10 days in Morocco from Casablanca: imperial cities and desert

Tour description – Marrakech

This private tour (10 days / 9 nights) takes you from Casablanca a Marrakech, with local guides and everything organised at your own pace.

Tour gallery

Highlights – Marrakech

• The four imperial cities
• The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
• Two nights in the Merzouga desert
• Todra Gorges and the Dades Valley
• Ait Ben Haddou and ending in Marrakech

Day-by-day itinerary to Marrakech

1. Day
   1

   Casablanca – Rabat

   We pick you up at your hotel or at Casablanca airport and visit the imposing Hassan II Mosque, the only one in Morocco that can be visited inside and with one of the tallest minarets in the world. Then we head to Rabat, the capital of the kingdom, to stroll through the Kasbah of the Udayas and its blue-and-white lanes overlooking the Atlantic.

   — Hotel in Rabat
2. Day
   2

   Rabat – Meknes – Volubilis – Fez

   We head inland to discover Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail, with its monumental Bab Mansour gate and the old royal granaries. We continue to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its mosaics at the foot of Mount Zerhoun, and reach Fez in the late afternoon.

   — Riad in Fez
3. Day
   3

   Fez – city tour

   We devote the full day to Fez with an official local guide: we wander the medieval medina, the largest pedestrian area in the world, and visit the famous leather tanneries, the Bou Inania madrasa and the Qaraouiyin University, the oldest still operating on the planet. There'll be time for the artisan souks and to feel the pulse of the neighbourhood.

   — Riad in Fez
4. Day
   4

   Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga

   We cross the Middle Atlas passing through Ifrane, the so-called Moroccan Switzerland, and the cedar forests where Barbary macaques live. We descend the spectacular Ziz Valley, an immense palm grove, to Merzouga; at sunset we ride camels to the camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes to have dinner and sleep under a star-filled sky.

   Dinner Camp in Erg Chebbi
5. Day
   5

   Merzouga – a day in the desert

   Anyone who wishes can get up early to watch sunrise over the sea of sand, one of the most beautiful moments of the trip. We spend the day getting to know the region: the lively Rissani market —the ancient Sijilmasa of the caravans—, the gnawa village of Khamlia and its hypnotic music, and Lake Dayet Srji, where flamingos can be seen in spring.

   Breakfast, dinner Hotel near Merzouga
6. Day
   6

   Merzouga – Todra – Dades Valley

   We head west through Berber villages to the impressive Todra Gorges, rock walls up to 300 metres high with a river running through them. We continue along the Dades Valley, famous for its curious rock formations and its adobe kasbahs, where we spend the night.

   Breakfast, dinner Hotel in the Dades Valley
7. Day
   7

   Dades – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou

   We travel the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate, the capital of Moroccan cinema, where we can see its famous film studios. We end the day in Ait Ben Haddou, the spectacular mud-brick citadel that's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the setting for films such as Gladiator and Game of Thrones.

   — Hotel near Ait Ben Haddou
8. Day
   8

   Ait Ben Haddou – Tizi n Tichka – Marrakech

   We cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n Tichka pass (2,260 m), the highest drivable pass in Morocco, with stops at the viewpoints to photograph the mountain landscape and the villages clinging to the slopes. Arrival in Marrakech in the early afternoon and the rest of the day free.

   — Riad in Marrakech
9. Day
   9

   Marrakech – city tour

   Full day in Marrakech with a guide: the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and one of its historic gardens. As evening falls we dive into the vibrant Jemaa el-Fna square, with its stalls, water sellers and performers, and into the maze of souks that surrounds it.

   — Riad in Marrakech
10. Day
    10

    Marrakech

    Free time until your transfer to Marrakech airport. End of our services; if you wish, we can add extra nights, a getaway to Essaouira or continue the trip to another city.

    Breakfast

What's included – tour to Marrakech

Why choose this tour?

Before travelling to Marrakech

Extra activities available

Extra activities are not included in the tour price. Ask us about availability and pricing.