12-Day Morocco Tour From Casablanca: Imperial Cities & Sahara

Your tour starts with a pickup at Casablanca Airport. Time permitting, visit the Hassan II Mosque an oceanfront landmark with the world’s tallest minaret (210 meters). Then drive 2 hours (90 km) north to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. Settle into a traditional riad in the city center.

• Stay: Riad in Rabat
• Meals: None included (restaurant recommendations available)
• Highlights: Hassan II Mosque
• Drive: ~2 hours / 90 km

Tour Rabat’s key sites: the 12th-century Hassan Tower, Roman-Moorish Chellah ruins, and the Atlantic-facing Oudayas Kasbah with Andalusian gardens. After lunch, drive 5 hours (250 km) north to Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. On arrival, settle into a riad and explore the town’s iconic blue alleys and relaxed souks.

• Stay: Riad in Chefchaouen
• Included: Breakfast
• Highlights: Hassan Tower, Chellah, Oudayas Kasbah, arrival in Chefchaouen
• Options: Chefchaouen guided tour or 45-min panoramic hike
• Drive: ~5 hours / 250 km

We start the day exploring Chefchaouen’s iconic blue-washed medina perfect for casual wandering and photos, with stops at the Kasbah Museum and Grand Mosque in the main square. By midday, we depart for Volubilis (Walili), where you’ll walk ancient Roman streets lined with mosaics and grand ruins UNESCO-listed and impressively intact.

Next stop is Meknes, the 17th-century imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Highlights include Bab Mansour gate, Place El-Hedim, the Royal Stables (once for 12,000 horses), and the Sultan’s mausoleum. Optional guided tour available.

By late afternoon, we continue to Fes, arriving at your traditional riad.

• Driving Time: ~5–6 hours
• Stay: Riad in Fes
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: Chefchaouen medina, Volubilis ruins, Meknes monuments
• Optional: Meknes guided tour

Dive into Fes, Morocco’s spiritual heart. Start at the grand Royal Palace gates, then enter Fes el-Bali, the vast UNESCO-listed medina, through Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate). With your local guide, weave through its 9,000+ alleys, visiting 14th-century madrasas like Attarine and Bou Inania, and the Nejjarine Fountain in the carpenter’s quarter.

See the medieval tanneries in action unchanged for centuries before visiting the El Karaouyine Mosque and University, operating since 859 CE. Explore the Jewish Quarter (Mellah), then climb to a fortress for sweeping views of the medina’s rooftops and minarets. Evening is yours to unwind or try traditional Fassi cuisine.

• Driving Time: Minimal (within Fes)
• Stay: Riad in Fes
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: Fes medina, historic madrasas, ancient tanneries, Karaouyine University
• Optional: Hammam, cooking class, dinner show

We head south through the Middle Atlas. First stop: Ifrane, nicknamed “Switzerland of Morocco” for its alpine-style architecture and cool climate built by the French in the 1930s. Then it’s on to Azrou’s cedar forests, where you’ll encounter the last wild Barbary macaques in Africa.

We pause in Midelt for lunch before crossing the Tizi-n-Tilghmt Pass and descending into the lush Ziz Valley lined with palm groves and dramatic rock formations. By late afternoon, we reach Merzouga on the Sahara’s edge. From here, camels carry us into the Erg Chebbi dunes for a sunset trek.

Overnight is in a luxury desert camp with real beds and private facilities. Enjoy a traditional dinner, Berber music, and stargazing by the fire.

• Driving Time: ~7–8 hours, 470 km
• Stay: Luxury desert camp, Merzouga
• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Highlights: Ifrane, cedar forest monkeys, Ziz Valley, camel trek, desert sunset
• Optional activities: Quad biking, sandboarding

Wake early for a sunrise over the Sahara dunes, a breathtaking moment as the desert glows in morning light. After breakfast at camp, we leave Merzouga and head west toward the Atlas foothills.

First stop is Tinghir, an oasis town rich with palm groves. Nearby, we explore Todra Gorges 300-meter cliffs carved by the Todra River, perfect for a shaded walk beneath towering limestone walls. After lunch here, the road winds through Dades Valley, famed for its “monkey finger” rock formations and Berber villages clinging to hillsides.

We pause at panoramic viewpoints before reaching our auberge or kasbah for dinner and the night, nestled in the valley’s dramatic landscape.

• Driving Time: ~5 hours, 250 km
• Stay: Auberge or Kasbah in Dades Valley
• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Highlights: Sahara sunrise, Todra Gorges, Dades Valley views
• Optional activities: Camel ride, quad biking, Berber Museum visit, meet nomad families

We take a scenic walk through the Dades Valley about an hour on foot passing fig groves and Berber villages. Then we drive to Ouarzazate, Morocco’s film hub, where major productions like Gladiator and Game of Thrones were shot.

