Morocco Itinerary 7 Days: Marrakech, the Sahara and Fez

Do you have only one week? Good news: a Morocco itinerary 7 days long can include the two most famous cities, the High Atlas, the great kasbah road and a night in the Sahara dunes. The secret is to travel in one direction, from Marrakech to Fez, so you never drive back on the same road. This plan follows our 7-day private tour from Marrakech to Fez, which we designed with a clear daily timetable.

Overview: 7 days in Morocco

• Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech
• Day 2: Marrakech with a local guide
• Day 3: Tizi n'Tichka, Aït Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Dades
• Day 4: Todra Gorges and the Merzouga dunes
• Day 5: Sunrise in the Sahara, Midelt, Ifrane, Fez
• Day 6: Fez with a local guide
• Day 7: Departure from Fez

Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech

Your driver meets you at Marrakech airport and takes you to your riad in or near the medina. After a rest, walk to Jemaa el-Fna square in the early evening. This is the best time: food stalls open, musicians play and the lights come on.

Day 2: Marrakech with a local guide

Because you spend two nights in Marrakech, a licensed local guide joins you for a full day. Visit the Bahia Palace in the morning, then the Koutoubia Mosque area. After lunch, enjoy the Majorelle Garden and end the day in the souks. The UNESCO page on the Medina of Marrakech explains why the old city is so special.

Day 3: Over the Atlas to the Dades Valley

Leave early and climb the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 metres. Around midday, visit Aït Ben Haddou, a fortified village of earth houses listed by UNESCO and used in many films. After lunch, pass through Ouarzazate and continue to the Dades Valley. Dinner and breakfast are included at your hotel in Dades.

Day 4: Todra Gorges and the Sahara

In the morning, walk in the Todra Gorges, where the rock walls rise very high on both sides. Have lunch in Tinghir, then drive to Merzouga. In the late afternoon, camels take you into the Erg Chebbi dunes. You arrive at the camp at sunset. Dinner is served in the camp, often with drums and songs around the fire.

Day 5: Sunrise and the road to Fez

Wake up early to watch the sunrise from a dune. After breakfast, the road goes north through the Ziz Valley and its palm trees. Stop for lunch in Midelt, then cross the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas near Ifrane, where you may see Barbary macaques. You arrive in Fez in the early evening.

Day 6: Fez with a local guide

With two nights in Fez, a licensed local guide is included for a full-day visit. Fez el-Bali is a huge car-free medina. You see the Bou Inania madrasa, the outside of Al Quaraouiyine, the Chouara tannery and many workshops of craftsmen. Read more about the old city on the UNESCO page on the Medina of Fez.

Day 7: Departure

After breakfast, your driver takes you to Fez airport or to the train station. The train to Casablanca takes about four hours, so check your flight time carefully if you fly home from Casablanca.

Is this Morocco itinerary 7 days long too busy?

Days 3, 4 and 5 have long drives, usually 6 to 8 hours with many stops. The roads are good and the views change all the time, so most guests enjoy them. If you prefer a slower trip, remove the desert and spend more time in the cities, or add one or two days. You can also compare it with our 10-day Morocco itinerary.

What is included on this route

• A private air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver from Marrakech to Fez.
• Breakfast every day, and dinner (half board) in the Dades Valley and in the Merzouga desert camp.
• A licensed local guide for a full-day visit in Marrakech and in Fez, because you stay two nights in each city.
• The camel ride and one night in a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• Lunches, drinks, monument tickets and tips are not included, so you are free to choose where to eat and what to visit.

Our guests from Japan often ask for a precise timetable. On this route, each day has clear times for departure, visits and lunch, and your driver keeps to them while staying flexible if you want an extra photo stop.

Other ways to spend one week in Morocco

• Arrive in Casablanca: the 7-day tour from Casablanca to the imperial cities and the desert visits Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fez and Merzouga, and ends in Marrakech.
• More desert, no Fez: the 7-day Marrakech, desert and south Morocco tour adds a second night in the dunes, Zagora and the Draa Valley, and returns to Marrakech.
• More comfort: the luxury imperial cities and Sahara tour uses luxury riads, kasbahs and a private camp with dinner on the dunes.

Practical tips for one week in Morocco

• Fly into Marrakech and out of Fez (or the reverse) to save a full day of driving.
• Bring dirhams in cash for lunches, small shopping and tips.
• Pack layers: the Atlas and the desert are cool at night, even in spring.
• Travel insurance is mandatory for all our tours.

All our tours are private and start any day. If you want to change a day, add Chefchaouen or end in Casablanca, ask us for a tailor-made plan.