Morocco Essentials: 8-Day Private Tour from Casablanca

Overview

Highlights

• Hassan II Mosque by the Atlantic Ocean in Casablanca
• A slow morning in the blue medina of Chefchaouen
• Full guided day in the old medina of Fez, with the famous tannery
• Camel ride at sunset and a night in a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Todra Gorges, Dades Valley and the UNESCO ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
• Guided visit of Marrakech and its lively Jemaa el-Fna square

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1

   Day 1: Casablanca – Hassan II Mosque – Rabat

   Your driver meets you at Casablanca airport or your hotel. First stop is the Hassan II Mosque, built on the edge of the ocean. When it is open for visitors, you can join a guided tour of the inside; if not, you can walk around the large square outside. Then you drive along the Corniche, the seaside road with cafes and beaches. In the afternoon you continue to Rabat, the capital, in about 1 hour 30 minutes. Check in to your hotel and rest after the long flight.

   Overnight: Rabat

2. 2

   Day 2

   Day 2: Rabat – Chefchaouen

   After breakfast you visit the main sights of Rabat. You see the Hassan Tower, an unfinished minaret from the 12th century, and the white marble Mausoleum of Mohammed V with its royal guards. Next you walk through the Kasbah of the Oudayas, with blue and white lanes and a garden above the river. Then you drive north for about 4 hours, through green farmland and into the Rif mountains. You arrive in Chefchaouen in the late afternoon and sleep in a traditional riad.

   Overnight: Chefchaouen

3. 3

   Day 3

   Day 3: Chefchaouen – Fez

   The morning is the best time to walk in Chefchaouen, when the streets are quiet. Every wall and door is painted blue, and there are many small shops with wool blankets and local goat cheese. You walk to Ras El Maa, a cool spring at the edge of the town where local women still wash clothes. After lunch you drive about 3 hours 30 minutes to Fez. In the evening you check in to your riad inside or close to the old city.

   Overnight: Fez

4. 4

   Day 4

   Day 4: Fez full day with a licensed guide

   Today a licensed local guide shows you Fez el-Bali, one of the largest car-free old cities in the world. You enter by the blue gate of Bab Boujloud and walk through narrow lanes full of donkeys, spices and craftsmen. You see the outside of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in the year 859, and the beautiful tile and wood work of the Bou Inania madrasa. From a terrace you look down on the Chouara tannery. You also meet weavers, brass workers and potters in their workshops.

   Overnight: Fez

5. 5

   Day 5

   Day 5: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga desert camp

   This is a long but beautiful driving day. You pass Ifrane, a clean mountain town with European-style houses, and stop in the cedar forest to see Barbary macaques. Lunch is in Midelt, between two mountain ranges. In the afternoon you follow the green Ziz valley with its palm trees. In Merzouga you meet your camels and ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset. Dinner and the night are in a desert camp, under a sky full of stars.

   Overnight: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

6. 6

   Day 6

   Day 6: Sahara sunrise – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley

   Wake up early and climb a dune to watch the sun rise over the Sahara. After breakfast at the camp you ride the camels back to the village and continue west. In Tinghir you see a long green palm grove under the mountains. Then you walk inside the Todra Gorges, where the rock walls are very high and very close together. In the late afternoon you reach the Dades Valley, where you have dinner and sleep in a kasbah-style hotel.

   Overnight: Dades Valley

7. 7

   Day 7

   Day 7: Rose Valley – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Marrakech

   You drive through the Rose Valley, famous for its rose water and its small earth villages. After Ouarzazate you visit Aït Ben Haddou, a fortified earth village protected by UNESCO and used in many films. You walk up to the old granary at the top for a wide view. In the afternoon you cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres. You arrive in Marrakech in the evening and check in to your riad.

   Overnight: Marrakech

8. 8

   Day 8

   Day 8: Marrakech guided visit and airport transfer

   In the morning a local guide shows you the heart of Marrakech. You see the Koutoubia Mosque and its tall minaret, the painted rooms and gardens of the Bahia Palace, and the busy souks where people sell lamps, leather and spices. You end in Jemaa el-Fna, the main square. Depending on your flight time, your driver then takes you to Marrakech airport. If you want more time in the city, we can add extra nights.

Route map

Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen → Fez → Ifrane → Midelt → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) → Todra Gorges (Tinghir) → Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Aït Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka pass → Marrakech

Accommodation by category

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

Photo gallery

Frequently asked questions