In Ouarzazate, we visit the historic Taourirt Kasbah, once home to the Glaoui clan, and tour Atlas Film Studios to see iconic movie sets. From here, a short drive brings us to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed ksar of mud-brick towers and alleys. We’ll explore the site and hike to its summit for sweeping views of the High Atlas foothills.

Overnight in a traditional kasbah or hotel nearby.

• Driving Time: ~5 hours with stops
• Stay: Kasbah or Hotel in Ait Ben Haddou
• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Highlights: Dades Valley walk, Taourirt Kasbah, Atlas Studios, Ait Ben Haddou
• Optional: Painting workshop with local artists

We travel to Marrakech via the scenic Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and the High Atlas Mountains. En route, we stop for a short hike above the valley to explore Berber troglodyte villages cave homes carved into the hillsides, still inhabited today.

We then ascend the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, North Africa’s highest major road pass at 2,260 meters, offering dramatic mountain and valley views with plenty of photo stops. As we descend, the landscape shifts from rocky peaks to fertile plains.

By afternoon, we arrive in Marrakech. After checking into a traditional riad in the medina, you’re free to explore perhaps start with the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square, lively in the evening with food vendors, musicians, and storytellers.

• Driving Time: ~6–7 hours with stops, 200 km
• Stay: Riad in Marrakech
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: High Atlas crossing, troglodyte villages, Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, Marrakech medina
• Optional activities: Evening visit to Jemaa el-Fnaa

Set out on a guided tour of Marrakech, Morocco’s “Red City.” Start at the tranquil 12th-century Menara Gardens with views of the Atlas Mountains, then visit Koutoubia Mosque its 77-meter minaret shaping the city skyline since the 1100s.

Next are the Saadian Tombs, rediscovered in 1917, followed by the lavish Bahia Palace with its ornate rooms and lush courtyards. Walk through the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) and explore the historic Agdal Gardens before heading into Gueliz, the French-built modern district.

In the afternoon, dive into Marrakech’s bustling souks, filled with artisans and traditional crafts. Wrap up at Jemaa el-Fnaa square, where the city comes alive at night with performers, food stalls, and storytellers. Return to your riad or enjoy dinner out.

• Driving Time: Minimal (within Marrakech)
• Stay: Riad in Marrakech
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: Menara Gardens, Koutoubia Mosque, Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, souks, Jemaa el-Fnaa
• Optional activities: Hot air balloon ride, cooking class, hammam, shopping tour

We head west to Essaouira, a breezy Atlantic port about 2.5 hours from Marrakech. Along the way, we pass through argan tree groves unique to this region and might catch sight of goats climbing them for fruit. We’ll stop at a women-run argan oil cooperative to see how this prized oil is made and learn about its impact on local communities.

In Essaouira (formerly Mogador), the sea air and blue-and-white architecture reflect its Portuguese heritage. Stroll the UNESCO-listed medina, the harbor filled with blue fishing boats, and the artisan districts famed for thuya woodcraft. Enjoy lunch by the sea, then explore at your own pace shop, relax at a café, or walk along the beach.

• Driving Time: ~2.5–3 hours, 190 km
• Stay: Riad or hotel in Essaouira
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: Argan trees, women’s cooperative, Essaouira medina, fishing port
• Optional: Beach time, shopping, seafood dining

After breakfast, we drive north to Casablanca, following the Atlantic coast for 4–5 hours through seaside towns and farmland. Scenic stops along the way offer ocean views before we arrive in Morocco’s commercial capital.

In Casablanca, you can revisit the grand Hassan II Mosque this time to see its interior, if you missed it earlier. We cruise along the Corniche, the city’s beachfront promenade, then explore the Habous Quarter, a 1930s French-built district where traditional Moroccan style meets European planning. It’s a great place for local crafts and spices.

We also stop at Mohammed V Square, the city’s civic heart, and optionally visit Rick’s Café, a nod to the classic Casablanca film. Overnight in a hotel in the city.

• Driving Time: ~4–5 hours, 370 km
• Stay: Hotel in Casablanca
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: Coastal drive, Hassan II Mosque, Corniche, Habous Quarter
• Optional: Mosque interior visit, Old Medina, seaside dinner

On your final day, enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your hotel in Casablanca. If time allows, you might fit in some last-minute shopping at Morocco Mall or a walk along the Corniche for a final view of the Atlantic.

At the right time, we’ll transfer you to Casablanca Mohammed V Airport. Alternatively, if your plans call for it, we can arrange a drop-off at Marrakech Menara Airport instead. Flexible end-of-tour logistics ensure a smooth departure.

• Driving Time: Minimal (to airport)
• Meals: Breakfast
• Highlights: Optional shopping or stroll, airport transfer