of Gnawa music where our team lives, and the market town of Rissani. Learn more in our Sahara desert guide.

Day 7: Todra Gorges and Dades Valley

Drive west to the Todra Gorges, where rock walls rise about 300 metres on both sides of a narrow path. Walk a little in the canyon, then continue through the palm groves of Tinghir to the Dades Valley for the night.

Day 8: Ouarzazate, Aït Ben Haddou and Marrakech

Pass through Ouarzazate, known for its film studios, and visit the old fortified village of Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 metres, and arrive in Marrakech in the evening.

Day 9: Marrakech

Explore Marrakech with a local guide: the Koutoubia Mosque area, the Bahia Palace, the souks and the Jemaa el-Fna square. In the evening, the square fills with food stalls, musicians and storytellers. If you want more time here, see our Marrakech departures.

Day 10: Return to Casablanca

After breakfast, your driver takes you to Casablanca airport, a drive of about three hours. If your flight leaves from Marrakech, we can end the tour there instead.

What to see in Morocco if you have different interests

This route is a classic, but every traveller is different. Because all our tours are private, we can change it easily:

• Muslim travellers: add prayer stops, halal meals and Friday prayer, as in our halal Muslim-friendly tour.
• Photographers: spend more time at sunrise and sunset, with fewer stops in between.
• Families: shorten the long driving days and add free afternoons.
• Couples: choose a luxury desert camp and a private dinner in the dunes.

Practical tips

• Driving days of five to seven hours are normal on this route, with many photo and coffee stops.
• Bring cash in dirhams for lunches, tips and small shopping.
• Pack a warm layer for the desert night and the Atlas pass.
• Travel insurance is mandatory and should cover the full trip.

Book this route

This itinerary follows our 10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca. You can start any day and change any part of it. If you prefer to arrive in Marrakech, ask for a tailor-made itinerary and we will send you a proposal.