Itinerary
- Day 1
Casablanca to Meknes
Start in Casablanca by checking out the Hassan II Mosque right on the seafront, where you'll see that iconic 656-foot minaret. If you're interested, the Old Medina and Rick's Café are worth a look, plus there's the beachfront Boulevard de la Corniche and the newer Hobous district. Later, you'll drive about 2.5 to 3 hours south to Meknes, an imperial city with gardens and palaces. The medina here is smaller and easier to navigate than what you'll find in Fes.
- Start point
- Casablanca, Casablanca-Settat, Morocco (Casablanca, 08:00 - 09:00)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Hassan II Mosque including Hammam in basement (1-hour tour, 9am-2pm)
Optional Activities
- Explore Old Medina
- Visit Hobous (New Medina) with art deco architecture, crafts and markets
- Stroll Boulevard de la Corniche beach promenade
- Visit Rick's Café
- Explore Ville Impériale (Imperial City) area with gardens, palaces, and Bab al-Mansour gate
- Visit Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
- Explore Royal Stables
- Visit 14th-century Medersa Bou Inania
- Tour Dar Jamaa palace (built 1882)
- Browse souks in Meknes medina
Landmarks/POIs Hassan II Mosque Old Medina Hobous (New Medina) Boulevard de la Corniche Rick's Café Bab al-Mansour Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail Medersa Bou Inania Dar Jamaa 
- Day 2
Volubilis - Chefchaouen
After breakfast, head out for about 30 minutes to Volubilis, a UNESCO site with some of Morocco's best-kept Roman ruins including merchant homes, temples, and colorful mosaics. From there, you'll drive through changing landscapes for about 3 hours into the Rif mountains toward Chefchaouen. Once you arrive in the Blue City, wander through the compact medina with its winding alleys, see Plaza Outa el-Hammam, the Grand Mosque, and the Kasbah. Catch sunset either from the city walls or the Spanish Mosque.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Volubilis Roman ruins site
- Explore Chefchaouen medina
- Visit Grand Mosque and Kasbah in Chefchaouen
Optional Activities
- Hiking to Cascades d'Akchou waterfall
- Hike to The Bridge of God (rock arch)
- Walk to Hotel Atlas viewpoint
- Watch sunset from Spanish Mosque
- Mint tea at Ras el Ma spring café
Landmarks/POIs Volubilis Plaza Outa el-Hammam Grand Mosque (Chefchaouen) Kasbah (Chefchaouen) Spanish Mosque Ras el Ma spring Cascades d'Akchou waterfall The Bridge of God 
- Day 3
Chefchaouen to Fes
Get up early to walk through Chefchaouen's quiet streets before the crowds arrive. Then head south for about 3.5 hours to Fes, stopping at the Merenid tombs ruins for views of the old medina spreading down the hillside. After lunch, you'll walk through the medina's larger, more complex streets. Check into a traditional riad for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Merenid tombs ruins with city views
Optional Activities
- Explore Fes medina
Landmarks/POIs Merenid Tombs - Day 4
Fes
Spend the day exploring Fes, Morocco's oldest imperial city and home to the most complete medina in the Arab world. Walk through Fes el Bali's narrow streets browsing the famous souks for spices, leather, and ceramics. See the Tanneries Chouara where they use traditional techniques, then check out the 9th-century Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and university nearby. Visit the decorated Madrasas, pass through the blue and green Bab Boujeloud gate, and see Musée Batha. You can also explore Fes el Jedid, the Royal Palace, the Mellah Jewish quarter, and local ceramics collectives. End the day watching sunset from the Merenid Tombs or Borj Sud.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Explore Fes el Bali medina
- Browse souks (spices, vegetables, leather, ceramics, metal, shoes, scarves, medicines)
- Visit Tanneries Chouara
- Visit Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque area
- Explore Madrasas: Medersa Bou Inania and Al Attarine Madrasa (built 1325)
- Pass through Bab Boujeloud gate
- Visit Musée Batha
- Explore Fes el Jedid area
- View Royal Palace and Mellah Jewish quarter
- Tour local ceramics and tilework collective
Optional Activities
- Half-day expert guided tour of Fes history and culture
- Multi-day medina exploration with Madrasa visits
- Sunset viewing from Merenid Tombs
- Sunset viewing from Borj Sud
Landmarks/POIs Fes el Bali (Old Fes) Tanneries Chouara Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque Islamic University Medersa Bou Inania Al Attarine Madrasa Bab Boujeloud Talâa Kebira Musée Batha Fes el Jedid (New Fes) Royal Palace (Fes) Mellah (Jewish Quarter) Merenid Tombs Borj Sud 
- Day 5
Fes to Merzouga (Sahara Desert)
Travel a long day toward the Sahara, passing through Azrou and over Col du Zad Pass where cedar forests and Barbary macaque monkeys appear. Stop for lunch in Midelt (called the apple city) above the River Moulouya. Keep going over Tizi-n-Talremt pass into Ziz Valley with its hidden oases and fortified ksars. Near Erfoud you'll see sand dunes creeping onto farmland and old water-mining techniques. Visit a fossil artisan collective in Erfoud, then head to Erg Chebbi sand dunes to watch them change color at dusk. Take a camel ride through the dunes to your camp before sunset, then enjoy traditional Berber music and a fire before sleeping in a Bedouin tent.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch in Midelt), Dinner (Traditional dinner at Bedouin camp)
