MULTI-DAY MOROCCO TOUR
9-Day Morocco Highlights Tour — Desert, Imperial Cities & Chefchaouen
A private multi-day Morocco tour combining the Sahara Desert, the imperial cities of Fes and Rabat, and the blue streets of Chefchaouen.
DURATION
9 Days / 8 Nights
ROUTE
Marrakech to Casablanca
GROUP SIZE
2-16 People
TYPE
Private Multi-Day Tour
Tour Overview
This 9-day private tour brings together the destinations travelers most often ask us about — Marrakech, the Sahara Desert, Fes, Chefchaouen, and Rabat — in one well-paced route finishing in Casablanca. It is our answer for travelers who want to see as much of Morocco as reasonably possible in about a week and a half.
Traveling by private vehicle with your own driver, this multi-day Morocco tour combines a genuine Sahara Desert experience with imperial-city culture and the country’s most photogenic town.
Tour Highlights
- Explore Marrakech, including the souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa
- Cross the High Atlas Mountains and visit Ait Ben Haddou
- Camel trek into the Sahara Desert dunes at Merzouga
- Overnight in a private desert camp under the stars
- Guided walking tour of the historic Fes medina
- Visit Chefchaouen, Morocco’s famous blue city
- Explore Rabat, Morocco’s elegant capital
- Finish in Casablanca with a visit to the Hassan II Mosque
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech — Guided City Tour
On arrival in Marrakech, settle into your riad before setting out with a local guide to discover the city. Highlights typically include the Bahia Palace, a 19th-century palace celebrated for its ornate courtyards and painted cedar ceilings; the Koutoubia Mosque, whose 12th-century minaret has served as an architectural model across the region; and the winding lanes of the medina, filled with spice stalls, textile shops, and traditional workshops.
As evening falls, visit Jemaa el-Fnaa, one of the most iconic public squares in Africa, as it fills with food stalls, musicians, acrobats, and storytellers — a scene that has drawn travelers to Marrakech for centuries.
Overnight in Marrakech.
Day 2: Marrakech to Dades Valley — via the Atlas Mountains & Ait Ben Haddou
Head south into the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, a road that winds through more than fifty kilometers of switchbacks, red rock cliffs, and small Berber villages. Your driver will stop at several viewpoints, giving you time for photographs and to browse stalls run by local families selling minerals and handmade jewelry.
Your main stop is Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified UNESCO World Heritage kasbah built almost entirely from rammed earth, its dramatic silhouette having featured in numerous international film productions. You will have time to explore its narrow passageways, visit artisan workshops within its walls, and climb to the old granary for sweeping views over the valley.
Continuing through Ouarzazate and the Skoura oasis, you will arrive in the Dades Valley by late afternoon, where dramatic folded rock formations rise above terraced fields along the river.
Overnight in a guesthouse in the Dades Valley.
Day 3: Dades Valley to Merzouga — via the Todra Gorges
This morning, visit the Todra Gorges, a spectacular limestone canyon where cliffs rise more than 300 meters on either side of a narrow riverbed, popular with rock climbers from around the world. You will have time for a walk along the canyon floor and a mint tea at one of the cafés built against the rock face.
Continuing east, the landscape shifts from green valley to flat, stony desert plain as you approach Merzouga, with the first dunes of the Sahara appearing on the horizon as the afternoon light softens. At the edge of Erg Chebbi, you will leave your vehicle for a camel and ride into the dunes as the sun sets, arriving at your desert camp for mint tea, a traditional dinner, and an evening of Berber music around the fire beneath a sky full of stars.
Overnight in a private desert camp near Merzouga.
Day 4: Merzouga to Fes — via the Ziz Valley & Middle Atlas
Wake early for sunrise over the dunes, one of the most memorable moments of the trip, before beginning the journey north along the Ziz Valley, where the road follows a ribbon of palm groves and traditional villages along the Ziz River.
Climbing into the Middle Atlas Mountains, you will pass through Midelt, known for its apple orchards, and Ifrane, a mountain town whose alpine-style architecture feels distinctly different from the rest of Morocco. Arrive in Fes in the evening, with time to settle in before dinner.
Overnight in Fes.
Day 5: Fes — Guided City Tour
Spend the day exploring Fes el Bali with a local guide, one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights include the Bou Inania Madrasa, an exceptional example of Marinid-era craftsmanship; the historic Chouara Tannery, where leather has been dyed by hand for centuries; and the area around the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 and recognized as the oldest continuously operating institution of higher education in the world.
Beyond the landmarks, the walk through the medina offers a genuine sense of daily life — coppersmiths, weavers, spice merchants, and bakers carrying dough to the neighborhood’s communal oven.
Overnight in Fes.
Day 6: Fes to Chefchaouen
Drive north toward the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, Morocco’s famous blue city, where nearly every building in the old town is washed in shades of blue ranging from pale sky to deep indigo. Arriving in the afternoon, you will have time to settle in before an evening walk through the softly lit streets, when the blue tones take on an especially striking glow.
Overnight in Chefchaouen.
Day 7: Chefchaouen to Rabat
Spend the morning exploring Chefchaouen at a relaxed pace — Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the tanneries and wool workshops, and the Spanish Mosque on the hillside above town, reached by a short walk with panoramic views over the blue rooftops below.
In the afternoon, drive south to Rabat, Morocco’s elegant and relatively quiet capital, arriving in the evening.
Overnight in Rabat.
Day 8: Rabat to Casablanca
Spend the morning exploring Rabat, including the Kasbah of the Udayas, a fortified 12th-century old town overlooking the Atlantic with narrow blue-and-white streets, and the Hassan Tower, an unfinished 12th-century minaret intended to be the tallest in the world.
In the afternoon, drive to Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, arriving with time to walk along the corniche or explore the old medina before your final dinner.
Overnight in Casablanca.
Day 9: Casablanca — Hassan II Mosque & Departure
Before your departure, visit the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, with a minaret rising over 200 meters and a section of the prayer hall floor that opens to reveal the Atlantic Ocean below. It remains one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, and the guided tour offers a close look at its vast hand-carved details and marble flooring.
Afterward, you will be transferred to Casablanca airport, bringing an end to your private tour of Morocco’s highlights.
What’s Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for 9 days
- Fuel and all transportation costs
- Accommodation for 8 nights (Marrakech, Dades guesthouse, desert camp, Fes, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca)
- Daily breakfast
- Dinner in the desert camp
- Camel trek in Merzouga
- Guided city tours in Marrakech, Fes, and Rabat
What’s Not Included
- Flights
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments and museums
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and tips
Good to Know Before You Go
- This route covers most of what first-time visitors ask us about in a single well-paced trip, ending conveniently in Casablanca for onward flights.
- Best time to travel: spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most comfortable temperatures throughout the route.
- Desert nights get cold, even when the daytime temperature is warm — pack a warm layer for the evening in Merzouga.
- Chefchaouen’s sloped, tiled streets are best explored in comfortable, grippy shoes.
- Curious what an overnight stay in the desert is really like? Read our guide to a night in the Sahara Desert, or compare Marrakech vs Fes before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
START PLANNING
Ready to see Morocco’s highlights?
Tell us your travel dates and group size, and we’ll help you plan this journey through Marrakech, the Sahara Desert, Fes, Chefchaouen, and Rabat.