10 Days from Casablanca: Complete Morocco Tour

Overview

Highlights

• Hassan II Mosque and the Corniche of Casablanca
• Chefchaouen, Volubilis and Meknes
• Guided day in the medina of Fez
• Two nights in Merzouga with a full desert day
• Todra Gorges, Dades and Aït Ben Haddou
• Two nights and a guided day in Marrakech

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca, Hassan II Mosque and Corniche

   Your driver welcomes you at Casablanca airport and takes you to your hotel. After a rest, you visit the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Africa, built on the edge of the ocean. When open, you can join a guided tour inside. In the evening you can walk along the Corniche, the seaside road with cafes and restaurants. Night in Casablanca.

   Overnight: Casablanca

2. 2

   Day 2

   Day 2: Rabat – Chefchaouen

   You drive about 1 hour 30 minutes to Rabat, the capital. You see the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Oudayas above the river. Then you drive north for about 4 hours into the Rif mountains. On the way you see green farmland and small market towns. You arrive in Chefchaouen, the blue city, in the late afternoon. Before dinner, you can take a first short walk in the blue lanes. Night in a riad.

   Overnight: Chefchaouen

3. 3

   Day 3

   Day 3: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez

   Walk in the blue lanes of Chefchaouen in the morning light. Then you drive to Volubilis, a Roman city with mosaics and columns, protected by UNESCO. In Meknes you see the great gate of Bab Mansour and the old royal city. Its old walls are some of the longest in Morocco. In the evening you arrive in Fez and check in to your riad.

   Overnight: Fez

4. 4

   Day 4

   Day 4: Fez guided tour

   With a licensed local guide you explore Fez el-Bali, a medina with thousands of lanes and no cars. You see the Bab Boujloud gate, the Bou Inania madrasa, the outside of Al Quaraouiyine and the Chouara tannery. You visit weavers, potters and brass workers in their shops, and learn how each craft is passed from father to son. The afternoon is free for rest. Second night in Fez.

   Overnight: Fez

5. 5

   Day 5

   Day 5: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga camp

   Today you leave the cities for the desert. You stop in Ifrane and the cedar forest with Barbary macaques. After lunch in Midelt, you follow the Ziz valley. In the late afternoon you ride camels into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset. Our team lives in this area, so you are with local people who know the desert well. Dinner and night in a desert camp, with drums and stars.

   Overnight: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

6. 6

   Day 6

   Day 6: Merzouga full day, second night

   Watch the sunrise from a dune. Today you explore the desert area at a calm pace. You visit Khamlia, our home village, to hear Gnawa music, and Rissani market. You may meet a nomad family and drink tea in their tent. In the afternoon you can rest, or try sandboarding. Second night in the camp or in a hotel by the dunes.

   Overnight: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

7. 7

   Day 7

   Day 7: Todra Gorges – Dades Valley

   You drive west along the old caravan road to Tinghir. You walk inside the Todra Gorges, between rock walls that rise very high above a small river. The walk is easy and flat, about 30 to 45 minutes. After lunch you continue to the Dades Valley, with red rocks and old earth villages. Before sunset, you can stop at a viewpoint over the famous winding road. Dinner and night in a kasbah-style hotel.

   Overnight: Dades Valley

8. 8

   Day 8

   Day 8: Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Tichka – Marrakech

   You drive through the Rose Valley to Ouarzazate, a town known for its film studios. Then you visit Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO earth village used in many films. You can climb to the top for a wide view of the valley. After lunch you cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at 2,260 metres. You arrive in Marrakech in the evening. Night in a riad.

   Overnight: Marrakech

9. 9

   Day 9

   Day 9: Marrakech guided tour

   A licensed guide shows you the best of Marrakech. You visit the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace and the Ben Youssef area. You walk through the souks, where people sell spices, lamps and leather. You finish in Jemaa el-Fna square, which becomes very lively at sunset with food stalls, music and storytellers. In the evening you can eat on a terrace with a view of the square. Second night in Marrakech.

   Overnight: Marrakech

10. 10

    Day 10

    Day 10: Transfer to Casablanca airport

    After breakfast your driver takes you from Marrakech to Casablanca airport, a drive of about 3 hours on a good motorway. We plan the time according to your flight. If your flight is late, you can have a last morning in Marrakech, for example in the Majorelle Garden. Please plan to arrive at the airport about 3 hours before an international flight. End of your 10-day Morocco tour.

Route map

Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fez → Ifrane → Midelt → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) → Todra Gorges (Tinghir) → Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Aït Ben Haddou → Marrakech → Casablanca

Accommodation by category

Choose your hotel category. The final hotel names are confirmed when you book, depending on availability.

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Frequently asked questions