Included Activities
- Drive through Middle Atlas cedar forests
- Stop and lunch in Midelt
- Visit fossil artisan collective in Erfoud
- Camel trek through Erg Chebbi dunes
- Traditional Berber music and campfire evening
- Overnight in Bedouin tent accommodation
Optional Activities
- Visit local nomadic Berber family for tea
- Stay at comfortable hotel/auberge in Merzouga (instead of Bedouin tent)
Landmarks/POIs Azrou Col du Zad Pass Middle Atlas Mountains Midelt River Moulouya Tizi-n-Talremt Pass Ziz Valley Erfoud Erg Chebbi Merzouga - Day 6
Merzouga (Sahara Desert)
Wake before sunrise to see the sand dunes light up. After breakfast, spend your morning in the Sahara with options like sandboarding, touring Erg Shibi, quad ATV rides, or just relaxing by a pool. Visit Khamleya, a traditional Saharan village with Mali roots, to hear local music and watch dancing, then take an easy walk around village farms. Stop in Rissani market town to look at traditional stalls and watch livestock sales. Continue through the desert to Tinerhir and its green river oasis, then walk into or relax in the dramatic Todra Gorge with walls 984 feet high. Travel through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs spotting nomads and traditional farming. Pass through Dades Valley with rose bushes bordering the fields (if you're going in May, catch the Rose Festival). Stop at a rose collective to watch them distill rose oil.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Sunrise over sand dunes
- Visit Khamleya village with local music and dancing
- Visit Todra Gorge with easy walk through gorge or river relaxation
- Travel through Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs
- Pass through Dades Valley with rose production areas
Optional Activities
- Sandboarding on dunes
- Erg Shibi tour around sand dunes
- Quad ATV tour
- Relax by pool
- Browse traditional stalls in Rissani
- Visit rose collective and watch distillation process
- Stop in Ouarzazate for movie studio tour
- Visit Musée du Cinema in Ouarzazate
Landmarks/POIs Erg Chebbi Erg Shibi Khamleya Rissani Tinerhir Todra Gorge Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs Dades Valley Ouarzazate - Day 7
High Atlas - Marrakesh
Begin at Aït Benhaddou, the most famous kasbah in Morocco and a UNESCO site dating back to the 11th century. Head over the High Atlas mountains with views of Mount Toubkal at 13,671 feet. You'll see panoramic vistas at Tizi-n-Tichka Pass before descending winding roads. Stop in Taddert at an oil cooperative to learn how they process olives and taste some products. Continue into dramatic river valleys where you'll notice the climate and landscape shift. Arrive in Marrakesh by evening, check in at your hotel, then explore Jemaa el Fna square with its musicians, performers, snake charmers, and food stalls.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Aït Benhaddou Kasbah
- View Mount Toubkal from High Atlas
- View Tizi-n-Tichka Pass panorama
- Visit Taddert oil cooperative
Optional Activities
- Learn about olive processing at Taddert cooperative
- Explore Jemaa el Fna square with performers and food stalls
- Dine at cafés surrounding Jemaa el Fna square
Landmarks/POIs Aït Benhaddou Mount Toubkal High Atlas Mountains Tizi-n-Tichka Pass Taddert Jemaa el Fna 
- Day 8
Marrakesh
Depending on your flight time, you might have the morning to explore Marrakesh, known as 'the red city' for its natural red ochre walls. Walk through the medina with souks to the north, Koutoubia Mosque and its gardens to the west, and the Kasbah area with Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, and El Badi Palace to the south. In the newer part of town, visit Majorelle Gardens with its tropical plants. Browse the souks for spices, blacksmith work, slippers, and the dyers' souk. See the renovated 16th-century Medersa Ben Youssef, historic Fondouks (old trader inns), the Almoravid Kouba, and the Marrakesh Museum. Then head to the airport for your flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Explore Marrakesh medina
- Browse medina souks
Optional Activities
- Half-day expert guided tour of Marrakesh history and culture
- Explore Jemaa el Fna Square with musicians, storytellers, acrobats, dancers, henna artists, and snake charmers
- Browse food stalls in Jemaa el Fna
- Enjoy tea or meal from Jemaa el Fna square-side cafés
- Caliche Horse Carriage tour around Jemaa el Fna area
- Visit Koutoubia Mosque exterior and gardens
- Browse Souk el Attarin (spices)
- Browse Souk Haddadine (blacksmiths)
- Browse Souk Smata (slippers)
- Browse Souk des Teinturiers (dyers' souk)
- Explore Fondouks (former trader inns)
- Visit Medersa Ben Youssef (16th-century Koranic school)
- Visit Almoravid Kouba
- Visit Marrakesh Museum (Dar Mnebbi Palace)
- Visit Museum of Moroccan Arts and Crafts
- Visit Saadian Tombs (16th-century secret tombs)
- Visit El Badi Palace (early 17th-century ruins)
- Visit Bahia Palace (19th-century palace)
- Visit Majorelle Gardens (30-minute walk or taxi ride)
Landmarks/POIs Jemaa el Fna Koutoubia Mosque Koutoubia Gardens Souk el Attarin Souk Haddadine Souk Smata Souk des Teinturiers Medersa Ben Youssef Almoravid Kouba Marrakesh Museum Museum of Moroccan Arts and Crafts Saadian Tombs El Badi Palace Bahia Palace Majorelle Gardens 
